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Old 10-11-2021, 02:57 PM   #1
phiwum
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
Default Mounted combat and two-handed weapons

Quote:
A horseman can carry and use any weapon for which he
has the ST
, including missile weapons, thrown weapons, and
polearms. A horseman may “jab” with a pole weapon, just as
though he were on foot. A horseman charging does 1 die extra
damage if he hits with a pole weapon, and takes 1 die extra
damage if a pole weapon hits him.
Really?

I guess I know that one can fire a bow from a horse, but I'm having trouble picturing a rider using a two-handed melee weapon (halberd, two handed sword, etc.) from a horse. In fact, using a bow without the horse running straight at the end of its movement or slowly is a little hard for me to imagine.

Now, I have little imagination, so someone knowledgeable can tell me whether this sounds right.

Thanks.

Last edited by phiwum; 10-11-2021 at 04:50 PM.
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Old 10-11-2021, 06:33 PM   #2
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Mounted combat and two-handed weapons

It's been done historically.

https://www.the-ninth-age.com/commun...-on-horseback/
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Old 10-11-2021, 06:49 PM   #3
phiwum
 
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Default Re: Mounted combat and two-handed weapons

Thanks, Henry.
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Old 10-11-2021, 08:07 PM   #4
Shostak
 
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Default Re: Mounted combat and two-handed weapons

Conan wields a two-handed sword while mounted on a horse in “The Scarlet Citadel”, if that’s not evidence; I don’t know what would be. ;-)
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Old 10-11-2021, 08:27 PM   #5
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Default Re: Mounted combat and two-handed weapons

This is more 'house-rule' territory, but I require EXPERT HORSEMANSHIP for hands-free riding or mounted combat with a two-handed weapon.
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Old 10-11-2021, 09:39 PM   #6
phiwum
 
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Location: Boston area
Default Re: Mounted combat and two-handed weapons

Quote:
Originally Posted by TippetsTX View Post
This is more 'house-rule' territory, but I require EXPERT HORSEMANSHIP for hands-free riding or mounted combat with a two-handed weapon.
I was thinking something similar. At least Horsemanship to use a two-handed weapon from horseback, if not Expert.

You could make the following rules:

Non-horseman using two-handed weapon: 4/DX to keep from falling off each turn.

Non-expert horseman ... : 3/DX to keep from falling off each turn.

Expert horseman: Priceless.

Okay, pop culture references got in the way there, but you get it.
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Old 10-12-2021, 06:07 AM   #7
amenditman
 
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Default Re: Mounted combat and two-handed weapons

Two-handed weapons: A figure with a ST that is 3 or
more above the minimum ST required for a 2-handed
weapon may use it one-handed. ITL p15 (insert)
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Old 10-12-2021, 10:09 AM   #8
phiwum
 
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Location: Boston area
Default Re: Mounted combat and two-handed weapons

Quote:
Originally Posted by amenditman View Post
Two-handed weapons: A figure with a ST that is 3 or
more above the minimum ST required for a 2-handed
weapon may use it one-handed. ITL p15 (insert)
Sure, but that's not the situation I was concerned about. If one can use a two-handed weapon one-handed, then there's no real difference on horseback.
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Old 10-13-2021, 02:02 PM   #9
phiwum
 
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Location: Boston area
Default Re: Mounted combat and two-handed weapons

A new question.

Quote:
Mounted Combat Attacks
Both an animal and its rider may attack, and both may
attack in the same turn. A rider may attack regardless of how
far his mount moved that turn
, although the animal itself
cannot attack if it moved more than half its MA. To determine
whether the rider is making a charge attack, of course, you
consider the movement of his animal.
So a rider may fire a bow no matter how fast his horsey is going, right? (Ignore the questions about two-handed weapons above for now and just assume that the rider can use a two-handed weapon as RAW suggests.)

If we apply RAW, a centaur can only move one hex and fire his bow. He can also only make a half-move to charge attack. I'm not sure that sits well with me.

Obviously, one could just say that a Centaur is a special case, acting like a mounted rider in combat, but that would be a serious upgrade. The fact is that a Centaur has to pay attention as he gallops while the horse, not the rider, pays attention.

Still, sure seems to me that a Centaur ought to be able to fire a bow after a half-move (maybe because it sounds cool). Anyone ever think about this?

Thanks, as always.
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Old 10-14-2021, 01:09 AM   #10
Steve Plambeck
 
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Default Re: Mounted combat and two-handed weapons

Quote:
Originally Posted by phiwum View Post
Still, sure seems to me that a Centaur ought to be able to fire a bow after a half-move (maybe because it sounds cool). Anyone ever think about this?
Seems like a very happy compromise to me. Only allowing 1 hex movement while firing does seem too restrictive -- as a 4-legged high speed creature it's very different than a humanoid archer. But letting it move full MA in the same turn as making a melee attack is overly generous -- perhaps not unrealistic, but far too powerful in terms of play balance. I'd go with firing the bow or making a hand weapon attack while moving up to half MA.

There's lots of homemade Centaur counters in my aging collection, but I can't recall any instance of when they actually got used.
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