Horseback

(Advanced rules)

Fighting on horseback gives you considerable advantages, but your character must be able to ride. For the players, mounted combat means mastering the basic rules and also the rules for Clash and movement, since fights on horseback are almost always on the move and holding positions is practically impossible.

Horseback modifiers

The following table lists the basic differences compared to fighting on foot. Besides the advantages against opponents on the ground, you have a disadvantage at first, which you overcome by mastering the appropriate movement feats.

In addition, on horseback you have much lower encumbrance (a quarter) and you also need free space.

Covering the horse

You can cover your horse just like a fellow fighter.

Movement

Add your bonuses (penalties) for horse riding to the horse's movement. A warhorse will of course be better, but slower. Overall your horse also gets a penalty for encumbrance and possibly armor.

Carrying capacity

A horse has a higher carrying capacity than a human, because it stands on four legs. Therefore count carrying capacity = Str + 10, for a warhorse even Str +20, because it is trained to carry heavy loads.

Horse charge

In a horse charge both you and your opponent have a +10 bonus to penetration and knock down. A first-strike weapon even has a bonus of +20.

2 rounds

A rider's charge usually takes 2 rounds. In one he turns and gathers speed, and in the second he attacks.

Using a lance

The knight lance is a special weapon about 4 meters long, intended exclusively for fighting on horseback during a charge. A rider at full speed has the following stats with it:

knight lance (-1) 3/7//0

training lance (-1) 3/0//0

length 4, strength 5

price 5 sp

A blunt lance has its striking end wrapped in felt and does not cause death.

Trampling an opponent

When fighting on horseback you can also ride down an opponent on the ground:

* encumbrance penalties are not counted

Characters of size 2 and less cannot defend against this attack with a weapon or shield (only unarmed). Trampling with a horse costs no actions and can be applied to everyone who stands in the horse's way.

Note: The attack strength listed above applies to a common horse. For warhorses or specially trained horses the WA is 3 higher.

Mounted Shooting

A rider on horseback has a -5 penalty to WA, while riding even -10, and with unsuitable weapons (e.g. a long bow) another 5 less, unless he masters the appropriate feat from Animal Training. A non-standard stance, for example in archery, also reduces this penalty by 3.

Falling from a horse

If you are called upon, roll for falling from the horse. The difficulty depends on the conditions; the lowest is 10, but for example in a knightly tournament it is very hard (20).

If you do not master the feat “Mounted Combat” and you attack or defend, you must roll against falling every round.

Horse armor

You can protect your steed with armor too, which you will certainly appreciate in a fight with dishonorable knaves, riffraff and beasts (because they ignore the rules of honor and calmly attack any animal instead of letting themselves be trampled into the ground).

Leather armor

AC: 5

Price: 10 gp

Weight: 20 kg

This armor protects your animal only partly; it can help, for example, against missiles from afar or light weapons.

Plate armor

AC: 16

Price: 100 gp

Weight: 80 kg

Bonuses: attack +2 in a charge and trampling

This plate armor is put mainly on warhorses, since a common riding animal could not carry anything else. It provides the protection of plate armor and makes the horse a fearsome instrument of destruction.