Harnmaster 1st Edition: Mounted Combat Rules

Riding a horse or other steed into battle has profound effects on combat ability. A steed and rider are sometimes considered individually, sometimes as a unit. Each member of the team limits and enhances the other's combat ability.

Steed Load

Each steed has a Load Rating. As long as the steed's load (including the rider and his gear) does not exceed the steed's load factor, actions by the steed are not penalized. If the steed is overloaded, it should be subject to an Encumbrance penalty for the excess (at GM discretion).

Steed                 Load
Pony (Chelni, Hodiri) 180 lbs
Riding Palfrey        200 lbs
Warhorse              300 lbs

Any character who mounts a steed for the first time can open the Riding skill appropriate to the species of steed. Riding Skill is subject to 50% of the physical penalty that would apply to the rider afoot.

Initiative

The Initiative of a rider-steed combination is the sum of Rider Initiative and Steed Initiative. Hence, most steed-rider teams will move before any riderless steeds or unmounted characters.

Steed Command Checks

Steed Movement

Rate   Length of Move (10 secs) Fatigue
Walk   Mob x 1' (20% Mob Hexes) None
Trot   Mob x 2' (40% Mob Hexes) FR x 1
Canter Mob x 3' (60% Mob Hexes) FR x 2
Gallop Mob x 4' (80% Mob Hexes) FR x 3

A steed/rider (or other large, 2-hex figure) may select any of the movement Action Options for melee combat. That is, the steed may free move, engage, or disengage using its own effective Mobility. A steed may never enter a hex containing cavalry stakes or characters equipped with polearms.

Steed Stumbles

Steeds may have to make stumble rolls or jump obstacles in the course of movement/combat. The number of dice used for a steed stumble roll depends on the steed's rate of speed: Walk (2d6), Trot (3d6), Canter (4d6), and Gallop (5d6). A roll in excess of the steed's Agility indicates it has stumbled. If the roll exceeds the steed's Agility by five (5) or more points, the steed has also broken a leg (etc.). A steed which stumbles will unhorse its rider, but may rise immediately (if uninjured) and may gallop away (GM discretion). Bear in mind that a significant obstacle for a man afoot may not be much of a hinderance to a 1,500 lb horse.

Steed Jumps

Any reasonable obstacle may be easily jumped by a steed. Slightly more difficult jumps may be made by making a stumble roll: Walk/Trot (4d6), Canter (3d6), and Gallop (2d6). Note that more dice are rolled at the slower speeds.

Mounted Attacks

Steed Attacks

A Steed may attempt to press/kick an adjacant opponent, or attempt to bite/gore an enemy who is adjacant to its front end (3 such hexes exist). The steed EMLs for such attacks are given in the bestiary, although these may be varied at GM discretion. The defender may Dodge, Block, Counterstrike, or Ignore. Most of these are resolved like any melee attack, but Block is a special case.

A block implies the target wishes to contest the hex by trial of strength. To resolve such a contest, each contestant rolls 2d6 plus Strength; the party with the higher result wins the contested hex. The loser must immediately move (one hex) out of the way (even if this means dropping over a cliff) and make a 4d6 stumble roll.

Rider Attacks

The Rider may make a weapon attack (weapon class +1) against an engaged enemy. The GM may restrict the hexes which can be attacked by the rider according to the length of weapon and hand used. A typical 3 foot long weapon held in the right hand should be able to attack the three hexes to the right of the steed, and one hex (the central one) to the left (it is harder to make a cross-body strike on a horse). Such weapon attacks are resolved normally on the Melee Attack Table. However, there are discretionary aiming zone modifiers (etc.) which may be applied by the GM. A rider "stumble" generated by the Attack Table should be treated as a fumble roll.

Mounted Charge

A mounted charge is basically a steed move to engage at canter or gallop speed. The length of the charge may not be less than a full canter move nor more than a gallop move. That is, the steed does NOT halt when it enters an engagement zone, but continues to move until it has covered the minimum distance of a full canter move.

A mounted charge is executed one hex at a time. Reasonable obstacles may be jumped by making stumble rolls for the steed. Unless the steed stumbles, it will continue moving until the full charge is completed.

When charging, the steed may attempt to trample or gore opponent(s) by passing through the hexes they occupy; the rider may make a weapon attack (attack class +1) on EVERY adjacent opponent passed. In either case the steed or rider attack is treated normally except the impact of all strikes is increased by 1d6. That is, an A*2 strike is treated as an A*3 strike. If the rider achieves a (non-missile) strike, he must also make a fumble roll to determine if he has dropped the striking weapon.

GM NOTE: Horses and similar creatures are extremely reluctant to charge towards each other. In most cases, a mutual mounted charge can only be executed if both steeds are separated by a short wall and/or blindfolded, otherwise the steeds will veer apart beyond the range of most weapons. Such charges are rare except in organized tournaments.

Unhorsing

Rider Defenses

Block

The rider may attempt to block an attack on himself or his steed. Use the applicable weapon EML to resolve. It is not normally possible for a rider to block a strike against his steed with a weapon under three feet long (this excludes shields).

Dodge

The rider has two dodge options in combat: (1) he may dodge (duck) attacks aimed at him by using his own Dodge EML; (2) After passing a command check, he may attempt a steed dodge with its own EML. A successful dodge by the steed is presumed to be a successful dodge by the rider.

Counterstrike

The rider may choose to counterstrike, which allows him to use a his declared weapon at attack class +1 rather than defence class -1.

Grapple

A grapple defence implies that the rider leaps from his mount to wrestle with the attacker. This is effectively an attack, not a defence, so the attack class will be 2. If the rider gains a hold, it is assumed both parties are grappling (prone); the rider may exploit first. If the rider fails to gain a hold he is subject to the blunt strike noted under "unhorsing".