Is there something like a (readied) charge in 5e?

Question

We're moving from D&D 3.5e to 5e. In 3.5 games there usually was a lot of charging going on, and DMs would also (as a house rule) allow partial charges as readied actions (nothing more dramatic then readying a charge triggered by a charging opponent!).

In 5e the Charge action seems to be gone entirely (at least, I haven't found it in either the Basic Rules or the PHB). On your own turn I guess that's no problem because you can easily roleplay charge (simply move + attack), and if reasonable the DM could give you Advantage on your attack.

However, with Ready it's a different thing. It almost seems as if I'm asking a 5e-version of this existing 3.5e question, because the rules on Ready say (emphasis mine):

First you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your reaction. Then you choose the action you will take in response to that trigger, or choose to move up to your speed in response to it.

So I guess you can only either attack or move as a readied action, thus excluding a (partial) charge. This would be a shame, because I'd hate to miss the cool drama that comes with readied charges.

Solution would be simple, but I still have to ask: do we need a house rule for readied charges in 5e too?

Answer 1

Charging in 5e is done through the optional feats.

Via page 165 of the PHB;

Charger

When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack or to shove a creature.
If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you either gain a +5 bonus to the attack’s damage roll (if you chose to make a melee attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed).

I can't find anything in the DMG for an optional charging rule either so, as per the rules, sacrificing your Ability Score Increase for said Feat is the only option you have to gain the ability to charge.

As for readying a charge, as per @Miniman's response to my question, bonus actions can only be used on your turn, which means you can ready a Dash action (which wouldn't be of any help since Dash doesn't provide any movement itself) but would be unable to take the bonus action to make one melee weapon attack or to shove a creature.

Answer 2

I also really missed charging in 5e, so I decided to change the rules for both Dash and the Charger feat in my current campaign, take a look.

Dash action: When you take the Dash action, you gain extra movement for the current turn. The increase equals your speed, after applying any modifiers. With a speed of 30 feet, for example, you can move up to 60 feet on your turn if you dash. You can use your bonus action to make a melee attack or shove a creature at the end of your dash.

Any increase or decrease to your speed changes this additional movement by the same amount. If your speed of 30 feet is reduced to 15 feet, for instance, you can move up to 30 feet this turn if you dash.

Charger: When you use your action to Dash, you don´t use your bonus action (Like the H. R. for dash) to make one melee weapon attack or to shove a creature. If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you either gain a +5 bonus to the attack’s damage roll (if you chose to make a melee attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed).

I thought it would still be cool to have this feat, because you can use your bonus action to make another type of attack, such as dual wielding, or cast a bonus action spell at the end of your Dash.