The Strength of Lances

[Hypersmurf]

I imagine the houserule would be to institute the FAQ, at least for me it is.

Ick.

"A longsword wielded in two hands is a two-handed weapon"?

Bleh.

If I wanted to houserule the lance, I'd add "treating it as a one-handed weapon" to the sentence stating it can be wielded in one hand while mounted... thereby making it do what some people think it should, without making up new definitions for "two-handed weapon" that contradict other sections of the rules...

-Hyp.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I imagine the houserule would be to institute the FAQ, at least for me it is.

So...

Are mounted knights so powerful that they need to be brought down a peg?

 

[HeavyG]

Are mounted knights so powerful that they need to be brought down a peg?

Or, you could ask "Are mounted knights so weak that they need to be twinked ?"

It all depends on your point of view.

 

[Liquidsabre]

"A longsword wielded in two hands is a two-handed weapon"?

Not that one.

If I wanted to houserule the lance, I'd add "treating it as a one-handed weapon" to the sentence stating it can be wielded in one hand while mounted... thereby making it do what some people think it should, without making up new definitions for "two-handed weapon" that contradict other sections of the rules...

That's the one! A Lance is treated as a one-handed weapon while mounted.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Or, you could ask "Are mounted knights so weak that they need to be twinked ?"

It all depends on your point of view.

Not quite. Using the rules-as-written isn't a twink. Changing the rules-as-written to make mounted knights weaker than they are in the rules-as-written is bringing them down a peg.

 

[Darklone]

What would you be house-ruling, Pielorinho? The lance hardly seems overpowered with the ability to be wielded with one hand (and gain 2-handed bennies) while mounted. Are mounted knights so powerful that they need to be brought down a peg?

Double damage on mounted charges even without feats... yes, I think they are pretty powerful at low levels even if you don't give them all twohanded weapon bennies.

 

[Storminator]

double tap

 

[Storminator]

I think you should have the lance be a one handed weapon in all respects, but then add in the mount's STR mod to damage on a charge.

PS

 

[Pielorinho]

Storminator, I like that idea!

Some notes:
-IMC, I allowed a centaur character to take feats as if he were on a mount, not realizing what the results would be. Soon he'll get spirited charge (I think at fourth level, due to another houserule giving everyone an extra feat at first level to keep non-AU characters in line with AU characters), allowing him to charge past someone without incurring an AoO, and do 3d8+(4.5*str bonus) damage. His Str is 20, so each charge does 3d8+22 damage. Yeow. At least currently he does this at the expense of his AC; this ruling would make it even worse.
-Note that without the houserule for the centaur, a third-level human fighter with an 18 str can be doing the same thing, only the damage will be 3d8+18; that's a buncha damage for a third-level character to be doing every round.
-I prefer the 3.0 idea, where depending on whether you wield the weapon with one or two hands, you'll do less or more damage. I honestly wasn't even aware that had changed in 3.5.

Daniel

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Some notes:

...

Sounds like it's time for your party to start running into monsters / humanoids with reach who ready against charges behind a shield wall.