As easy as falling off a horse...

[Primitive Screwhead]

Another thread, and the fact that one of my players may soon require the use of these rules, inspired me to think of how to handle a bucking bronco.

Its not really well done in the rules for the Ride skill as that assumes a willing mount.. so:
please critique. the game is next Saturday

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Riding a Bucking Bronco.. {getting mounted is another story}

The Bronco takes a Full Round action with the following options:
- Straight Line: moves up to a normal move forward. DC = 10 + Wis Mod + 2X Str Mod
- Crazy Walk: Moves up to half normal move in random directions. DC = 10 + Dex Mod + 2X Wis Mod
- Sit – n – Spin: Stays in place, spinning widly. DC = 10 + Str mod + 2X Dex Mod
- Normal Bucking: DC = 10 + Str Mod + Dex Mod + Wis Mod.

The rider may make a Sense Motive check against the mounts Bluff to gain a +2 bonus to their Ride check.

Failure of the Ride check results in the rider falling from the horse, taking 1d6 falling damage. If the horse has Combat Reflexes, it can take an Hoof attack against the rider as an AoO.

When it is important to know where the rider fell, use the thrown weapon scatter diagram. If the horse has an awakened intelligence, it can alter the result of this roll by as much as its Int Mod.
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FYI: normal horse Abilities: Str 14, Dex13, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
This means the DCs will normally be 14 or so.

Thanks for the useful suggestions!

{edit}
Reread upthread on the other posting.. http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=136462

I like an opposed Ride vs. Grapple.

(The following rules are entirely my invention.)

Treat it kind of like a grapple attack.

Entering the hostile mount's square provokes an AoO (like grapple step 1) unless you have the Mounted Combat feat. According to the (sadly untrustworthy) Rules of the Game articles, you need to be in the mount's square to mount up.

Mount as a move action, or make a Ride check DC 20 to mount as a free action (kind of like grapple step 2).

Now, since the mount is hostile, he gets an immediate grapple check, opposed by your Ride skill, to buck you out of the saddle (kind of like grapple step 3). If he wins, you're prone in an adjacent square. Use the usual Ride rules for falling from the saddle. (Choose a square randomly, or a mount with Int 3+ gets to choose which square you're in.) As usual with opposed rolls, ties go to the highest bonus, or reroll if same bonus and same total.

The rider must "pin" the hostile mount (rider's Ride check opposing the mount's grapple check) to get it under control. Every round, the rider must spend a move action and win an opposed Ride vs. grapple to keep the hostile mount under control. Failure means you're bucked from the saddle.

A hostile mount under a rider's control can only run, make move actions or make mounted charges. It won't attack anybody unless the rider also makes a Handle Animal check, per the Handle Animal rules.

So, under these rules, if you move in and mount up on a hostile mount, the mount gets a round of bucking (opposed grapple vs. your Ride skill) or biting (attack with natural weapon at -4, per grapple rules) to unseat you before you can get another attack action to get it under control.

That should be quite cinematic and lots of fun.

Now I have a conundrum.. these rules look elegant and easy to work with!

 

[Quickleaf]

Go with kjenks rules - these are very sweet!

I have 2 thoughts to improve them...

(1) Mounted Combat shouldn't negate the horse's AoO, as it has to do with fighting in a saddle, not fighting a horse. Perhaps a regional feat like "Horse Nomad" could be used instead: (req: 4 ranks Ride, benefit: doesn't provoke AoO when entering square threatened by horses, and suffers no penalties riding bareback)

(2) Using the grapple check vs. Ride skill puts the horse at a disadvantage as PC's advance in levels (and hence Ride skill), but the horse has no way to "level up" in its grappling. Look at these 2 examples, one low-level, one high-level:

Low-Level: A Large horse with Str 14 gets a net +6 bonus to grapple. A 3rd level fighter with 14 Dex and 6 ranks in Ride has a total Ride skill of +8. The fighter only has a slight edge against the horse.

High-level: A Large horse with Str 18 gets a net +8 grapple. A 10th level fighter with 16 Dex, a talent feat that gives +2 Ride, and 13 ranks in Ride has a net Ride skill of +18. The fighter totally outclasses the mount and will easily master the wildest of stallion.

Solutions for using "bucking" rules with high-level PCs and still making it a challenge?
- Special horse feat that gives a horse a +6 bonus to buck off a rider.
- Give a horse ranks in Intimidate that allow it to impose "intimidation penalties" to the PC's ride check to control it.
- Introduce a system of horse traits that include traits which provide bonuses to buck. Each horse could have 1-3 traits.
- Allowing a horse to put skill points into grappling for this purpose only.
- Providing several "horse breed" racial classes, which give bonuses to bucking. A 3rd level Arabian has more of the qualities that typify its breed (speed and beauty) than a 1st level Arabian. Of course, this present the question: How does a horse gain levels?