MIC: Steadfast Boots

[Shin Okada]

This magic item is in Magic Item Compendium P.138. It says,

Further more, as long as you carry a two-handed weapon, you are treated as if you had readied that weapon against any creature that charges you (and thus it deals double damage if your attack is successful), even if the weapon can't normally be set against a charge.

How do you interpret this rule?

#1 Really treated as if you were readying an attack action

So, every time an opponent charges toward you, you can make an attack. And your initiative count changes as per readied action rule. If, say, 10 monsters charge you in a single round, you make 10 attacks, and your initiative count changes 10 times in a round.

#2 It simply doubles damage against a charged opponent.

But you must be actually readying an action or otherwise should rely on AoO to make an attack against a charged opponent. So, you would better have long reach and/or Combat Reflex feat to utilize this item.

#3 Any other interpretation


Thoughts?

 

[kitcik]

Based on [MENTION=85158]Dandu[/MENTION] 's ""choose the interpretation that makes it not totally suck" I choose #1. Otherwise, it would be a ridiculously bad magic item (it's no great shakes now).

 

[ghostwasp]

I've always treated it as only giving the wearer a free attack against charging foes that deals double damage on a hit, because allowing it to change initiative order gets really complex and wonky if they get charged by several foes through out a round i.e. they could lose there entire turn because of the item.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I think by RAW #1 is correct. I'm wary that it may be too strong, though, and in previous games using it have "self nerfed" myself to #2 -- need to actually ready an attack, and then it just does double damage even if it isn't a longspear or the like.

I remember recently my group was bored and a player threw together some random encounters for us to bring in an old character and try our hand at for fun. I brought in my Goliath Barb/ feat Rogue that had these boots (and Cometary Collision and Shock Trooper), and asked Mr. DM how he interprets the boots as working. He went with option #1, and as luck would have it our first (and only, he had to go afterwards) encounter was a trio of dire tigers. For our ECL 8-9 characters. Now granted, I had custom designed this character to completely wreck the face of big brutes, especially chargers. But the level to which my character made that fight into a cakewalk solely due to those boots (well, the Knockback effect ruining their turns helped) was pretty amazing.

I dunno...charging for massive damage seems to be one of the cornerstone easy win buttons for a lot of characters and builds, I think the boots were written specifically to make that tactic something to think twice about...

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I've always treated it as only giving the wearer a free attack against charging foes that deals double damage on a hit, because allowing it to change initiative order gets really complex and wonky if they get charged by several foes through out a round i.e. they could lose there entire turn because of the item.

I read it that you get a free attack against a charging foe, it deals double damage, and doesn't affect your turn in the initiative order at all.

 

[Jacob Marley]

I read it that you get a free attack against a charging foe, it deals double damage, and doesn't affect your turn in the initiative order at all.

This is how I read it.

 

[nijineko]

one might be justified in saying it prevents one from using AoOs if your count of chargers has exceeded your AoO count, even if this concept is in no way implied by the item text.

i read it as someone charges, you are counted as having readied an action and set against the charge. since it does not state it uses your AoOs nor attacks to do so, it would seem to imply free extra attack in the niche situation.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Now if there was only a way to compel your opponents to charge at you...

 

[xigbar]

Now if there was only a way to compel your opponents to charge at you...

Knight's Challenge. And, typical chargers aren't going to stop and recognize random magical items.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Knight's Challenge. And, typical chargers aren't going to stop and recognize random magical items.

My understanding of the Knights Challenge, Test of Mettle ability, is that the opponent may either attack you with a ranged or melee attack. The Target does not need to move towards you if doing so would provoke an A.. (Which I assume, means the target doesn't have to move towards you if the target KNOWS it'll provoke an A..)
Would the use of the Goad feat accomplish this as well? Knight's challenge is better since it's a swift action.