Setting against a charge/standard attack

[Plane Sailing]

I'm going to disagree with the above, in the interest of making readied actions actually useful.

A "set vs. a charge" is nothing more than an attack readied against someone who approaches you. If they happen to be charging, you get the bonus to damage. If they aren't charging, you merely get a normal attack (followed, of course, by the AoO for leaving your threatened square).

This is the approach that I would take. The main reason is that if you don't do this it will almost never be worth setting a spear against a charge because the attacker will always see it coming ("oh, he's set his spear. I'll not charge, I'll just hustle up then").

Spears etc are clearly meant to be advantageous against charging foes (they get this nifty damage multiplier), and that matches up quite well with real life. An interpretation which effectively robs them of that benefit except in contrived situations doesn't sit well with me.

Cheers

 

[Hypersmurf]

The main reason is that if you don't do this it will almost never be worth setting a spear against a charge because the attacker will always see it coming ("oh, he's set his spear. I'll not charge, I'll just hustle up then").

Only if you're silly.

I certainly wouldn't argue with a DM who rules that a set spear is glaringly obvious as such.

But I'd remember that you can Ready any standard action... and that the action used to set a spear - the Ready action - is a standard action.

So you don't use the Ready action to set your spear against a charge (since our hypothetical DM has ruled that it is obvious you've done so).

You use the Ready action to Ready the Ready action to set your spear against a charge. Thus, it's not obvious that you've set your spear... because you haven't, until your first Ready action triggers.

-Hyp.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

This is the approach that I would take. The main reason is that if you don't do this it will almost never be worth setting a spear against a charge because the attacker will always see it coming ("oh, he's set his spear. I'll not charge, I'll just hustle up then").

You're assuming the charger can tell whether the spear-wielder is readying against a charge, or readying against an attack. Certainly, the charger can tell the spear-wielder is readying against something, but without knowing exactly what he has three choices:

1. Charge, and hope he hasn't readied against it.
2. Hustle and attack, and hope he hasn't readied against it. (Assuming he's in range to hustle and attack. Remember that charging gets you double-distance. You can't double-move and attack without a charge.)
3. Do something else entirely.

All of these choices carry risks and rewards. If the spear-wielder can ready against an attack and get the double-damage for readying against a charge, then the advantage always goes to the spear-wielder, regardless of what the charger tries to do. This doesn't sit well with me.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Setting a spear against a charge is quite a specific manouevre though - bracing the butt of the spear against your foot or some object.

I take Hyps point that rather than ready your spear against a charge you ready an action to set your spear against a charge if he charges.

All getting needlessly recursive IMO. I think I prefer simplicity in handling this situation...

 

[Legildur]

I take Hyps point that rather than ready your spear against a charge you ready an action to set your spear against a charge if he charges.

Just to clarify for my addled brain, does that mean that the spear wielder is readied to attack opponent if they move into range AND to also set the spear to receive a charge if that is what the opponent chooses to do?

I like that interpretation, but I'm not sure what you or Hyp are saying on the subject.