Warlock (Question)

[E221b]

The Warlock Legendary Ability states that "During combat, you are granted two free Combat Actions that can only be used for casting spells."

My question is this: When do those two combat actions take place? At the beginning of the round? At the end of the round? On the character's combat actions during her Strike Rank? (The character in question has 4 combat actions.)

Any ruling/advice would be appreciated.

 

[Rurik]

I imagine that they happen much like a free attack for an offhand weapon. So the round would continue after everyone takes a fourth so the Warlock would get a fifth and sixth action to cast spells.

 

[Deleriad]

I assume that you can use them at any time. Basically the character has a potential maximum of 6 combat actions but only if he uses two of them to cast spells.

E.g. his CAs might be.
#1 move
#2 start casting spell
#3 continue casting
#4 cast spell
#5 move
#6 cast a spell

What he couldn't do, for example, is
CA#1: Cast a spell
CA 2-6: run like mad
He could do:
CA#1: cast a spell
CA2-5: run like mad

The proviso here is that I don't have the relevant text to hand so it may specify otherwise.

 

[E221b]

My GM thinks it's the first option (2 combat actions after). I'd love it to be the second option, but I think I'd need something official to make that stick.

 

[Deleriad]

Well there's nothing saying that the additional combat action you get from wielding two weapons has to be the last action you take so you have to assume that anything which grants you additional combat actions with limitations (i.e. you have to use the CA with a specific skill) can be used in whatever order you like.

 

[Rurik]

The book is just not clear on whether you can take them at any point or at the end. I've looked hard and long and it ain't there.

I've taken in addition to mean after but have considered doing it Deleriad's way as well.

One of the big reasons I do them afterwards is it helps keep combats simpler - if you have a large combat with lots of actions it can be a pain to keep track of what was done with past actions. When that sixth action comes around and someone tries to move and someone else says they only used one spellcasting action earlier in the round things can get messy. If you just say bonus actions come last, there is no need to look back at what was done in previous actions.

(I think I've just found a 'feature' in the rules. A caster with 4 actions holding one weapon can take four casting actions and is done, but a caster holding two weapons can take for casting actions and then gets a bonus attack with his off hand weapon :? )