Cover while Riding?

[pawned79]

From the SRD under the Skill Ride...

You can react instantly to drop down and hang alongside your mount, using it as cover. You can’t attack or cast spells while using your mount as cover. If you fail your Ride check, you don’t get the cover benefit. This usage does not take an action.

The table in the section lists "cover" as a DC 15 ride check.

This skill check came up in our game last Saturday for the first time and we found it to be too vague. Since it is a "no action" and states that you can "react instantly," may a character roll this check outside of their turn? How long does "cover" last? Does one need to uncover? Remount perhaps? We found the wording of this rule to promote the following events...

On my turn, I choose to cast a spell, move, then use my mount as cover.
On my next turn, I choose to uncover, cast a spell, move, then use my mount as cover.
On my next turn, I choose to uncover, cast a spell, move, then use my mount as cover yet again...
etc...

Anyway, we house ruled that one must remount (using the standard or fast mounting rules) once one has chosen to take cover. Additionally, we ruled that if you fail to make the DC 15 cover check, you simply did not do it and remained in the saddle. We wanted to post though.

Any help at clarifying this skill check would be most appreciated. Thank you.

Patrick

 

[mvincent]

may a character roll this check outside of their turn?

Yes

How long does "cover" last?

From the FAQ and the Rules of the Game: "the cover benefit applies to all attacks made against you during the same place in the initiative order"

Does one need to uncover?

No

Remount perhaps?

Using your mount as cover does not entail dismounting

we house ruled that one must remount (using the standard or fast mounting rules) once one has chosen to take cover.

Using your horse as cover in the standard D&D rules entails leaning rather than dismounting

Any help at clarifying this skill check would be most appreciated

Here is the full RotG section on this:

"Get Cover from Your Mount: Because you and your mount share a space on the battlefield, you normally cannot claim cover from your mount. Whenever someone attacks you, however, you can attempt a DC 15 Ride check to claim cover from your mount. If you succeed, you get the benefit of cover (+4 to AC). According to the D&D FAQ, the cover benefit applies to all attacks made against you during the same place in the initiative order. If foes attack you several different times during a round, you must make a new Ride check to get cover from your mount against those attacks. You cannot claim cover while you're casting a spell or making any kind of attack.

Using your mount for cover isn't an action, and you can do so anytime you're attacked (subject to the limits noted previously). The rules don't say so, but using your mount for cover represents you actively avoiding attacks, and it's reasonable to assume that you cannot do so when you are denied your Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class."

 

[Dross]

Mvincent has it pretty much right, but there are a couple of points I'd like to add.

Repeated use of the horse as cover means that anyone and anything that is not under any obligation to attack the rider (golem ordered to attack the rider etc) should target the mount to stop this happening. Unintellegent foes would consider the mount/rider as one beast, intelliget foes will want to wipe the smarmy smile of the rider's face.

It's an optional (3.0?) rule but if the attacker missed the rider by the <=4 the mount gave as cover, then the mount is hit (subject to beating the mount's AC, which it usually will).

Though not stated as such, the action might be considered a free action, which the DM can put limits on.

On my turn, I choose to cast a spell, move, then use my mount as cover.
On my next turn, I choose to uncover, cast a spell, move, then use my mount as cover.
On my next turn, I choose to uncover, cast a spell, move, then use my mount as cover yet again...
etc...

If someone is doing this, then have foes do actions like trip, either the horse or the rider. Cover works both ways, if one has it then both have it. You cannot make AoOs if cover is involved (the mount can, but how often will it hit?). The SRD says that if you try to trip a rider and succeed against the Ride/STR/DEX check then you pull the rider of it's mount (and they end up prone).

And make sure that the mount is trained for combat, otherwise it is difficult to control (meaning less actions on the rider's part).

 

[TheGogmagog]

It's an optional (3.0?) rule but if the attacker missed the rider by the <=4 the mount gave as cover, then the mount is hit (subject to beating the mount's AC, which it usually will).

It was the rule in 3.0, and was made a variant rule in the 3.5 DMG.

It created wonky situations where a wizard AC12 uses his horse AC 14 for cover, the attack roll of 15 misses because of the additional +4 ac but wasn't enough to hit the horse. So it would hit the wizard instead. (Translation: you can only gain as the difference of your AC minus the covers's AC + 4, up to max 4) (ie 12-14+4=2) or (12-10+4=6>4) or (12-18+4=-2<0) This confusion is why it was made a variant in 3.5.

 

[TheGogmagog]

Though not stated as such, the action might be considered a free action, which the DM can put limits on.

I would expect most DM's to put a limitation of once per round, in spite of what Rotg or FAQ say.

 

[Dross]

I would expect most DM's to put a limitation of once per round, in spite of what Rotg or FAQ say.

Probably right in most cases. I have a PC tricked out for mounted combat but I can't remember using this option because we do use the "hit cover" variant and PC's AC > Horse AC (and stylistic/RP reasons).

 

[Legildur]

Probably right in most cases. I have a PC tricked out for mounted combat but I can't remember using this option because we do use the "hit cover" variant and PC's AC > Horse AC (and stylistic/RP reasons).

Hey Dross, enjoying the wind today? Anyway, couldn't you make a Ride skill check in order to allow your mount to avoid the attack as per the Mounted Combat feat?

 

[Infiniti2000]

Hey Dross, enjoying the wind today? Anyway, couldn't you make a Ride skill check in order to allow your mount to avoid the attack as per the Mounted Combat feat?

But then, if you make it, don't you get hit after all because the mount didn't really provide you cover?

That's a heck of a confusing situation, which is why it's only a variant.

 

[Stalker0]

The long and the short of it is that by the book, as long as your ride check is high enough, you will always get a +4 to your AC.

And really, is there anything wrong with that?

A guy on a horse is a medieval tank, a terror to the infantry around him. And its not an automatic check, you have to have a lot of ranks and high dex to automatically make the check.

And by the time you are good enough to always make the check, the rider is usually stronger than the horse. The exception is the paladin's mount, but hey, its a class feature that's not usable in every situation, I say make it count!!

 

[Legildur]

But then, if you make it, don't you get hit after all because the mount didn't really provide you cover?

That's a heck of a confusing situation, which is why it's only a variant.

Gee, and I just finished my coffee and still I couldn't see the nuances in what was being said.

I would say not (not necessarily a RAW answer, just a thought). A shot doesn't automatically strike cover, it could be that it forced the shot wide (or high) because of the smaller target presented.