Charging
Charging combat is a form of attack that combines movement and combat. Where as making any other attack or action halves movement, a charging character may make his full movement and still strike. Charging is a favored method for heroes trying to close the distance between themselves and an opponent with a range weapon, and certain individuals such as Rhino, Juggernaut, and Bulldozer make this their preferred form of attack.
A character must move at least 1 area to make a charging attack, but may move his entire movement rate to reach the combat. For each area the character moves through before reaching combat, the attacker gets a +1CS, up to a maximum of +3CS (Endurance for figuring this may not be raised beyond SZ in any event).
Charging attacks are resolved on the Universal Table, checking under the Charging column. Thebcharacter making a charging attack maybscore a Miss, Hit, Slam, or Stun.- A character scoring a Miss result inflicts no damage. In addition, the character continues his move for half the character's speed (round up) after the attack. Any change in direction would require an additional Agility FEAT. If the straight line passes into some material obstacle, the character makes an attack on that obstacle instead. The attacked character may return the attack only if his action was originally following the charge.
- A character scoring a Hit result inflicts up to his maximum current Endurance or his Body Armor rank in damage, whichever is higher, plus 2 additional points of damage for every area covered in the attack. (A character moving 10 areas with an Endurance of Gd(10) hits an unarmored opponent at top speed, inflicts 10 + 2x10 = 30 points of damage.)
- A character scoring a Slam result inflicts damage as for a hit, and in addition may Slam an opponent.
- A character scoring a Stun result inflicts damage as for a hit, and in addition may Stun the opponent. The attacker may inflict up to his Endurance or Body Armor in damage, but additional damage from speed is fixed. The attacker may also choose a lesser effect than that rolled.
Body Armor may influence the damage of a charge attack. If the defender's Body Armor is greater than the damage inflicted by the attacker, the damage is rebounded onto the attacker. If the attacker's Body Armor is greater than the rebounded damage, neither side takes damage. (Stuns and Slams still apply.)
Example: The character making the attack above has Gd(10) Body Armor, and makes the attack at 10 speed with Gd Endurance on an opponent with Ex(20) Body Armor. The first 20 points of that are covered by the target's Body Armor, and as such are returned to the user. The attacker takes 20 points, 10 of which are absorbed by his own body armor. The attacker therefore takes 10 points from his own attack.
Charging inanimate objects is handled in a similar manner, with the item's material strength counted as Body Armor. Charging through a Gd(10) strength wall will inflict 10 points of damage on the attacker, unless that damage is absorbed by Body Armor. This applies to characters who are slammed through walls, charge past a target into a wall, or fail to pull out of a dive.