Actions In Combat

The fundamental actions of moving and attacking cover most of what a character wants to do in a battle. They're described here. Other, more specialized options are touched on in Table: Actions in Combat, and covered in Special Initiative Actions and Special Attacks.

The Combat Round

Each round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. A round is an opportunity for each character involved in a combat to take an action. Anything a person could reasonably do in 6 seconds, a character can do in 1 round.

Each round's activity begins with the character with the highest initiative result and then proceeds, in order, from there. Each round of a combat uses the same initiative order. When a character's turn comes up in the initiative sequence, that character performs his or her entire round's worth of actions. (For exceptions, see Attacks of Opportunity and Special Initiative Actions.)

For almost all purposes, there is no relevance to the end of a round or the beginning of a round. A round can be a segment of game time starting with the first character to act and ending with the last, but it usually means a span of time from a certain round to the same initiative number in the next round. Effects that last a certain number of rounds end just before the same initiative count that they began on.

Table: Actions in Combat
Attack Actions	Attack of Opportunity¹
Attack (melee)	No
Attack (ranged)	Yes
Attack (unarmed)	Yes
Attack (aid another)	No
Bull rush (attack)	No
Escape a grapple	No
Feint (see the Bluff skill)	No
Ready (triggers an attack action)	No
Make a dying character stable	Yes
Attack a weapon	Yes
Attack an object	Maybe²
Total defense	No
Use a skill that takes an attack action	Usually
Start/complete full-round action	Varies

Move Actions	Attack of Opportunity¹
Move your speed	Yes
Use a piece of equipment	No
Climb (one-quarter speed)	No
Climb, accelerated (one-half speed)	No
Crawl	No
Draw a weapon³	No
Holster a weapon	Yes
Move a heavy object	Yes
Open a door	No
Pick up an object	Yes
Reload a firearm with a box magazine or speed loader	Yes
Retrieve a stored object	Yes
Stand up from prone, sitting, or kneeling	Yes
Swim	No
Use a skill that takes a move action	Usually

Full-Round Actions	Attack of Opportunity¹
Bull rush (charge)	No
Charge	No
Coup de grace	Yes
Full attack	No
Overrun (charge)	No
Run	Yes
Withdraw	No
Extinguish flames	No
Use a skill that takes a full round	Usually
Reload a firearm with an internal magazine	Yes

Free Actions	Attack of Opportunity ¹
Drop an object	No
Drop to prone, sitting, or kneeling	No
Speak	No

Action Type Varies	Attack of Opportunity¹
Disarm⁴	Yes
Grapple ⁴	Yes
Load a weapon	Yes
Trip an opponent⁴	No (Yes if unarmed)
Use a feat⁵	Varies

No Action	Attack of Opportunity¹
Delay	No
5-foot step	No
1 Regardless of the action, if a character moves out of a threatened square, the character usually provokes an attack of opportunity. This column indicates whether the action itself, not moving, provokes an attack of opportunity.
2 If the object is being held, carried, or worn by a creature, yes. If not, no.
3 If the character has a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, he or she can combine this action with a regular move. If the character has the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, he or she can draw two light or one-handed weapons in the time it would normally take to draw one.
4 These attack forms substitute for a melee attack, not an action. As melee attacks, they can be used once in an attack or charge action, one or more times in a full attack action, or even as an attack of opportunity.
5The description of a feat defines its effect.

Find topic in: Combat, Future

Action Types	Attack Actions	Attacks Of Opportunity
Use Feat, Skill, Or Talent

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