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| 3 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
I was reading the rules for Acrobatics and Charge and wondered if the two interacted.
Example:
Merisiel the 3rd level Rogue has an Acrobatics bonus of +10 (very easily achievable). She's fighting hobgoblins in the Caves of Unfortunate Terrain. The hobgoblin she wants to stab the most, is 30 ft. away but there is 10 feet of difficult terrain (slippery rubble) between Merisiel and Hobgoblin Victim (TM).
M - - X X - - H
The rules for charge state:
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.
However, Merisiel's player states: "Can't I just jump over it and stab the chump? Even on a one I can jump 10 ft. on a running long jump. Plus the idea of me gracefully leaping and stabbing this dude is way cool right?"
She does have a point. So I ask fellow GMs and Devs?
Can Acrobatics be used to ignore difficult terrain for purposes of charging? Can one make an Acrobatics check as part of a charge?
Why? Why not?
Reason for asking:
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The Duelist prestige class gets a class feature specifically to do this ('Acrobatic Charge' no less!), so RAW is probably that you can't do it without that specific class feature.
Interesting. The feature:
Acrobatic Charge (Ex)At 6th level, a duelist gains the ability to charge in situations where others cannot. She may charge over difficult terrain that normally slows movement. Depending on the circumstance, she may still need to make appropriate checks to successfully move over the terrain.
My reading though is that this means the duelist could for example, could charge over the rubble (taking the commensurate movement penalty with no check) and since the Hobgoblin is within 60 ft. still charge no problem.
He'd only have to make a check over normally impassable terrain (say the XX was a pit). In which case the duelist MUST make an acrobatics check to charge.
Meanwhile Merisiel MUST make an acrobatics check to charge over ANY kind of difficult terrain.
I am leaning towards your interpretation though Professor.
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Can Acrobatics be used to ignore difficult terrain for purposes of charging? Can one make an Acrobatics check as part of a charge?
As far as I know you cannot.
Why? Why not?
*shrug*
Because dems the rules?
You can certainly leap over the difficult terrain but the obstruction interferes with your charging mojo.
James ruled that yes, you can jump as part of a charge. Failing the check means you didn't charge but rather simply took the required number of move actions and are left with any remaining actions.
The Duelist prestige class gets a class feature specifically to do this ('Acrobatic Charge' no less!), so RAW is probably that you can't do it without that specific class feature.
The Acrobatic Charge feature allows the Duelist to charge over difficult terrain at normal speed. That is not the same thing as jumping over the difficult terrain. It doesn't say you can't jump as part of a charge over difficult terrain, a lake or a chasm, in fact I haven't found any rule that says that.
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.
According to the rules, if you still meet these criterias while charging and jumping, it should work.
And I think the whole idea is perfectly plausable.
Althought, I still see 2 possible problems:
1- After you've landed past the difficult terrain, I don't know if you have to stop your movement where you've landed of if you can continue to "run" until your target. If not, then you'll have to land on a square you can reach the target.
2- You'll probably need the 10ft running start for the jump and it's not specified what that "running" means. The rules say that Running is a full-round action and "If you spend the entire round running, you can move up to quadruple your speed (or triple if you are in heavy armor)". I think that the 10ft "running" is just part of a normal move action you use to jump, and in this case part of the movement of the charge action.