I DM a game for a couple of friends, and one of them recently made a gnome Cavalier with the Gendarme archetype, who focuses on charging. The player wants to find a way to charge nearly every single turn, and during tonight's session came up with a challenge to the rules I didn't know how to answer. The PC was standing right next to a medium size creature on one of its diagonal threatened squares. When she asked if she could charge from there, I said no and that you needed to move at least 10 ft to make a charge action valid. She responded by moving 10 feet along the medium size creatures side, using the Ride-by-Attack feat to avoid Attacks of Opportunities mind, to reach the opposite diagonal square along the medium creatures side. Is this legal? It seems like that would make a charge option possible every round, but make the 10 feet requirement to move a useless restriction.
Heres a little diagram to illustrate the charge issue.
X = The Medium sized creature
O = The Cavalier PC
- = Surrounding empty squares
O - -
- X -
- - -
- - O
- X -
- - -
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If I recall correctly you are required to stop in the closest space you can attack from during a charge, which would seem to disallow that.
Now that I check, you also have to move directly towards your target, so no.
http://paizo.com/prd/combat.html
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HERE are the rules for Charging. They should make it clear that what your player is trying is not legal.
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Read the ride-by attack
When you are mounted and use the charge action, you may move and attack as if with a standard charge and then move again (continuing the straight line of the charge). Your total movement for the round can't exceed double your mounted speed. You and your mount do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the opponent that you attack.
He only moves 5 feet when he attacks - so no charge. The total movement of 10 feet doesn't make it a charge. So neither a charge nor a ride-by.