Help my party learn the rules.

[rillian]

The Charge action is a special action that defies the normal rules. It allows you to make an attack and a movement as a single action (either partial or standard), with the +2 attack/-2ac and the special restriction that ALL movement for the round must be in a straight line. There is no rule restricting a character from making a movement and then a partial charge (such as through a Readied Action), as long as the entire movement is in a straight line.

The problem is that the definitions of both Partial Actions and Standard Actions are vague and use words like "generally" and "often". EVERY SINGLE ACTION that is defined as a Standard Action can be done as a Partial Action.

The clearest way to make my point is to consider the Ready action. The Ready Action is a Standard action by definition, that allows the character to move normally, and then prepare a Partial Action to occur in specified conditions. This Partial action can be ANY Standard Action without the movement.

Further there is a logical flaw in the definition and use of the Standard Action. The Standard Action is defined as a basic action plus a movement. Many actions are defined as Standard actions. By simple logic if A = B and B = C, then A = C. Therefore, those actions which are defined as Standard actions are the equivalent of a movement and a basic action, BUT DO NOT ALLOW A MOVEMENT. This is not what the writers intended, and they were forced to write long examples and further clarifications to explain what they really meant. It is far simpler to simply consider those actions defined as Standard Actions as Partial Actions.

 

[Mistwell]

The clearest way to make my point is to consider the Ready action. The Ready Action is a Standard action by definition, that allows the character to move normally, and then prepare a Partial Action to occur in specified conditions. This Partial action can be ANY Standard Action without the movement.

By that logic, you could move towards the opponant, ready an action to partial charge the the opponant directly in front of you if that opponant tries to move, and then in the same round have your partial charge go off, moving your move again (in a straight line) and attacking. That's a double move plus an attack (with restrictions to moving straight in the second half of your move, and to your AC).

Is that correct? Is it allowed? Wouldn't that cut down drastically on the number of double-move actions taken in the game?

 

[0-hr]

You can move and ready a partial charge, but ALL of your movement for the round (both the initial move and the charge) has to be in a straight line. You cannot move, then ready a partial charge off in a different direction.

Note that this is similar to just doing a "normal" charge, which lets you move twice your speed (in a straight line) and then attack. In the readied case, you just pause in the middle of your moving.