Charge (5e Variant Rule)
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Charge[edit]
Anyone remember how charging was a thing in 3.5e D&D? The removal of the charge action from the 5th edition is one of the more baffling changes made to the game, so, it's time to put it back in.
How Charging Works[edit]
As an action, you may move up to your speed and attack as part of the same action. You gain advantage on the attack roll by doing so (but even if you can make multiple attacks in a round, this benefit only applies to the first attack you make in the round, unless a feat, spell, class ability, or other effect says otherwise). However, you provoke opportunity attacks as normal and, because a charge is rather reckless, anyone who makes such an opportunity attack gains advantage on their attack roll (but any creature that can somehow make multiple opportunity attacks against you still only gains advantage on the first one). In addition, there are several restrictions you must abide by when performing a charge:
- You must move at least 10 feet during a charge.
- Your entire charge (both your allotted movement and the movement taken as part of the charge action) must be in a straight line, with no curving to the left or right unless a feat, class feature, spell, etc. allows you to do so.
- You may not charge over difficult terrain. At all. If anything obstructs your movement, it kills the momentum necessary for a charge to work — unless a feat, class feature, spell, etc. allows you to do so, or you are able to ignore difficult terrain outright (such as by being able to fly).
- You must charge towards a valid target. If you do not, you are just dashing.
- You cannot charge if you have no idea where your target is or what the surrounding terrain is like (such as if you are blind).
- Even if you know where your target is and what the terrain is like when you begin your charge, you also have to know where they are when you end your charge. (In other words, you must actually be able to sense your target and the terrain while you are charging; deducing or having prior knowledge of your target’s location and the terrain between you and them is not good enough. However, extraordinary or supernatural senses such as blindsight or tremorsense work just as well as mundane senses such as sight, hearing, or smell.)
- You cannot charge through another creature's space, even if that creature is an ally, unless that creature is incapacitated or otherwise completely incapable of being an obstruction.
- You must end your charge at the closest position from your starting position that you could attack the target from.
Charging Weapons[edit]
Certain weapons are much deadlier when used with the momentum from a charge. In general, all weapons from the spear and lance families deal double damage with an attack from a charge, as the momentum of the charge drives them deep into the target. These same weapons also deal double damage when used to attack a character who is charging, as the momentum of the charge leads the target to impale themselves. (Note that these clauses only apply to attacks that gained advantage on the attack roll by virtue of charging.)
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