(Ride [creature])
(2, w+2)
<Ride [A, B, C, D]>
<Ride [A, B, C, D]>
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A character with this skill is esp.
skilled in the riding && handling
of a flying mount. When the skill
is selected, the player must indicate
what type of mount it
pertains to, according to the categories
of flying mounts given in
the section on Encumbrance &&
Movement. The player may select <>
this skill more than once if he desires
his character to
have skill in handling more than one type
of aerial mount.
A character with proficiency in airborne
riding can perform all
of the following feats, some of them automatically
and others requiring
a Proficiency Check to determine success.
1) The character can leap onto the back
or neck of his mount
whenever the creature is at rest on the
ground, or can drop onto
his mount from a distance of no more than
10 feet above the
mount without causing damage either to
himself or to the mount.
The former maneuver can be performed even
if the character is
wearing armor. However, the second maneuver
cannot succeed
if the character is wearing armor heavier
than leather; in such a
case, the character will suffer falling
damage and his mount will
panic (and perhaps also suffer incidental
damage from the impact).
Accomplishing either of these feats does
not require a Proficiency
Check, but the character must make a successful
Proficiency Check if he intends to get
the mount airborne during
the same segment in which he landed. A
successful Proficiency
Check is also required if the character
attempts to drop from
above and land on the neck or back of
a mount that is hovering a
short distance off the ground. Failure
on this check indicates either
that the mount was driven to the ground
by the impact (possibly
causing it to suffer damage), or that
the character’s leap was
ill-timed and he ended up on the ground.
2) The character can spur his mount on
to greater speeds, adding
1 “ to the mount’s flying movement rate
for as many as four
consecutive turns. A successful Proficiency
Check is required at
the beginning of each turn in which this
extra speed is desired. If
the initial check fails, no more attempts
can be made until at least
three turns have passed, but the mount
can still be made to move
at its normal maximum movement rate. If
the second or a later
check fails, the mount has become fatigued
from overexertion. It
will immediately slow to 213 of its normal
maximum movement
rate and will perform as if it were one
Maneuverability Class
worse than it actually is. These conditions
will persist until the
mount is allowed to land and is given
at least two turns to regain
its strength. If the mount is successfully
pushed to greater
speeds for four consecutive turns, it
will slow and become less
maneuverable as described above and must
be landed and
rested before its normal levels of ability
can be regained.
3) The character can guide
his mount with his knees or feet,
leaving his hands free for the use of
weapons or equipment that
requires two hands. A Proficiency Check
is not necessary to accomplish
this feat unless the rider takes damage;
in such a case,
acheck must be made. Failure indicates
either that the character
drops what he was holding and clutches
his mount to keep from
falling off (if the damage is slight),
or that he is knocked off the
mount and falls (if the damage is more
than slight). Note that with
some mounts of exceptionally large size,
it may be prudent or
necessary for a rider to use some sort
of harness or series of
straps to keep himself securely positioned
on the mount. When a
harness is being used, this aspect of
the riding proficiency does
not apply - but it may prove perilous
to be strapped to a mount
that has taken damage and is plummeting
toward the ground.
4) If his mount is hovering, the character
can leap from the
back of his mount to the ground from a
height of 10 feet or less
and, in the same round, make a melee attack
against any character
or creature within 10 feet of where he
landed. This is a risky
maneuver, requiring the character to make
a successful Profi-
ciency Check with a +4 modifier to the
die roll. Failing this check
indicates that the character lands in
a heap, suffers ld3 points of
damage, and has a -4 penalty to armor
class for any melee attacks
directed against him in the current round.
SUMMARY
* Quickmount : d20+2 to move in same segment.
* Dropmount [leather armor or less], (d20+2
if mount is hovering short distance above ground) : may drop onto mount
from 10' above. d20+2 to move in same segment.
* Spur (d20+2, at begin of each turn -
fail initial check? fail subsequent check?) : adds 1" to mount's movement
for up to 4 turns.
* Guide (does not apply if legstrap or
bodystrap) : may guide with knees (d20+2 only if damage is suffered - fail
if damage = 1 to x? fail if damage = x to x?)
* Leap (d20+4 - fail?) : may leap to ground
(up to 10' altitude) & attack in same move