5.12 Special Combat Rules

5.12.1 Mounted Combat

Horses in Combat: Warhorses and warponies can serve readily as combat steeds. Light horses, ponies, and heavy horses, however, are frightened by combat. At the start of each round, you must make a difficulty value 10 Ride check to control such a horse. Success means you can act normally that round, directing the horse’s movements as if it was trained for combat. Failure means that the horse acts of its own volition that round, usually fleeing in panic.

Space: A horse (not a pony) is a Large creature, and thus takes up a space 10 feet (2 squares) across. While mounted, you share your mount’s space completely. Anyone who is close enough to hit your mount can attack either you or your mount.

In the case of abnormally large mounts (two or more size categories larger than you), you may not completely share space. Such situations should be handled on a case-by-case basis, depending on the nature of the mount.

Flying Mounts: Flying mounts are harder to ride and control than terrestrial mounts. The difficulty value for all Ride checks on a mount using a fly speed is increased by 10.

Combat while Mounted: With a difficulty value 5 Ride 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. Mounts cannot use the sprint ability.

If Your Mount Falls in Battle: If your mount falls, you fall to the ground with it.

If You Are Dropped: If you are knocked unconscious, you fall from your mount to the ground, which may cause you to take falling damage. If you have a military saddle, you stay on your mount instead. In either case, the mount acts according to its nature. Most mounts flee combat without a rider.

5.12.2 Allies and Enemies

Each creature you interact with in Rise is either an ally, an enemy, or neither. Some beneficial abilities only affect allies, and some offensive abilities only affect enemies.

You can choose how you consider each creature at the start of each phase. You cannot consider yourself an ally or an enemy. While you are unconscious, you treat all creatures as allies.

Some abilities exclusively target allies or enemies, but it might seem appropriate for them to include objects as well in a particular situation. The GM can decide whether that makes sense. For example, a fighter can normally use the whirlwind maneuver to hit all adjacent enemies, and they might want to use that maneuver to destroy a number of objects surrounding them. A GM might decide that it’s fine to use that maneuver to damage several large objects at once, but the fighter couldn’t individually attack fifty specific gold pieces out of a large pile.

Allies: An ally is any creature you consider an ally who also considers you an ally. If you consider someone an ally, but they do not consider you an ally, they are not your ally. Allies can move through your space.

Enemies: An enemy is any creature who you consider to be an enemy. Enemies cannot move through your space.

Neutral Parties: A neutral party is any creature who is neither an ally nor an enemy. You treat all creatures you have not declared an opinion of as neutral parties. Neutral parties can move through your space.