Ready New Weapon, Change Weapons, Pick Up Dropped Weapons

[kjamma4]

These all happen in adjDX order following movement, correct?

Ready New Weapon

Prior to his adjDX, he has the original weapon which is subject to Drop/Break and after his adjDX, it is the new weapon subject to that?

If after movement he is engaged, he is never in "bent over" status so still retains normal FSR facings?

Change Weapons

Same as above? Prior to your adjDX, old weapon. After, new weapon?

Pick Up Dropped Weapon

Prior to adjDX, old weapon and not "bent over." After, new weapon and "bent over" status?

[Skarg]

The changes and consequences all happen when you choose to do them at your adjDX, yes.

Not sure what you mean by drop/break, as those usually only happen when attacking with a weapon. If using Quick Draw, you could drop the weapon you were drawing. Drop Weapon spell would have to be on a currently held weapon, and if the wizard acts before his victim, the victim's following action could be to draw another weapon. A Break Weapon could be on any weapon I suppose.

[kjamma4]

Yes, I was thinking of drop/break via an opponent's spell.

So, for engaged character, it would probably be better (for that turn only) to have a lower adjDX to spend less time "bent over."

And no bent over if you started your movement disengaged?

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by kjamma4

So, for engaged character, it would probably be better (for that turn only) to have a lower adjDX to spend less time "bent over."

What's better is subjective and depends on the rest of the situation. From another popular point of view, it might be thought better to have the higher adjDX so one might actually get to use the weapon before possibly having Drop Weapon hit you.

But yes in some situations, it might turn out better in terms of not being tempted to bend over if the Drop Weapon hit you before your adjDX comes, so you can just draw whatever your second weapon is. All things being equal though, the same figure getting an action before hit with Drop Weapon not only gets to take some hopefully useful action first with the first weapon, but would still have a sheathed weapon to draw the next turn, so wouldn't need to bend over to pick up the first weapon any more than would a figure hit sooner.

Really it's pretty much just logical cause and effect with trade-offs based the whatever the full situation is. Which gets even more complcated if using the optional Delayed Actions rule.

Originally Posted by kjamma4

And no bent over if you started your movement disengaged?

I think that this is yet another situation where the reading the Options list too literally can lead people to peculiar conclusions, because the Options list is written in a way that attempts to help new players understand what a typical figure might do in both the Movement and Action phases if sticking to one plan with no changes of circumstances during the turn. In that case, only some things make sense when engaged or not, and are listed together as options, but that doesn't mean that you don't have to bend over to pick up an object on the ground if you're not engaged. It just means it probably doesn't matter that you're bending over unless you are engaged by someone who attacks you while you are bent over.

(And once again, the original Advanced Melee options list made this much clearer, spelling out that picking up a dropped weapon involves bending over, regardless of whether you're engaged or not.)

Again, I suggest people try to NOT take literally the part about options being limited by your engagement state when your turn to "move" comes, because that makes no sense whatsoever, and seems to be an unintentional wording change from clearer rules in Advanced Melee. It should really be that available options are determined by (how far you moved, and) your engagement state when your turn to ACT comes. i.e. Whatever the current situation is at the time you actually take the action.

[RobW]

The other interesting thing is that picking up a dropped weapon (and readying it so it can be used next turn) is unique in that it is the only action explicitly allowed during movement (ITL p104-105). Spend 3MA and succeed, or spend no extra MA and roll 3d/DX.

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by RobW

The other interesting thing is that picking up a dropped weapon (and readying it so it can be used next turn) is unique in that it is the only action explicitly allowed during movement (ITL p104-105). Spend 3MA and succeed, or spend no extra MA and roll 3d/DX.

Yeah, that is interesting.

I'm not entirely clear if that actually uses your action if you do it or not. E.g. could you scoop up a dagger one the move, and then (though the dagger would not be ready till next turn) do some other action on your adjDX?

To me it reads like these are bonus/semi-free actions during movement, and it sort of seems like one might reason a figure could still take some other action that doesn't require the grabbed-but-not-yet-fully-ready weapon. E.g. initiate HTH (even during movement), dodge, change position, bare hand attack, shield rush (as long as the shield wasn't the weapon grabbed during movement), etc.

[RobW]

That's how I read it too, as a bonus action.

[amenditman]

The text says "and readying it so it can be used next turn".

That sounds to me like the figure's action is to ready the weapon the turn it is picked up during movement.

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by amenditman

The text says "and readying it so it can be used next turn".

That sounds to me like the figure's action is to ready the weapon the turn it is picked up during movement.

An argument supporting that could be that perhaps (?) it should not be easier to ready a weapon from the floor than one slung on your body...

[RobW]

A couple of thoughts.

This wouldn't be a Change Weapons action, ie resling your old weapon and scoop up new, so if you had a weapon ready you'd need to drop it somewhere first. (Yay, now someone else can scoop up your weapon!)

In the old days our group was caught up with the visuals of this idea, grabbing a weapon while running -- REARMED and (almost) READY -- but I don't think the situation ever arose. Years of waiting :( Our current group isn't on the lookout in this way, but it hasn't come up. So I think the good news is that however you play this, you won't be creating any kind of exploit.