Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Cifer 04-25-06, 08:10 PM	Hello! In our campaign (*) I play an arabianlike mounted fighter and just have acquired the tactical feat cavalry charger from Complete Warrior. I looked upon it and instantly fell in love with and married fell trample: Getting to ride down a lot of orcs while charging must be fun! Then came the divorce: I am riding a light warhorse (no barding available) with exactly 29 hp and an armor class of 14. Now usually, mounted combat enables me to overrun (override?) someone and use the once-per-turn exchange of a ride check for my mount's AC granted by mounted combat, but when I fell-trample several enemies, everyone except the first one will swing a two-handed sword (orc standard weapon) against my dear horse as an AoO, which would mean its death after about two turns. Thus, in order to be able to still use the ability, I would like to introduce a new feat: Improved Mounted Combat: This feat enables you to use a ride check made as a free action in place of your mount's AC as often as you want. Would you think it to be overpowered or do you have other solutions to my problems? Please do tell me! (*) Midnight setting. Basically a low-magic setting with an evil god more or less ruling the world and the characters being rebels against him.
RaspK FOG 04-25-06, 11:47 PM	Maybe it would be best if people realised that feats are not supposed to allow you to do anything (except after you hit your 21st level, of course); a light charger is not supposed to be able to cut down through a swath of enemies...
Cifer 04-26-06, 05:50 AM	Maybe it would be best if people realised that feats are not supposed to allow you to do anything They do not? Then exactly why is it that it is possible for a dexterity-based fighter to exist when weapon finesse is not supposed to allow him to use his dexterity to his advantage (which wouldn't be possible without the feat)? After all, for unmounted combatants there is even the improved overrun feat which avoids AoOs completely. Finally, most warrior-like enemies of comparable CR have an attack bonus that is more or less equal to my ride modifier, thus there would still be considerable risk. Also, please explain to me how a larger horse would accomplish this feat - they are, after all, supposed to do that, yet still have only little more hp.
RaspK FOG 04-26-06, 10:35 AM	They do not? Then exactly why is it that it is possible for a dexterity-based fighter to exist when weapon finesse is not supposed to allow him to use his dexterity to his advantage (which wouldn't be possible without the feat)? What I mean is that, in relation to your example, there is no published feat from Wizards of the Coast that allows you to add your Dexterity bonus along with your Strength bonus on attack rolls with light melee weapons; true, there could have been one, but that's neither balanced nor reasonable. Also, please explain to me how a larger horse would accomplish this feat - they are, after all, supposed to do that, yet still have only little more hp. What I meant is that you would have to use a RL perspective on the matter and get a RL-equivalent of a heavy warhorse; that is, a heavy charger in full plated barding and with proper martial training, the one that made the horse actually quite capable of fighting in its own (a horse can normally bite and grapple with its teeth quite forcefully actually)!
Cifer 04-26-06, 02:10 PM	What I mean is that, in relation to your example, there is no published feat from Wizards of the Coast that allows you to add your Dexterity bonus along with your Strength bonus on attack rolls with light melee weapons; true, there could have been one, but that's neither balanced nor reasonable. Still, I fail to see the exact connection: The feat does not add the riding check to the usual AC but replaces it, just as Weapon finesse does with dexterity and strength. To add to the comparison: Of course the riding check is at an advantage to the usual AC since I have put points onto it, just the same as with fighters who have rather low strength and high dexterity. that is, a heavy charger in full plated barding I'm not sure whether such heavy barding would have to be neccessary. My knowledge of horse-armour is only vague, but analogous to the fact that full plate was available for humans only at the ending of the middle ages, so would it probably have been for horses. I daresay that the act of knights charging and riding down enemies predates the invention. Of course you are right by saying that using a heavy warhorse would be much more intelligent, but it would still suffer nearly the same problems without extraordinary armor. (a horse can normally bite and grapple with its teeth quite forcefully actually) I know someone who was stepped on by a horse more or less by accident. The hoof imprint on his foot disappeared about a year later... so yes, horses do have a lot of mass and strength available.
RaspK FOG 04-27-06, 09:10 AM	OK, allow me to be specific: the feat you suggest is, well, a little too good exactly because it effectively allows you to try this maneouvre as often as you like as a free action, which is so far better than Mounted Combat it gets munchkinny; if I were to allow such a feat, I would say that, during a charge, hustle, or run action, you are allowed to make a single Ride check that replaces the horse's Armour Class until the beginning of your next turn, but that's it. Actually, heavy plate armour did not come about until during the period you mention (in the 1400s), but chargers were always equipped with high grade armour, commonly mail with a plate covering the chest and/or the head. Still you are right; my main concern is that the whole "Ride check as often as I like" is an abuse. And, yes, I'd avoid having a quarrel with a horse any time! :D