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TheElfLord
2007-09-23, 03:19 PM
Okay, just wanted to check something about using a ready action with polearms before it comes up in my game.

Say a PC is going to charge a line of enimies with longspears. On initiative 15, the pikemen ready their weapons for a charge. Am I correct in thinking this allows them to attack the first enimy that comes within their threatened area, or do they give up their normal attack on the round?

Two possible senerios come from this, which is correct.

1). The PC charges, when he reaches 10 ft from the pikemen, the three that threaten his square attack. Because their weapons are set, any hits deal double damage. As the PC moves out of the square towards the pikemen, he provokes attacks of oppertunities from the 3, which because the weapons are still set, also deal double damage. The PC now moves within 5 feet of the pikemen and gets his charge attack.

2). When the PC leaves the square 10 ft from the pikemen he provokes an attack of opertunity from 3 of them which deal double damage. He then moves into melee range and gets his charge attack.

So which is it, or did i still miss something?

Shas aia Toriia
2007-09-23, 04:03 PM
1, but the pikemen don't get their attack of opputunity because they have reach weapons.

Quellian-dyrae
2007-09-23, 04:14 PM
Um...why wouldn't they get the AoOs? You get one when the foe exits a square you threaten. Getting an AoO for when the opponent closes is the primary reason to use a reach weapon, I believe.

Citizen Joe
2007-09-23, 04:20 PM
Initiative 15: 3 pikemen ready action against charge.
Charger reaches 10' from pikemen (presumably all three)
Pikemen interupt the charger with with their set pikes (double damage)
Charger attempts to move to 5' provoking AoO from all three pikemen (has not left 10' range yet).
Pikemen attack (AoO) with NORMAL damage (no longer set against charge)
Charger reaches 5' mark and attacks.

Note that mounted chargers are usually on Large creatures and/or has a reach weapon out to 10', thus the charge can strike at the 10' mark without provoking the AoO.

Thinker
2007-09-23, 04:20 PM
Yeah they still get their AoOs. The AoO happens immediately before the event that caused it.

Haakon
2007-09-23, 04:59 PM
Wouldn't the group of pike men only be allowed to make a second Aoo if they have combat reflexes? Since otherwise they can only make one per turn. Wasn't sure if that was mentioned in the original post (or I'm just being a pain, heh).

Fhaolan
2007-09-23, 05:04 PM
They're not making a second AoO. The first attack was a Readied Action, not a AoO. The second attack was their only AoO.

Haakon
2007-09-23, 06:15 PM
Ah, good point. Don't mind me then.

TheElfLord
2007-09-23, 07:18 PM
Okay, so one person says that they only get the double damage once because the weapons are no longer set. What do other people think about this?

Dhavaer
2007-09-23, 07:30 PM
Okay, so one person says that they only get the double damage once because the weapons are no longer set. What do other people think about this?


Longspear

A longspear has reach. You can strike opponents 10 feet away with it, but you can’t use it against an adjacent foe. If you use a ready action to set a longspear against a charge, you deal double damage on a successful hit against a charging character.

It looks to me as though the double damage is only for the readied action.

Shas aia Toriia
2007-09-23, 07:38 PM
It's only set against the charge. When he enters the square, your readied action has been wasted, and therefore can't be used.

Thane
2007-09-23, 08:22 PM
As others have said...

the pikemen get two attacks (if the charger only has 5' reach).

One readied attack (which inflicts double damage).
One attack of opportunity (which inflicts normal damage).

This is why charging pikemen is very, very, very unwise.

Shas aia Toriia
2007-09-23, 08:23 PM
Well, it can be done at high levels, but at low levels you will be dead 4 times over! :smalltongue: