Action to ready vs charge? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Action to ready vs charge? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
__DnD4Life__
08-15-06, 11:08 PM What action is it to ready a polearm (ex. a halberd) against a charge? I am assuming a free action, but I just wanted to make sure.
PhaedrusXY
08-15-06, 11:09 PM It is a standard action. Any Ready action is a Standard Action.
Ready
The ready action lets you prepare to take an action later, after your turn is over but before your next one has begun. Readying is a standard action. It does not provoke an attack of opportunity (though the action that you ready might do so).

Readying an Action
You can ready a standard action, a move action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, any time before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character’s activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action.

You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don’t otherwise move any distance during the round.

Initiative Consequences of Readying
Your initiative result becomes the count on which you took the readied action. If you come to your next action and have not yet performed your readied action, you don’t get to take the readied action (though you can ready the same action again). If you take your readied action in the next round, before your regular turn comes up, your initiative count rises to that new point in the order of battle, and you do not get your regular action that round.

Distracting Spellcasters
You can ready an attack against a spellcaster with the trigger "if she starts casting a spell." If you damage the spellcaster, she may lose the spell she was trying to cast (as determined by her Concentration check result).

Readying to Counterspell
You may ready a counterspell against a spellcaster (often with the trigger "if she starts casting a spell"). In this case, when the spellcaster starts a spell, you get a chance to identify it with a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level). If you do, and if you can cast that same spell (are able to cast it and have it prepared, if you prepare spells), you can cast the spell as a counterspell and automatically ruin the other spellcaster’s spell. Counterspelling works even if one spell is divine and the other arcane.

A spellcaster can use dispel magic to counterspell another spellcaster, but it doesn’t always work.

Readying a Weapon against a Charge
You can ready certain piercing weapons, 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.
__DnD4Life__
08-15-06, 11:15 PM It is a standard action. Any Ready action is a Standard Action.
Oh. Ok, I didnt see that. And, I was just reading that. :banghead:
mvincent
08-16-06, 03:38 PM As a side note, your readied action might as well include a 5' step to the side after attacking (i.e. this might actually make it impossible for the charger to attack).
Witchblade
08-16-06, 03:50 PM As a side note, your readied action might as well include a 5' step to the side after attacking (i.e. this might actually make it impossible for the charger to attack).
I've heard this a lot, but I don't see many examples where it stands. About the only thing I can think of is when the charger runs out of movement so he can't reach you anymore. For example, if you move beyond the 60ft. movement line of a human fighter so you're out of his reach after your 5ft. step.

Could you elaborate your answer?
mvincent
08-16-06, 03:59 PM I've heard this a lot, but I don't see many examples where it stands. About the only thing I can think of is when the charger runs out of movement so he can't reach you anymore. For example, if you move beyond the 60ft. movement line of a human fighter so you're out of his reach after your 5ft. step.

Could you elaborate your answer?If the attacker is charging straight but still attacking from a diagonal line;
XXX
XDX
XXA

a 5' step away from him could place you out of reach of his current path (assuming he is not using a reach weapon). He would have to change directions in order to reach you, which would prevent the action from being a charge.

Charging straight while attacking from a diagonal line is even more likely to occur if the attacker is using the ride-by feat.
Tony Vargas
08-16-06, 05:03 PM If it's a legitimate charge to begin with (charge requires that you move directly towards the target), you shouldn't be able to just 5'-step away from it. Either the 5' step will leave you in the attacker's threatened area (in which case he just resolves the attack), or he can continue the line of the charge to bring you back into his threatened area and complete it. If you're at the extreme end of his movement, or as mvincent pointed out, in the case of a Ride-by Attack, where he might not be charging directly towards you, you could step out of range, though, which'd be just maddening for the charger. (The worst thing is, there's nothing he can do about it. Normally, you can set up a 'ready war' - someone readies, instead of doing what they expect, you ready - but, you can't ready a charge.)

If the charging character has conventional reach (ie lance) it gets really wierd.

In any case, though, I'd be tempted to rule (though there's no real mechanical foundation for it) that you can't 5' step after setting a spear or similar weapon to recieve a charge. It just seems unreasonable to firmly ground a weapon and hold it in place like that, and lithely dance aside at the last instant. I could see readying a step with an attack vs a charge for any other sort of attack though - just not the double-damage set vs charge type.
Bulletproof_Condom
08-16-06, 05:41 PM In any case, though, I'd be tempted to rule (though there's no real mechanical foundation for it) that you can't 5' step after setting a spear or similar weapon to recieve a charge. It just seems unreasonable to firmly ground a weapon and hold it in place like that, and lithely dance aside at the last instant.Maybe if you drop the weapon.
mvincent
08-16-06, 06:09 PM If the charging character has conventional reach (ie lance) it gets really wierd. Do you mean like stepping towards the reach weapon?
Witchblade
08-16-06, 07:02 PM OK, I get it. I'm not really into it though. It seems wrong that you can't complete a charge sometimes because someone steps 5ft. away. In the case of stepping towards a reach weapon, it's even worse. It doesn't make sense that you could stop the thundering mounted charge of a knight by stepping towards his lance.

Does anyone have in-game experience with this? Is it commonly used or is it ruled out by the DM?
Tony Vargas
08-16-06, 07:28 PM Maybe if you drop the weapon.Hm. I could picture that more easily, yes.

Do you mean like stepping towards the reach weapon?:ahem: No. I didn't mean any such thing. :shifty:

OK, I get it. I'm not really into it though. It seems wrong that you can't complete a charge sometimes because someone steps 5ft. away.Yeah, but it really shouldn't come up that often - typically, the charging character will be able to complete the charge... the clearest case where he wouldn't is when he's charging someone at the limmit of his double-move. A 5' step /back/ would spoil the charge.

In the case of stepping towards a reach weapon, it's even worse. It doesn't make sense that you could stop the thundering mounted charge of a knight by stepping towards his lance.I really didn't want to start this again, but I had to hint at it.... :doh:

Yes, it's bizarre. I can picture it - but I can also picture trying it and getting skewered. If you allow it, though, it's automatic. If you disallow it in some way, and let the charging character make his attack, it's darn near automatic the other way, since chargers tend to generate very high AB.

Does anyone have in-game experience with this? Is it commonly used or is it ruled out by the DM?Thankfully, no. Charging happens, but rarely when someone's Readied for it, when they are, they've generally been happy to use a set-vs-charge weapon and not try to move afterwards.
mvincent
08-16-06, 07:34 PM OK, I get it. I'm not really into it though. It seems wrong that you can't complete a charge sometimes because someone steps 5ft. away.What if you readied a move action to
1) run away from a charger (at a right angle to his charge)?
2) jump off a cliff if your enemy stepped closer than 10'?
3) step behind a wall if someone aims a bow at you?
4) step behind a wall if someone fires a bow at you?

I could see some DM's disallowing #4 on the basis that you cannot time an action well enough to cause the attacker to waste the attack. However, #2 and 3 seem perfectly legit. #1 is similar to #2, but there is a difference to the charger... he is already part-way through an action that does not permit a direction change. But that's his problem. It should not invalidate what the defender can do.
In the case of stepping towards a reach weapon, it's even worse.Yeah... that one was more in jest.
ShinAkuma2
08-16-06, 09:56 PM In the case of stepping towards a reach weapon, it's even worse. It doesn't make sense that you could stop the thundering mounted charge of a knight by stepping towards his lance.

It's no different from ducking under a boxer's punch and stepping toward him, closer than the range of his most effective swings. It's just a different way of dodging.

Of course, the guy could have his mount hoof you instead.
Tony Vargas
08-16-06, 10:20 PM It's no different from ducking under a boxer's punch and stepping toward him, closer than the range of his most effective swings. It's just a different way of dodging.The difference is that a trick like that isn't infallible, you might still get hit (you might find the punch was a feint and duck into an uppercut, or just not duck quite fast enough). If allowed, readying to step /into/ a lancer's charge like this would be infallible. And, since it's solely the function of the ready action /anyone/ could do it.
The Sinister Rogue
08-17-06, 10:30 AM If you step towards a charger with a reach weapon, you will get a AoO. So, if you ready this kind of action you get an attack anyway, unless you make a succesfull tumble check.
Finarin Panjoro
08-17-06, 01:03 PM You won't provoke an AoO if you 5 foot step towards them. 5 foot steps never provoke AoOs for movement. I'm with Tony on this. If this were allowed to function in this way any peasant could avoid any charging rider with a lance by readying a 5 foot step toward the charger. It would be infallible because there is no opposed check or to hit involved.

I'd have to rule that the charger could still make his attack as though you were within his threat range.
mvincent
08-17-06, 01:32 PM I'd have to rule that the charger could still make his attack as though you were within his threat range.I agree.

Curious: how would ya'll handle it if the reach weapon wielder wasn't charging?
Tony Vargas
08-17-06, 01:56 PM how would ya'll handle it if the reach weapon wielder wasn't charging?It might be less of an issue, since a character performing normal movement or move-and-attack can continue his movement in any direction he wishes, while charge is much more restricted. If the ready was "5' step as soon as he gets within 10'," for instance, it's hard to argue. If he wants to wait for the attack, I'd have more of a problem with it.

Note, though, that it can go the other way.

Imagine a reach and non-reach character. The non-reach one is in the threatened area of the reach weilder (who has a conventional reach weapon). The reach wielder readies ("If he takes a 5' step forward and attacks, I'll take a 5' step back and attack"). The non-reach guy is similarly screwed. He's taken a 5' step, so can't continue moving and committed to attacking, but has no one to attack. In fact, it could be even worse: the reach guy could ready: "If he moves out of my threatened area, I 5' step to bring him back into it, and attack" - this is even worse, if he 5' steps forward, he's attacked and can't respond, and if he withdraws, he's attacked, and, if he continues to withdraw, provokes an AoO.

Thing is, that's almost impossible to set up. You need to have the guy sitting in your threatened area, when your initiative comes up, and that'll hardly ever be the case - if you move up to attack him, he'll 5' step on his turn. If he moves up, he's much more likely to stop outside your threatened area, or to just move up to you, taking the AoO. Even if you're readied, you can't structure a ready such that he can't just finish his movement and attack you inside your threatened area - and he won't provoke a second time, because movement only provokes once.

Frankly, I'm amazed stuff like this doesn't come up more often. I guess the big reason is that readying can result in a wasted round (if the thing you ready for doesn't happen).
Witchblade
08-17-06, 04:51 PM I've thought about it and decided that any form of 5' stepping outside someone's reach is ludicrous. As mentioned before, there's no opposed check so any peasant could dodge an epic knight's charge or an epic barbarian's leap attack this way. The "stepping away as a dodge or ducking under someone's weapon" is simply armor class and has nothing to do with readied actions. If you say "I wait untill he strikes and then step aside (using a standard action)" you're just using full defense, not a readied action.

IMO, using readied actions like this is abusing the mechanics of a grid. If you want to dodge, you can use a form of defensive fighting and if you want to move away from a charge you can ready a move action to flee when someone charges. The only way the 5' step would be plausible is when the charger runs out of movement or when he is somehow unable to hit you due to cover or something.
NobleCynic
08-18-06, 01:50 PM In regards to just 5' stepping out of the way of a charge, I had it come up in a game I was running once.

How I ruled it at the time was that the charger continued his charge directly at the character as if it was his original line of movement. He then proceeded to take his attack against the PC.

He attempted to rules lawyer his way out, but on looking at the PHB's definition of a charge, the wording is such that my ruling was, grudgingly, accepted.

The wording for charge in the PHB states you must take the shortest path between your starting point and the target. Not that it must be a straight line. (Normally this is a straight line in combat because only one creature is moving at a time. But with readied move actions the shortest path moment to moment, and a charge becomes a curve. ) Because of this, if the target's position changes, a charging attacker may continue movement along the new vector provided the path is clear.

Had the readied 5 ft. step or move action put the character behind some sort of cover or other obstacle however, that would have ended the charge. This also came up, and I ruled a negated charge becomes a double move action if the charging character had already moved more than his base move when the charge was mooted and a move action with a free standard action to redeclare if the character had moved less than his base move.
Finarin Panjoro
08-18-06, 04:20 PM That seems a very wise and fair ruling NobleCynic.

I agree that if the 5 foot step took them behind cover I would allow them to void the charge. I only have an issue with avoiding the charge by 5 foot stepping inside the reach of the weapon. I think your ruling was right on the money.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
__DnD4Life__ 08-15-06, 11:08 PM	What action is it to ready a polearm (ex. a halberd) against a charge? I am assuming a free action, but I just wanted to make sure.
PhaedrusXY 08-15-06, 11:09 PM	It is a standard action. Any Ready action is a Standard Action. Ready The ready action lets you prepare to take an action later, after your turn is over but before your next one has begun. Readying is a standard action. It does not provoke an attack of opportunity (though the action that you ready might do so). Readying an Action You can ready a standard action, a move action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, any time before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character’s activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action. You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don’t otherwise move any distance during the round. Initiative Consequences of Readying Your initiative result becomes the count on which you took the readied action. If you come to your next action and have not yet performed your readied action, you don’t get to take the readied action (though you can ready the same action again). If you take your readied action in the next round, before your regular turn comes up, your initiative count rises to that new point in the order of battle, and you do not get your regular action that round. Distracting Spellcasters You can ready an attack against a spellcaster with the trigger "if she starts casting a spell." If you damage the spellcaster, she may lose the spell she was trying to cast (as determined by her Concentration check result). Readying to Counterspell You may ready a counterspell against a spellcaster (often with the trigger "if she starts casting a spell"). In this case, when the spellcaster starts a spell, you get a chance to identify it with a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level). If you do, and if you can cast that same spell (are able to cast it and have it prepared, if you prepare spells), you can cast the spell as a counterspell and automatically ruin the other spellcaster’s spell. Counterspelling works even if one spell is divine and the other arcane. A spellcaster can use dispel magic to counterspell another spellcaster, but it doesn’t always work. Readying a Weapon against a Charge You can ready certain piercing weapons, 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.
__DnD4Life__ 08-15-06, 11:15 PM	It is a standard action. Any Ready action is a Standard Action. Oh. Ok, I didnt see that. And, I was just reading that. :banghead:
mvincent 08-16-06, 03:38 PM	As a side note, your readied action might as well include a 5' step to the side after attacking (i.e. this might actually make it impossible for the charger to attack).
Witchblade 08-16-06, 03:50 PM	As a side note, your readied action might as well include a 5' step to the side after attacking (i.e. this might actually make it impossible for the charger to attack). I've heard this a lot, but I don't see many examples where it stands. About the only thing I can think of is when the charger runs out of movement so he can't reach you anymore. For example, if you move beyond the 60ft. movement line of a human fighter so you're out of his reach after your 5ft. step. Could you elaborate your answer?
mvincent 08-16-06, 03:59 PM	I've heard this a lot, but I don't see many examples where it stands. About the only thing I can think of is when the charger runs out of movement so he can't reach you anymore. For example, if you move beyond the 60ft. movement line of a human fighter so you're out of his reach after your 5ft. step. Could you elaborate your answer?If the attacker is charging straight but still attacking from a diagonal line; XXX XDX XXA a 5' step away from him could place you out of reach of his current path (assuming he is not using a reach weapon). He would have to change directions in order to reach you, which would prevent the action from being a charge. Charging straight while attacking from a diagonal line is even more likely to occur if the attacker is using the ride-by feat.
Tony Vargas 08-16-06, 05:03 PM	If it's a legitimate charge to begin with (charge requires that you move directly towards the target), you shouldn't be able to just 5'-step away from it. Either the 5' step will leave you in the attacker's threatened area (in which case he just resolves the attack), or he can continue the line of the charge to bring you back into his threatened area and complete it. If you're at the extreme end of his movement, or as mvincent pointed out, in the case of a Ride-by Attack, where he might not be charging directly towards you, you could step out of range, though, which'd be just maddening for the charger. (The worst thing is, there's nothing he can do about it. Normally, you can set up a 'ready war' - someone readies, instead of doing what they expect, you ready - but, you can't ready a charge.) If the charging character has conventional reach (ie lance) it gets really wierd. In any case, though, I'd be tempted to rule (though there's no real mechanical foundation for it) that you can't 5' step after setting a spear or similar weapon to recieve a charge. It just seems unreasonable to firmly ground a weapon and hold it in place like that, and lithely dance aside at the last instant. I could see readying a step with an attack vs a charge for any other sort of attack though - just not the double-damage set vs charge type.
Bulletproof_Condom 08-16-06, 05:41 PM	In any case, though, I'd be tempted to rule (though there's no real mechanical foundation for it) that you can't 5' step after setting a spear or similar weapon to recieve a charge. It just seems unreasonable to firmly ground a weapon and hold it in place like that, and lithely dance aside at the last instant.Maybe if you drop the weapon.
mvincent 08-16-06, 06:09 PM	If the charging character has conventional reach (ie lance) it gets really wierd. Do you mean like stepping towards the reach weapon?
Witchblade 08-16-06, 07:02 PM	OK, I get it. I'm not really into it though. It seems wrong that you can't complete a charge sometimes because someone steps 5ft. away. In the case of stepping towards a reach weapon, it's even worse. It doesn't make sense that you could stop the thundering mounted charge of a knight by stepping towards his lance. Does anyone have in-game experience with this? Is it commonly used or is it ruled out by the DM?
Tony Vargas 08-16-06, 07:28 PM	Maybe if you drop the weapon.Hm. I could picture that more easily, yes. Do you mean like stepping towards the reach weapon?:ahem: No. I didn't mean any such thing. :shifty: OK, I get it. I'm not really into it though. It seems wrong that you can't complete a charge sometimes because someone steps 5ft. away.Yeah, but it really shouldn't come up that often - typically, the charging character will be able to complete the charge... the clearest case where he wouldn't is when he's charging someone at the limmit of his double-move. A 5' step /back/ would spoil the charge. In the case of stepping towards a reach weapon, it's even worse. It doesn't make sense that you could stop the thundering mounted charge of a knight by stepping towards his lance.I really didn't want to start this again, but I had to hint at it.... :doh: Yes, it's bizarre. I can picture it - but I can also picture trying it and getting skewered. If you allow it, though, it's automatic. If you disallow it in some way, and let the charging character make his attack, it's darn near automatic the other way, since chargers tend to generate very high AB. Does anyone have in-game experience with this? Is it commonly used or is it ruled out by the DM?Thankfully, no. Charging happens, but rarely when someone's Readied for it, when they are, they've generally been happy to use a set-vs-charge weapon and not try to move afterwards.
mvincent 08-16-06, 07:34 PM	OK, I get it. I'm not really into it though. It seems wrong that you can't complete a charge sometimes because someone steps 5ft. away.What if you readied a move action to 1) run away from a charger (at a right angle to his charge)? 2) jump off a cliff if your enemy stepped closer than 10'? 3) step behind a wall if someone aims a bow at you? 4) step behind a wall if someone fires a bow at you? I could see some DM's disallowing #4 on the basis that you cannot time an action well enough to cause the attacker to waste the attack. However, #2 and 3 seem perfectly legit. #1 is similar to #2, but there is a difference to the charger... he is already part-way through an action that does not permit a direction change. But that's his problem. It should not invalidate what the defender can do. In the case of stepping towards a reach weapon, it's even worse.Yeah... that one was more in jest.
ShinAkuma2 08-16-06, 09:56 PM	In the case of stepping towards a reach weapon, it's even worse. It doesn't make sense that you could stop the thundering mounted charge of a knight by stepping towards his lance. It's no different from ducking under a boxer's punch and stepping toward him, closer than the range of his most effective swings. It's just a different way of dodging. Of course, the guy could have his mount hoof you instead.
Tony Vargas 08-16-06, 10:20 PM	It's no different from ducking under a boxer's punch and stepping toward him, closer than the range of his most effective swings. It's just a different way of dodging.The difference is that a trick like that isn't infallible, you might still get hit (you might find the punch was a feint and duck into an uppercut, or just not duck quite fast enough). If allowed, readying to step /into/ a lancer's charge like this would be infallible. And, since it's solely the function of the ready action /anyone/ could do it.
The Sinister Rogue 08-17-06, 10:30 AM	If you step towards a charger with a reach weapon, you will get a AoO. So, if you ready this kind of action you get an attack anyway, unless you make a succesfull tumble check.
Finarin Panjoro 08-17-06, 01:03 PM	You won't provoke an AoO if you 5 foot step towards them. 5 foot steps never provoke AoOs for movement. I'm with Tony on this. If this were allowed to function in this way any peasant could avoid any charging rider with a lance by readying a 5 foot step toward the charger. It would be infallible because there is no opposed check or to hit involved. I'd have to rule that the charger could still make his attack as though you were within his threat range.
mvincent 08-17-06, 01:32 PM	I'd have to rule that the charger could still make his attack as though you were within his threat range.I agree. Curious: how would ya'll handle it if the reach weapon wielder wasn't charging?
Tony Vargas 08-17-06, 01:56 PM	how would ya'll handle it if the reach weapon wielder wasn't charging?It might be less of an issue, since a character performing normal movement or move-and-attack can continue his movement in any direction he wishes, while charge is much more restricted. If the ready was "5' step as soon as he gets within 10'," for instance, it's hard to argue. If he wants to wait for the attack, I'd have more of a problem with it. Note, though, that it can go the other way. Imagine a reach and non-reach character. The non-reach one is in the threatened area of the reach weilder (who has a conventional reach weapon). The reach wielder readies ("If he takes a 5' step forward and attacks, I'll take a 5' step back and attack"). The non-reach guy is similarly screwed. He's taken a 5' step, so can't continue moving and committed to attacking, but has no one to attack. In fact, it could be even worse: the reach guy could ready: "If he moves out of my threatened area, I 5' step to bring him back into it, and attack" - this is even worse, if he 5' steps forward, he's attacked and can't respond, and if he withdraws, he's attacked, and, if he continues to withdraw, provokes an AoO. Thing is, that's almost impossible to set up. You need to have the guy sitting in your threatened area, when your initiative comes up, and that'll hardly ever be the case - if you move up to attack him, he'll 5' step on his turn. If he moves up, he's much more likely to stop outside your threatened area, or to just move up to you, taking the AoO. Even if you're readied, you can't structure a ready such that he can't just finish his movement and attack you inside your threatened area - and he won't provoke a second time, because movement only provokes once. Frankly, I'm amazed stuff like this doesn't come up more often. I guess the big reason is that readying can result in a wasted round (if the thing you ready for doesn't happen).
Witchblade 08-17-06, 04:51 PM	I've thought about it and decided that any form of 5' stepping outside someone's reach is ludicrous. As mentioned before, there's no opposed check so any peasant could dodge an epic knight's charge or an epic barbarian's leap attack this way. The "stepping away as a dodge or ducking under someone's weapon" is simply armor class and has nothing to do with readied actions. If you say "I wait untill he strikes and then step aside (using a standard action)" you're just using full defense, not a readied action. IMO, using readied actions like this is abusing the mechanics of a grid. If you want to dodge, you can use a form of defensive fighting and if you want to move away from a charge you can ready a move action to flee when someone charges. The only way the 5' step would be plausible is when the charger runs out of movement or when he is somehow unable to hit you due to cover or something.
NobleCynic 08-18-06, 01:50 PM	In regards to just 5' stepping out of the way of a charge, I had it come up in a game I was running once. How I ruled it at the time was that the charger continued his charge directly at the character as if it was his original line of movement. He then proceeded to take his attack against the PC. He attempted to rules lawyer his way out, but on looking at the PHB's definition of a charge, the wording is such that my ruling was, grudgingly, accepted. The wording for charge in the PHB states you must take the shortest path between your starting point and the target. Not that it must be a straight line. (Normally this is a straight line in combat because only one creature is moving at a time. But with readied move actions the shortest path moment to moment, and a charge becomes a curve. ) Because of this, if the target's position changes, a charging attacker may continue movement along the new vector provided the path is clear. Had the readied 5 ft. step or move action put the character behind some sort of cover or other obstacle however, that would have ended the charge. This also came up, and I ruled a negated charge becomes a double move action if the charging character had already moved more than his base move when the charge was mooted and a move action with a free standard action to redeclare if the character had moved less than his base move.
Finarin Panjoro 08-18-06, 04:20 PM	That seems a very wise and fair ruling NobleCynic. I agree that if the 5 foot step took them behind cover I would allow them to void the charge. I only have an issue with avoiding the charge by 5 foot stepping inside the reach of the weapon. I think your ruling was right on the money.