Combat Round: Actions

Master Pathfinder: Kingmaker's combat system by understanding Five-Foot Steps, Free Actions, Swift Actions, Movement Actions, Standard Actions, and Full-Round Actions.

In Pathfinder: Kingmaker, understanding the different types of actions available during a combat round is crucial for effective strategy. These actions dictate what your characters can do, from moving and attacking to casting spells and using special abilities.

Five-Foot Step

A character can typically make a five-foot step once per round, provided they haven't used a Movement Action in the same round. This maneuver allows for a small tactical repositioning without provoking an Attack of Opportunity. It's useful for disengaging, flanking, or setting up area-of-effect spells.

Free Action

Free Actions are instantaneous and do not affect other actions. Examples include dropping items, performing Attacks of Opportunity, Cleave attacks, Power Attacks, or using the Combat Expertise Feat.

Swift Action

Swift Actions take a minimal amount of time and generally don't interfere with other actions, though performing two Swift Actions in a round is not allowed. Casting Quickened spells (via the Quicken Metamagic feat) and activating certain class abilities are examples of Swift Actions.

Movement Action

A Movement Action allows a character to move their full movement speed. The default speed for a medium character is thirty feet, while smaller characters have twenty feet. This speed can be reduced by armor, weight, or difficult terrain. A Movement Action can also be used for tasks like drawing weapons, opening doors, picking up items, or standing up from a prone position. Moving further than your movement speed in a round requires expending a Standard Action for a second Movement Action.

Movement Speed by Race:

Standard Action

Standard Actions are the most common and significant actions in combat, typically involving casting spells and attacking. Other Standard Actions include reading scrolls, drinking potions, using spell-like abilities, and channeling energy. A Standard Action can also be used to perform a second Movement Action.

Full-Round Action

A Full-Round Action consumes the entire combat round. During this time, a character can only take a five-foot step, perform Free Actions, or one Swift Action. They cannot take a Movement Action or Standard Action. A common example of a Full-Round Action is a Charge Attack, which allows a character to move at double their speed and make an attack.