Riding, Airborne
- This proficiency is a "Trained Use" skill, meaning that it cannot be used until it is unlocked.
- The cost to unlock this skill is Two Proficiency Points.
- The Attribute Modifier for this skill is Wisdom.
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) Character can leap onto the back or neck of his or her mount whenever the creature is at a rest on the ground or drop onto mount from a distance of no more than ten feet above the mount. Former maneuver can be performed even if the character is wearing armor, but will receive fall damage if armor is heavier than leather, and mount will panic (and perhaps suffer incidental damage from impact). Does not require proficiency check, but a check must be made if character wishes to take flight immediately after landing, or if mount is hovering over the ground rather than resting.
2) Character can spur mount onto greater speeds, adding 1" to the mount's flying movement rate for as many as four consecutive turns. 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 mount can still be made to move at it's normal rate. If the second or a later check fails, the mount has become fatigued from overexertion and immediately slow to 2/3 of it's normal maximum movement rate.
3) Character can guide his or her mount with their knees or feet, leaving their 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, a check must be made. Failure indicates either that the character drops what he or she was holding and clutches their mount to keep from falling off (if the damage is slight), or that he or she is knocked off of the mount and falls (if the damage is more than slight). Note that depending on size of mount, character may need harness or a series of straps to keep secure. When a harness is 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 to the ground.
4) If his or her mount is hovering, the character can leap from the back of his or her mount to the ground from a height of 10 feet or less and, in the same round, make a melee attack against any character/creature within 10 feet of where he or she landed. This is a risky maneuver, requiring a successful proficiency check with a +4 penalty to the die roll. Failing the check indicates the character lands in a heap, suffering 1d3 damage and a +4 penalty to armor class for any melee attacks directed at him or her during that round.
