[PF] Charge Question

[Axel_Neco]

Hi everyone. Two quick questions.

If someone is charging at a creature with reach, can you use the Acrobatics skill to avoid the AoO?

Can they do they same if using something like pounce or psionic lion's charge?

My players and I have not found a definite answer, and would like one before the next session. Thank you for your assistance.

[W3bDragon]

The Acrobatics skill states that using acrobatics is not an action in and of itself, its used as part of other actions. You can use acrobatics while moving to avoid attacks of opportunity.

Charge states that you move to your target and attack. Even though charge has a lot of restrictions, using acrobatics while moving doesn't seem to be one of them.

As such, you should be able to use acrobatics while charging. You have to keep in mind how much the character is moving, as that may affect the acrobatics DC.

[Mustard]

Hm. Seems like you shouldn't be able to, but it appears to work, limited only by movement, as W3bDragon points out. So if your movement rate is 30', and barring exceptional circumstances, then you should be able to do it with the regular DC with a charge of 10-15', DC + 10 within 20-30', but not if your charge needs to be further than that (ranges are inclusive). Now that I see it that way, it makes sense.

[The Boz]

You can try to avoid AoOs with Acrobatics, but if you fail, you instantly stop and lose the rest of your action. I think you can then attack the thing that attacked you, since you still have your standard action unused.
One of my favorite tricks for a certain group of criminal spellswords is to have a few of them "in the open" waiting to defend from a charge, and have one in front of them, invisible, with a reach weapon, waiting for people charging by.

[Than]

Charging is a full round action so you won't get to keep a standard action if you get stopped during your move.

[W3bDragon]

You can try to avoid AoOs with Acrobatics, but if you fail, you instantly stop and lose the rest of your action.

That only applies if you're trying to move through an enemy's square. Using acrobatics to move through threatened squares and failing doesn't prevent you from continuing your action, you simply trigger the attacks of opportunity you were trying to avoid.