Does the Charger feat's special shove allow both a push and knocking prone at the same time?

Question

The Combat chapter of the PHB (p. 195-196) has this to say about shoving a creature:

Using the Attack action, you can make a special melee attack to shove a creature, either to knock it prone or push it away from you. If you're able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them.

The target of your shove must be no more than one size larger than you, and it must be within your reach. You make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target's Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you win the contest, you either knock the target prone or push it 5 feet away from you.

Here, the word "shove" is defined as either pushing or knocking prone.

The Charger feat (PHB, p. 165) states:

When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to [...] shove a creature.

If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you [...] push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed).

Ignoring the "moving 10 feet" part, the bonus shove granted by the Charger feat seems likely to give the option to knock prone or push, as normal. The interesting part is when you do move at least 10 feet before the shove and succeed, as the text says that the target is pushed, but shoving is still, as its core, a choice between pushing and knocking prone.

If a Charger Dashes as his action, moves the 10 feet towards the target, then shoves as his bonus action but chooses to knock the target prone instead of pushing, would the target also be pushed up to 10 feet away?

It would make sense from a thematic standpoint (the charger ramming the enemy, sending them flying away and landing on their behind!), but from a mechanical standpoint, I'm not quite sure.

Answer 1

No; Charger removes the prone option.

It's right there in the text: After fulfilling the movement requirement, if you choose to shove and succeed, you push the target 10 feet away. That's the full effect of the enhanced shove, replacing the normal effects (including the option to knock prone), not in addition to them.

It wouldn't make sense to interpret the Charger "10 feet in a straight line" benefit as in addition to the normal results of a shove (i.e. a choice between knocking the target prone and pushing them back); that interpretation would imply that you could push a creature 5 feet and 10 feet at the same time by choosing the "push" effect. It seems clear that the intent of the feat was to allow you to push a creature 10 feet instead of the normal effect, and if that's the case, then it makes no sense to interpret it as letting you knock the target prone and push them simultaneously.

As a DM, I'd certainly allow a player to choose to knock the target prone with the charging attack, but they wouldn't gain any benefit beyond the normal shove effect of knocking prone. They'd just be choosing between knocking the target prone and pushing them back 10 feet, not both.

Answer 2

No. The Charger feat does not allow you to knock prone AND push away.

The Charger feat grants one primary effect, the ability to attack or shove as a bonus action.

When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack or to shove a creature.

Shove grants you two options, to knock a creature prone or push them 5 feet.

The Charger Feat's second clause says that, if you have moved 10 ft in a straight line immediately before making the shove attempt successfully, you may shove the creature 10 feet. This is not a second 10 ft shove, but instead a third option that is available if you fulfill the requirements.

If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you [...] push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed).

Answer 3

No, the Attack Action Shove is different from the Bonus Action "Push" granted by Charge.

Attack Action Shove

Using the Attack action, you can make a special melee attack to shove a creature,

• Requires you to expend your Action to take the Attack Action. It replaces one of your attacks.
• You may replace an attack with single chance to knock someone prone or push them back 5 feet.

Charger action:

When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to [...] shove a creature.

If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action you [...] push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed).

• Requires you to expend the use of your Action to Dash and use your Bonus Action to push the target.
• The special attack is triggered and activates as a Bonus Action. Not an Attack Action.
• Does not give the option to knock a player prone.

The word shove, as used by the Charger Feat is a descriptive moniker rather than a reference to the Shove Attack Action. The feat's bonus action can only be used to deal an additional +5 damage OR have the opportunity to knock someone prone. It does not state or give any option to knock an opponent prone, or specifically reference the mechanics of Attack Action Shove.

The two are mutually exclusive. The special attack from Attack Action Shove requires the replacement of an attack generated from the Attack Action, and the special attack from Charger requires the use of your Bonus Action. Even if you can use Attack Action Shove with a Bonus Action Attack, it would replace that attack, replacing the 10ft Push or +5 Damage with a 5ft Push Or Knock Prone effect.

Thus it is impossible to combine the two on a single attack roll. Meaning that knocking a creature back and knocking them prone with the same attack will require the use of another ability or affect (such as battle maneuvers).