Originally stated by Jack Haggerty
No... This thread is an attempt to prepare a pre-emptive strike against muchkins who might come up with this bright idea suddenly in the middle of combat.
Yes, but nonetheless, the thread itself is an exercise in munchkinism...Whether to preempt or join the ranks of, it is still a practice of munchkinism.
Furthermore Jack Haggerty made the following observation
As a DM, I try to think up odd tactics like this, so that I can either... A) If it isn't legal, be prepared with a ruling against it should one of my players get the same idea, or B) Throw it against them, if it is legal.
There is a third alternative; It is against common sense, and thus shouldn't be allowed in the game. This is what the DM is there to adjucate.
Jack Haggerty went on and asked the following:
And so, the debate still rages with now two questions...
1. Can you prepare more than one action at a time, especially preparing to set a weapon against a charge.
2. If it is legal, do you need multiple weapons to do this, or can you do it with a single weapon.
Well, my answer to these questions are as follows:
1) No, you cannot prepare two "set to receive charge" actions. Even with two weapons. The ready action ONLY permits a single partial action to be readied.
From the SRD:
Ready (Standard)(AoO: No)
...*snip*...
Only partial actions can be readied. See the table in the description of "Start full round action" for a list of standard partial actions.
Specify the partial action a combatant will take and the conditions under which it will be taken. When those conditions are met, the combatant may take the readied partial action. The partial action comes before the action that triggers it.
---*snip*---
Note the singular partial action described in the second paragraph.
I feel fairly confident that readying an action is such a passive state, that I would even remove the chacacter's additional partial action (due to
haste), if she didn't take it before readying the action. As
haste's extra partial action is assumes an active character, using his full alotment of time, not one that stands around waiting for the opposition to make the first move. (Note that the character may still take the partial action from
haste BEFORE readying a partial action.)
However, should this be a problem for you or your players (removing the possibility of gaining your extra partial action due
haste from inactivity, You could instead allow the extra partial action from haste AFTER the readied action:
from the SRD
(regarding haste)
On his turn, the subject may take an extra partial action, either before or after his regular action
And as he has already used the "set weapon", rule that it is no longer set. As the charge-attack sequence is motion of events, not a start-stop affair, It is too late to "ready" another action (as the action which would trigger it has already occured, or the first "readied" action would never have triggered!
Thus, they would by this reasoning, still gain a second partial action, and could even attack the charger, but not get a second "set to receive charge" bonus.
2) Having a single or two weapons makes no difference as you can only make a single attack with a partial action.
Jack Haggerty summarised:
Common sense and logic would tend to say no, and I'd wager most DMs would house rule it. But still, by the book, can it be done?
The DM is there to reinforce logic and common sense in the game, his rulings are supposed to hinder and prevent runaway rules lawyers, who blatantly ignore rhyme and reason.
I think I have shown that by the rules, there is a strong argument against setting a weapon (or two) vs a charge, and gaining two attacks, irregardless of
haste. YMMV.
Sorry, this got a lot longer than I intended...
