So... why exactly can you not take actions after a charge?

[Amaroq]

Mmmm. Yes, I see.

I suspect half of your cases would be cases where the "specific trumps the general" - e.g., the Swift Charge, the Curse/teleport, etc ... but yeah, my wording turns out no better.

Hrmph!

 

[Colmarr]

I personally think we're overanalysing this.

If I had to put money on it, I'd put it on "it's a sacred cow left over from the fact that Charge was a full round action in 3e".

Remembering of course that 3e charge was "move up to double your speed and make an attack at the end" (barring feats).

 

[Infiniti2000]

And you'd lose your money, Colmarr. Clearly, allowing you to move first in the opposite direction or maybe take your weapon out, or pull out a potion and drink it BEFORE charging means that they are not retaining a sacred cow.

I refuse to bite on your troll line.

 

[Felon]

Charge is a heck of a lot more open-ended than it was in 3e. No straight-line requirement is a big, big change.

 

[Colmarr]

I refuse to bite on your troll line.

Woah! Troll line? I was serious.

Perhaps "sacred cow" was an overly emotive phrase to use. Perhaps "historical remnant" more accurately represents what I meant.

3e charge allowed you to move twice and attack at the end, and (before the madness that became 3e swift and immediate actions and polymorphing into chokers and quickened spells) that was it for your turn.

4e expanded the possibilities a little by allowing you to substitute some other sort of move action* in place of the first move, but the basic structure is the same. Two "moves" with an "attack" at the end.

* and of course "some other sort of move action" can be converted into a minor action.

Charge is a heck of a lot more open-ended than it was in 3e. No straight-line requirement is a big, big change.

I agree, but I'm not discussing charging in general here. I'm solely discussing the stipulation that you cannot taken any other actions after you charge. Given that that general rule applies in both editions, and in the absence of evidence to the contrary, I think it's reasonable to assume it was left as is "just because".

 

[Infiniti2000]

Allowing a separate Move action is a massive change. It is not "a little" change. It has a huge effect on tactics and capabilities. The barbarian PC in my group ALWAYS moves or shifts and THEN charges once he has position. The Move prior to the charge is a critical capability. Prior to 4E, for example, unless you had quick draw you couldn't charge on the first round of combat (assuming you don't carry your weapon out). Even more importantly, you couldn't charge unless you had a straight line of attack, and other things kept you from charging.

All of this does affect the discussion on allowing you to take actions after a charge. With the huge versatility and thus power increase on charging, IMO something else needed to be done (other than the drop of attack bonus to -2). I would've liked to see that charging grants CA to all opponents except the one(s) you charge.