Caliban said:
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?