FEAR the Surprise Round!

[Xarlen]

Quick question.

Let's say there's an ambush, with a spellcaster in the ambushing party.

Spellcaster casts Cause Fear at one of the victims' horses while they're mounted. Does it:

A) Cause the horse to kick up (A ride check to stay on) then the horse bolts during the surprise round.

or

B) Would the horse kick up, then run during the first round of combat?

The horse would also run it's full distance, right?

 

[Skaros]

The horse would run on the rider's initiative. Seems to me this would allow the rider the option of jumping off at this point, or staying on for the ride if she wanted to take the time to do something first (move equivalent actions, like drawing weapons or grabbing items that are attached to the horse's saddle, etc).

I do think that having the horse rear up and making the rider take a skill check to stay on would be nice flavor for the DM to throw in every once and a while...particularly for larger, stronger horses.

-Skaros

 

[mkletch]

All cause fear does is make the creature 'frightened'. It cannot act (kick up or move) until its own round.

-Fletch!

 

[mkletch]

Seems to me this would allow the rider the option of jumping off at this point, or staying on for the ride if she wanted to take the time to do something first (move equivalent actions, like drawing weapons or grabbing items that are attached to the horse's saddle, etc).

Unless the rider had some way of knowing that his mounted was frightened (like a spellcraft check to recognize the spell being cast), I would not, as a DM, allow him to get off until the horse had its action. Frankly, I wouldn't even let him know what had happened - I'd roll the save and everything.

-Fletch!

 

[mikebr99]

Quick question.

Let's say there's an ambush, with a spellcaster in the ambushing party.

Spellcaster casts Cause Fear at one of the victims' horses while they're mounted. Does it:
B) Would the horse kick up, then run during the first round of combat?

The horse would also run it's full distance, right?

I would think that unless the rider could control his mount, the horse would run at full speed for however many rounds he is affected by the spell... in a random direction.

 

[Xarlen]

Hrm.

How would the rider control the mount, exactly? Ride checks? Handle Animal checks? Seeing as the person *flees*, I would think there isn't exactly anything the rider could do.

Speaking of, if the horse acts on the character's turn, then how does that effect the character's actions, which happen Simultaniously? Should they get concentration checks? Balance checks?

 

[mikebr99]

Hrm.

How would the rider control the mount, exactly? Ride checks? Handle Animal checks? Seeing as the person *flees*, I would think there isn't exactly anything the rider could do.

I thought there was a Ride DC for controlling a frightened mount... but now I can't find it anywhere *sigh*

Speaking of, if the horse acts on the character's turn, then how does that effect the character's actions, which happen Simultaniously? Should they get concentration checks? Balance checks?

I am thinking that the horse acts on your turn... he turns to bolt away from the thing that scares him, and you get to choose what to do... Ride DC of 20 for a fast dismount (as a free action).

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Hrm.

How would the rider control the mount, exactly? Ride checks? Handle Animal checks? Seeing as the person *flees*, I would think there isn't exactly anything the rider could do.

Speaking of, if the horse acts on the character's turn, then how does that effect the character's actions, which happen Simultaniously? Should they get concentration checks? Balance checks?

I know this adds a layer of complexity, but for mounted characters I have them and the horse roll initiative. Who ever wins generally delays until the others action, so there initiative is the same. Basically if the rider wins initiative he can't make the horse move before its action, and in the case of a fear spell if thehorse wins intitiative the horse bolts on its aciton, maybe throing the rider, and on the players action they could either hang on or jump form a runing horse.

 

[0-hr]

Heck, I can't even figure out how a player is supposed to control a mount under normal conditions. Does the mount's movement just, in effect, replace the character's movement rate? Or can the mount move forward, and then the player jump off and move even further?

It's that whole involuntary movement thing again...