Mounted Combat

A Note on Mounts: Mounts are not necessarily inorganic vehicles. A mount may be a horse, for instance, or a friendly hunchback who gives piggyback rides. They are not, however, considered creatures whenever we refer to that term throughout the book.

Mounts are unique within Legend in the sense that squares they occupy are specifically meant to be occupied by creatures. A mount can occupy a space that is 1 square by 1 square or 2 squares by 2 squares, determined when it is created; otherwise, your GM must agree to the size and shape of any mount whose space is not 1 square by 1 square or 2 squares by 2 squares.

As a move action, a creature adjacent to a mount or in a mount's space trained in the Ride skill may become or cease to be that mount's rider or passenger. As a move action and a standard action, a creature adjacent to a mount or in a mount's space and not trained in the Ride skill may become or cease to be that mount's rider or passenger. Becoming a mount's rider or passenger is called boarding. Ceasing to be a mount's rider or passenger is called dismounting. These actions provoke attacks of opportunity and do not count as movement. Each mount may only have one rider at a time and each creature may only be an occupant - whether rider or passenger - of one mount at a time. If a mount's rider is [Flying], [Swimming], [Burrowing], or [Soaring], a creature must also possess that condition to become a passenger of that mount.

Whenever a creature would board a mount, that mount's rider may choose for that creature not to board the mount, in which case any action that creature took to board is used with no effect. A successful Acrobatics, Athletics, or Ride check (DC 10 + the rider's Ride skill bonus) allows the creature to board the mount anyway.

A creature without the Fly movement mode that dismounts a [Flying] mount falls. This is a Hazardous Fall absent a forgiving GM. A creature without the Soar movement mode that dismounts a [Soaring] mount enters free-fall, as detailed in the [Soaring] condition.

A creature immediately ceases to be a mount's rider when it no longer occupies the mount and whenever it becomes [Unconscious]. Whenever a creature that occupies a mount becomes [Unconscious], that creature immediately becomes a passenger of that mount.

At the start of each [Encounter], each creature that is a rider of a mount and is not trained in the Ride skill ceases to be a rider of that mount. A creature that is not trained in the Ride skill cannot become the rider of a mount during an [Encounter].

On a creature's turn, without taking an action, if that creature is an occupant of a mount, it may occupy another unoccupied space of that mount instead or swap spaces with another willing occupant of that mount, if able, without causing the mount to move. (This does not count as the creature moving.)

Line of sight can only be established to a mount if line of sight can be established to one or more of the mount's occupants.

Whenever an uncarried rider of a mount would move or be repositioned to a square without the [Teleport] descriptor or an effect with the [Teleport] descriptor for which an opponent of a mount's rider is the source would move or reposition that rider to a square, the mount moves or is repositioned to that square instead, with the [Teleport] descriptor if an effect with the [Teleport] descriptor would have moved or repositioned the rider, and its rider is carried during that movement or repositioning.

Whenever an uncarried rider of a mount chooses to move or be repositioned to a square with the [Teleport] descriptor, that rider may do so, automatically dismounting in the process. If that rider doesn't, the mount moves or is repositioned to that square instead with the [Teleport] descriptor, and its rider is carried during that movement or repositioning.

Whenever an effect with the [Teleport] descriptor for which an ally of a mount's uncarried rider is the source would move or reposition that rider to a square, the mount moves or is repositioned to that square instead with the [Teleport] descriptor, and its rider is carried during that movement or repositioning.

Abilities and effects that would move the rider based on the rider's movement speed instead move the mount based on the mount's movement speed. (A mount's rider can still make skill checks that involve movement.)

The mount's occupants other than the rider cannot choose to move without the [Teleport] descriptor while aboard the mount; instead, they move when the mount does, at its movement speed and in the same direction.

If any of the mount's occupants other than the rider chooses to move with the [Teleport] descriptor or reposition to another square through an ability or effect, that occupant may do so, automatically dismounting in the process.

Whenever a mount would move into or be repositioned into a space in which it cannot fit, instead the mount is not moved or repositioned there, in which case any action that would have caused it to move or be repositioned is used with no effect.

All of a mount's occupants have line of sight and line of effect to each other, and are within [Melee] range of one another.

Whenever an effect would move or reposition a single opponent of its source that is an occupant of a mount any distance, its source may instead have that opponent dismount, then move or reposition that opponent that distance minus 5 ft. If the source does and the effect does not offer a save to negate the movement or repositioning, a successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the source's level + the source's KOM) causes the mount to be moved or repositioned instead, and its rider is carried during that movement or repositioning. If the source does not, the mount is moved or repositioned instead, and its rider is carried during that movement or repositioning.

Whenever an effect would move or reposition multiple opponents of its source that are occupants of a mount, its source may instead have each of those opponents dismount, then move or reposition that opponent that distance minus 5 ft. If the source does and the effect does not offer a save to negate the movement or repositioning, a successful Reflex save by one or more of those opponents (DC 10 + 1/2 the source's level + the source's KOM) causes the mount to be moved or repositioned instead of dismounting and moving or repositioning the opponents that made the successful save, and its rider is carried during that movement or repositioning. If the source does not, the mount is moved or repositioned instead, and its rider is carried during that movement or repositioning. Any effect that would reduce the rider's movement speed or prevent movement reduces the mount's movement speed or prevents movement by the mount, respectively, instead.

Whenever a mount's rider gains the [Burrowing], [Flying], [Swimming], or [Soaring] condition, the mount's passengers gain the same condition. Whenever a mount's rider loses the [Burrowing], [Flying], [Swimming], or [Soaring] condition, the mount's passengers lose the same condition. A mount's occupants cannot gain or lose the [Flying], [Swimming], [Burrowing], or [Soaring] condition while they occupy the mount unless the mount's rider gains or loses the same condition.