Pole Weapons: Attack / Defense Question

[Tom H.]

Originally Posted by xane

Similarly, in pole weapon charge attacks, you choose to act when the pole weapon user declares a defensive pole weapon attack, at that point you choose to charge attack or not (the fact that the actual charge attack is carried out later is beside the point), you have been forced to choose by an enemy action.

I think Xane is on to a clever little loophole here. I really had to review the concept before readily dismissing it.

There are two general issues complicating the scenario:

1. We all want to honor the ability for a figure to change its action to the latest point it must commit.
2. The rule language for pole weapon abilities in charge attacks seems to couple charging tightly with attacking.

Later, I'm going to offer one solution that requires you to interpret the rules so that pole weapon abilities respond solely to the charge regardless of any follow up attack.

The resurgent loophole.

Assume figures Flavius and Wulf. And assume that at least Flavius has a ready pole arm.

Skarg skirts the loophole.

Wulf moves adjacent to Flavius. Flavius does not move, keeping his defense options open.

Is Wulf making a charge attack? Skarg says it doen't matter. Wulf can decide if it is a charge attack later. I would agree; although, this means that we are starting to decouple the language for charge attack.

If Flavius (the defender) has the higher adjDX and acts first, can he assume a charge attack to get the special pole arm defense? Yeah sure, we'll allow it. After all, gamers are not psychic (like light waves in the double-slit experiment.) We still can't know what Wulf will do on his action.

Touche, Xane re-asserts the loophole.

So Flavius (the defender) attacks Wulf first getting the benefits of using his pole arm against a charge attack. So now on Wulf's turn, he can change his action to whatever he wants. Wait, not so fast! The only way Flavius got the benefits was to assume that Wulf charged and attacked. Xane says that Flavius' attack with benefits forces Wulf to commit to attack when his action comes. But now we're violating the principle that you can change your action.

There seems to be only two solutions:

1. At some point, moving next to an enemy will commit you to declaring your action before you get to take it, or
2. The benefits of pole arms in charges should be available solely upon threatening movement without regard to attacking.

I tend to favor option 2, and my hunch is that so will Skarg.