Our playtest game came to a grinding halt last night due to charging, or more precisely the inability for characters to charge.
I and running The Lost Star, in large room A2. The character with the biggest issue is:
Gnome Paladin 1, Heavy Armour, Speed 10.
The player of the paladin was already frustrated at his character’s lack of speed. The paladin had spent the previous round moving gradually entrance corridor towards the enemy at the far end of the room. In the most recent round of the combat the paladin stated that he wanted to charge the enemy.
At that point play stopped as we searched for the charging rules: (a) in the index – nothing; (b) in 9. Playing the Game – nothing in Basic Actions, nothing in Movement and Position; (c) 5. General Feats – nothing.
I vaguely remember reading something about charging somewhere, but frantic page flipping and poor memory could not find it.
With increasing frustration, the game stopped at that point (it too late in the evening to continue) and we all went home, with many of the players disillusioned by the removal of previously accessible tactics.
Later, back home, I searched the PDF for charge, finding the Sudden Charge feat for the Fighter and Barbarian. Annoyingly class-locked.
So, in the spirit of “don’t critique unless you have a constructive alternative suggestion”, here is my suggested change to the rules:
Design Principle: (1) Do not remove any existing class feat, (2) Anything new added must be less effective than existing class, (3) avoid class-locking anything new if possible.
Basic Action: Charge (Two Actions) [NEW]
Traits: Attack, Manipulate, Move, Screened (see below)
Throwing caution to the wind, you dash up to your foe and swing. Stride up to double your Speed directly towards your opponent. If you end the move within melee reach of your designated foe, you can make a melee Strike against that enemy. You can use Charge while Burrowing, Climbing, Flying, or Swimming instead of Striding if you have the corresponding movement type.
Design Notes: The Charge basic action has the Manipulate trait, this allows the target to react to the charge with Attack of Opportunity. The action also has the new Screened trait (see below), which gives the target screened condition (a +1 circumstance to bonus to AC if the charging attacker moves through any occupied spaces during the charge). Feats can grant characters more advanced charge attacks that alter or remove these traits.
Trait: Screened [NEW]
If you move through any occupied squares during your attack, your opponent is screened from the attack.
Design Notes: This is a trait so that it is easier to describe removing it from an action.
Weapon Trait: Charge [ALTERED]
If you charge, add a circumstance bonus to damage for that attack equal to the number of damage dice for the weapon and your charge loses the Manipulate trait.
Design Notes: Charge weapons are specially designed for charging, so do not allow an Attack of Opportunity from the target.
Feat Trait: Item [NEW]
Item feats require you to be wearing or wielding a specified item in which you are trained.
Design Notes: I strongly suggest that the new feats are not class-locked, so the Item feats are general feats which have specific requirements relating to equipped items and item proficiency.
Feat: Sudden Charge (Two Actions); Level 1; Common [ALTERED]
Traits: Barbarian
Requirements: You are not wearing heavy armor.
You charge your foe. Your charge loses the Manipulate and Screened traits. You can use any path to reach your foe, although you must still end the move within reach of the foe you attack.
Design Notes: Effectively the same as the previous version of Sudden Charge, but using the new Charge basic action.
Feat: Sudden Charge (Two Actions); Level 1; Common [ALTERED]
Traits: Fighter, Open
You charge your foe. Your charge loses the Manipulate and Screened traits. You can use any path to reach your foe, although you must still end the move within reach of the foe you attack.
Design Notes: Effectively the same as the previous version of Sudden Charge, but using the new Charge basic action.
Feat: Armored Charge (Two Actions); Level 1; Common [NEW]
Traits: Attack, General, Item, Move
Requirement: Wearing medium or heavy armour in which you are trained or better.
You charge your foe, moving your speed or more. Your charge loses the Manipulate trait. You gain Accelerated 5 during your charge.
Design Notes: Improve the benefit for wearing medium and heavy armor. Armor adds to the characters mass, imposing more momentum on a charge. A suitably practiced character can use that momentum in a charge to mitigate the speed penalties of the armour.
Feat: Heavy Charge (Two Actions); Level 5; Common [NEW]
Traits: Attack, General, Item, Move
Prerequisites: Armored Charge
Requirement: Wearing heavy armour in which you are expert or better.
You charge your foe, moving your speed or more. Your charge loses the Manipulate trait. You gain Accelerated 10 during your charge.
Design Notes: As per Armored charge but for heavy armour.
Feat: Shield Charge (Two Actions); Level 1; Common [NEW]
Traits: Attack, General, Item, Manipulate, Move, Screened
Requirement: When you are using a shield in which you are trained, you have that shield raised, and you are also wielding a one-handed weapon in which you are trained.
You charge your foe. At the end of your charge, if you are adjacent to your designated foe, make one Strike (see page 605) each with your weapon and shield, each at your current multiple attack penalty. The weapon Strike takes a –2 circumstance penalty if it’s made with a weapon that doesn’t have the agile trait (see page 317).
If both attacks hit, combine the attacks’ damage, and then add any other applicable enhancements from both weapons. For purposes of resistances and weaknesses, this is considered a single Strike. This counts as two attacks when calculating your multiple attack penalty (see page 601).
Design Notes: Gives another benefit for raising a shield, thus enhancing the sword and board combat style.