3
\$\begingroup\$

A guy uses the Charger feat (below, description copied from PHB) to attack an enemy. Another enemy has already readied a move action triggered by the players movement. Due to a miscalculation on my part, this movement triggered in the middle of the charge in such a way that the enemy's movement took it through and out of the chargers reach, who was still moving to charge, lets say they crossed paths.

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).

pg. 165, PHB

  • Does the charger gains an attack of opportunity even if it is his turn? If so, would it end the charge?
  • Would the bonus damage from the feat apply to the reaction, the bonus action, or both?
\$\endgroup\$
2
  • \$\begingroup\$ Just to let you know "move action" does not exist in D&D 5e. The action economy (choices of things you can do) are action, movement, bonus action, reaction, and interact with an object. \$\endgroup\$ May 15, 2017 at 13:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ I am not sure why the character is trying to use movement to stop a Charge. The most direct way to stop charging is to use a Grapple, not a movement, to try get the Chargers speed to zero. (Hence stopping the charge). \$\endgroup\$ May 15, 2017 at 13:51

2 Answers 2

7
\$\begingroup\$

TL;DR

  1. You can use a reaction on your own turn
  2. The charge is not interrupted
  3. The charging creature gains no bonus on the opportunity attack

Details...

So, to clarify the scenario, we have three creatures. I'll give them names:

  • Bob, the charger
  • Jane, the target of the charge
  • Nelly, with the readied action to move

Bob charges, Jane. But Nelly has readied an action to move. As soon as Nelly sees Bob, she wants to run across his path directly in front of him. What happens?

First, a "charge" is not a discrete action. The Charger feat, PHB p. 165, says:

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).

So Bob has taken the Dash action. Normally, Bob would attack Jane using a bonus action after finishing his move.

However, in this case, as soon as Nelly sees Bob, she interrupts Bob's move:

Page 193, PHB:

Ready

When the trigger occurs, you can either take your reaction right after the trigger finishes or ignore the trigger.

So, in this case, the "trigger" was "as soon as Nelly sees Bob". So, she moves, crossing his path directly in front of him, and provokes an attack of opportunity in the process.

Nelly, is the one moving at this point, so only Bob gets an attack of opportunity, not Nelly.

Even though it is Bob's turn, he can still take his reaction to make an opportunity attack, p. 190 of the Player's Handbook:

Reactions

Certain special abilities, spells, and situations allow you to take a special action called a reaction. A reaction is an instant response to a trigger of some kind, which can occur on your turn or on someone else’s.

The charge feat allows Bob to make an attack as a bonus action, and possibly gain a bonus to that attack. It does not grant a bonus to any other actions, or attacks. So, Bob does not get a bonus to his opportunity attack.

From the Charger feat:

If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you ... gain a +5 bonus to the attack’s damage roll

Next, after Bob makes the opportunity attack, Nelly completes her movement, and Bob's turn resumes.

Bob may continue his movement toward Jane, and use his bonus action to make an attack as granted by the Charger feat.

\$\endgroup\$
10
  • \$\begingroup\$ great analysis man thanks, just to clarify, the victim readies nothing, he is still "available" as a target as originally planned. Its another creature who readied a movement that crossed paths with the charger, this path crossing happens somewhere before both movements end. this means both are in motion and both exited each others reach, however only one of them still has a reaction left. The reaction is taken. Then what? \$\endgroup\$
    – Piero
    May 15, 2017 at 2:02
  • \$\begingroup\$ I'll see if I can clarify that. Ultimately only the charger would get an opportunity attack. And the charger would finish the charge making his charge attack at the original victim. \$\endgroup\$
    – Seamus
    May 15, 2017 at 2:05
  • \$\begingroup\$ thanks, you did clarify it. I know its all by the rules and all, but it still feels weird that the opportunity attack doesn't benefit from the charging impulse unless the charger stops to take the reaction, possibly also ruining the original charge. for the sake of keeping the illusion of reality i ruled it differently, but you are right. \$\endgroup\$
    – Piero
    May 15, 2017 at 2:12
  • \$\begingroup\$ I do that a lot too. Usually when our group has a rules question, we just make something up and go with it, then look it up later. \$\endgroup\$
    – Seamus
    May 15, 2017 at 2:24
  • \$\begingroup\$ Just to let you know "move action" does not exist in D&D 5e. The action economy (choices of things you can do) are action, movement, bonus action, reaction, and interact with an object. Also, whose reach did Nelly move out of to provoke the attack of opportunity ? It's a little unclear. Did she move out of Bob's reach? The reason I ask is because the way to stop Bob from charging is for Nelly to use a Grapple, not a movement, to try and get Bob's speed to zero. (Hence stopping the charge). \$\endgroup\$ May 15, 2017 at 13:45
4
\$\begingroup\$

Yes, you can take a reaction on your turn

Per the SRD , p.91:

Reactions

Certain special abilities, spells, and situations allow you to take a special action called a reaction. A reaction is an instant response to a trigger of some kind, which can occur on your turn or on someone else’s. The opportunity attack is the most common type of reaction. When you take a reaction, you can’t take another one until the start of your next turn. If the reaction interrupts another creature’s turn, that creature can continue its turn right after the reaction.

\$\endgroup\$
2
  • 4
    \$\begingroup\$ It would be worth addressing the rest of the question as well: "does this end the charge and would the bonus damage from the feat apply to the opportunity attack?". \$\endgroup\$ May 15, 2017 at 0:05
  • \$\begingroup\$ thanks but i guess i asked it the wrong way, i know you can take a reaction on your turn, my intended and failed question is actually how would that interact with some other actions that were planned by the player. in this case, the guy is charging and suddenly realizes he can attack somebody else on the way to his original charge target, its a weird case i give you that but it happened to me as DM. the reaction could reasonably benefit from the charge's momentum, but then it could also end there, dont really know. \$\endgroup\$
    – Piero
    May 15, 2017 at 1:32

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .