Move Action

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Move Action

A move action allows you to move up to your speed with one or more movement types, or perform an action that takes a similar amount of time. Move actions may only be performed during your turn.

If you choose to move with your move action, you select the movement type you want to use (usually Walk, but it can be any movement type you possess, note the speed of that movement type, and move a number of squares up to that speed. You can always move less than your full speed. Movement typically provokes attacks of opportunity, if you pass through a square that one or more enemies threaten. If you are playing on a battlemat, or using miniatures on a map with squares, each square is considered to be 5 feet of movement, so your speed/5 is the maximum number of squares you can move with a normal move action.

You can move in any direction, as long as the square you wish to move into is not blocked, though difficult or impeded terrain may alter the cost to move into a square. Moving diagonally does not cost any more than moving orthogonally (up, down, left, right).

Why Don't Diagonals Cost More?
While it may look unrealistic that a creature can move diagonally without it costing additional movement to do so, it greatly simplifies the accounting for movement. The same 'diagonals are treated the same' principle is applied to areas of effect, for the same reason — it's easy to visualize, without the need for templates or math. It is very easy to visualize a square area of effect that is 4x4 squares in size (a 10-foot radius effect, which is centered on the intersection of four squares). It is much harder to visualize that when diagonals are treated differently (such as the Pathfinder method of making them cost 1.5:1). While that leads to prettier circles, it makes it harder to figure out which squares are included or excluded. This is even more complicated by feats or effects which double an area of effect. You might end up wasting 10 minutes debating whether a creature is in or out of an effect, because the rules chose realism over simplicity. Epic Path chooses simplicity. While the GM can always choose which of Epic Path's rules should apply in their campaign, be aware that changing this rule affects a LOT of systems beyond just movement (anything with a range or an area of effect, reach weapons, 3D movement, etc.).

A move action requires less time to perform than a standard action, but more time to perform than a swift action. As a result, a standard action can be degraded to a move action (or a swift action), and a move action can be degraded to a swift action. However, neither move actions nor swift actions can be converted up to a standard action. Even combining your move and swift actions together is not enough to perform an additional standard action during your turn.

When a move action and a standard action are combined, they become a Full Attack Action.

If you move no actual distance in a round (commonly because you have used your move action to perform an action other than moving), you are permitted to take one 5-Foot Step either before, during, or after the action. Note that any move action which involves movement, such as standing up from Prone, disallows 5-foot steps for the round.

Common uses for move actions include:

  • Moving up to your speed
  • Open or close a door
  • Mount/dismount a steed
  • Stand up from prone
  • Ready or drop a shield
  • Retrieve a stored item