spirited charge-cleave

[Tulkas]

remember that:

1.
Attacking on a Charge
After moving, you may make a single melee attack. You get
a +2 bonus on the attack roll and take a –2 penalty to your
Defence until the start of your next turn. Even if you have extra
attacks, such as from having a high enough base attack bonus or
from using multiple weapons, you only get to make one attack
during a charge.

2.
Cleave (General)
You know how best to take advantage of your greatest blows.
Prerequisites: Str 13+, Power Attack.
Benefi t: If you deal a creature enough damage to make it drop,
typically by dropping it to below 0 hit points or killing it, you
get an immediate, extra melee attack against another creature
within reach. You cannot take a 5-foot step before making this
extra attack. The extra attack is with the same weapon and at
the same bonus as the attack that dropped the previous creature.
You can use this ability once per round.

3.
Spirited Charge
(General)
You can spur your mount into the charge and brace yourself to
strike a powerful blow.
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack.
Benefi t: When mounted and using the charge action, you deal
double damage with a melee weapon, or triple damage with a
lance.

so the question is:
the damage bonus of the spirited charge feat seems to last also on the second attack when I cleave. am i right ot am i wrong?
Thanks

 

[urdinaran]

Good question. I've had some questions myself about mounted combat/movement and the rules seem a little sketchy.

As for your question: By the letter of the Rules, I would say probably yes. By common sense/reality, probably not.
I don't think it would be possible to use a lance against one target, drop him, then get the same amout of damage vs. the poor guy standing next to him. When mounted and charging, you have to line up your mounts movement to strike the target with all the force you can, chances are the next guy won't be so well lined up.

I know someone else brought up on another thread something else that I noticed about mounted combat/movement:

(from Hyboria's Fiercest, pg. 76)

Combat Maneuver - Sudden Halt - This maneuver basically allows you to bring a charging/running mount to a complete stop (as a full round action) instead of slowing it down to a trot first; rider must make a Balance check (DC 12) or fall off. The rider may dismount as a free action.

I bring this up because I can't find any rules governing the movement of mounts, especially anything saying that you must slow down before coming to a complete stop. Yet, the above-mentioned maneuver seems to suggest so.

Seems to make sense to me; you charge an opponent while on horseback, your mount isn't going to suddenly stop because you hit him with a lance, he'll keep going. Then you wouldn't get your cleave attack.

It also bring up the issue of Attacks of Opportunity; If you cannot normally come to a complete stop after a charge, and must continue moving, that guy you wanted to Cleave (and his nearby friends) will probably get an AoO on you as you pass.


Like to hear from others that have some input on these subjects.

Oh, and thanks Yogah for the Index, made it easier to look up this info

 

[quigs]

Hey! Someone else found that Sudden Halt maneouvre just like I did! At first I couldn't see any use for it at all. There are no rules in either D&D or Conan that suggest a mounted charge requires any "slow down" distance. But it makes sense I guess. I may include this in my game as I have one Nomad PC who's doing a lot of mounted stuff.

 

[urdinaran]

I also have a Nomad in the group I run; with the feats he has chosen he is pretty much a mounted archer.

There has only been one instance where they engaged in mounted combat and I found it kinda odd that when you charge with a horse you pretty much move up to your opponent and come to a screeching halt; i.e. charge in one round, then stand still the next.

It would make sense that the advantage to being mounted is not only the fact that you are higher than your opponent (+1 to hit) but also that you are more mobile; this advantage is taken away with AoO's.

Also I noticed that there is no penalty for firing at a target that is moving fast. Seems to me that an archer would have a harder time hitting a target that is moving at 30-40 mph.

 

[migutse]

The following feat is the SRD:

RIDE-BY ATTACK [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.
Benefit: When you are mounted and use the charge action, you may move and attack as if with a standard charge and then move again (continuing the straight line of the charge). Your total movement for the round can’t exceed double your mounted speed. You and your mount do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the opponent that you attack.
Special: A fighter may select Ride-By Attack as one of his fighter bonus feats.


With this feat you could charge and move on without provoking AoO's from the opponent you are striking. It does not help against other opponents. I also think that you should not get to use cleave with a lance, unless there was an opponent standing right behind the first one. I base this on common sense, not on any rules.