Re: horsey stuff

[Wright Frazier <khelek@ns1.cioe.com>]

> Horseback Fighting Rules 
> 
> 	These are some rules that I came up with on the fly as a base for us to start off of.  Tell me what you think.
> 
> Horseback riding in itself is a relatively easy thing, besides the fact that it may give you a slight ache in the hind-quarters.  Fighting from horseback, however, is a very difficult task.  Here are some checks for different tasks while on horseback.
> 
> 2d6 - Vault into the saddle.  An extra die should be added to the check if the character is wearing armor.
> 

That or an acrobatics check.

> 3d6 - Make a horse vault a gap of up to but no more than 30ft wide or
> 7 feet high.  This is for horses that don't already have a jumping skill in their creature information.  Failure indicates that the mount balks, and the rider must make an additional 4d6 STR check or be thrown from the mount.  This check is increased by 1d6 if your mount is wearing barding.
> 
I'd increase the horses die check if the rider had a lot of stuff on.  30'
is a LONG ways to jump a horse.  Also make it stated that horses must
be at full speed to do it.

> #d6 - Spur your horse to greater speeds.  Starting with at least a 2 die check, you can force your mount to increase his movement rate by 10 feet a round.  For every additional d6, this is increased by an additonal 10 feet per round.  This check must be repeated every two rounds to see if the mount can be pushed this hard.  Also, this check is increased by 1d6 if your mount is wearing barding.
> 
Horsey sprinting. ;)

> 2d6 - Use a sword and shield to attack from horseback.

Would you roll the check every round?  Roll it at the beginning of the
fight?  How would it work?

> 
> #d6 - Using a missile weapon from horseback.  Initially, an attack penalty of -6 for missile weapons is imposed for attacking from the back of a moving horse.  For every d6 made against this skill, one point of penalty is negated.
> 

You'd also have to be using a 'bow'(standard AQ bow) or lighter(normal)
crossbow.  Javelins, darts, and other smaller thrown weapons would work
as well.  The Longbow, Greatbow, Liston xbow, and grahmshire xbow are
too big to work from horsey back.

I'd almost want to make a 'mounted melee' and 'mounted archery' skill.
Make the 1st like base 200 warrior, the second base 300 warrior.  Then
limit the amount of 'weapon' skill that can be used on horseback to
the amount of mounted combat skill.  i.e. if you have mounted melee of
12, you can use 12 ranks of longsword skill on horseback.  Trying
to fight from horse back without either skill would result in no skill
being usable.  If this was taken, I'd go with some sort of mounted
spell casting skill as well to keep horses from being mobile spell
platforms.



> 3d6 - Steer your mount with your knees.  This would allow a character to fight with a two-handed weapon from horseback.  If the character takes damage while riding, this check is increased by 1d6 as it is hard to steer your mount and get whacked with a sword at the same time.  If the check is failed, the character spends two rounds re-organizing himself if he wishes to attempt this skill again.
> 

This requires a horse trained for it to begin with, and then its
not that hard from what I've read.

> 3d6 - Drop down next to your mount so as to use it as cover.  This will add 5 points to your CDV and MDV.  Any attack that would hit the character's normal CDV or MDV are considered to have struck the mount  instead.
> 

What about having it then roll to hit against the mount instead of
being an autohit?

> 4d6 - Attempt to jump onto another already occupied horse.  If the check is successful, the character can use a weapon no larger than a short sword to attack his opponent at +3 to hit.  If a grapple is desired, he may grapple to hold at +3 to hit but a throw attempt is made at -3.  If the check is failed, the character misses his opponents mount and falls, taking 1d6 of damage.
> 
> 4d6 - Leave your horse as it is moving to make a melee attack on someone within at least 10 feet.  On a failed roll, the character makes a colossal display of his lack of agility and lands on his face, taking 1d6 damage points.

I'd increase the damage on these two a bit.  People die from falling
off horses.

Wright