Not to be confused with the Free Action spell.
The Free action effect is used by the game in a bundle, together with many other effects, to build a somewhat consistent feature also called Free Action. This article first describes the effect as part of a series on status effects, and goes on to detail the bundle itself in its own section, down the page.
When game descriptions refer to "Free Action", they never talk about the single Free action effect, always the bundle of many effects.
Mechanics[]
Never used alone, always with other effects, the Free action effect is on its own a cure of sorts: When applied to a creature, it clears some negative arrangements of the Movement rate bonus effect[1], potentially restoring its movement speed to normal if it had been lowered.[2]
In Enhanced Editions, there is virtually no arrangement where the Free action effect alone would be useful [verification needed], as the target is either affected by worse movement-related ailments at the same time, or the Movement rate bonus inflicted is no longer using one of the negative arrangements cleared by the Free action effect.
In the original editions, it alone would be enough to restore movement of a creature affected by Grease, Entangle, Plant Growth, Defensive Spin and wild surges #11 & 69 Entangle(d), as well as the attacks of Nyalee and her Shambling Mounds.
Free Action bundle[]
Though not perfectly consistent from spell to item, this bundle of many effects labeled Free Action by the game can be expected to first cure any pre-existing Stun, Paralyze and Hold creature effect, as well as sluggishness born from causes other than the Slow and Disease effects. Then, for as long as it is active, it can be expected to grant immunity to any new application of Haste, Slow, Web, Hold creature and Paralyze effects, as well as positive and negative alterations of speed besides the slowing type of Disease effect. In some game variants it may grant immunity to the Stun effect as well. [verification needed]
Party members should expect to receive an 
icon on their portrait when game descriptions say they will be affected by "Free Action".
It is possible to benefit from both haste and free action if the Haste effect is applied before the Free Action bundle of effects, because the bundle does not cure a pre-existing haste on arrival, it only prevents it from being applied for as long as the bundle's immunities are active. For example, a mage could cast Haste first on a fighter, who would then and only then equip Edventar's Gift to benefit from both effects. That wouldn't work if the fighter wore the ring from the start.
Mod content[]
The mod klatu Tweaks and Fixes makes the Free Action feature consistent across the various items and spells, and makes sure hasting is always possible.
Footnotes[]
- ↑ See Movement rate bonus (ID 126) on the Infinity Engine Structure Description Project.
- ↑ From a technical standpoint, for the cure to apply, the movement modifier must have been used to set (not increment) a character's speed, but not through a percentage-based change, and the target must be moving at a speed lower than normal before accounting for Slow, Disease and Haste speed alterations.