Charging Attacks

[Fandomaniac]

How do you handle charging attacks during combat?

[tombowings]

I handle them the same as any other attack. I've seen convincing argument as to why its easier to hit and harder to hit after a charge. So I take the middle ground.

[Fandomaniac]

Oct 12, 2010 19:55:02 GMT -6 tombowings said:

I handle them the same as any other attack. I've seen convincing argument as to why its easier to hit and harder to hit after a charge. So I take the middle ground.

I've been using the Philotomy's "Movement in Combat" charts during my game and according to one of the charts, charging is double your normal movement per round. For example, a character who has a movement rate of 6", moves 20' per round (40' per round charge). Unfortunately, no additional rules are mentioned for charging.

I currently allow characters' to double-move at a cost of sacrificing any other actions that round. I guess, my question is if you allow a double-move and an attack (charging), what's the downside or cost? I think the double-move is enough of an advantage, but there should be a balancing disadvantage. Perhaps a +2 penalty to AC during the round of the charge?

[coffee]

Y'see, the thing people don't remember (or perhaps never knew) is that in wargaming, a charge was simply THE way to enter melee. You don't sidle up to your enemy, you charge him, hoping his morale will break but either way having greater impetus and thus shock value.

In D&D, you can mosey up to your foe and then have a nice leisurely swing at him. (Or he at you, depending on how your DM interprets things.)

It's just another thing we lost in the conversion from wargame to roleplaying game.

[aldarron]

Yeah, a controled charge is just a normal attack with a quicker closing rate. If characters are rushing banzai/amok/berserk - and if I allow it - then I treat it as a berserk attack with the usual bonuses and penalties.

[cooper]

I like what alderron and coffee are saying.

To furthermore incorporate the idea that the first round of combat assumes a charge, we can borrow from the man-to-man rules in chainmail which assumes the same thing. Irrespective of initiative, if the losing initiative side is wielding a significantly longer weapon (spear, pike, etc) then they will have the first blow struck in the 1st round. One can go further with this in subsequent rounds, depending on how detailed and crunchy one would want their melee to be.

[jacar]

Just actually added this to the rules I am compiling. You get +2 to hit but leave yourself open to attack. Any opponent wishing to take a whack at you can at +2. Lasts until your next action.