Re: Mounted Combat

From: Tim Ellis <tim_at_...>
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 13:28:17 -0000

> How does one determine the target number for a mounted attacker?
> Does the character need to have a skill in "Mounted Combat"? Does
> the Riding skill variably affect the Close Combat skill when
> fighting while mounted (that is, does Riding apply as possible
> Augmentation to Close Combat?
>

The answer, as always in Hero Wars is "how do you want it to work" (remember, There is always another way...)

You could treat "Mounted Combat" as a subset of Close Combat (or ranged combat) in the same way that "Sword and Shield" are. In this case you could definitely apply a "Ride" skill as an Augment (and if you have a combat trained mount then you could treat that as a follower too)

Alternatively you could treat it as a new skill in the same way as Close Combat so you might have
Close Combat 5W (Sword and Shield, Spear and Shield) Mounted Combat 1w(Mounted Lance, Mounted Sword)

Or you could allow any mounted combatant fighting a dismounted opponent a "free" augment* with "Mounted Combat" or (if they don't have that) "Ride" at an improv. penalty. Where both opponents are mounted or dismounted then the bonuses will "Cancel out" (OK so this may not be true when the Grazer Champion, mounted on his Goldeneye Stallion is charging down a young Issaries apprentice trying his mule out for the first time, but in general...)

Or you could use Jeff's suggestion and Cap Close Combat with Ride, or Wulf's and augment the lower skill with the higher (ALthough I do see a problem here of determining what a Grazer or Praxian's "WALK" skill is in numeric terms)

• A "Free" augment is one that automatically takes effect without needing to take an action - One of the Characters in the handout section gets one of these for attacks with his mace due to his great strength, IIRC, so there is a precedent if not an actual rule for this!