HORSEMANSHIP SKILLS

Note:Prerequisite Skills are shown in [italics] and Bonuses shown in ()

HORSEMANSHIP


There are several ranges of horsemanship skills, each indicating 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.
      Breed horses: The second percentile number indicates the knowledgein the raising, breaking, training and breeding of horses. It includesshoeing horses, giving birth, and curing minor ailments andinjuries.
      Jumping: The second percentile number also indicates the successratio of NOT being thrown from the horse when jumping, charging,kicking or performing some other difficult maneuver or trick, charactermust roll under his percentage to remain in the saddle and in control ofhis animal. Damage from being thrown off a horse is typically 1D6.
      Racing: The second percentile number also indicates the success ratioof maintaining control and getting maximum speed while racing atfull gallop. A failed roll means the horse runs quickly but 10% short ofits maximum speed attribute. A successful roll not only means runningat maximum speed, but the rider can coax that little extra spirit andspeed out of the animal. Once every four minutes, the rider can get thehorse to kick into overdrive and run at 25% faster than its normal maximum.However, this speed can only be maintained for one minute at atime and cannot be done more than three times in a 15 minute period.Maximum running speed can be maintained for a period of minutesequal to the horse's P.E. attribute. Pushing the horse beyond its endurancewill cause it to slow down by 30% and after 4D4 minutes, collapsefrom exhaustion (requires at least a half hour rest and light activity foranother hour).
      Combat: All bonuses are in addition to other combat skills, weaponproficiencies, or attribute bonuses. Applies to the rider, not the horse.The rider gains a combat advantage from the height and speed of beingmounted.
    Dog Sledding:This skill covers the operation of a dog sled, harnessing animals to pull the sled and the commands to give to the animals and to pack the sled properly, a failed roll could mean one of the animals breaking loose or the sled being overloaded, etc.
    Base Skill: 40+5% per level of experience.

    Horsemanship- Exotic Animals: Basically the same as the generalhorsemanship skill, except that the character is experienced in ridingother types of "tame" animals. This can include elephants, camels, lamas,pegasus, gryphons, dragondactyls, melech, giant insects, and othermonstrous beasts trained (or willing) to be riding animals. Wild, untamedcreatures cannot be ridden (except by druids and others with specialanimal skills). Base Skill: 30%/20%+5% per level of experience.Note: Characters with the traditional "horsemanship" skill for ridinghorses and other very horse-like animals can quickly figure out how toride exotic and alien riding animals, but at a skill penalty of -12% toride ground/running animals and -16% to ride flying or tree climbingand leaping animals. Similarly, beings from other dimensions not familiarwith riding the fast and sleek Earth horse are -10% to ride them.

    Horsemanship- General: Base Skill: 35%/20%+5% per level of experience. All the basic skills as noted above. Combat: All bonuses are in addition to other combat skills, weaponproficiencies, or attribute bonuses. Applies to the rider, not the horse.The rider gains a combat advantage from the height and speed of beingmounted.
    • +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: +1D6damage. The attacker must roll under the second percentile numberto avoid being dismounted. Charge attacks count as two melee actions/attacks.
    • Horse attack: This indicates that the rider is skilled enough to remainsaddled while he attacks and has his horse rearing or kicking in simultaneousattack (roll under second percentile number). Damagefrom 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.

    Horsemanship- Knight: Base Skill: 40%/30%+5% per level of experience. All the basic skills as noted above.Combat: All bonuses are in addition to other combat skills, weaponproficiencies, or attribute bonuses. Applies to the rider, not the horse.The rider gains a combat advantage from the height and speed of beingmounted.
    • +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: +2D6damage. The attacker must roll under the second percentile numberto avoid being dismounted. Charge attacks count as two melee actions/attacks.
    • Horse attack: This indicates that the rider is skilled enough to remainsaddled while he attacks and has his horse rearing or kicking in simultaneousattack (roll under second percentile number). Damagefrom 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.

    Horsemanship- Paladin: Base Skill: 45%/40%+5% per level ofexperience. All the basic skills as noted above.Combat: All bonuses are in addition to other combat skills, weaponproficiencies, or attribute bonuses. Applies to the rider, not horse. Therider gains a combat advantage from the height and speed of beingmounted.
    • +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: +3D6damage. The attacker must roll under the second percentile numberto avoid being dismounted. Charge attacks count as two melee actions/attacks.
    • Horse attack: This indicates that the rider is skilled enough to remainsaddled while he attacks and has his horse rearing or kicking in simultaneousattack (roll under the second percentile number). Damagefrom the kick of a horse will vary with the size and breed of theanimal; generally 2D6 from the front legs and 4D6 from the rearlegs.

    Teamster/Wagoner: This is the skill of driving teams of animals, such as for wagons orcarriages. It includes the skills of harnessing the animals, caringfor them and judging them for quality before purchase. Drivingmore than four animals, or driving a team of unfamiliar animals, gives a -5%. When a wagon or other load is moved at a gallop(over 20 mph, or 10 hexes per turn), the driver must roll against his Teamster, at a penalty of up to -10% for bad terrain. A failed roll spills the wagon. This is equivalent to a 20 foot fall (2d6 damage) for each man and animal involved, as well as the cargo. Time required to reload the cargo depends on the load, the terrain, and the weather
    Base Skill: 25+5% per level of experience.

    Trick Riding: Riding bareback, standing on the animal’s back, hanging from the side, or under its belly (usually for rodeo tricks or to hide from enemies), side saddle, as well as quick mounts and dismounts, mounting a horse by leaping down from above or with a running start, leaping from the back of a horse onto another horse or wagon, and similar. [One of the horsemanship skills]
    Base Skill: 25+5% per level of experience.

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