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Old 04-01-2019, 12:24 PM   #1
oldwolf
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Default Move, Charge Attack and polearms

If you move 3 or more hexes in a charge attack against someone with a spear in one hand they will get a +2DX to hit and roll 2D instead of 1D damage against you.

However, in the RAW, if you run up into the same hex but have gone more than half your MA you have not made a charge attack, you have simply moved. The spearman no longer gets the +2DX nor does he get the extra die of damage if he hits. Now admittedly it means you wont get an attack that turn but if you are using significant armor, say chainmail, and a tower shield, reducing the spearman to 1D damage is well worth it.

It strikes me this is not in the spirit of the rules and that movement of 3 or more hexes that ends in the spearman's front hexes should give the spearman his DX and damage bonuses. Even if the RAW only says he gets it facing a "charge attack". Does that seem to make sense?
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Old 04-01-2019, 01:37 PM   #2
RVA_Grandpa
 
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Default Re: Move, Charge Attack and polearms

We are talking about two different rules here.
Quote:
In any case where a pole weapon is being used in a charge attack, and the attacker moved three hexes or more in a straight line, the polearm does one extra die of damage if it hits. If a pole weapon is used against a charge attack, it also gets the extra die of damage, whether or not the enemy moved in a straight line. (ITL p111)
The other rule is:
Quote:
(b) CHARGE ATTACK. Move up to half its MA and attack with any weapon except a missile weapon, or HTH. (A figure can never attack if it moved more than half its MA.) (ITL p102)
For example: If the pole weapon user has an MA of 10 he can move unto 5 hexes in a straight line to attack, but he cannot attack if he moves 6.
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Old 04-01-2019, 01:56 PM   #3
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Move, Charge Attack and polearms

What if there was no attacker and somebody just ran up dodging (or defending) against a polearm wielder exercising stand your ground?

My suggestion is to call it set for charge when you stand there with your polearm and stab some target than moved next to you, even if the target took no attack option.
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Old 04-01-2019, 02:15 PM   #4
oldwolf
 
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Default Re: Move, Charge Attack and polearms

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Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
What if there was no attacker and somebody just ran up dodging (or defending) against a polearm wielder exercising stand your ground?
That is my point. The RAW specifies the spearman only getting his bonuses when someone "Charge Attacks" him. Using some other option, such as running up from too far away to be able to do a "charge attack" fails to trigger the option specified in the RAW. It strikes me that isn't in the spirit of the rule, though it seems to be the letter of it.
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Old 04-01-2019, 07:01 PM   #5
Lord Twig
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Default Re: Move, Charge Attack and polearms

I think it works out fine. If you are doing a charging attack then you are closing all the way to get a melee hit in. If you just move up and don't attack, then you have the opportunity to approach more cautiously. You will still get attacked with the pole arm, but they won't get the bonus for you recklessly throwing yourself at them.

In game terms when the pole arm user goes to attack I would just ask the approaching player if the figure is charging or not. If he says yes the pole arm user gets the bonus. If not, he doesn't and the other figure cannot attack on his turn.

There is a tradeoff of course, you can lessen the incoming attack and lose your own attack, or you can risk a more damaging attack to try to get your own attack in.
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Old 04-01-2019, 10:04 PM   #6
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Move, Charge Attack and polearms

Interesting. I managed to play TFT for quite a few years without ever hearing anyone take that so literally.

But no.

Seems to me the defensive charge bonuses apply against any figure that was not adjacent at the start of the turn, who moves into a pole-weapon-user's front hex, regardless of what option the moving figure may take. (Notice that defensive polearm bonuses do not require the attacker to be moving in a straight line, just against a charge attack, which is defined as having moved from non-adjacent to adjacent.)

After all, even someone intending to Charge Attack isn't actually able to do their action until they survive that defensive pole weapon attack. So this creative pre-condition would never exist until after the pole weapon defense it would supposedly enable.
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Old 04-02-2019, 05:55 AM   #7
oldwolf
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Default Re: Move, Charge Attack and polearms

Quote:
Originally Posted by Skarg View Post
Interesting. I managed to play TFT for quite a few years without ever hearing anyone take that so literally.

But no.

Seems to me the defensive charge bonuses apply against any figure that was not adjacent at the start of the turn, who moves into a pole-weapon-user's front hex, regardless of what option the moving figure may take. (Notice that defensive polearm bonuses do not require the attacker to be moving in a straight line, just against a charge attack, which is defined as having moved from non-adjacent to adjacent.)

After all, even someone intending to Charge Attack isn't actually able to do their action until they survive that defensive pole weapon attack. So this creative pre-condition would never exist until after the pole weapon defense it would supposedly enable.
Yes, this is what I think the spirit of the rules intend.
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Old 04-02-2019, 06:02 AM   #8
oldwolf
 
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Default Re: Move, Charge Attack and polearms

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Originally Posted by Lord Twig View Post
I think it works out fine. If you are doing a charging attack then you are closing all the way to get a melee hit in. If you just move up and don't attack, then you have the opportunity to approach more cautiously. You will still get attacked with the pole arm, but they won't get the bonus for you recklessly throwing yourself at them.

In game terms when the pole arm user goes to attack I would just ask the approaching player if the figure is charging or not. If he says yes the pole arm user gets the bonus. If not, he doesn't and the other figure cannot attack on his turn.

There is a tradeoff of course, you can lessen the incoming attack and lose your own attack, or you can risk a more damaging attack to try to get your own attack in.
Yea, I considered this too and it is a decent argument and way to handle it. I still think the intent of the rule is as Skarg argued but I think it is almost a toss up between the two. Maybe there are some example combats using polearms that clarify it someplace in the rules, that we haven't noticed as yet.
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Old 04-02-2019, 01:22 PM   #9
JLV
 
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Default Re: Move, Charge Attack and polearms

Actually, I think that Twig's interpretation is probably more "technically" correct than the RAW; however, having said that, I have to agree that it seems pretty likely that was not the intent in the RAW.
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