Charging When In Combat

[Olaf the Stout]

This situation came up last session.

Cleric is in combat with a bad guy but wants to charge another bad guy when his turn comes up. Can he do it if the guy he is fighting isn't in a direct line with the guy he wants to charge (who is more than 10ft away)? Does it matter if the guy he is fighting is in the way?

I ruled that he could but it gave the guy he was fighting a AoO. I also ruled that he wouldn't have been able to do it if the baddie he was already in combat with meant that he couldn't charge the other guy in a straight line.

Did I handle the situation correctly?

Olaf the Stout

 

[Hypersmurf]

This situation came up last session.

Cleric is in combat with a bad guy but wants to charge another bad guy when his turn comes up. Can he do it if the guy he is fighting isn't in a direct line with the guy he wants to charge (who is more than 10ft away)? Does it matter if the guy he is fighting is in the way?

I ruled that he could but it gave the guy he was fighting a AoO. I also ruled that he wouldn't have been able to do it if the baddie he was already in combat with meant that he couldn't charge the other guy in a straight line.

Did I handle the situation correctly?

Pretty much.

He needs an unobstructed line from his square to his target's square. If his current opponent is obstructing that line, no Charge. If not, no problem.

Leaving his current opponent's threatened area provokes an AoO.

-Hyp.

 

[Abisashi]

Remember that the clear line he needs to charge is from his square to the square his attack will be from. For example:

A is the hero's starting position
X is the enemy
| is a wall
O is open terrain

OOOX
OOO|
OOO|
OOO|
OOA|

is a legal charge. It doesn't sound like it is when you read the SRD at first:

You must move before your attack, not after. You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward the designated opponent.

but further reading reveals that it is ok:

Here’s what it means to have a clear path. First, you must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent. (If this space is occupied or otherwise blocked, you can’t charge.) Second, if any line from your starting space to the ending space passes through a square that blocks movement, slows movement, or contains a creature (even an ally), you can’t charge.

 

[IanB]

And it is important to remember a charge *must* be to the closest square from which you can attack. This is the one part of charging I see done wrong most often.

For example, you usually can NOT charge to an adjacent position if you are using a spiked chain.

 

[Hypersmurf]

For example, you usually can NOT charge to an adjacent position if you are using a spiked chain.

Depending on whether your DM allows on to take a hand off a weapon and replace it as free actions.

For example, the sorcerer wielding a spear wishes to cast a spell. He holds his spear in one hand, casts his spell, then takes hold of his spear with both hands.

The 3E Main FAQ called this a free action; the 3.5 Main FAQ suggests a move action; an RotG article subsequently called it a free action again.

If we consider it a free action, you could hold your spiked chain in one hand, and begin your charge. 10 feet away is not the closest square from which you can attack your opponent; you cannot use the chain while holding it in one hand. So you must proceed to a square adjacent to your opponent, whereupon you take a free action while taking another action normally to hold your chain in both hands again, and make the attack at the end of your charge.

-Hyp.

 

[IanB]

Depending on whether your DM allows on to take a hand off a weapon and replace it as free actions.

For example, the sorcerer wielding a spear wishes to cast a spell. He holds his spear in one hand, casts his spell, then takes hold of his spear with both hands.

The 3E Main FAQ called this a free action; the 3.5 Main FAQ suggests a move action; an RotG article subsequently called it a free action again.

If we consider it a free action, you could hold your spiked chain in one hand, and begin your charge. 10 feet away is not the closest square from which you can attack your opponent; you cannot use the chain while holding it in one hand. So you must proceed to a square adjacent to your opponent, whereupon you take a free action while taking another action normally to hold your chain in both hands again, and make the attack at the end of your charge.

-Hyp.

Hmm. I suppose it also depends on whether or not you permit a free action to happen during the charge full round action.

 

[Abisashi]

Hmm. I suppose it also depends on whether or not you permit a free action to happen during the charge full round action.

You should be able too:

Free actions consume a very small amount of time and effort. You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally. However, there are reasonable limits on what you can really do for free.

 

[IanB]

You should be able too:

Yeah, I know the passage. I had never read it to mean you could take those actions during the actual resolution of another action, though - for example, taking a free action between making an attack roll and rolling damage.

On the other hand, the idea of taking free actions in between actual attacks in a full attack doesn't particularly bother me (and I think I've been allowing that all along anyway.)

Something I'll have to ponder, certainly.

 

[Hypersmurf]

On the other hand, the idea of taking free actions in between actual attacks in a full attack doesn't particularly bother me (and I think I've been allowing that all along anyway.)

If you hadn't, your archers would hate you

-Hyp.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

The Spiked Chain argument is of particular interest to me since one player in my group has a spiked-chain wielding PC. I think he should be able to finish up in either the adjacent square or the one 5ft away - his preference.

In the last session, this PC charged and finished up adjacent to the character that he was attacking. Personally if I was playing the PC I would have stopped 10ft away so that if anyone that didn't have a reach weapon wanted to fight me in melee they would have to provoke a AoO.

Olaf the Stout