[RPG] What actions can you take when disabled or staggered mid-action

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For example, a character starts a full attack, and the first attack provokes, and the character takes damage, such that the total is equal to their hit points (they are now at 0 and disabled, or staggered if some of the damage was nonlethal). What further actions can they take? Is the character out of actions, as the first attack now counts as a standard action, or does the staggered or disabled condition only impact actions at the start of your turn? What if it was the second attack that provoked?

Best Answer

Since you asked about both and , here's the Pathfinder answer, from their FAQ

Limited actions on my turn: If an AOO or other interrupting effect reduces what actions I can take on my turn, does this reduction apply immediately?

Yes, even if it interrupts or limits your in-progress.

For example, if you are making a full attack and attempt to trip your opponent, but you provoke an AOO because you don't have Improved Trip, and your opponent has a spell storing weapon that's storing a hold person, and you fail your save against the spell, you are immediately paralyzed and can't take any of your remaining actions (including the remainder of your full attack).

Likewise, if your opponent had the Staggering Critical feat instead of a spell storing weapon and the attack staggered you, you would immediately gain the staggered condition, which would prevent you from taking any actions that violate the staggered condition's limitations. If you provoked by taking a move action to move through the opponent's threatened area, you could finish that move action but could not also take a standard action after it. If you provoked as part of a full attack (as with the trip example), becoming staggered would end your full attack at that point and prevent you from taking a move action after the staggering attack. It doesn't matter if the AOO happened because of your first attack in your full attack or your last allowed one, being staggered ends your full attack at that point because you can't make a full attack if you're staggered.

The same logic would apply to becoming disabled or staggered from damage (rather than having the condition arbitrarily applied): You can finish the action (moving, making the one attack), but then have to immediately end your turn (since you have no actions left), even if you're in the middle of a full-attack.

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