Mounted combat

Where would valiant knights be without their trusty steeds? It is undeniable that the use of cavalry charges results in some of the most destructive and terrifying warfare ever experienced.

Mounted Attacks

Attacking from horseback (or any other something-back, for that matter) works very much like it would on foot.

If you ride a mount which has attacks of its own, you may use your AP to direct the mount to use its own attacks. The mount acts during the round on your turn; the mount has no Reaction or AP of its own while being ridden.

If you charge while mounted, instead of the usual +2 bonus to your Attack Roll, you receive +4 due to the momentum of the attack. This also applies to an overrun. Because of the force and velocity of the mounted charge, you may attack any opponents you pass within reach during the charge, if you have the AP to make more than one attack (you must still make an attack at the end of the charge). The bonus to the Attack Roll applies to these attacks as well. In order to charge while mounted, the mount must move at least 10 ft. and must charge in a straight line.

Using a ranged weapon while mounted is a feat in itself. Most ranged weapons require a steady hand and keen eye for accuracy, and it is hard to utilize these while bouncing on the back of a bounding animal. In order to use a ranged weapon accurately, you must steady your arm for the attack. Steadying your arm requires an Animal Control check against a DL of 12 and the expenditure of an Action Point. Failure means you take a −4 on the Attack Roll.

Mounted Defense

If an opponent attacks your mount, you may attempt to use the mount's Dodge or your Parry, whichever is higher. If an opponent attacks you, you may Dodge or Parry as normal. When defending against a trip, use the mount's statistics and add +4: it is very difficult for a humanoid creature to trip a large animal.

As long as you remain mounted, the beast and yourself exchange and share certain statistics. You use the beast's speed, but your AP. The beast retains its own HP, and so do you.

Free Mounts

If you have trained your mount to be able to attack on its own, without your guidance, you can use the Animal Control Skill to have it act of its own accord in combat. Interacting with or issuing commands to a free mount (as noted in the Animal Control entry) during combat takes 4 AP. At this point the animal will use all of its own stats. You must have dismounted from the beast to command it.

Fallen Mounts

If your mount is slain in combat, you must succeed at a DL 18 Animal Control check to roll from the saddle and land safely on the ground. If the check is failed, you suffer the difference as damage and have fallen prone.

If this roll is critically failed, the rider takes the difference as damage and is considered pinned under the dead mount. The pinned rider must succeed at a DL 20 Might or Thievery check to crawl from under the animal.