Conceptually, this makes total sense to me. You've got a pike and you're guarding an area. Someone charges in, you shuffle over and lance them.
Mechanically, I think it doesn't work (at least, not without help). Using brace requires readying an action as a standard action, and Combat Patrol requires a full round action.
Does the action used to set up a patrol count as readying an action for brace?
Does brace deal double damage anytime you're using a readied action to attack a charging opponent?
From the combat rules:
"You can ready weapons with the brace feature, setting them to receive charges. A readied weapon of this type deals double damage if you score a hit with it against a charging character."
What if you use something like Rhino Charge to counter-charge someone? What if you ready an action to brace, then use the Intercept Charge feat or Protect the Meek to get in the way of the charger, and then use your readied action?
With those, you're 1) using a readied action to 2) attack a charging opponent. That seems to fit the definition.
Combat Patrol is a special full-round action that allows you to move and make attacks of opportunity within an area. It has nothing to do with readying an action.
Reading a weapon against a charge is a specific version of readying an action that involves bracing the weapon against said charge. It isn't compatible with other types of readied action, though it would be compatible with feats or abilities that affect readied actions (or attacks made during readied actions) in general.
Rhino Charge isn't "readying a weapon against a charge", so it wouldn't gain the benefits of the brace property.
Intercept Charge would work so long as you readied against the charge and then spent the immediate action to move to intercept.
Protect the Meek would work as well so long as you readied against the charge prior to moving.
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Combat Patrol and the act of Readying a Weapon against a charge are different and incompatible things.
Frankly, Bracing a weapon against a charge seems like it ought to work, but mechanically does not. In years of wielding Brace weapons with various PCs I've only ever once pulled off Brace against a Charge. The problem is that you never know for sure that the enemy will Charge. A smart foe that sees you Brace for a Charge will instead walk right up to you and smack you, avoiding your Brace because they didn't Charge.
Instead, Ready an Action to attack any foe who comes within reach. You won't get double damage from brace, but you will typically get one attack via your Readied Action and possibly an AoO.
Instead, Ready an Action to attack any foe who comes within reach. You won't get double damage from brace, but you will typically get one attack via your Readied Action and possibly an AoO.
I thought bracing a weapon was just saying "I ready an action to attack [whatever criteria you pick]". Then, if someone triggers your readied attack while charging, you deal double damage.
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Instead, Ready an Action to attack any foe who comes within reach. You won't get double damage from brace, but you will typically get one attack via your Readied Action and possibly an AoO.I thought bracing a weapon was just saying "I ready an action to attack [whatever criteria you pick]". Then, if someone triggers your readied attack while charging, you deal double damage.
What you say is entirely reasonable. I 100% agree. Unfortunately, there seems to be table variation on how this plays out.
Brace: If you use a readied action to set a brace weapon against a charge, you deal double damage on a successful hit against a charging creature
What if the opposition sees you "brace against a charge" then decides to, instead of Charging, Move then Attack. Your attack no longer gets double damage, because they did not charge. Table variation comes in whether you can attack at all, with most saying "Yes take your readied attack but not at 2x damage" but a substantial minority of GMs saying "No they didn't charge so no attack". Years ago there was a whole long thread about this. The conclusion was that, rather than open a stupid can of rules-lawyer worms, it's safer to just ready an action to attack a foe who comes within reach.