Weird how exhausted folks can charge.

[AGGEMAM]

Also to settle the original question.

No, you can't run or charge while exhausted, because you are restricted to moving at half speed.

PHB 3.5, page 308

Exhausted: ... An exhausted character moves at half speed ...

PHB 3.5, page 309

Half speed: ... If you are restricted to half speed, you can't run or charge, nor can you take a 5 foot step.

Remember, not everything you really need to know is in the SRD (nor is it in the PHB, DMG, MM, or FAQ but hey, it's better than the SRD alone )

EDIT 2 (or 3): Which btw, has the strange effect that ethereal characters cannot charge.

 

[AGGEMAM]

Of course, "attack" is one of those words with several meanings

That might be. But the glossary description of an attack clearly includes charges.

 

[Shadowdweller]

PHB 3.5, page 309

Half speed: ... If you are restricted to half speed, you can't run or charge, nor can you take a 5 foot step.

Oy! That certainly makes ray/waves of exhaustion/slow more tactically favorable.

Come to think of it, that makes nets considerably more useful. And doesn't hamstring (complete warrior) also reduce victims to half-speed? Did rogues just become a lot more deadly?

Ah, all the subtle 3.5 changes...

 

[AGGEMAM]

Oy! That certainly makes ray/waves of exhaustion/slow more tactically favorable.

Come to think of it, that makes nets considerably more useful. And doesn't hamstring (complete warrior) also reduce victims to half-speed? Did rogues just become a lot more deadly?

Ah, all the subtle 3.5 changes...

Haven't you wondered why the ray/waves of exhaustion was so high level? (3rd, and 7th respectively)

However, the Slow spell does not reduce you to half speed. It has it's own rules for the speed reduction imposed by the spell.

 

[Shadowdweller]

Haven't you wondered why the ray/waves of exhaustion was so high level? (3rd, and 7th respectively)

I confess I did not seriously consider the former (although please note a -6 penalty to strength AND dex is nothing to scoff at), had assumed it was the lack of saving throwing with the latter.

However, the Slow spell does not reduce you to half speed. It has it's own rules for the speed reduction imposed by the spell.

Au contraire, note the following in the spell description:

A slowed creature moves at half it's normal speed (round-down to the nearest 5-foot increment), which affects it's jumping distance as normal for decreased speed.

 

[AGGEMAM]

No. Half normal speed is not the same as half speed in game terms.

Half speed is a game term described in the Glossary, page 309.

Slowed is another game term described in the Combat chapter, page 139.

Note the differences. You can still run (and charge) while slowed.

 

[Shadowdweller]

No. Half normal speed is not the same as half speed in game terms.

Half speed is a game term described in the Glossary, page 309.

Slowed is another game term described in the Combat chapter, page 139.

Note the differences. You can still run (and charge) while slowed.

I'm sorry, I just don't buy that. Merely because something appears in the glossary does not, mystically and magically, make it some sort of special 'game term' that is completely separate from it's linguistic meaning. There's nothing at all to distinguish 'slowed' on p.139 (at least in the 3.5 PHB, and that's what we're talking about). This supposed game-term 'half-speed' does NOT appear in the DMG table of conditions, nor anywhere else (that I am aware of) where it is ever distinguished from simply being forced to move at half speed.

On the other hand 'slowed'. Slowed appears in italics, but what things appear in italics? Italics are used to make it apparent that a spell is being referenced, not to define some separate condition. Slowed appears in neither the PHB glossary NOR the DMG list of conditions. There is, in fact, nothing that I can find to distinguish it's halving of speed from any other sort of half-speed.

 

[AGGEMAM]

Ok, there goes my usual 'point to the rules and figure it out ourself' approach down the drain again.

'Half speed' is indeed a game term, and no it's not a condition but an effect so it won't appear in the DMG. 'Half speed' means that each square counts as two squares (and diagonals count as 3). Also note that 'half speed' effect stacks but does not follow the normal stacking rules, ie half speed of half speed is a quarter speed and half of that is an eight speed (instead of being a third, a quarter and so on).

The slow spell has an entirely different effect, namely that you divide your normal speed by two (and round down to the next 5 foot increment). Also different slow effects do not stack.

 

[Shadowdweller]

'Half speed' is indeed a game term, and no it's not a condition but an effect so it won't appear in the DMG.

So you persist in claiming. Do you have any actual SUPPORT for your claim, however?

 

[AGGEMAM]

So you persist in claiming. Do you have any actual SUPPORT for your claim, however?

If it's not a game term then it would not have an entry in the Glossary would it?

EDIT: Most game terms do .. and some like this one is actually only described in the PHB glossary.