Vital Strike + Charging


Rules Questions


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Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Is it possible to use a Vital Strike on the Charge?

I know an "attack action" is a Standard Action but I'm unclear on the wording here. Whats the verdict?

Thank you!

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

Long story short, VS is a Standard Action and Charge is a Full Round action, so they are not compatible. Hopefully someone else can find a reference with a more detailed explanation for you.


TriOmegaZero wrote:
Long story short, VS is a Standard Action and Charge is a Full Round action, so they are not compatible. Hopefully someone else can find a reference with a more detailed explanation for you.

Did the developers actually say that vital strike is a standard action?


Rake wrote:
TriOmegaZero wrote:
Long story short, VS is a Standard Action and Charge is a Full Round action, so they are not compatible. Hopefully someone else can find a reference with a more detailed explanation for you.
Did the developers actually say that vital strike is a standard action?

Yes, they did. Actually, they called it an attack action (which is a subset of standard action).

Charge is a full rd action.

They did say the Fighter Vital Stike preview was 100% wrong. So, if you are assuming that allows you to do it on a charge: you will be wrong.


Starbuck_II wrote:

Yes, they did. Actually, they called it an attack action (which is a subset of standard action).

Charge is a full rd action.

Technically, what they said (and what the feat itself says) was that you may only use Vital Strike with the Attack action, and using Cleave is a specific full round action, in much the same way that using Grapple or reading as scroll are specific standard actions.

Good rule of thumb, if a feat says "As a full-round/standard/move-equivalent action..." then using it is not an Attack action, even if it involves making an attack roll. If a feat instead says, "When you use the attack action..." (like Vital Strike or the old 3.5 Spring Attack) then you can use it whenever you're using the standard Attack action.


As a note, spring attack and Vital strike are compatable. There is a ruling on it floating arround here somewhere.


I houseruled in my games that VS could be used with a charge, otherwise you wouldn't charge unless you had too. Plus, charge only benefits you when your more than your movement away.

Sovereign Court

Hexcaliber wrote:
I houseruled in my games that VS could be used with a charge, otherwise you wouldn't charge unless you had too. Plus, charge only benefits you when your more than your movement away.

I've done the same, I have no issue with someone using VS as part of a charge, thought the RAW seem to infer the opposite.


Hexcaliber wrote:
I houseruled in my games that VS could be used with a charge, otherwise you wouldn't charge unless you had too. Plus, charge only benefits you when your more than your movement away.

Yeah, I'd probably do the same and just reword charge to use the same "When you use the attack action..." trigger. Something like:

Charge Houserule:
Charge: When using the attack action with a melee weapon you can charge, moving directly towards an opponent before the attack. When you charge, you get a +2 bonus on the attack roll, but take a –2 penalty to your AC until the start of your next turn.

You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward a designated opponent. If you move a distance equal to your speed or less and have at least a +1 base attack bonus, you can also draw a weapon during your movement.

You must have a clear path toward the opponent, and nothing can hinder your movement (such as difficult terrain or obstacles). You must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent. If this space is occupied or otherwise blocked, you can't charge. If any line from your starting space to the ending space passes through a square that blocks movement, slows movement, or contains a creature (even an ally), you can't charge. Helpless creatures don't stop a charge.

If you don't have line of sight to the opponent at the start of your turn, you can't charge that opponent.


Can you use Vital Strike with an Attack of Opportunity? That's been going around our gaming table for a while, and the group is divided on how the rules translate. What about mixing Awesome Blow with AOO, or even combat maneuvers such as disarm, trip or sunder?


Maveric28 wrote:

Can you use Vital Strike with an Attack of Opportunity? That's been going around our gaming table for a while, and the group is divided on how the rules translate. What about mixing Awesome Blow with AOO, or even combat maneuvers such as disarm, trip or sunder?

Not all melee attacks are attack actions. Attack actions are a specific type of standard action. You cannot use Vital Strike with an AoO.


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Maveric28 wrote:
Can you use Vital Strike with an Attack of Opportunity? That's been going around our gaming table for a while, and the group is divided on how the rules translate. What about mixing Awesome Blow with AOO, or even combat maneuvers such as disarm, trip or sunder?
  • Vital Strike: Does not work with AoO's as it may only be used as part of an Attack action.
  • Awesome Blow: Is itself a standard action so it cannot be used with AoO's, vital strike, cleave, etc.
  • Disarm: Can replace any melee attack, so it works just fine with AoO's.
  • Trip: Can replace any melee attack, so it works just fine with AoO's.
  • Sunder: Does not work with AoO's as it may only be used as part of an Attack action. (This one surprised me, and I almost want to say it might be a typo)


depends on the weapon because i found if you use a great sword + divine fighting technique greatsword battler you can use vital strike at the end of a charge. My question is would something like rhino rush doulbe the base dice of the weapon or the dice from vital strike as well? only reason is because vital strike says it does not multiply on a critical hit a charge is not a critical hit.


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Over seven years. How many onyx gems was this?


Check the dates, the options you mention did not exist when this thread was last active.

As to your question, when vital strike was written the only way to get a damage multiple with it would have been a crit, so if a later rule is giving you a damage multiplier without specifying how this interacts I would go with the precedent from crits.


No, they don't work together. Vital Strike specifically calls out the "attack action" which is different than just attacking.

I do think it should be allowed on charges because the feat by itself is not something I would take from a mechanical perspective. <---I'm not including specialized builds which I know could take advantage of it.


Greatsword Battler

Your god teaches devastating greatsword techniques.

Optional Replacement: A chaotic neutral barbarian or fighter who worships such a god can replace a bonus feat or rage power with the following initial benefit.

Initial Benefit(s): If you have the Vital Strike feat, you can apply its effect to an attack you make with a greatsword at the end of a charge. If you don’t have the Vital Strike feat, that attack deals 1 additional point of damage instead. The first time you make an attack of opportunity with a greatsword after using Vital Strike with a greatsword on your turn, you can apply Vital Strike to that attack of opportunity.


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7. Years. Old.

Sovereign Court

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Isn’t it wonderful when a thread grows up and is old enough to have a Pathfinder character of its very own?


I didnt even notice it was a necro'd thread, but I guess Zeric didn't either.

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