D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] No Readied Charges?

[Kodam]

You CAN ready a charge. There's a notion at the charge-entry in the table "actions in combat".

Let me quote the SRD:

"5 May be taken as a standard action if you are limited to taking only a single action in a round."
(5 ist the number of the footnote)

For sake of completeness another quote:

Readying an Action: "You can ready a standard action".

Here you go...

 

[Caliban]

You CAN ready a charge. There's a notion at the charge-entry in the table "actions in combat".

Let me quote the SRD:

"5 May be taken as a standard action if you are limited to taking only a single action in a round."
(5 ist the number of the footnote)

For sake of completeness another quote:

Readying an Action: "You can ready a standard action".

Here you go...

The problem is that normally a Charge is not a Standard Action, it's a Full Round Action.

In 3.5 it can only be done as a Standard Action when you are restricted to only doing a Standard Action.

The question is, does using the Ready action count as being "restricted" to a Standard action?

I don't think that it does, since you still have your move action available to you before you Ready, and because I think this is intended to end the "I move 30' and then read a partial charge at a right angle to my movement" arguement.

However, I'm sure that people will choose to interpret it other than the way they intended, so that they can still teleport 30' or more to interupt a spell.

 

[Kodam]

If you don't think the footnote refers to surprise rounds and readied actions, what sense does it make for you then? If you think it refers only to surprise rounds but not to readied actions: why not?

 

[sithramir]

Its very interpretable I suppose. I see it as you can't charge because readying an action to do a standard in no way implies that you "were restricted to only a standard or move equivalent action on your turn". You were still doing a Move equivalent action and then the standard. So you weren't restricted and therefore are unable to charge.

Also charge is defined as a full round action and you can only ready a standard/move/free action. The fact that you can charge with a standard action in a surprise round or something like slow that _restricted_ you to only a standard action is a SPECIAL use of charge in that circumstance. Its still a 'full round' action. You just only had a standard for your full round. Since, theres no way to make a charge not a full round action by the specific wording in the text you can't ready it.

If you could you'd then be doing a full round and a move equivalent action in the same turn. Which would be more than you are allowed.

 

[Artoomis]

I don't think that it does, since you still have your move action available to you before you Ready, and because I think this is intended to end the "I move 30' and then read a partial charge at a right angle to my movement" arguement.

According to materials available before 3.5e was published, partial actions were supposed to work the same as in 3.0e, but be less confusing.

With that in mind, I think the intent is to allow charging with readied actions.

Yes, you can move when readying an action. It's a Standard Action, and that allows you to move as well.

So, yes, you could charge in another direction, as the Charge Action quite clearly is its own Standard action when used with "Ready." Of course, with the new restrictions to charge, it's not as bad as it was.

The main abuse prevention here is once again the DM - the DM should simply not allow a Readied Action that sole purpose is to get a two-stage charge. At the least, teh event that is the trigger to the Readied Action should be one that might or might not happen, thus keeping some measure of balance to wllowing this to happen.

Now, I am not saying there is not a good argument around the fact that when you take a "Readied Action" it's NOT your turn then, so that you are not restricted to a Standard Action only on your turn.

On the other hand, if you do take the Readied Action, then that IS now your turn, as your inittiave count changed.

*sigh* So much for making things clearer, eh?

 

[reapersaurus]

So if Hypersmurf's is the official rule, you can't catch up to a guy with higher movement who runs away from you and hides behind obstacles?

Previously, you could wait till they emrged from the obstacle, and hit them while they were moving to the next obstacle...

 

[Number47]

Maybe this has changed in 3.5, I haven't looked at it yet, but in 3.0 you never had to be so specific about what it was you were readying. You would say, "I ready my sword to attack the wizard when he casts a spell". Then, when and if the wizard began casting a spell, you got your readied action and could do anything reasonable with your partial action to accomplish it. Thus, a mage couldn't ruin your readied partial charge by moving too close, or ruin your readied sword attack by moving too far. You decided which it was at that point. Is it not the same in 3.5?

 

[Waldo]

I feel that the way they have currently written the rules, you can't ready a charge anymore.

When you ready, you have not 'restricted' yourself to just a standard action. You can do a move action and then ready. You still have a full round. You aren't restricted. According to 3.5 that doesn't count.

Not totally unreasonable. They seem to have made charging even more restrictive movement wise. It might not be feasible to respond quickly and appropriately to a trigger and still maintain a charge.

I'm sure lots of people will house rule it. That seems fine, too.

Just ready an overrun instead I could see a DM requiring a violent motion concentration check for being overrun.