Riding (choose type): This skill includes the basic care and feeding of a riding animal and the ability to control it under difficult circumstances. Riding rolls are required if a character is trying to use a weapon from the back of a riding animal; failure means that the mount is moving too much for the character to use the weapon. Each Riding skill allows the character to ride one type of animal; if a character wishes to know how to ride two different types of beasts, he must buy two different Riding skills. Horses constitute one type of animal; giant eagles constitute another. When a character uses his Riding skill on the wrong animal (for example, when a horse rider tries to ride a camel), he suffers a +4 to his Riding rolls. When a character with no Riding skill at all tries to ride an animal, he must make a Dexterity check at a +8 penalty to his die roll. However, a character doesn’t have to make the success roll except in difficult situations, such as when the animal is spooked. Otherwise, he can stay on the animal’s back without difficulty.
🐎 Racial Variants #
| Variant | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Elven | Whisper-Reined | Elves ride without bits or bridles. By using subtle shifts in weight and soft vocal cues, they can direct a mount silently. They gain a +4 bonus to Stealth checks while mounted. |
| Dwarven | Low-Saddle Brace | Dwarves prefer low-slung, sturdy mounts (ponies, boars, rams). They “lock” themselves into the saddle. They gain a +2 bonus to stay mounted when an effect would knock them off. |
| Halfling | Beast-Brother | Halflings treat mounts like family. If their mount is spooked, they can use Persuasion instead of Riding to calm it. Their mounts recover from exhaustion 25% faster. |
| Centaur | Internal Kinship | (Note: Applied to others riding them). A Centaur can act as the “saddle.” A rider on a Centaur uses the Centaur’s Dexterity for Riding checks instead of their own. |
🗺️ Regional Variants #
- The High-Cavalry Knight (Metropolitan/Palatial)
In the grand empires, riding is a Formal Discipline.
- Specialty: Combat Maneuverability. When fighting from the back of a horse, they ignore the penalty to use a weapon on a successful roll. If they fail the roll, they can still attack, but at a -2 penalty (instead of being unable to attack at all).
- The Nomad of the Waste (Desert/Plains)
In the open world, your mount is your life.
- Specialty: Water-Sense. They have learned to read their mount’s instincts. If the animal detects water, weather changes, or predators, the rider is alerted. They gain the Alertness skill benefits while mounted.
- The Vertical Rider (Mountain/Subterranean)
Trained to ride sure-footed beasts (giant lizards, mountain goats) on 60-degree inclines.
- Specialty: Center of Gravity. They can ride on slopes and narrow ledges that would normally require a Mountaineering check. They never suffer the “height vertigo” penalty when mounted.
- The Sky-Jockey (Aerial/Cloud-Kingdoms)
Trained on flying beasts where “down” can change in a second.
- Specialty: 3D-Kinesthetics. They are experts at “Rolling.” If their flying mount is hit or performs a barrel roll, they gain a +4 bonus to stay in the saddle. They also know how to use the mount’s wings to provide Cover from ranged attacks.
🐎 The “Wrong Animal” Penalty #
As mentioned, riding a camel when you’re a horse-rider incurs a +4 penalty.
- Design Tip: You might rule that if a character spends one week traveling with the “wrong” animal, the penalty drops to +2. After a month, they effectively gain that specific Riding type for free through experience.
⚔️ Combat Riding Rule #
Riding Success: You fire your bow or swing your sword with no penalty.
Riding Failure: You spend your entire turn simply trying to stay on the animal or bring it back under control.
