Mounted Combat or Dismounted Combat?

[Li Shenron]

I have always warned my players that mounted combat fighting "requires experienced players", but really I knew it was the DM (me) who never understood it well from the PHB rules. Unfortunately I couldn't keep forever my players to get a mount, so now they want to try the mounted combat, and I don't know how it works!

From the PHB, it seems to me that

1. Melee Attacks: you can't use the full-round attack sequence, you can instead only move your mount's speed and perform a single attack

2. Ranged Attacks: you can take the full-round attacks while your mount moves his speed (no penalties) or double his speed (-4 to attacks) or run (-8 to attacks)

3. Spells: if your mount moves once his speed, you cast with no penalties, if he takes a double move / run you need a Concentration check (vigorous / violent motion)

To me 1. has something wrong.... ?

 

[Mahali]

If you and your mount move more than 5' you only get one attack. If you only move 5' you get a full attack.

This all assumes you make the Ride check. Don't forget that if your mount is "war" trained it gets to attack too. In fact if you fail your ride check only your mount gets to attack.

 

[Rackhir]

Well, think about it for a moment, The archer and mage can effectively be doing their actions through out the entire movement of their mount.

However, the melee guy can't do his thing, until he's right next to the target. A full round attack action basically presupposes that the character is spending the entire round doing essentially nothing but fighting. That's kind of hard to do when you are waiting to get to your foe and then moving past him.

Of course there is nothing to prevent the melee guy from moving up next to their foe and then using full attack actions on their enemy, once they have closed the distance.

Just think of movies in which you have mounted combat. When two characters are jousting, they don't close the distance and then unleash a flurry of blows with their lances. It's move-hit-pass. If they are using multiple blows it's when they are next to each other.

Frankly I don't see how they could have done the rules any differently given the structure of 3e.

 

[Li Shenron]

However, the melee guy can't do his thing, until he's right next to the target

Exactly what the PHB says. But I thought it should have been possible to pass by and attack a target, then move the mount to a second target and strike the second...

 

[Rackhir]

You could make the argument that you should be able to do the same thing on foot. A barbarian or monk with boots of striding and springing can have a move that shames most mounts, yet there are no provisions for being able to wack large numbers of targets as they pass by them. So it's hardly a deviation from the rules to prevent doing something like that when riding a mount.

Just think of the potential for abuse if you could simply move past targets and whack them. Even a character with unenhanced movement could potentially hit 6 targets, if the only requirement was to move past them.

I would just leave things as they are. If you really feel the need for the ability, I would definitely make it an epic level only feat.

 

[John Blackport]

Exactly what the PHB says. But I thought it should have been possible to pass by and attack a target, then move the mount to a second target and strike the second...

It is. You just need a "move-attack-and-move again" feat.

For infantry melee, it's Spring Attack.
For ranged attackers, it's Shot On The Run.
For cavalry melee, it's Ride-By Attack.