Trample and Mounted Overrun

Well, coming off of a discussion of liking the rules in another thread, I wanted to run a proposed rule change by this group.

The d20 (and by extension OGL and Conan) rules for overrun indicate that only one overrun can be attempted per round. This seems fine for PCs on foot and such, but doesn't fit for mounted combat in my humble opinion.

I picture the Riders of Rohan in LOR mowing down goblins, or Conan's cavelry ridding down the fleeing Nemedians in 'Hour of the Dragon' and think a rules modification needs to be made. So here it goes:

A horse can overrun according to the normal rules, except that it is not limited to 1 overrun per round. For each additional opponent that tries to block the mount, the horse has a cumulative -2 to its strength check for the opposed check. As long as people either continue to get out of the horse's way and/or the horse keeps winning the ability checks with the cumulative modifiers, the mount can keep moving.

Thoughts?
 
Sounds fine to me, as long as riding checks are somehow involved for the rider to stay onboard, seems sensible enough.
 
SALette said:
Sounds fine to me, as long as riding checks are somehow involved for the rider to stay onboard, seems sensible enough.

What would be the DC for the ride checks, and how would you describe the need for the ride check to the PC? I mean it seems a horse riding down people would be kin to a horse traveling over rough terrain, which normally doesn't require a ride check. Thoughts on that?
 
Hyborian Apeman said:
SALette said:
Sounds fine to me, as long as riding checks are somehow involved for the rider to stay onboard, seems sensible enough.

What would be the DC for the ride checks, and how would you describe the need for the ride check to the PC? I mean it seems a horse riding down people would be kin to a horse traveling over rough terrain, which normally doesn't require a ride check. Thoughts on that?
Horses don't normally trample creatures (intentionally), they have to be trained to deliberately stamp on someone (or be really ticked off at someone to kick or butt); the rider has to navigate the horse on top of or into an opponent on the ground, either driving them into a standing foe and knocking him aside or knocking him down and then trampling him as the horse passes by. It's not like travelling over rough terrain, as horses are one of the most sensitive animals around. They have to be "encouraged" (coaxed) to tample others. So definitely a ride check. Besides, I thought rough terrain had a difficulty, even if it's only a 10. :?
 
Bregales said:
Horses don't normally trample creatures (intentionally), they have to be trained to deliberately stamp on someone (or be really ticked off at someone to kick or butt); the rider has to navigate the horse on top of or into an opponent on the ground, either driving them into a standing foe and knocking him aside or knocking him down and then trampling him as the horse passes by. It's not like travelling over rough terrain, as horses are one of the most sensitive animals around. They have to be "encouraged" (coaxed) to trample others. So definitely a ride check.
I'd assume we're talking about warhorses here, which are trained to do these things. For riding horses, clearly the DC should be much higher, if it's even possible.
 
InsomNY said:
I'd assume we're talking about warhorses here, which are trained to do these things. For riding horses, clearly the DC should be much higher, if it's even possible.
Right, sorry, I was thinking it but didn't write it. :oops:
 
Right, the ride DC for having the warhorse attack while still being able to attack oneself is DC 10.

Would that DC be sufficient for a warhorse on multiple overrides, or should it be uped a little? 10 + 2 for each successive overrun possibly? A flat DC 15 or 20?
 
I have been thinking about this in D20 gaming for quite a while. The problem with the overrun system with a mounted animal is the fact that the animal itself will cause considerable damage as it smashes into infantry. Another words, there should be a slam damage on a successful overrun and possible a hoof. When you get hit by a charging horse (20 to 30 miles per hour and over 2000 pounds of solid mass) it is going to hurt if not kill.

I don't understand why there isn't any rules specifically resulting in the impact damage. Modern D20 games have rules against vehicles or motorcycles hitting someone but fantasy games has no rules on mounts and wagons, etc hitting them. For that matter what about a charging elephant??????
 
Deadpool said:
I don't understand why there isn't any rules specifically resulting in the impact damage. Modern D20 games have rules against vehicles or motorcycles hitting someone but fantasy games has no rules on mounts and wagons, etc hitting them. For that matter what about a charging elephant??????

Consider using the Trample ability. That combines damage with knockdown, IIRC.
 
sbarrie said:
Deadpool said:
I don't understand why there isn't any rules specifically resulting in the impact damage. Modern D20 games have rules against vehicles or motorcycles hitting someone but fantasy games has no rules on mounts and wagons, etc hitting them. For that matter what about a charging elephant??????

Consider using the Trample ability. That combines damage with knockdown, IIRC.

But the damage is from one hoof of the horse (leg of the elephant?). I am sympathetic to Deadpool's point. Getting stepped on by a horse is unpleasant (and accounted for in the rules). Getting hit by a 30 mph animal is borderline lethal (and represented by being knocked prone???).

I will probably go with the rules I posted modified by the suggestions of this forum (thanks again guys), but Deadpool's point is well heard.
 
Consider using the Trample ability. That combines damage with knockdown, IIRC.

I am assuming you mean the Elephant's Trample (Ex) ability that does 2D8+15 but allows a reflex saving throw at DC 25 for half damage?

Not a bad idea. Though with the change of the horses strength... So a Balkana Warehouse would do 2D8+10. It may not have the weight of the elephant, but certainly the speed.

I think I will definetly add that to the game.
 
Deadpool said:
Consider using the Trample ability. That combines damage with knockdown, IIRC.

I am assuming you mean the Elephant's Trample (Ex) ability that does 2D8+15 but allows a reflex saving throw at DC 25 for half damage?

Not a bad idea. Though with the change of the horses strength... So a Balkana Warehouse would do 2D8+10. It may not have the weight of the elephant, but certainly the speed.

I think I will definetly add that to the game.

I'd knock the base damage down to 2d6 or 1d12, but that's what I was thinking. If you fail the save, you're knocked prone, correct?
 
2D6... possibly. The horse may not have the mass but it makes up for it in speed, especially if it has been outfitted for war (such as barding with spikes, etc.).

No, if they were overunned (lost the contested ability check) they are prone. The save just reduced the damage (and gives characters that have evasion a chance to eliminate damage completely).
 
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