Mounted Combat Tricks

[LokiDR]

A warrior who is focused on a reach weapon but has no mounted feats. He, on a warhorse, wants to attack a person on the ground who is slow (full plate). Can he fake a ride-by attack?

The rule explanation would be guide horse with knees, DC 5 ride check, free action. The rider guides the horse past the person on the ground, the mount taking a double move. The rider readies action to hit person when they come into range of his reach weapon. The person on the ground cannot make an AoO unless he has a reach weapon since the rider doesn't get closer than 10 feet.

Does this work?

For reference, here are the SRD rules on mounted combat:

Combat while Mounted: With a DC 5 Ride check, you can guide your mount with your knees so as to use both hands to attack or defend yourself. This is a free action.
When you attack a creature smaller than your mount that is on foot, you get the +1 bonus on melee attacks for being on higher ground. If your mount moves more than 5 feet, you can only make a single melee attack. Essentially, you have to wait until the mount gets to your enemy before attacking, so you can’t make a full attack. Even at your mount’s full speed, you don’t take any penalty on melee attacks while mounted.
If your mount charges, you also take the AC penalty associated with a charge. If you make an attack at the end of the charge, you receive the bonus gained from the charge. When charging on horseback, you deal double damage with a lance (see Charge).
You can use ranged weapons while your mount is taking a double move, but at a –4 penalty on the attack roll. You can use ranged weapons while your mount is running (quadruple speed), at a –8 penalty. In either case, you make the attack roll when your mount has completed half its movement. You can make a full attack with a ranged weapon while your mount is moving. Likewise, you can take move actions normally.

 

[Zaruthustran]

I think it works. These two SRD quotes are important:

Under "Mounted Combat":
Your mount acts on your initiative count as you direct it. You move at its speed, but the mount uses its action to move.

Under "Ready":
If the triggered action is part of another character’s activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action.

Example: your init comes up.

You: Ready (a standard action) to attack an enemy when he comes within reach.
Mount: Uses its own Move action to move past an enemy.
Effect: Mount makes its move. During this move your Readied action is triggered. After your readied action is resolved, mount completes its move.

Neat trick!

-z

 

[Darklone]

If you handle it like this, I see two problems:
- If you ready, your mount readies too because you chose to let it act on your initiative...
- Could someone dig out the part about only one melee attack while riding? I think it says something about the end or the beginning of the mounts move...

 

[green slime]

I'm finding this hard today...

 

[LokiDR]

If you handle it like this, I see two problems:
- If you ready, your mount readies too because you chose to let it act on your initiative...

No, your mount has its own action. For simplicity it acts on your initive. Controling the mount is a free action with a ride check, DC 5. Then you can take any move action you want (say, draw a glaive). Then, as a standard action, you ready your attack. The mount makes its own move as directed by the rider. There is nothing that forces the rider and horse to act on the same ititive.

- Could someone dig out the part about only one melee attack while riding? I think it says something about the end or the beginning of the mounts move...

The relevant portions of the SRD above:
"If your mount moves more than 5 feet, you can only make a single melee attack. Essentially, you have to wait until the mount gets to your enemy before attacking, so you can’t make a full attack. "

I doesn't say end or begining of mounts move, only that you can only take 1.

 

[Artoomis]

Sure you can do this. The way this is different from Ride-by attack is:

1. You cannot do this and charge: no double damage [triple with Spirited Charge] from the lance.

2. An AoO on you and/or your horse is possible if your opponent has reach.

It's a neat trick, but not as good as using the feats. This is how it should be.

I'm going to use this one! It's a great way to get one attack in while setting up your Ride-by Attack/Spiritid Charge for the next round. I've been wasting a round to set up my charges.

 

[LokiDR]

Sure you can do this. The way this is different from Ride-by attack is:

1. You cannot do this and charge (no double damage [triple with Spirited Charge] from the lance.

I don't know about not charging. If I set the mount to charge, I get the +2 to attack and -2 AC. I know that if I am mounted, using a lance, I can charge and deal double damage. I don't need spirited charge for that. I just can't get the charge bonuses in the middle of the mount's move.

Could you do this trick with a lance and shield? A lance is a reach weapon that can be used 1 handed when mounted. Ah, the lance. Still one of the worst implementations in D&D.

I'm going to use this one! It's a great way to get one attack in while setting up your Ride-by Attack/Spiritid Charge for the next round. I've been wasting a round to set up my charges.

Glad to help.

 

[Artoomis]

I don't know about not charging. If I set the mount to charge, I get the +2 to attack and -2 AC. I know that if I am mounted, using a lance, I can charge and deal double damage. I don't need spirited charge for that. I just can't get the charge bonuses in the middle of the mount's move.

Could you do this trick with a lance and shield? A lance is a reach weapon that can be used 1 handed when mounted. Ah, the lance. Still one of the worst implementations in D&D.


Glad to help.

1. You can't charge because:

a. You can only attack at the end of the movement when charging.

b. You cannot "ready" a charge unless you are resticted to one action only that round.

Of course you can charge while mounted, but you cannot "sort-of" simulate a ride-by attack when charging.

2. Yes, you can use lance and shield (just as in real life). Note that in 3.5 a lance is only one-handed when riding. This is a much better implementation of a lance.

 

[Nail]

The rule explanation would be guide horse with knees, DC 5 ride check, free action. The rider guides the horse past the person on the ground, the mount taking a double move. The rider readies action to hit person when they come into range of his reach weapon.

Ooooo. Good one!

 

[LokiDR]

Of course you can charge while mounted, but you cannot "sort-of" simulate a ride-by attack when charging.

That is what I thought.

2. Yes, you can use lance and shield (just as in real life). Note that in 3.5 a lance is only one-handed when riding. This is a much better implementation of a lance.

The hole is useing the lance as a reach weapon perpendicular to your movement. You can fake a ride-by with a lance, and that strikes me as bad. With the modification to a horse face/reach and "where the rider sits" I think the weapon should be a longspear on the ground and longsword while mounted (at least for number of hands and reach).