Mount Ride Checks

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Since you need to perform a full attack to fight with two weapons normally (some exceptions exist), you have the penalties for the whole round, when you 'fight this way', since the full-round action represents the whole 6 seconds worth of time.

Ah - but the trick is defining "Fight this way."

 

[Thanee]

'fight this way' just means fighting with two weapons, quite obviously.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

'fight this way' just means fighting with two weapons, quite obviously.

Right. And what does that mean?

 

[PrinceZane]

So suppose I was using TWF as well as riding doing the cover thing and juggling torches while eating a roasted hawk during a blizzard while tracking a polar bear without any cold weather outfits uphill both ways...

But seriously, purely RAW, there is no action its just (check) and boom, you get +4ac then beginning of your next turn, slip back up (again no action) and attack

Right?

Edit - with the risk of only loosing your mount if the DM decides to stop ya. What if you fail the check, do you completely fall off or does it take the place of an action (I don't think that, because what if you use your actions, then fail the 'free' action?)

 

[Thanee]

Right. And what does that mean?

What I said above.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Legildur]

The Rules of the Game articles covered mounts in 5 parts. Here's an extract that deals with the cover issue:

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.

Can someone post the extract from the FAQ referenced above? I don't have time right now (walking out the door).

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I believe that it is referencing this one:

Q: When using a Ride skill check to claim cover from your mount, exactly when do you start claiming cover from your mount? When must you stop claiming cover from your mount? The skill description says you react instantly to claim cover, and it doesn’t take an action. Does that mean you can do so anytime, even when it’s not your turn?

The skill description says you can’t attack or cast spells while claiming cover. Why is that significant if you can claim cover anytime without using an action?

You can make a Ride check to claim cover from your mount anytime, even when it’s not your turn. Make the check before your opponent makes his attack roll. If your check succeeds, you have cover against your opponent’s attacks. If several different opponents attack you during the same place in the initiative order, one Ride check determines if you have cover against all those attacks. If you’re attacked again, you must make another Ride check to claim cover again. You cannot claim cover while you’re casting a spell or making any kind of attack. So, for example, if you cast a spell while mounted, you can’t use your mount as cover against any attack of opportunity you might provoke. You also cannot claim cover from your mount while making a charge attack (not even during the movement portion of your charge).

 

[Legildur]

In short, the Rules of the Game and the FAQ both say that you can use the DC 15 Ride check at any time (that you are not denied your Dexterity bonus to AC) to claim cover from your mount.

That's an additional benefit to mounted combat (aside from increasing reach in many circumstances, which can be a double-edged weapon, and the +1 circumstance bonus to attack from higher ground).

My only problem is that I don't feel that the RotG and FAQ mesh well with the cover description under the Ride skill (my emphasis bolded):

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.

I can understand the line that maybe you can't attack whilst claiming cover, but by my reading of the RotG and FAQ that would then only relate to AOOs.

As for casting spells..... that implies for the whole round... but that is inconsistent with the RotG and FAQ. Yet neither the PHB or SRD are specific enough about the skill.

<shrugs> YMMV.

 

[Legildur]

And just to muddy the waters a little further, I found this gem under the epic rules section of the SRD Epic Ride Skill:

Attack from Cover (Ride DC 60)
The character can react instantly to drop down and hang alongside his or her mount, using it as one-half cover. The character can attack and cast spells while using his or her mount as cover without penalty. If the character fails, he or she doesn’t get the cover benefit.

However, the use of the term 'half cover' seems to indicate the use of the 3.0E rule set.

Does that imply (under the non-epic DC) that by using your mount as cover that your opponent also has cover?

Thoughts?

 

[PrinceZane]

Does that imply (under the non-epic DC) that by using your mount as cover that your opponent also has cover?

Thoughts?

For epic or regular? I'm not familiar with many 3.0 rules so I dunno about that, but for nonepic 3.5.... I don't know. Since you can come out of the cover at a no action expense, I don't see how they would have the opportunity to get the cover at all.