Understand turns, actions, attack bonus, and armor class in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. Learn about move, standard, full-round, swift, and free actions.
- 1A creature's turn consists of a move action and a standard action.
- 2During a move action, you can move your full distance (30' for most characters) or take other specified move actions. Moving up to 5' does not consume your move action.
- 3As a standard action, you can make a single weapon attack or cast most spells. You can also take other specified standard actions.
- 4Instead of a standard action, you can take a second move action.
- 5If you do not move, you can take a full-round action, allowing multiple weapon attacks or casting a spell requiring a full-round action (like most summoning spells).
- 6Certain abilities are swift actions (e.g., casting a quickened spell); you can only perform one swift action per turn, but it doesn't prevent a full-round action.
- 7Free actions (e.g., a Barbarian engaging Rage) take no time, and you can perform as many as you like during a turn.
Attack Bonus vs. Armor Class
To hit an opponent, roll 1d20 and add your Attack Bonus (AB). Your Base Attack Bonus (BAB) ranges from 0 to +20 based on class and level. Overall AB is calculated by adding attack modifiers to BAB. Sources of attack bonuses include Strength, Dexterity (for ranged attacks or with Weapon Finesse), flanking (+2), enchantment bonuses (like from a +1 weapon), feats (like Weapon Focus), morale bonuses (from items like Potion of Heroism), and other bonuses (luck, competence).
The total is checked against the opponent's Armor Class (AC). If the modified die roll is >= AC, you hit. A roll of 1 always misses, and a 20 always hits (potentially critically).
AC is composed of multiple sources: Base (10), Dodge bonuses (from attributes and feats), Size (+1 for gnomes and halflings), Armour, Shields, Natural bonuses, Deflection bonuses (from items like Ring of Protection), and Maluses from negative statuses. Most bonuses of the same type do not stack, except for dodge AC from different sources. For example, a Duelist class adds Dexterity and Intelligence modifiers to dodge AC, potentially combining with a Dodge feat.
There are three AC types: full AC, flat-footed AC (no dodge bonuses), and touch AC (armour is irrelevant). Flat-footed AC occurs when you lose initiative and are attacked before your turn. Feats like Improved Initiative and abilities like Uncanny Dodge can help prevent this. Touch attacks from enemy casters are dangerous if your AC relies heavily on armour and shields.
Concealment, provided by spells like Blur, Mirror Image, and Displacement, is an alternative way to avoid being hit.
Flanking
If two creatures attack the same opponent, that opponent is flanked, granting attackers +2 to their attack rolls. This bonus increases to +4 if both attackers have the Outflank teamwork feat. Ranged characters cannot flank enemies.
Sneak Attacks
Characters dealing sneak damage (Rogues, Slayers, etc.) deal bonus damage to enemies who are flanked, flat-footed, or denied their Dexterity bonus to AC. Ranged attackers can deal additional sneak damage to enemies flanked by two or more melee attackers.
Charging
If you are 10' or more away from an opponent, have a clear path, and are not in difficult terrain, you can make a charge attack. This is a full-round action, granting a single attack at full AB +2.
Damage
Damage modifiers include the wielder's Strength bonus (or Dexterity with specific feats).
- Moving up to 5' does not consume your move action.
- You can take a second move action instead of a standard action.
- A 1 on an attack roll is always a miss, and a 20 is always a hit.
- Most bonuses of the same type do not stack; dodge AC is an exception when from different sources.
- Losing initiative can cause you to be caught flat-footed, losing all dodge bonuses.
- Feats like Improved Initiative and abilities like Uncanny Dodge can help with initiative and flat-footed AC.
- Spells providing concealment are an alternative to high AC.
- Ranged characters cannot flank enemies.
- Sneak damage applies to enemies who are flanked, flat-footed, or denied their Dexterity bonus to AC.
- Charge attacks are a full-round action with a +2 AB bonus.
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