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Nope. Charge is a full round action, and you can only ready a standard/move action.
EDIT: Also see FAQ here.
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I went to a con this past week, and as always, played at several tables for several different judges. As often happens, I get "instructed in the game", "corrected" on the rules of a game I thought I understood. So, I'm going to come here and see if I can check up on some of the things I thought I knew.
In PF, can a character Ready a charge attack?
If so, what are the results?
If not, why not?
Thanks you for your input.
No, you can't ready an action to charge (unless you have a special ability that allows you to).
As stated in the combat chapter, you can only ready things that are Standard actions or smaller, and charge is a Full-Round action. Simple as that.
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Thus, you can ready a charge, but only the standard action single-move and attack charge, not the double-move and attack charge.
Incorrect. The "partial charge" is only ever an option if something is restricting you to taking no more than a standard action on your turn. (Such as being staggered or being in a surprise round.)
See also the above-referenced FAQ.
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What they said.
Also, if want to be able to 'ready a charge' there is a feat that enables a character to do just that.
Prerequisites: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, base attack bonus +5.
Benefit: You may ready a charge, though you may only move up to your speed on the charge.
Normal: Charging is a full-round action and allows you to move twice your speed.
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Presumably you could ready a charge in a surprise round yes?
And would you need to take that readied action in the surprise round or would it carry over to the next, full, combat round (so basically the readying character loses a while rounds worth of action just to have a charge or ready)?
That's actually a good question. I'd probably allow it (that is, allow the readied surprise-round charge to carry into the first normal round) as doing otherwise would seem awkward and it doesn't seem too unbalanced.
In PF, can a character Ready a charge attack?
Straight RAW? I don't think it's allowed.
However, the idea that you would be MORE capable when slowed or the like is untenable for me. Thus I conclude that the only thing preventing one from doing so is that the writers felt the verbiage for its allowance was either too convoluted or was self-evident.
Thus I'd allow it, and really would have liked PF to 'patch' what I consider a flaw in the RAW,
If you simply allow players to ready a partial charge, then be ready for players to use their move action to line themselves up nicely, then ready a partial charge with some trivial trigger. You'll be basically allowing them to charge around corners, over obstacles, etc.
If you simply allow players to ready a partial charge, then be ready for players to use their move action to line themselves up nicely, then ready a partial charge with some trivial trigger. You'll be basically allowing them to charge around corners, over obstacles, etc.
In PF, can a character Ready a charge attack?
Straight RAW? I don't think it's allowed.
However, the idea that you would be MORE capable when slowed or the like is untenable for me. Thus I conclude that the only thing preventing one from doing so is that the writers felt the verbiage for its allowance was either too convoluted or was self-evident.
Thus I'd allow it, and really would have liked PF to 'patch' what I consider a flaw in the RAW,
That.
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You know, 4E just made charging a standard action (with movement up to your speed rather than double, of course) and allows just that. As I recall from when I played, it wasn't broken. So a houserule to do it that way seems completely reasonable. To me, at least. YMMV.
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I've always allowed it in my home games; the very idea that it is even contentious is an eye-opener to me.
If you allow it, it resolves so many of those issues that keep cropping up on the 'Fighters suck, cos they can't protect their backline' threads.
Or to put it another way;
"Zombies! More adept at tactics than a level 20 Fighter!"
Presumably you could ready a charge in a surprise round yes?
Yes.
And would you need to take that readied action in the surprise round or would it carry over to the next, full, combat round (so basically the readying character loses a while rounds worth of action just to have a charge or ready)?
Initiative Consequences of Readying:
If you come to your next action and have not yet performed your readied action, you don't get to take the readied action.
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.
It doesn't make sense to me that a PC could not voluntarily elect to reduce themselves down to just having a standard action. Thus as a DM I would allow it if they forgo the rest of their turn.
Readying an action allows you to interrupt the actions of an opponent, disrupting spells or possibly killing someone outright before they can act. It doesn't make sense to me that someone, even if they voluntarily forewent their turn, could elect to wait until they saw something starting to happen, react and then take an action which should constitute a full round that still resolves before the other action. That's like saying someone could ready a sleep spell and have it go off before the action that triggered it, or unleash a full round attack.
"Zombies! More adept at tactics than a level 20 Fighter!"
To be fair, the zombies have far more braaaaaaiiiins than the fighters.
They've been snacking.
To be fair, the zombies have far more braaaaaaiiiins than the fighters./facepalm
You're on a roll today, BNW.
My back was killing me the other day, i got 23 hours of sleep the day before yesterday and none yesterday.
I think.
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For my money, I'd allow a "partial charge" as a readied action. To me, that falls under the "may charge as a standard action, when unable to take full actions" clause. On the other hand, I treat readying as a full round action, and thus a PC would never be able to move and then ready a charge. Also the zombie problem is moot for me, because I don't consider them able to ready any action. They literally are not smart enough to think of such tactics.