Allowing a readied Charge

[Silverglass]

IMC I have no problem with allowing people to charge round corners in any case as the "all movement in a straight line" doesn't make any sense.

You can move in a straight line for 10ft and hit the enemy with a charge, abolutely legal.

You can move 60ft in a straight line and hit the enemy with a charge, absolutely legal.

You can move 20ft, turn a corner and move 10ft, but this cannot be a charge although you have moved less distance than you could by charging for your full allowance but HAVE moved the minimum straight line distance that you must for a charge. If 10ft is enough distance to get the speed up for a charge then it should be enough however far you move beforehand.

I agree that a Charge is a "special full-round action" and by the rules cannot be readied (which I didn't make clear in my first post), however IMC I do allow it as I find the straight line restriction to be non-sensical when examined. I enforce a simple rule that no more than the first half of your move can involve changes in direction and that at least the last 10ft MUST be an unobstructed straight line.

I don't think that this makes charge overpowered as there is always that chance that the target does not meet you conditions (but I enforce conditions that make sense, i.e. the target of the condition must take an action to meet the condition).

 

[Artoomis]

Someone mentioned before that the sad consequence could be a player move and then readying a partial charge with a fake trigger (such as, "as soon as... now") so to basically get a normal charge's bonuses but having been able to circumvent the charge's limitation of moving in a straight line, at least for the first half of the movement.

That's why I said that I would only allow a readied charge in circumstances where you absolutely needed a readied action to interrupt some other action - like interrupting a spell. That's to prevent abuses.

This thread has made me think about it some more, and I've decided to allow:

1. Charging though friendlies (it's silly that they can move out of you way in every other circumstance - dumbest rule change in the book, I think)

2. Readied charges, but only in limited circumstance - when you need to ready an action to interrupt spellcasting or similar circumstances. This could possibly allow a charge around a corner, but the circumstances are so limiting that this is not a big deal. I cannot think of the last time someone in our group tried to stop spellcasting in by readying an attack.

I think that's reasonable and justifiable within the rules.

I'd have to call (1) a house rule for sure, and (2) an extremely generous and extremely hyper-technical reading of the rules, with a house rule limitation.

I'm also tossing out the errata on overrun - stupidest errata ever.

Now I just need to see how my group feels about this, as my turn DMing is done.

 

[reapersaurus]

Silverglass - that's almost exactly what I was going to bring up.

I don't agree with all the restrictions WotC puts on charges and Overruns and such.
What is abuseable in 3.5 with Charging, anyway?
It is not the best of maneuvers - -2 to AC for an entire round, just for +2 to one attack is a questionable benefit at best.
Haven't they gotten rid of most of the abusable Charge SMackdowns in 3.5? Rhino Hide is nerfed - I guess all that's left is Spirited Charge?

 

[Pagan priest]

I think that as long as the DM remembers that a readied action only happens when a precisely defined event triggers it, there is no reason not to allow a readied charge.

For the example above, the character could not just round the corner, see opponents, and charge... there needs to be a trigger, something that the opponents do, to trigger the charge.

The balance for a readied action, the cost for being able to take action as soon as you can see what the enemy is doing, is the potential for losing an opportunity to act if the enemy does not do what you thaught they would do. "Charge if he cassts a spell" "He drinks a potion, you lose the readied action this round..."

 

[Keith]

Sure, it is OK for a DM to come up with any house rules that suit their needs, I agree. In terms of the standard rules as they stand, though, there is no need for a DM to weight this issue, as it is clearly not allowed.

“You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don’t otherwise move any distance during the round.” There is no way at all you could charge.

Cheers

 

[Artoomis]

Sure, it is OK for a DM to come up with any house rules that suit their needs, I agree. In terms of the standard rules as they stand, though, there is no need for a DM to weight this issue, as it is clearly not allowed.

“You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don’t otherwise move any distance during the round.” There is no way at all you could charge.

Cheers

What does “You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don’t otherwise move any distance during the round” have to do with allowing/disallowing a charge?!?

 

[Keith]

If you can only move at most 5 feet as part of a readied action, how can you ready a charge? Sorry, I thought I was being very clear. I don’t know how else to indicate what I mean.

Cheers

 

[Artoomis]

If you can only move at most 5 feet as part of a readied action, how can you ready a charge? Sorry, I thought I was being very clear. I don’t know how else to indicate what I mean.



When you decide to Ready an Action, you may take a 5'-move if you do not otherwise move in the round.

If you do not take the 5'-move, you may move when the trigger for your action occurs. This move might be a charge (with a single move only) if you were so inclined as to allow it under my exceedingly hyper-technical analysis that rests on teh fact that a readied action ends your "turn" and charge restrictions are restrictions on what you can do during your "turn."

The allowance of a 5'-move when you decide to Ready an Action has nothing to do with whether or not you are allowed to charge, except that if you decide to take a 5'-move trhen, of course, you cannot charge.

 

[Keith]

Ok, yes, now I see! A 5 foot step or a readied move action...that is clearly right, and I agree. Thanks.

I do stand by Charge as a full round action that absolutely cannot be readied, however- it is not a move action.

Cheers

 

[Nightchilde-2]

I would allow the readying of a 'partial charge' provided the player took no movment on the turn he readied.

Zombies IMC do this all the time.