Horsemanship

Horsemanship Skills

There are three ranges of horsemanship skills: General, Knight, and Palladin. Each indicates a certain degree of training and expertise.

The individual O.C.C. will indicate which of the three applies to that occupation (general knowledge is most common). Each type of horsemanship has the following skills and areas of knowledge. The higher the skill percentage the better the skill or ability. Note: To avoid being thrown from the horse when jumping, charging, kicking or performing some other difficult maneuver or trick, the character must roll under his percentage to remain in the saddle and in control of his animal.

Ride & care of horses: The first percentile number indicates the character's riding ability and a fundamental knowledge of feeding, caring, and grooming of horses.

• Recognize quality/breed: The first percentile number also indicates the success ratio of recognizing the breed quality, age, strength, speed, health, and general attributes/capabilities (race horse, workhorse, warhorse, etc.) of the animal.

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Breed horses: The second percentile number indicates the knowledge in the raising, breaking, training and breeding of horses. It includes shoeing horses, giving birth, and curing minor ailments and injuries.

• Jumping: The second percentile number also indicates the success ratio of NOT being thrown from the horse when jumping, charging, kicking or performing some other difficult maneuver or trick, character must roll under his percentage to remain in the saddle and in control of his animal. Damage from being thrown off a horse is typically 1D6.
• Racing: The second percentile number also indicates the success ratio of maintaining control and getting maximum speed while racing at full gallop.
  A failed roll means the horse runs quickly but 10% short of its maximum speed attribute.
  A successful roll not only means running at maximum speed, but the rider can coax that little extra spirit and speed out of the animal.
  Once every four minutes, the rider can get the horse to kick into overdrive and run at 25% faster than its normal maximum.
  However, this speed can only be maintained for one minute at a time and cannot be done more than three times in a 15 minute period. Maximum running speed can be maintained for a period of minutes equal to the horse's P.E. attribute. Pushing the horse beyond its endurance will cause it to slow down by 30% and after 4D4 minutes, collapse from exhaustion (requires at least a half hour rest and light activity for another hour).
• Combat: All bonuses are in addition to other combat skills, weapon proficiencies, or attribute bonuses. Applies to the rider, not the horse.
  The rider gains a combat advantage from the height and speed of being mounted.

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Horsemanship: General

All the basic skills as noted above.

Base Skill: 35 %/20%+5% per level of experience.

Combat: All bonuses are in addition to other combat skills, weapon proficiencies, or attribute bonuses. Applies to the rider, not the horse. The rider gains a combat advantage from the height and speed of being mounted.

• +1 to parry or dodge while on horseback.
• Inflicts +1D4 to damage when on horseback.
• Charge attack (running horse) with a lance, pole-arm or spear: +1D6 damage. The attacker must roll under the second percentile number to avoid being dismounted. Charge attacks count as two melee actions/attacks.
• Horse attack: This indicates that the rider is skilled enough to remain saddled while he attacks and has his horse rearing or kicking in simultaneous attack (roll under second percentile number). Damage from the kick of a horse will vary with the size and breed of the animal; generally 2D6 from the front legs and 4D6 from the rear legs.

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Horsemanship: Knight

Base Skill: 40%/30%+5 % per level of experience.

Combat: All bonuses are in addition to other combat skills, weapon proficiencies, or attribute bonuses. Applies to the rider, not the horse. The rider gains a combat advantage from the height and speed of being mounted.

• +1 on initiative when on horseback.
• +1 to roll with fall or impact when knocked from a horse.
• +2 to parry or dodge while on horseback.
• Inflicts +1D6 to damage when on horseback.
• Charge attack (running horse) with a lance, pole-arm or spear: +2D6 damage. The attacker must roll under the second percentile number to avoid being dismounted. Charge attacks count as two melee actions/attacks.
• Horse attack: This indicates that the rider is skilled enough to remain saddled while he attacks and has his horse rearing or kicking in simultaneous attack (roll under second percentile number) . Damage from the kick of a horse will vary with the size and breed of the animal; generally 2D6 from the front legs and 4D6 from the rear legs.

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Horsemanship: Palladin

Base Skill: 45%/40%+5 % per level of experience.

Combat: All bonuses are in addition to other combat skills, weapon proficiencies, or attribute bonuses. Applies to the rider, not horse. The rider gains a combat advantage from the height and speed of being mounted.

• +1 on initiative when on horseback.
• +2 to roll with fall or impact when knocked from a horse.
• +2 to parry or dodge while on horseback.
• Inflicts +6 to damage when on horseback.
• Charge attack (running horse) with a lance, pole-arm or spear: +3D6 damage. The attacker must roll under the second percentile number to avoid being dismounted. Charge attacks count as two melee actions/attacks.
• Horse attack: This indicates that the rider is skilled enough to remain saddled while he attacks and has his horse rearing or kicking in simultaneous attack (roll under the second percentile number). Damage from the kick of a horse will vary with the size and breed of the animal; generally 2D6 from the front legs and 4D6 from the rear legs.

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Horsemanship: Exotic Animals

Basically the same as the general horsemanship skill, except that the character is experienced in riding other types of "tame" animals.

This can include elephants, camels, lamas, pegasus, gryphons, dragondactyls, melech, giant insects, and other monstrous beasts trained (or willing) to be riding animals.

Wild, untamed creatures cannot be ridden (except by druids and others with special animal skills).

Base Skill: 30%/20%+5% per level of experience. Note: Characters with the traditional "horsemanship" skill for riding horses and other very horse-like animals can quickly figure out how to ride exotic and alien riding animals, but at a skill penalty of -12% to ride ground/running animals and -16% to ride flying or tree climbing and leaping animals. Similarly, beings from other dimensions not familiar with riding the fast and sleek Earth horse are -10% to ride them.