Loz said:
Not sure why it shouldn't make sense or seem stupid. If you're going to gain the benefits of a charge, you need momentum. That requires physical effort and exertion to build. The acceleration needed, especially from a standing start, is going to require a few seconds to build-up, unless you're aided by magic or preternaturally fast. Most combatants are laden-down with armour, weapons, and may even be panting with the exertion of previous rounds of combat. With a combat round lasting 5 seconds, taking a full round to build that momentum and take advantage of the increased damage bonus doesn't seem to be unreasonable.
If there isn't some kind of brake - pun intended - then you're going to have combatants charging on one action, pausing, then charging on the next, all within impossibly low time frames.
Hi, thanks for answering Loz.
This is my view on the whole charging thing.
Most systems require a run up anyway, I rule that you need at least a 4 square run up to charge (4 metres in MRQ2).
I believe that within a turn you can move up to your full round movement allowance. I.E. a human has a move of 8, so you can integrate 8 metres into all you actions during a turn.
so for example move a couple of metres attack someone (not charge). next CA move a couple of metres again attack someone else etc etc.... Moving up to 8 metres per turn normally.
So assuming that you need a 4 metres run up, as I agree you can't just charge someone right next to them as you quite rightly say you need to build up momentum.
That being the case you would be hard pressed to charge twice in a round anyway, especially as
if you did try to charge someone else say 4 metres away you'd be breaking out of combat possibly and allow others to attack you as you break combat.
Also, is charging really that great in Legend or RQ6. You get to increase you damage modifier by one degree. big deal... with all the negatives that go with charging, it seems hardly much of a benefit to raise your damage modifier by one.
From personal experience in Viking Battle Re-enactment charging into a shield wall can work really well, especially if you're wearing chainmail, helmet, axe/sword shield etc... that's a lot of weight and momentum to have behind you.
If done correctly (and preferably against lightly armored foes) if can punch holes in shield walls allowing your fellow combatants to follow you and break the shield wall further.
Using a "Boarsnout" charge is even more effective (basically several heavily armored people forming a wedge and smashing into a shield wall). at busting shield walls.
Charging a single opponent whilst wearing heavy armor can be devastating. Easily causing knockback, knocking some prone etc.. The rules does reflect this to a degree with the knockback by the amount of damage, but all that momentum should count for something too.
Aside from all that making an attack a full round action really screws up the mechanics of combat.
I could do the following:
1: charge, one attack with jut a benefit of a damage increment (and it's harder to attack in a charge as RQ6 adds a penalty to attack). So I get that 1 charge attack in a round and that it. I can't do ANYTHING else. no parry, no evade anything..
2: Alternatively, I can use all my CAs to get multiple attacks/parries, the net result is potentially a LOT more damage and I get to defend myself as well.
I've never liked the charging rules in MRQ2/Legend and now in RQ6. It seems even less reason to ever use it in RQ6 with the additional penalties.
On top of that, if the charge is a full round action and everyone else around me gets all their CAs, where am I whilst they fire off their actions for their CAs? am I just standing there once I charge?
I know charging has been discussed to death on these forums and I don't believe RQ6 has improved it at all.
Still it's easy enough to house rule whatever the case and I DO really like RQ6 (it's well worth a purchase). It's a real gold mine of information and improvements on Legend, I just don't like how the charge rules were implemented.
