Can Tiny Creatures Charge?


Rules Questions

Liberty's Edge

CRB wrote:
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.
CRB wrote:
Very small creatures take up less than 1 square of space. This means that more than one such creature can fit into a single square. A Tiny creature typically occupies a space only 2-1/2 feet across, so four can fit into a single square. 25 Diminutive creatures or 100 Fine creatures can fit into a single square. Creatures that take up less than 1 square of space typically have a natural reach of 0 feet, meaning they can't reach into adjacent squares. They must enter an opponent's square to attack in melee. This provokes an attack of opportunity from the opponent. You can attack into your own square if you need to, so you can attack such creatures normally. Since they have no natural reach, they do not threaten the squares around them. You can move past them without provoking attacks of opportunity. They also can't flank an enemy.

Does the interaction of these two rules mean that tiny creatures are never able to charge, since they must move into an enemy's square to make their attack?


Tiny and smaller creatures can charge just as well as everything else as long as the charge lane is clear. The target cannot avoid the oncoming beast by hiding behind itself.

The charge movement ends when the fluffy little murderball has entered the target's square. That last move (probably) provokes an AoO from the target. There is a longish thread about it, and I haven't read all of it.

Liberty's Edge

Is there any more official information to confirm that? I'd rather not base some permanent character decisions around being able to charge, only to have table variation on whether I can charge.


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Based on the definition of Reach, your own square is "adjacent". Therefore, if you charge into a creature's square, the square he is in is an "adjacent square" and therefore eligible for a charge.

Normally you cannot end your move in an occupied square (per the movement rules) but an exception to that is is the exception for Tiny (and smaller) creatures who can, and in fact always do, end their turns in the square of an opponent they attack.

Charge says you cannot charge if the destination square is blocked. Creatures don't block their own square and unless the enemy is incorporeal, his square will never be blocked (though it could be difficult terrain which would prevent the charge, but that's different than blocked).

Charge says you cannot charge if the destination square is occupied. This is a restatement of the normal move rules because normally you could not end your turn in an occupied square. But as mentioned, Tiny creatures (and smaller) can and do ignore this normal rule, so it also doesn't apply to them on a charge.

Therefore, if you are a Tiny (or smaller) creature and you can draw a straight line from your square to the square your target is standing in, and that line does not pass through (or end in) any square that would block or slow your movement, then you can charge to and enter the square of your opponent and attack.

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