Rule: Mounted Combat

Any time an entity is riding a mount (e.g. horse) while attacking an opponent, they are engaging in mounted combat. Mounted combat generally confers: advantage on all melee attacks; -1 to attacks targeting the rider; +1 damage bonus; and moving at the movement range of the mount.

Mounting & Dismounting

Mounting a creature occurs during the rider’s movement sequence. It costs half of the rider’s movement range to mount the creature, or all if the mount is considered large in size (e.g. mammoth). If the rider has moved greater than half of his or her movement range to reach the mount, he or she will be unable to mount it until their next combat turn.

Dismounting a creature costs half of the rider’s movement range, or all, if the mount is large. An alternative technique⁠—the swift dismount⁠—can be used at the cost of 1 power point (2 power points if the mount is large). When swiftly dismounting, the rider incurs no movement penalty, and gains a +1 melee attack bonus for his or her combat turn.

Controlling a Mount

How well a rider can control his or her mount depends on three factors: the rider’s experience, both in general and with the mount; how well trained the mount is; and environmental or otherwise external conditions (e.g. terrain, weather, fog of war, etc.). These factors will assist the GM in determining the toughness level of controlling the mount in adverse situations. In these situations, the rider must succeed a power or reflex check of that toughness; if failed, the rider must succeed a T5 power or reflex save or be thrown from the mount.

Mounts in Combat

If the mount is sufficiently well-trained, a rider may use any abilities possessed by the creature on his or her combat turn as an additional action, and for the ability’s cost in power points.

Each time a mount is damaged in combat, roll 1d10: if the result is 5 or lower, the rider must succeed a T5 power or reflex save to prevent being thrown from the mount. If the mount is slain while its rider is mounted, the rider must succeed a T5 reflex save or be knocked prone in the fall.

Keep your eyes on the horizon for some mounted monsters, coming soon!