| 32 people marked this as FAQ candidate. Added to the FAQ. 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Can you use the Ready action (CRB 203) to execute a partial charge? (CRB 198)
Let's hear interpretations, but keep it civil. The real purpose of this thread is to get it FAQ'd, so please don't embarrass yourself by being a jerk.
No.
My logic- in 3.5 there were feats to ready a charge (and i'm pretty sure theres one in PF too).
FAQ'ed for you though.
Sounds relevant. Is there a link or a page ref you can get for us?
You're looking for "Rhino Charge" [Combat] from the Companion "Sargava, the Lost Colony".
No.
You can only make a partial charge on turns when you're limited to a standard action. Ready is a full-round action which, therefore, cannot be used in a round when you're limited to a standard action.
|
Lemme see... Not sure i'd be able to find it online but in PHB2 I think it was called Cometary Collision.
I can't find the feat i'm referring to in PF so perhaps i'm imagining that one.
For the purpose of this thread it might be worth clarifying the difference between a normal charge and a partial charge, with the text from both.
Aha... My ninja squad were already in action I see ;).
No.
You can only make a partial charge on turns when you're limited to a standard action. Ready is a full-round action which, therefore, cannot be used in a round when you're limited to a standard action.
Actually, per CRB 203, readying is a Standard action. Whether this contradicts your conclusion I do not know.
FAQ'd.
My interpretation is No. I think the key is the word "limited". You are not limited to something if you chose it.
I would also ask if you can take an action (move or free) before using the "ready action"?
It would make a nice feat though...
|
|
Readying is a standard action, that is correct.
Ok- heres the short text for Cometary Collision.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060501a&page=4
Now- this feat lets you ready a charge to charge a charging enemy. If you were already able to ready a charge, you would already be able to do this, without the feat tax.
However, I don't have my CRB on me so can someone please quote the partial charge.
My interpretation is this:
We need to know whether you can choose to limit yourself to a Standard action. You can partial charge if you are unable to take a full-round action (being staggered or the like). You can't ready a Charge, which is a full round action.
Since you have to choose the action you will be taking when you Ready, are we saying at that point that future-you is limited to only a standard action and can therefor make a partial charge? Or are we saying that present you is NOT limited to a standard action, and therefore you cannot take a partial charge?
If I had to choose, I would allow the partial charge. But it is ambiguous. Furthermore, it looks like people are pointing to apocryphal rules from Paizo products that might expose the implicit ruling. I am quite keen to seem more specifics there.
It would make a nice feat though...
My experience with charge based feats (Powerful Charge) and ready-based feats (Improved Counterspell) has lead me to believe this would be the most underwhelming possible use of a feat slot. You would have to make it quite powerful, perhaps allowing a full attack, in order for this to be worthwhile. Both Ready and Charge are so restrictive in their usage... Just an opinion.
|
can someone please quote the partial charge.
As you wish!
If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn,
you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up
to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you
cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw
feat. You can’t use this option unless you are restricted to
taking only a standard action on your turn.
Edit: I FAQ'd this. I FAQ'd it real hard.
|
|
Readying is a standard action, that is correct.
Ok- heres the short text for Cometary Collision.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060501a&page=4
Now- this feat lets you ready a charge to charge a charging enemy. If you were already able to ready a charge, you would already be able to do this, without the feat tax.
However, I don't have my CRB on me so can someone please quote the partial charge.
It's a rule under charge
"If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can't use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn."
|
|
Ok.
Evil Lincoln, quite frankly I think the concept of purposefully limiting oneself to a standard action in a turn in order to gain a readied action is somewhat ludicrous.
However- i've dug out my copy of the Sargava book.
Rhino Charge-
Benefit: You may ready a charge , though you may only move up to your speed in the charge
^^^
This is exactly what your trying to pull off by 'voluntarily' limiting yourself to a standard action, and if that were permitted it would simply swallow this feat. It even has the half movement clause that the standard action limited charge has.
Thus, I stand by my view that RAI your not supposed to be able to limit yourself to a standard action. I don't even think an FAQ is necessary now.
|
No.
You can only make a partial charge on turns when you're limited to a standard action. Ready is a full-round action which, therefore, cannot be used in a round when you're limited to a standard action.
Readying an action is a standard action.
Here is the part of the rules in question:
Charge:
Charging is a special full-round action that allows you to move up to twice your speed and attack during the action. Charging, however, carries tight restrictions on how you can move.
Movement During a Charge: You must move before your attack, not after. You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward the designated opponent. If you move a distance equal to your speed or less, you can also draw a weapon during a charge attack if your base attack bonus is at least +1.
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.
You can't take a 5-foot step in the same round as a charge.
If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can't use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn.
Attacking on a Charge: After moving, you may make a single melee attack. You get a +2 bonus on the attack roll and take a –2 penalty to your AC until the start of your next turn.
A charging character gets a +2 bonus on combat maneuver attack rolls made to bull rush an opponent.
Even if you have extra attacks, such as from having a high enough base attack bonus or from using multiple weapons, you only get to make one attack during a charge.
Lances and Charge Attacks: A lance deals double damage if employed by a mounted character in a charge.
Weapons Readied against a Charge: Spears, tridents, and other weapons with the brace feature deal double damage when readied (set) and used against a charging character.
Ready:
The ready action lets you prepare to take an action later, after your turn is over but before your next one has begun. Readying is a standard action. It does not provoke an attack of opportunity (though the action that you ready might do so).
Readying an Action: You can ready a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, anytime before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character's activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action.
You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don't otherwise move any distance during the round.
Initiative Consequences of Readying: Your initiative result becomes the count on which you took the readied action. If you come to your next action and have not yet performed your readied action, you don't get to take the readied action (though you can ready the same action again). If you take your readied action in the next round, before your regular turn comes up, your initiative count rises to that new point in the order of battle, and you do not get your regular action that round.
Distracting Spellcasters: You can ready an attack against a spellcaster with the trigger “if she starts casting a spell.” If you damage the spellcaster, she may lose the spell she was trying to cast (as determined by her Spellcraft check result).
Readying to Counterspell: You may ready a counterspell against a spellcaster (often with the trigger “if she starts casting a spell”). In this case, when the spellcaster starts a spell, you get a chance to identify it with a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level). If you do, and if you can cast that same spell (and are able to cast it and have it prepared, if you prepare spells), you can cast the spell as a counterspell and automatically ruin the other spellcaster's spell. Counterspelling works even if one spell is divine and the other arcane.
A spellcaster can use dispel magic to counterspell another spellcaster, but it doesn't always work.
Readying a Weapon against a Charge: You can ready weapons with the brace feature, setting them to receive charges. A readied weapon of this type deals double damage if you score a hit with it against a charging character.
Lets start by this. Readying an action is, by itself, a standard action and you may ready a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action. Since the readied action must happen before your next turn, I view the action readied as part of the same turn as the "Ready Action" standard action itself. This explains why you can only ready some action that would (with the exception of a standard) mesh with a standard in a normal turn.
Charge is a full round action, unless you are restricted to only taking a standard action on your turn. Since when you do a "Ready Action" you have already done a standard action on this turn, even if your turn is spread out over everyone's turns, you are not under a condition that has limited you to just a standard action. In fact, with a ready action, you are able to effectively take two standard actions in one turn (although one of the standard actions is going to be the "Ready an Action" standard action itself).
|
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
|
The PFSRD says this:
Readying an Action: You can ready a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action.
Therefore, you certainly cannot ready a full charge. As to the notion of a "partial charge," it says the following:
If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can't use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn.
Note that it says if "you are able to take ONLY a standard action on your turn" you may use this option. You can always CHOOSE to forego your move action in a round, but only in conditions which actually prevent you from doing more than a single standard action can you make this "partial charge." Therefore, I conclude that you cannot ready a partial charge without some kind of feat or item that grants an exception.
EDIT: Ninja'd... several times.
TOZ brought this up in annother thread, and I have seen this elsewhere I think. If you cannot ready a partial charge under normal conditions because you have more than a standard action, can you do so while slowed, since you now meet the requirement of being restricted to a standard action on your turn?
If your answer is yes to this, I ask you why being slowed would allow you to do something that you could not otherwise do?
Personally, I think the rules are vague on this point but the only sensible thing in my mind is to allow partial charges on readied actions.
You're looking for "Rhino Charge" [Combat] from the Companion "Sargava, the Lost Colony".
This: There is a feat that allows you to do it, and since you can normally only charge as a standard action if you are restricted from taking a full round action then you couldn't partial charge as a standard action unless you readied to charge on a surprise round, or a round that you are staggered on (or otherwise restricted to a standard action only).
"If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can't use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn."
Does anyone ever wonder what we could accomplish if we spent this much time going over law or tax codes or something? It would be boring as hell, but we could probably become millionaires.
Hm.
The precise language "unless you are restricted to taking only a standard on your turn" at the end of the partial charge clause might settle it.
The first paragraph of Ready says: "The ready action lets you prepare to take an action later, after your turn is over but before your next one has begun." This would imply that the action is not taken on your turn, and therefore no partial charge.
Pretty harsh, considering you actually change your initiative for the readied action. I should consider that to be moving your turn, but a literal reading denies that.
|
|
You're looking for "Rhino Charge" [Combat] from the Companion "Sargava, the Lost Colony".This: There is a feat that allows you to do it, and since you can normally only charge as a standard action if you are restricted from taking a full round action then you couldn't partial charge as a standard action unless you readied to charge on a surprise round, or a round that you are staggered on (or otherwise restricted to a standard action only).
THIS- but g~~~++n I have ninjaed so many... please look at my post where I quote the text from rhino charge... I can't take all this ninjaing...
*runs off to cry*
Edit: No Lincoln, the fact that theres a feat to do exactly what you want to do, to the letter- settles it.
Ferg, we are millionaires. It is just millions of imaginary gold pieces.
As a sheer statement of opinion on rhino charge:
Ready is such a great special ability, it gives you the chance to waste whole turns waiting for something that might never happen! In fact, waiting for something that is almost certain to never happen if your GM is a metagaming sadist! (sure, then you have bigger problems.)
Evil Lincoln has had too much coffee today. Please ignore.
Ferg, we are millionaires. It is just millions of imaginary gold pieces.
Wait! I took payment in electrum! What? It doesn't even exist anymore?
I'm RUINED! Oh well, time to go adventuring and get some more...
PS I totally agree about feats that require readying and charging.
Don't forget that with that feat you could take a move action then ready the charge. So if something is stopping you from charging (say rough terrain) but you can get into a position that you can charge from (with a single move) then you could move and charge as a readied action before the next person acts.
Also readying an action doesn't affect your initiative -- delaying an action does.
Also readying an action doesn't affect your initiative -- delaying an action does.
Initiative Consequences of Readying: Your initiative result becomes the count on which you took the readied action. If you come to your next action and have not yet performed your readied action, you don't get to take the readied action (though you can ready the same action again). If you take your readied action in the next round, before your regular turn comes up, your initiative count rises to that new point in the order of battle, and you do not get your regular action that round.
|
|
Just remember everyone. A round of combat is only 6 seconds long. Each turn in it is also 6 seconds long. This means that all turns happen simultaneously and not sequentially. When you prepair a ready action to shoot the next thing that enters a door, and nothing enters the door, you only spent 6 seconds waiting and eyeballing the door. If someone comes into the door on init 2 when you normally go on init 18, your init moves to 2 and you finish your turn (and still only take 6 seconds total to do this).
The virtual sequential turns are just in there for game mechanics and combat flow reasons. It would be difficult to show combat with everyone acting at the same time as the rules are attempting to generalize. If it was really sequential and not simultaneous, then a combat round would be a total of (6 x Number-of-combatants) seconds long and not just 6 seconds long.
Also, you can only waste one round on a readied action. Once your init rolls in again, if you have not taken the readied action, you loose that readied action. You can then choose to re-ready an action, but it is a separate combat round.
|
|
The problem with the whole 'the combat round is 6 seconds long' limitations explanations etc, is that it totally breaks down in the way turns play out.
If everybody were taking their turns at the same time, then the whole combat system as it is would go out the window. It's too intrinsically tied to the turn-based nature that trying to impose limits based on the descriptive 'fluff of simultaneous events' seems rather awkward to me personally.
So, in your games combat runs (6 x number-of-combatants) seconds long? Does this not foul up spells with a duration in the minutes? If you have a spell that lasts 1 minute, and 11 people in combat, then the spell will end before your next turn (being that each turn is only 6 seconds long, and 10 turns when sequential is 1 minute).
You already have to work into your view of the game that a round is 6 seconds, no matter how many people are in the combat. When you deal with a ready action, followed by the action that you readied, you are still only taking 6 seconds total (1 round) and are limited by what you can do in 1 round, in this case, at best 2 standard actions, one to ready the action, and the second if you readied a standard action. Since you are taking, at max, 2 standard actions in one turn, you are definitely not limited to only taking one standard action (the trigger needed to be able to do a partial charge as written in RAW).
Now, if the question comes up if I think that the RAW needs to be adjusted in this case, my answer is yes. I do not see anything over balancing from allowing a ready action to trigger a partial charge, and would even allow a partial charge on any turn, as long as you did not actually move in any other way on that turn. For example, doing things like picking up an item, opening a door, retrieving a stored item, or drawing a weapon (if you do not have a BaB over +1 or quick draw), would all be "move actions" that I would allow to be combined with a partial charge.
Wasting an action is terrible. Deciding to risk the possibility of action loss is a very steep price. I would actually rather pay Hit Points or Spells slots mid-combat that lose whole turns of action.
Rhino Charge exists to allow this generally.
Per RAW, you can Ready a Charge when Slowed/Staggered/on Surprise Rounds.
Personally, I find that absurd that such conditions allow this while normal, healthy characters mid-battle cannot do so, and so I feel it´s more than reasonable to allow - all the conditions of Charge must still be met, and you can waste the action if the trigger doesn´t happen, or the battlefield has shifted to no longer allow a Charge. I WOULD insist that you forgo the rest of your actions (i.e. Move, Swift), in effect acting within the limits of a Surprise Round, Action-wise.
That leaves Rhino Charge with at least some benefit (since you can still take Move and Swift) - if one can Move to a commanding position while drawing a weapon (readying for any AoO´s that happen besides your Readied Charge), getting in a position to Ready a Charge against more enemies, for example. Realistically, much less players would consider taking Rhino Charge if they at least have the lesser ´as if on Surprise Round´ option available... But the number of situations where Rhino Charge will prove to be superior is not going to be infinitesimally small, either.
My interpretation is this:
We need to know whether you can choose to limit yourself to a Standard action. You can partial charge if you are unable to take a full-round action (being staggered or the like). You can't ready a Charge, which is a full round action.
Since you have to choose the action you will be taking when you Ready, are we saying at that point that future-you is limited to only a standard action and can therefor make a partial charge? Or are we saying that present you is NOT limited to a standard action, and therefore you cannot take a partial charge?
If I had to choose, I would allow the partial charge. But it is ambiguous. Furthermore, it looks like people are pointing to apocryphal rules from Paizo products that might expose the implicit ruling. I am quite keen to seem more specifics there.
The way I view it is this:
* When you Ready an action you are able to only actually perform a Standard action rather than a full action when the readying event triggers.
* You can perform a partial charge when you have a standard action rather than a full action but still want to perform some kind of charge.
The two seem tailor made for one another, quite frankly. The debate came up when we discussed whether a combat character (a fighter, for the sake of argument) could ready an action so when a monster charged somebody else he could move in the way and whack them. Intuitively, it feels right to me that he could. It certainly isn't broken to let him do so (fighters need all the tricks they can get), and the rules do not preclude it. Therefore I say, go for it.
I certainly don't believe anyone is claiming that this would be overpowered! What's important is to determine whether or not it is legal; not just to settle the argument online but mainly to take the decision off the shoulders of organized play GMs.
If it is possible, it is a potentially useful tactic for meleers to play their presumed role! That's pretty cool, IMO.
I certainly don't believe anyone is claiming that this would be overpowered! What's important is to determine whether or not it is legal;
Agreed. I think it's a good addition, I just don't think the rules as written allow for it.
Partial charging on a ready is good but not lawful, if you like.
|
|
Can you use the Ready action (CRB 203) to execute a partial charge? (CRB 198)
Let's hear interpretations, but keep it civil. The real purpose of this thread is to get it FAQ'd, so please don't embarrass yourself by being a jerk.
There is no such thing as a partial charge in PF. That action has not existed in the game since 3.0. Since the action doesn't exist in this edition, you cannot ready an action to perform it.
However, I suspect from the context, what is being asked is whether a character can use the ready action to execute a single move distance charge. I'm not merely being pedantic. Rather, casting it in light that reflects the language of PF rather than 3.0 helps avoid misunderstandings or carrying over rules concepts from 3.0.
In the case of a round where you have your full alotment of actions, you clearly cannot ready to charge. Charging is a full round action (regardless of the distance). You can ready a standard action; you cannot ready a full round action. Thus you cannot ready to execute a single move charge.
In the case of a round where you may make only a single move or standard action, the matter might be a little iffy, but I think it is pretty clear that the answer is no, you cannot ready to execute a single move charge here either. There are two points to consider.
The first is whether the single move charge is a standard action or not. The second is whether it is intended that a character, as a result of being able to take fewer actions, should be enabled to do something that he otherwise cannot due.
Is a single move charge, such as during a surprise round, a standard action? The exception that allows for the single move charge doesn't call it a standard action. It merely says it can be done in this circumstance. However, annotation #4 on p. 183 says it can be taken as a standard action. So, it would appear that a single move distanace charge is a standard action. I also think that the conclusion is a bit weak, given that text trumps table, and the text is silent.
Is it intended that a character, as a result of being able to take fewer actions, should be enabled to do something that he otherwise cannot due? The intent of the single move distance charge is to permit a charge on any turn. It is illogical that a character is more capable in circumstances where his actions are limited.
The argument that the single move distance charge should be possible in a surprise round, when slowed, etc. is based on the fact that the charge is a standard action in these circumstances. I think it is much more useful to understand this as a special circumstance exception in which the charge takes all of your actions...whatever they are...rather than excising the standard action single distance charge from the context of the rest of the charging rules.
edit: a few typos and a clarifying phrase.
Spot on Howie...
Charge only works as a standard action "If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge [...] You can't use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn."
So if somehow you were slowed or limited to a standard action you could charge, but as to readying a charge this is not possible.
However... nothing is stopping you from using DELAY to change your initiative count to effectively function as if you "readied" a Charge action.
-----
Complete aside.. you can, however, take a 5 ft step with your readied action. Not sure that's what you want, but there it is.
In the case of a round where you may make only a single move or standard action, the matter might be a little iffy, but I think it is pretty clear that the answer is no, you cannot ready to execute a single move charge here either. There are two points to consider.
The first is whether the single move charge is a standard action or not.
If you can´t make the 1/2 move charge via a Standard Action, how exactly are you doing it when limited to a Standard Action? Are we supposed to read the rules as just competely discarding actual action economy at this point? If you can 1/2 charge on a Surprise Round via the Standard Action, I see absolutely no reason why you can´t make the same action via choosing the Ready Action in the same scenario.
|
|
As to your comment about 'readying an action taking 1 standard action' that doesn't even make sense. It doesn't take a standard action to 'ready an action' you burn the standard action choosing to wait until your designated course of events comes up. The readying standard action is the same standard action as the action you are readying. It's just being delayed.
It is in the rules:
Ready
The ready action lets you prepare to take an action later, after your turn is over but before your next one has begun. Readying is a standard action. It does not provoke an attack of opportunity (though the action that you ready might do so).
Readying an action is a standard Action that allows you to then do a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action later in your turn after a trigger.
From your point of view, is it a move action to ready a move action? And if so, can I then take a move action to point "a" on the map (an area where I have a straight line run to a door provoking no AoO) and then ready a move action to move to point "b" when my trigger happens (the door opens, for example, so I can bolt through)? This should be allowed in your game if the action to ready the action is the same as the action. This also allows more then one readied action in a round (I could ready a move action and then a standard). Either that, or you do not allow a move action of a free action ever as a readied action, only standards.
In my games, initiative does dictate who goes when, because it is the system that I have, but it is understood by my players that things are happening within the same 6 seconds per round, as to not short change durations on poisons/spells/etc.
You should be describing combat as quick and fluid and there are a lot of things in the game that have simplified rules to represent a complex thing (hit points anyone?). You have to imagine that the fighter managed to turn that killing blow into only a scrape at the last second due to luck and skill, just like you have to imagine that the caster managed to get that spell off in the seconds before the fighter got to him (if the caster had the higher init), or that the rogue managed to dodge that fighters attack and got out of range while the fighter was still recovering from his swing (as the rogue ran from combat, and the fighter missed his AoO on the rogue).
I refuse to allow all my combat descriptions to be hamstrung by the raw numbers used in game to make it easier to play.
This topic does make me think that Paizo, or whoever wrote Rhino Charge, wasn´t aware or doesn´t believe that partial charges on surprise rounds (+slowed/staggered) are possible per RAW. It just seems like if they knew/believed that, that Rhino Charge would have been worded to emphasize it`s allowing this on normal rounds/ while taking move + swift actions, which it wasn´t - it was phrased as a totally new ability out of the blue. Obviously, everybody at Paizo isn´t going to accurately track each and every arcane rules interaction, but it seems like if you´re going to write a Feat for Charging, you´d want to be familiar with the Charge rules. I could be wrong, but the way it`s worded suggests they weren´t.
|
|
If you can´t make the 1/2 move charge via a Standard Action, how exactly are you doing it when limited to a Standard Action? Are we supposed to read the rules as just competely discarding actual action economy at this point? If you can 1/2 charge on a Surprise Round via the Standard Action, I see absolutely no reason why you can´t make the same action via choosing the Ready Action in the same scenario.
I agree that if you limit the perspective to 1)what kind of action is my single move distance charge, and 2)can that action be subject of a ready, then 3) you get the conclusion that it's just fine.
I also don't think that this is a sufficient perspective. I think that it is also important to look at the charge rules overall, with an eye toward why the exception exists, to recognize that the exception does carve out a rules oddity regarding the action economy, and most importantly, the absurdity that results when a character can do something when less capable that he can't do when he is fully capable.
Regarding Rhino Charge being expensive for what it gives you: I think it is pretty fantastic - there is no other readily available way to ready a movement with an attack. A normal readied action is risky - but if you're allowed to close the distance to a foe and attack (given your readied condition is met) is a massive boon. Whole charge-based character builds (cavalier, I'm looking at you) can rely on this feat.
it seems like if you´re going to write a Feat for Charging, you´d want to be familiar with the Charge rules. I could be wrong, but the way it`s worded suggests they weren´t.
Total Agreement. It seems that they are becoming lax on rules/feat interaction and consistency. I worry about the product quality because it seems not even they can keep up with changes they enact or the rules interactions they are creating/overlooking.
|
|
<House Rule Disclaimer>
I allow my players to ready a "Partial Charge" by sacrificing their move action. In effect, this restricts them down to a standard, etc, etc.
I think this Rhino Charge feat is quite the waste of a feat slot. Maybe it was worthwhile back in 3.5, when charging was different? (Never played 3.5, just a guess there...)
Anywho, end of House Rules. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.
I'm no expert on RAW, but here is how I interpret RAI in my game, and I have a PC who has built himself completely around charge attacks. Note that I am not trying to tell anyone how its supposed to be, just explaining how I run it.
You cannot ready a charge, because it is a full-round action. When limited to a standard action due to an effect like staggered, you STILL cannot ready a charge; a single-move charge is not a standard action, it is simply a special kind of full round action that can be used on turns when you only have a standard action available.
During a surprise round, I allow readied charges (I consider this a house rule) to make melee characters more likely to be able to act effectively in the surprise round. However, if your charge does not happen in the surprise round, then your action is lost and you are back to charging as a full-round action on your regular initiative.
As far as Rhino's Charge being a useless feat: It basically allows you to charge as a standard action, which is huge if you need to position yourself to open a line for a charge. For example, if there are allies between you and your target at the start of your turn. You take a move action to get out of the way, and then ready to charge "as soon as I have a clear line to charge". Your ready is immediately triggered, and you are able to charge on a round when you otherwise couldn't. Characters with good acrobatics who can reliably tumble away from their foe can even use this to charge ~every turn~ by taking a move action away from their target and then charging back at them - I have a Rogue using the Scout archetype who may be taking Rhino's Charge for this very setup.
Readying an action is a standard Action that allows you to then do a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action later in your turn after a trigger.Ready
The ready action lets you prepare to take an action later, after your turn is over but before your next one has begun. Readying is a standard action. It does not provoke an attack of opportunity (though the action that you ready might do so).
So readying allows you to take a standard action but not a full action. The charge as a standard action is available if only a standard action is available, which in this case it is. I call it legal - it's Lawful AND Good!