Editing Open4E:Encounters (section)

==Taking Your Turn==

When it becomes your turn during an encounter, you get to decide what your character does during the next few seconds. During your turn, you can perform four different kinds of actions. You can perform one standard action, one move action, one minor action, and a reasonable number of free actions (where “reasonable” is decided by the DM).

===Standard Actions===

During your turn, you may perform a single standard action. Standard actions are generally acts that require a good deal of your focus and concentration to pull off. You will have a good number of standard actions that you can perform, based on the choices you make when you create your character. However, all characters can perform the following basic standard actions, regardless of who they are.

Melee attacks are used to attack creatures who are within reach of your weapons, while ranged attacks are used to attack creatures who are too far away to reach with a sword or a spear. When you make a ranged attack, you provoke an opportunity attack from any adjacent creature - the creature can perform a basic melee attack against you as an immediate interrupt.

=====Basic Melee Attack=====
* (At-Will Standard Action * Basic Melee Attack)
* Effect:		You make a basic melee or unarmed attack against one creature.

Ranged attacks are used to attack creatures who are too far away to reach with a sword or a spear. When you make a ranged attack, you provoke an opportunity attack from any adjacent creature - the creature can perform a basic melee attack against you as an immediate interrupt.

=====Basic Ranged Attack=====
* (At-Will Standard Action * Basic Ranged Attack)
* Effect:		You make a basic ranged attack against one creature.


Full Defense is used when you don’t want to attack or perform some other action, but don’t want to be hit by an attack either. Full Defense is a stance - an activity that you begin with an action, but continue to maintain until you decide to stop it, or some other event causes the stance to end.

=====Full Defense=====
* (At-Will Standard Action * Basic Stance)
* Effect: 	You enter into a defensive stance, which makes it harder to be attacked by other creatures and lets you catch your breath. More complete rules for the Full Defense action will be provided in the combat section.

Finally, Skills are specific collections of activities that you can gain training in. Most actions that aren’t attacks are covered by making skill-based checks.

=====Use Skill=====
* (At-Will Standard, Move, Minor or free Action * Basic Skill Utility)
* Effect: 		You perform a standard, move, minor or free action listed in the Skill section.

Sometimes, you need to perform an extended action in combat. While this is risky, it is occasionally necessary. Extended actions are handled as stances:

=====Perform Extended Action=====
* (At-Will Standard  Action * Basic Stance)
* Effect: 		You begin performing an extended action. If you maintain this stance without interruption for a number of turns equal to the action’s duration in rounds (or ten time the action’s duration in minutes), you may make the check for that action.

===Move Actions===

During your turn, you may also perform one move action. Move actions generally involve legwork and maneuvering to perform. If you need to move quickly, you may also expend your standard action as if it were a move action, giving you a total of two move actions during your turn.

All characters have a speed rating, which is how fast they can move at a jog in one move action. Speed is measured in five-foot steps; if you have a speed of 3, you can move 15 feet in a turn. The most basic move action that you can perform is to move this distance. However, movement is not particularly defensive - if you are adjacent to a hostile creature when you attempt to move, you provoke an opportunity attack. 

=====Move=====
* (At-Will Move Action * Basic Movement)
* Effect: 		You move a number of 5-foot squares equal to your speed.

If you need to move move safely, you may shift. Shifting only moves you five feet, but you maintain full awareness of all threats around you, and so you do not provoke opportunity attacks while shifting. 

=====Shift=====
* (At-Will Move Action * Basic Movement)
* Effect: 		You shift one 5-foot square.

Some areas are more difficult to move through than others. Each square of difficult terrain counts as two squares, so you may not normally shift through it in a single move action. If you use two different actions to move, you may combine them into a single movement and count your speed as doubled for this movement - either shifting two squares (or shifting through one square of difficult terrain), or moving a total number of squares equal to twice your speed (counting each square of difficult terrain twice).

===Minor Actions===

You may also perform one minor action during your turn. Minor actions are simple, reflexive acts that you can perform without paying much attention, such as picking up an item, pulling something out of a pocket or holster, or taking a drink from a bottle. If you need to do several simple things in a turn, you may also expend your move action or your standard action or both as if they were minor actions, giving you a total of two or three minor actions during your turn.

=====Drink Potion=====
* (At-Will Minor Action * Basic Utility)
* Effect: 		You drink a readied potion.

=====Draw or Sheath Weapon=====
* (At-Will Minor Action * Basic Utility)
* Effect: 		You draw and ready a weapon, or return a wielded weapon to its sheath.

===Free Actions===

Free Actions are simple things that you can do without really thinking about, such as speak a few words or give a hand signal. You can perform any number of free actions during your turn, but if it stretches the limits of credulity or bogs down play the DM is likely to cut you off and tell you to move on.