Ready action "When he/she charges, i ll ...."

[Kerilstrasz]

need some clarifications about ready actions and charge action...
PC uses ready action and states: "When X approach at 40 feet from me, I'll respond
with a charge on him"

In the situation that X approaches PC with a charge action, PC's ready triggers..
what now?
1)X completes his charge normaly and then PC charges?
2)At the point X reach 40 feet threshold, PC charges,and the X resume Charge?
3)Smthing else?
4)Does in any case X's charge gets prevented/stopped/negated???
5)Is there a way to prevent/stop/negate X's charge with a readied action
other than a use of spell (as grease) or a trap like "when he charges i ll pull
the rope (trap) to trip him" ???
6)If at any point during X's charge, one,all or some conditions that let
him use charge action changes, (ready to use a quall's token "tree" in his path) what does happen???

If there is a specific rule, and you refer to it,plz provide book and page :)
thnx all

[Kelb_Panthera]

It's a moot point. Outside of a handful of special abilities you can't ready a charge.

Charging is a full round action, you can only ready a standard, move, swift, or free action. Technically, you could ready an immediate action too but, since you can do those outside of your turn anyway, there's not much point.

You can break a charge with a ready action by either making it impossible for the enemy to continue the charge, such as using your feather token (tree) example, or by using any ability that would cause the enemy to stop before he could reach you, such as tripping him with a weapon that has greater reach than his.

[NamelessNPC]

A charge is a full round action, and you can only ready standard or move actions

[Kerilstrasz]

ok... got a point there..
ignore 1-4 questions...
what about 5 and 6 ???

[Ailowynn]

ok... got a point there..
ignore 1-4 questions...
what about 5 and 6 ???

IIRC readied actions occur right before their trigger, so when X reaches 40 feet, the PC would charge and then X would resolve his attack (as a charge, assuming he moved the requisite 10 ft).

As for negating the charge... I would think that you would be able to just ready a move action: "If X charges me, I move to the side," and since charging requires you to move in a straight line, it would be negated; I would still say the charger moves, just probably can't attack.

[Waddacku]

If you can only take one action in a turn (for instance, if you're staggered), you can charge at half speed as a standard action, which you can then ready.

It's rather silly.

[Kerilstrasz]

As for negating the charge... I would think that you would be able to just ready a move action: "If X charges me, I move to the side," and since charging requires you to move in a straight line, it would be negated; I would still say the charger moves, just probably can't attack.

yes.. i maybe wasn't too descriptive...
what would be the readied action to negate a charge if the charge is NOT
targeted on me? i don't want not to be charged, i want to stop his charge!

[Darius Kane]

If you can only take one action in a turn (for instance, if you're staggered), you can charge at half speed as a standard action, which you can then ready.
No, you can't. You can make that partial charge only under the stated conditions.

Cometary Collision feat is what you need to do what you want, OP.
EDIT: It's not targeted on you? Well, then if you're in reach, you can ready an action to trip or grapple the charger.

BTW, can a charging character make an AoO if an opponent in his reach provokes?

[Kelb_Panthera]

If you can only take one action in a turn (for instance, if you're staggered), you can charge at half speed as a standard action, which you can then ready.

It's rather silly.
Underlined for emphasis. There are only a handful of circumstances under which you can -only- take a standard or move action (if you're staggered, if it's the suprise round, etc) under normal circumstances you cannot ready a partial charge because you cannot take a partial charge outside of those conditions.

yes.. i maybe wasn't too descriptive...
what would be the readied action to negate a charge if the charge is NOT
targeted on me? i don't want not to be charged, i want to stop his charge!

As you suggested, you could ready an action to place an obstacle between the charger and his target. Cast a wall of X spell, knock over a nearby tree so that it falls in the charger's path (assuming you can knock the tree over with a single standard action), activate the trigger of a trap, etc.

If the enemy's charge will put him within reach of the tripping weapon you wield, you can ready an action to trip him when he gets close enough, or you could do the same with a ranged weapon (provided you have a ranged weapon that you can make a trip attempt with). If he's going to move through a square adjacent to you on the way to his target you could even ready an action to bullrush him off course and ruin his charge that way. In the worst case, you could ready an action to move yourself between the enemy and his target, though you'd likely be subject to eating the charge attack yourself, depending on a DM ruling.

There's also the possibility of using your readied action to move the target out of the charger's path either by spell, bull rush, or some other method.

Just be sure you phrase your ready trigger so that you take action after the charger starts moving. The phrasing "when he charges" has you taking your readied action before he charges. For a the above suggestions that move the target this phrasing doesn't work, since the charger will still move in a straight line for his charge -after- you take your readied action.

[Lonely Tylenol]

5) Move to your left or right (assuming you're facing the charger and the charger is facing you) enough to be out of range of the charger. Unless the charger has the Twisted Charge skill trick, or is a 10th-level Barbarian with the Streetfighter ACF, or simply has the reach with their weapon, they probably won't be able to correct.

Any means of making terrain difficult terrain will make it impossible to charge through, as well as any obstruction along the path. Alchemical items can be used to produce the desired effect; if nothing else, razor ice powder (Frostburn) should do the trick.

If the enemy provokes an attack of opportunity while charging, or you have a readied action to do so, consider using it to trip them if you think yourself capable of doing so.

6) The charge resolves normally if it can resolve, or is interrupted if it cannot be resolved.

[TopCheese]

5) Move to your left or right (assuming you're facing the charger and the charger is facing you) enough to be out of range of the charger. Unless the charger has the Twisted Charge skill trick, or is a 10th-level Barbarian with the Streetfighter ACF, or simply has the reach with their weapon, they probably won't be able to correct.

Any means of making terrain difficult terrain will make it impossible to charge through, as well as any obstruction along the path. Alchemical items can be used to produce the desired effect; if nothing else, razor ice powder (Frostburn) should do the trick.

If the enemy provokes an attack of opportunity while charging, or you have a readied action to do so, consider using it to trip them if you think yourself capable of doing so.

6) The charge resolves normally if it can resolve, or is interrupted if it cannot be resolved.

Just remeber that difficult terrain can be ignored by warforged and dwarves by a feat. Nothing makes PCs tremble more than a bunch of warforged and dwarves charging through difficult terrain to cut them down... Though it was the PCs fault -_-;;;

[ko_sct]

If you are trying to prevent a charger from chargin someone else and are not sure if you could trip them, you can simply move in the way.

Sure, you'll get an attack (full attack if pouncing) in the face, but if it save your ally, it might be worth it.

If you want to be sure to stop a charge but dont want to use magic, you could get a reach weapon, move in the way, when he provoque an AoO, you try to trip him, if it work, yay ! If it fail, you are still in his way.



There's also the possibility of using your readied action to move the target out of the charger's path either by spell, bull rush, or some other method.

hoooo, bullrushing an ally out of reach, that's a clever one, nice.

[hamishspence]

The OoTS prequel book On The Origin of PCs shows what happens when readied actions aren't phrased carefully- the party end up doing as much damage to themselves as the enemy.

[Lord Il Palazzo]

yes.. i maybe wasn't too descriptive...
what would be the readied action to negate a charge if the charge is NOT
targeted on me? i don't want not to be charged, i want to stop his charge!For 5, You could try "I ready an action to trip/disarm him if he comes within range during a charge" or "I ready an action to push/pull my buddy out of the way if someone charges at him".

[molten_dragon]

Underlined for emphasis. There are only a handful of circumstances under which you can -only- take a standard or move action (if you're staggered, if it's the suprise round, etc) under normal circumstances you cannot ready a partial charge because you cannot take a partial charge outside of those conditions.

Which is a silly rule of course, so it's not unreasonable to ask a DM to allow you to use the partial charge action outside of those circumstances.

It's also not unreasonable that a DM might allow you to ready full-round actions.

Assuming that your DM will allow you to do it for one reason or another, RAW would be that you would complete your charge before the other character got to do his.

A more common-sense ruling would be that you each move 20 feet and meet in the middle.

[TopCheese]

I would go more with..

"When creature X moves within range, I trip/disarm/other said creature."

The DM may not be planning to charge and this will get him if he does or doesn't charge.

Or something like "uses a standard, move, or full round action that causes creature x to come within my reach" would allow for a move, charge, or teleportation to trigger... If the creature is magical (or not) it makes sense to ready to attack a teleporting foe.

[Killer Angel]

Any means of making terrain difficult terrain will make it impossible to charge through, as well as any obstruction along the path. Alchemical items can be used to produce the desired effect; if nothing else, razor ice powder (Frostburn) should do the trick.


At low levels, caltrops FTW!