Mounted Combat

Few sights inspire confidence like a skilled rider guiding a warhorse through the crush of battle. A mounted hero enjoys speed, height, and the momentum of half a ton of muscle—but only if horse and rider act as one. The rules below expand on this, using familiar Alacrity action economy, the difficulty ladder, and skill tests.

Initiative and Shared Actions

Mount and rider move together on the rider’s initiative. When the round begins, the rider declares every action the pair intends to attempt. Most of these actions will be the rider’s own—swings of a sword, the nock and release of an arrow—but any demand for true horsemanship counts as a “Command Mount” action. A calm walk across open turf is routine and needs no roll. Anything faster, riskier, or made under fire calls for the rider’s Riding skill.

The “Command Mount” Action

Issuing a command to your mount under duress requires one Declared Action. Roll your Riding skill and measure the situation against the Difficulty Ladder. A firm canter across level ground might be Everyday (0%). Steering a nervous gelding across a blood‑slick bridge is Challenging (-10%). Urging a wounded charger to leap a burning trench could be Very Hard (-30%).

• Success: The mount covers its full Movement and performs the maneuver cleanly.
• Failure: The beast balks. Halve its Movement for the round, and the rider suffers a –10% penalty to their own attack rolls until their next pass.
• Critical Failure (00): The horse lurches or rears. The rider must immediately make an Acrobatics or Athletics test to stay seated (base Everyday (0%) difficulty if the mount was stationary, Challenging (-10%) if already moving). A failed test dumps the rider prone, suffering 1d10 Stun damage.

Movement in the Saddle

One successful “Command Mount” action lets the animal use its entire Movement for the round. The rider may divide this ridden distance around their other actions exactly as a character on foot would. Minor shifts in position—a sidestep, a slow pivot while stationary—are free and follow the “Minor Repositioning” guideline.

Combat from Horseback

• Striking from Above: Height counts. When a mounted fighter attacks a target on foot, the attack is made with a Favorable (+10%) bonus, provided the mount is at least one size category larger than the target.
• Ranged Fire from Horseback: Accuracy is affected by the mount’s movement:
  • Steady Mount (Stationary): Normal shot, no penalty.
  • Walk or Trot: Imposes a Challenging (-10%) penalty.
  • Gallop or Sudden Jink/Evasive Move: Imposes a Hard (-20%) penalty.
  • Riding Critical: If a rider achieved a critical success on a Riding check in the same round, they may reduce one of these ranged attack penalties by one step (e.g., -20% becomes -10%).
• Warhorse Attacks: A well-trained warhorse taught to bite or kick may attack in place of one of the rider’s declared actions for the round, using its own attack skill and damage.

The Shock of the Charge

Nothing breaks a shield wall like a lance couched behind a charging destrier.
To attempt a charge:

1. The rider first spends a “Command Mount” action to have the mount move at least half its Movement in a relatively straight line towards the target.
2. The rider then makes their melee attack (often with a lance). This attack gains a Favorable (+10%) bonus to hit and deals two extra dice of damage.
3. Critical Failure on Attack: A critical failure on the charge attack splinters the lance or unseats its bearer—an Acrobatics or Athletics test (Challenging (-10%) difficulty) determines which.

Overrun and Trample

A Large (or larger) mount can attempt to bowl smaller foes aside.
To attempt an overrun:

1. The rider spends a “Command Mount” action directing the mount to move through an opponent’s space.
2. Make a contested Riding skill roll for the rider against the victim’s Dodge or Athletics skill.
3. Success: The target is knocked prone and suffers physical damage equal to the mount’s SDA plus 3d10. If the mount moved its full dashing rate as part of this maneuver, add another 1d10 damage.

Staying Mounted

• Staying A‑Horse: Whenever the mount drops to zero Hit Points, slips on treacherous ground, absorbs a critical hit, or attempts a particularly reckless leap, the rider must make an Acrobatics or Athletics test (base Everyday (0%) difficulty, adjusted by GM for severity) to stay in the saddle.
  • Failure: The rider is spilled, takes 1d10 Stun damage, and lands prone.
  • Critical Failure: As above, but the rider also suffers 1 Hit Point of damage.
• Morale of the Beast: Most horses react poorly to the chaos of battle. A non‑war animal checks morale like any other creature and bolts if it fails. War‑trained stock receive a +20% bonus on their morale checks. If a mount’s morale check fails, the rider must immediately attempt a “Command Mount” action (Riding skill) to control it. If that Riding roll also fails, the horse flees sixty feet straight ahead or in the most obvious escape direction.

Mounting and Dismounting

• Climbing into or out of the saddle normally costs one Declared Action.
• An athletic rider with a relaxed or trained mount may attempt to vault into the saddle as a Free Action with an Easy (+30%) Acrobatics roll.

Example Warhorse Statistics

For convenience, a standard warhorse might use these values:

• Movement: 60 ft per round
• Soak: 3d10 (Tough Hide); may be increased by +2d10 if wearing leather barding.
• Hit Points: 40
• Stun Points: 40
• Attacks: Kick or Bite at 45% skill, dealing SDA (mount’s) + 3d10 damage.
• Trample: Follows the Overrun rule detailed above.

With these guidelines, any table can bring thunderous cavalry charges and desperate running fights to life while keeping the familiar rhythm of Alacrity combat.

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File Created: 05/06/2025
Last Modified: 05/06/2025