Post by Neo|*|Origin on Apr 5, 2009 4:34:15 GMT 8
Delaying means that you're going to wait, and take your actions later in the initiative order. You must delay your whole turn - you can't delay if you've already moved, for example. Once you step back into the initiative order, that's your new place in line. If you wait all the way until your next turn, you lose your delayed turn. You can't delay all the way around and then take two turns in a row, in other words. You can't Delay in order to avoid negative effects, or prolong beneficial effects. Pg 288 details exactly how your turn starts and ends.
Readying An Action is a standard action that lets you set another action with a trigger, so that you can take that action outside of your own turn, as an Immediate Reaction. If the trigger does not occur before your next turn, you lose the readied action. Once you take your action, you go back into initiative just before the creature that triggered your action.
Example - Readying an Action
Initiative Order - Rogue, Enemy 1, Cleric, Enemy 2
Rogue's turn is first. He decides he wants Cleric's help to flank Enemy 2 so that he can have CA and use his sneak attack. He moves adjacent to Enemy 2, and Readies an action to attack once the Cleric moves into a flanking position on the other side. Enemy 1 takes its turn, and attacks someone. Cleric takes his turn. He moves to the flanking position. This triggers Rogue's readied action, so Rogue makes his attack as an Immediate Reaction. After resolving the attack, he steps back into initiative just before Cleric.
New Initiative: Enemy 1, Rogue, Cleric, Enemy 2
Source
Example - Delaying
Initiative Order: Rogue, Enemy 1, Cleric, Enemy 2
Rogue's turn is first, but he decides that he wants to go after Cleric, so that the Cleric can grant him some bonuses to his attack roll. He Delays his entire turn. Enemy 1 takes its turn, and attacks someone. The Cleric takes his turn, and hits Enemy 1 with Lance of Faith, granting Rogue a +2 power bonus to his next attack against it. Rogue steps back into initiative at this point so that he can move and make his attack.
New Initiative: Enemy 1, Cleric, Rogue, Enemy 2
Initiative Order: Rogue, Enemy 1, Cleric, Enemy 2
Rogue's turn is first, but he decides that he wants to go after Cleric, so that the Cleric can grant him some bonuses to his attack roll. He Delays his entire turn. Enemy 1 takes its turn, and attacks someone. The Cleric takes his turn, and hits Enemy 1 with Lance of Faith, granting Rogue a +2 power bonus to his next attack against it. Rogue steps back into initiative at this point so that he can move and make his attack.
New Initiative: Enemy 1, Cleric, Rogue, Enemy 2
Readying An Action is a standard action that lets you set another action with a trigger, so that you can take that action outside of your own turn, as an Immediate Reaction. If the trigger does not occur before your next turn, you lose the readied action. Once you take your action, you go back into initiative just before the creature that triggered your action.
Example - Readying an Action
Initiative Order - Rogue, Enemy 1, Cleric, Enemy 2
Rogue's turn is first. He decides he wants Cleric's help to flank Enemy 2 so that he can have CA and use his sneak attack. He moves adjacent to Enemy 2, and Readies an action to attack once the Cleric moves into a flanking position on the other side. Enemy 1 takes its turn, and attacks someone. Cleric takes his turn. He moves to the flanking position. This triggers Rogue's readied action, so Rogue makes his attack as an Immediate Reaction. After resolving the attack, he steps back into initiative just before Cleric.
New Initiative: Enemy 1, Rogue, Cleric, Enemy 2
Source