Mounted Combat

You can ride some creatures into combat. As noted in the Mount basic action, your mount needs to be at least one size larger than you and willing. Your mount acts on your initiative. You must use the Command an Animal action to get your mount to spend its actions. If you don’t, the animal wastes its actions. If you have the Ride general talent, you succeed automatically when you Command an Animal that’s your mount.

For example, if you are mounted on a horse and you make three attacks, your horse would remain stationary since you didn’t command it. If you instead spent your first action to Command an Animal and succeeded, you could get your mount to Stride. You could spend your next action to attack or to command the horse to attack, but not both.

Mounted Attacks

You and your mount fight as a unit. Consequently, you share a multiple attack penalty. For example, if you Strike and then Command an Animal to have your mount Strike, your mount’s attack takes a –1d multiple attack penalty.

You occupy every square of your mount’s space for the purpose of making your attacks. If you were Medium and on a Large mount, you could attack a creature on one side of your mount, then attack on the opposite side with your next action. If you have a longer reach, the distance depends partly on the size of your mount. On a Medium or smaller mount, use your normal reach. On a Large or Huge mount, you can attack any square adjacent to the mount if you have 5- or 10-foot reach, or any square within 10 feet of the mount (including diagonally) if you have 15-foot reach.

Attacking While Mounted

With a DC 5 Animal Handling check, you can guide your mount with your knees so as to use both hands to attack or defend yourself. This is a free action.

When you attack a creature smaller than your mount that is on foot, you have +1d on melee attacks for being on higher ground. If your mount moves more than 5 feet, then you can only make a single melee attack as you pass your target. Essentially, you have to wait until the mount gets to your target before attacking, so you can’t make multiple attacks vs a single target. However, if you have the Extra Attack talent, then you may attack multiple targets by moving in between. Even at your mount’s full speed, you don’t take any penalty on melee attacks while mounted.

If your mount charges and you make an attack at the end of the charge, you receive the bonus gained from the charge.

If your mount strides more than once on its turn, then but you suffer -1d on attack rolls with ranged weapons. You can use the Extra Attack talent with a ranged weapon while your mount is moving.

Casting Spells While Mounted

You can cast a spell normally if your mount moves up to a normal move (its speed) either before or after you cast. If you have your mount move both before and after you cast a spell, then you’re casting the spell while the mount is moving, and you have to make a concentration check due to the vigorous motion (DC 10 + spell level) or lose the spell. If the mount is dashing, you can cast a spell when your mount has moved up to twice its speed, but your concentration check is more difficult due to the violent motion (DC 15 + spell level).

Mounted Defenses

When you’re mounted, attackers can target either you or your mount. Anything that affects multiple creatures (such as an area) affects both of you as long as you’re both in the area. You are in an attacker’s reach or range if any square of your mount is within reach or range. Since your mount is larger than you and you share its space, you have lesser cover against attacks targeting you when you’re mounted if the mount would be in the way.

Since you can’t move your body as freely while you’re riding a mount, you take a -1d circumstance penalty to Dexterity defence while mounted. Additionally, the only move action that you can use is the Mount action to dismount.

If Your Mount Falls in Battle

If your mount falls unconscious or is knocked prone, you automatically attempt to dismount as it falls. An attack roll with a bonus of +5 is made vs your passive Dexterity (Athletics) score. On a miss, you fall softly and take no damage. On a hit, you are dismounted, fall prone in a space within 5 feet of your mount and take 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage.

If Your Mount Is Moved Against Its Will

If an effect moves your mount against its will while you’re on it, you must succeed on a DC 10 Strength or Dexterity defence check or fall off the mount, as described above. If you’re knocked prone while mounted, you must make the same check.

If You Are Dropped

If you are knocked unconscious, you have a 50% chance to stay in the saddle (75% if you are in a military saddle). Otherwise you fall and take 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage. Without you to guide it, your mount avoids combat.