Charge ability....

[Adeptus Stark]

So what's the point I guess?

I set a character to charge when a battle starts, he has to draw his weapon before moving..... By this time the enemy runs up to my party and my guy that I set to charge just stands there doing nothing.

Am I doing something wrong?

[Reaver79]

Nah depending on inti ect. it can be a nothing abillity where you can often walk to the enemy twice over by the time it triggers, however when you deliver a blow and finish an emey it can be a very good way to get from 1 target to another especially if you want the backliners.

[Slap Happy Pappy]

Charge is a way in pen and paper for melee characters to attack enemies with reach without drawing attacks of opportunity. It's considered an attack.

Unfortunately, under this game design, it has little value.

[klaek]

Originally posted by Slap Happy Pappy:

Charge is a way in pen and paper for melee characters to attack enemies with reach without drawing attacks of opportunity. It's considered an attack.

Unfortunately, under this game design, it has little value.

You still provoke attacks of opportunity for moving out of a threatened square. Charge does not change that.

In this game the main use of charge is +2 to hit early game when you can only make 1 attack anyway. Especially with the high ac opponents you face early on.

[Thylordship]

Hmm I'm not too sure what it is you're doing specifically, but for me, I charge before fights start as it functions as a surprise action of sorts. 90% of the time when I do it, they charge, hit, and then attack again when their turn comes in that first round.

If my character is lucky enough to be high on the turn order, I usually get 2 near-simulataneous hits on the first target, usually dropping it, and immediately moving on the next one before the enemy has had a chance to act.

Charging during combat I would agree is not too impactful unless you're fighting a back-liner in which case that 2 to hit can mean the world of difference, especially that faster move speed might allow you to close the gap fast enough to get in reach to make an AoO against that spell or ranged attack.

[Autocthon]

At +1 BAB you draw your weapon as part of the charge. If you set MANUALLY charge before battle begins you get a surpise round in which your chargers get to smash face.

(Having charge on during combat has the fringe benefit of allowing your character to cross space faster. This can impact timing on AoEs)

Edit: The most frustrating part is how many fights are "cutscened" and therefore prevent you from charging facefirst into the fight before the enemy gets to roll initiative.

[CBAnaesthesia]

Originally posted by Tom:

So what's the point I guess?

I set a character to charge when a battle starts, he has to draw his weapon before moving..... By this time the enemy runs up to my party and my guy that I set to charge just stands there doing nothing.

Am I doing something wrong?

You have to set it up before the fight starts, otherwise you won't act until your turn in initiative.

[Slap Happy Pappy]

Originally posted by klaek:

Originally posted by Slap Happy Pappy:

Charge is a way in pen and paper for melee characters to attack enemies with reach without drawing attacks of opportunity. It's considered an attack.

Unfortunately, under this game design, it has little value.

You still provoke attacks of opportunity for moving out of a threatened square. Charge does not change that.

In this game the main use of charge is +2 to hit early game when you can only make 1 attack anyway. Especially with the high ac opponents you face early on.

"A Charge Attack is a Full-Round Action a character can perform which allows them to move faster and farther than normal and attack a target at the end of their charge. Even better, performing a Charge Attack doesn’t provoke Attacks of Opportunity, and charging gives a character a +2 bonus on Bull Rush Combat Maneuver checks."

^ That is from the game's guide verbatim. Link below.


https://www.gamerguides.com/pathfinder-kingmaker/advanced-gameplay-information/pathfinder-rules-and-terms/charge-attack

[klaek]

Which contradicts the d20pfsrd.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat/#TOC-Attacks-of-Opportunity

"Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening opponents. There are two common methods of avoiding such an attack—the 5-foot step and the withdraw action."

There is no special mention of charge as being an exception to this rule. The closest you get is the "no" in the table of actions. However that no is clarified with "Regardless of the action, if you move out of a threatened square, you usually provoke an attack of opportunity. This column indicates whether the action itself, not moving, provokes an attack of opportunity."

Also that guide is specific to this game, not pathfinder. However even here charge does provoke attacks of opportunity if you charge past melee to get to the back line.

[Slap Happy Pappy]

Originally posted by klaek:

Which contradicts the d20pfsrd.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat/#TOC-Attacks-of-Opportunity

"Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening opponents. There are two common methods of avoiding such an attack—the 5-foot step and the withdraw action."

There is no special mention of charge as being an exception to this rule. The closest you get is the "no" in the table of actions. However that no is clarified with "Regardless of the action, if you move out of a threatened square, you usually provoke an attack of opportunity. This column indicates whether the action itself, not moving, provokes an attack of opportunity."

Also that guide is specific to this game, not pathfinder. However even here charge does provoke attacks of opportunity if you charge past melee to get to the back line.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat/#TOC-Attacks-of-Opportunity

^ Charge is a special action that negates that.

[Slap Happy Pappy]

Ah I see where I misunderstood. Charge does NOT provoke from the target, regardless of reach of the target, but does provoke if you charge from, or through squares threatened by non target enemies.

[Slap Happy Pappy]

*Offer not valid if target is braced

[Adeptus Stark]

I guess I am "doing it wrong" then.

I walk into a room or part of the map where enemies pop up and the game pauses. So I go and set each character to do something. My melee characters I set to charge to get a bonus to hit and to keep the enemy off my archers/spell casters. By the time they friggen draw thier weapons and go to charge, the enemy wandered over to my group and my peeps never charge.

[klaek]

Originally posted by Slap Happy Pappy:

Ah I see where I misunderstood. Charge does NOT provoke from the target, regardless of reach of the target, but does provoke if you charge from, or through squares threatened by non target enemies.

Then can you please provide a quote for that? Because I have read through the section on charge and on attacks of opportunity and I cannot find any mention that the movement from charge is an exception.

Bracing is for readied actions which is a seperate mechanic to attacks of opportunity. If you charged into someone braced with a reach weapon you would get attacked twice. Once for the attack of opportunity and once for the readied action. Which the readied triggering first when you enter their threatened square and then the attack of opportunity when you leave.

[CBAnaesthesia]

Originally posted by Tom:

I guess I am "doing it wrong" then.

I walk into a room or part of the map where enemies pop up and the game pauses. So I go and set each character to do something. My melee characters I set to charge to get a bonus to hit and to keep the enemy off my archers/spell casters. By the time they friggen draw thier weapons and go to charge, the enemy wandered over to my group and my peeps never charge.

Then don't let them wander over and see you, make sure you're stealthed and/or invisible. It works as long as they don't see you while you're setting up your charge.

[nshawmc]

Charge has very important value. Stealth your party and move into range (not stealth range but charge range). Pause the game. Then remove stealth and set up each of your characters to charge. The effect is you surprise your targets with a bonus round of attacks.

Against creatures that can detect you or if one of your characters is bad at stealth, try using expeditious retreat spell (wand works) to double your range for charge, or just keep your poor stealth character behind.

This is a very good way to demolish enemies at low levels. If you have high initiative you can get two attacks before they even get one. With cleave, fighters destroy everything at low levels.

It's actually so good it seems like you need to use it every chance that you can. Also important to mention as said above, if a cut scene jumps into combat you can't do the surprise, but you can still use charge:

If combat did start, (no surprise round), you can still charge. TURN ON INITIATIVE numbers in settings to see the numbers over each character so you know which ones to keep in front and which ones to move. you can move your character away to keep a distance to be able to charge and once they are near .5 seconds left, charge with them.

Charge also works to close gaps after you finish a kill.