D&D General Mounted Archers

[doctorbadwolf]

Might depend on the system. Both 3.5 and PF1 have long bows with range increments of 100ft. Short bows are less. Fireball range starts at 400ft + 40ft/lvl, or a minimum of 600ft. A smart mage will start shooting while the archers are still 5+ range increments out. In most systems, mounts do tend to be ablative armor or living distractions. A spare mount back in camp doesn't help much when yours is shot/eaten/incinerated out from under you during the attack. And if the spare is with you, it is probably dead from the same thing that dismounted you.

Don't know which system or if it was an optional thing but I seem to remember a brief time when mounts could level with the characters to avoid becoming mostly useless in the mid and higher levels.

If i had a mounted archer character i would probably make the mount an expert sidekick.

 

[Horwath]

If i had a mounted archer character i would probably make the mount an expert sidekick.

Faithful steed homebrew feat.

+1 ASI(or without it as Origin feat)
gain large size steed as a companion.
you can summon it as a ritual spell(10min)

STR 14, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 6, WIS 12, CHA 8

AC: 12+prof bonus
HP: 5+5×your level

Speed: one out of 4 options
1. 60ft
2. 40ft and 40ft Climb
3. 30ft and 30ft Swim+waterbeathing shared with rider
4. 20ft and 60ft Fly, requires level 9

You can command your mount as Bonus action or one attack from Attack action.
Otherwise mount can take movement, Dash, Disengage, Dodge actions.

Action: attack, bite 1d6+STR+prof bonus damage, attack roll d20+2×prof bonus

Bonus actions: Dash, Disengage, Help

Proficiency; proficient in all saves.
Skills: Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth, Perception(expertise), Survival

 

[Silam]

See; Mongolian and Japanese mounted archers.

Yes, that’s what I was going to say. I’ve been re-listening to Dan Carlin’s excellent Wrath of the Khans series (behind a paywall these days, but absolutely worth every penny). I love the part where a mongol scouting force exploring Eastern Europe wiped out an entire crusader army that had been amassed for a crusade. Needless to say, that particular crusade didn’t get to the Holy Land.

Horse archers were definitely incredibly strong against crusaders. If trained and led properly, that is.

 

[Stormonu]

Mounted combat (ranged or melee) in D&D is great right up until someone lobs a fireball at your 7th level party and all the 19hp horses die and then suddenly you're not a mounted party after all. Ask my 12th level paladin how often his steed lasts past the first round of combat some time.

Hit point inflation from PCs, and static hit points on mounts, kills the concept dead from a RAW mechanical perspective. I'm sure there's third party sourcebooks etc that grapple with the issue, but from a core rules point of view it just doesn't work.

That's one of the downfalls of D&D. PCs get better as they level, but things like equipment, mounts, vehicles/vessels don't get that treatment (usually just replaced with "better" versions than improving by themselves).

Giving companions/mounts Evasion-like abilities at 5th-6th (using the PB of the character, if better) seems like it would be appropriate, or an option for picking up that sort of thing for those characters who'd depend on them. Also, a big thing I've been doing is changing that such companions who drop to 0 usually just "drop out" of the combat (i.e., fail morale and book it) rather than being destroyed and can be brought back with a bit of healing or such after the combat so it doesn't hurt those characters who want to incorporate that sort of thing into their character's build.

 

[Tonguez]

The Sidekick rules in Tasha's Cauldron can be applied to Mounts - levelling HP and Proficiency and for a Warrior Pet granting Second Wind, Defender stance and Extra Attack. They make for some tactically fun companion options - next time I play a goblin I want a giant frog mount!

 

[Tonguez]

double trouble - next time I play a goblin I want a giant frog mount!