What's the deal with 2handed weapons while mounted?

[Tzarevitch]

We all know at this point that lances can be used 1handed while mounted. But what about other 2handed weapons? There are no rules that I have found declaring one way or the other whether characters can fight with greatswords and ranseurs and such from horseback. Historically, I believe, the answer is they cannot. The 3.5 rules don't seem to make a statement either way.

My gut feeling is to ad hoc a -4 penalty for fighting with a 2handed weapon from horseback, or to outlaw 2handed combat while mounted altogether. Visually, I can't reconcile the image of a PC trying to use a greatsword while mounted. But I can't imagine how one would fight with a dire flail either, but by rule one can, so that is no basis for a ruling.

Have any of you dealt with this, and what have you decided?

As others have pointed out, you can use two-handed weapons from horseback just fine. The example I am most familiar with is the samurai wielding a katana two-handed. (There is an example of a samurai doing this in the Akira Kurosawa movie, "The Hidden Fortress".) You guide the mount with your knees, and use your knees to steady yourself in the saddle.

Tzarevitch

 

[Aaron2]

Scewering

Gives me a chance to link to one of my favorites ...

http://www.thehaca.com/arttalk/at1NEW.htm

And, yes, two-handed weapons on horseback are quite common.


Aaron

 

[AGGEMAM]

Why would it be more difficult to use a 2-handed weapon while mounted than say using .. a bow?

 

[Sejs]

If you're into the whole anime thing, check out Berserk - there's a number of good examples of someone using a greatsword while mounted, and may help with visualization some.

 

[Carnifex]

Hey ForceUser!

I had the same problem when one of the players in my game started using his greatsword form the back of his horse.

It really makes No sense to me, and I kind of thought maybe the rules didn't allow it. I later looked it up and realized that I was just remembering how things were in Warhammer fantasy battles, and as Hypersmurf points out there is nothing to disallow the use of a great sword from horse back, so I just said heck with it whatever it's not worth the grief I'll just let it go.

If the sorcerer can zip off a magic missile from her finger tips while Flying, why the heck stress over the lack of plausibility of using a greatsword from horseback?! (Still sound bogus to me though....sheesh if Warhammer can have a rule to stop it why not D&D...ahh well)

Um... Warhammer has the Knights of the White Wolf who use two-handed warhammers from horseback...

 

[ForceUser]

Thanks for the info guys. Very interesting.

 

[Someone]

Gives me a chance to link to one of my favorites ...

http://www.thehaca.com/arttalk/at1NEW.htm

And, yes, two-handed weapons on horseback are quite common.


Aaron

That´s from the Bible of Maciejowski. An excellent source of unusual weapons! Here are some other pictures from the same book (14th century, IIRC)

Look at the strange polearms of the guys in the left

More riders using two handed weapons

The pictures are from this page

 

[paulewaug]

Um... Warhammer has the Knights of the White Wolf who use two-handed warhammers from horseback...

that's true, and they did have a bretonnian knight fig armed with a 2 handed sword.
Nice sculpt too!

Maybe I am thinking of an older version and the Knights of the White Wolf had an exception similar to the Swordmasters of Chrace did,
More likely I am "missremebering!" :lol