All About Mounts 5-Ride-by Attack?!

[Christian]

You know, I've stayed out of 'the Sage is on crack' threads in the past. But I've just about hit my limit, here ...

Rules of the Game: All About Mounts, Part 5:

According to the D&D FAQ, you charge directly toward your target as normal. After your attack, you can change direction so you can move away in a straight line.

Um, OK. Except:

"When using the Ride-by Attack feat, you must conduct your charge so that you move in a straight line toward the closest square from which it is possible to attack your chosen foe, so long as it is a square that allows you to attack and then continue on in the straight line of the charge [emphasis added] ... this is a special rule for charging when using the Ride-by Attack feat.

Pick. An. Answer.

Sheesh.

 

[Endur]

This is one of those cases where I deviate from the rules as written and interpreted.

I assume that the horse can trample/overrun while the knight uses his lance.

i.e.

The charge is in a straight line

Knight charges enemy, knight hits or misses with lance, Horse tramples/overruns enemy, keeps on going.

In other words, I follow the example from Sword and Fist here.

 

[shilsen]

I use the FAQ version and was doing so before it made it into the FAQ. As for the RotG one, I almost laughed out loud when I saw it.

 

[Legildur]

I was shocked when I read it as even I knew it was contrary to the FAQ, and I've only read the FAQ a handful of times and not for quite a while. It hasn't been a big focus in our games because there are no mounted combats....

At least he could have added a condition that the entire path had to be as straight as possible. That is, allow a slight kink in it so that the attacker has to attack from the square most like the standard charge conditions. I can see this RotG being abused.

 

[kjenks]

Notice that first table has an entry for a "Fine" mount. Remember, in Part 1, he claimed that the DMG rule for "suitable" mounts should apply to all mounts: "A mount must be at least one size category bigger than the rider." (Even though the PH has rules for riding unsuitable mounts.)

So what size rider can ride on that Fine mount? Something at least one size smaller than Fine? What size would that be? Atomic?

 

[azmodean]

I can't remember the name, but the munchkin's handbook had size classes above colossal and below fine. The example of a below-fine creature was a virus IIRC.

And yes, according to the wording of this article, you can reverse direction during a ride-by attack. This is why I almost always ignore sage advice.

 

[MerakSpielman]

"so long as it is a square that allows you to attack and then continue on in the straight line of the charge"

You'll notice that, strictly speaking, it just needs to be in a square that would allow you to continue moving in a straight line. It doesn't actually say you have to do so.

 

[Christian]

"so long as it is a square that allows you to attack and then continue on in the straight line of the charge"

You'll notice that, strictly speaking, it just needs to be in a square that would allow you to continue moving in a straight line. It doesn't actually say you have to do so.

Well, no, it doesn't. But the rules for charging state that all of your movement for the round must be in a straight line, and the FAQ ruling (despite the claim made about it in the RotG column) does not say anything about superseding that rule.

The FAQ has a very sensible ruling. I don't understand why the RotG article would not only suggest a different ruling, but also claim that the new ruling is what the FAQ actually said.

You know, I haven't actually downloaded the FAQ since the last update. I hope that WOTC didn't put in a 'stealth' update. "I don't know what you're talking about. It always read that way."