3e SRD:Ride Skill

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Ride (Dex)

When the character selects this skill, choose the type of mount the character is familiar with. For this purpose, "horses" includes mules, donkeys, and ponies. If the character uses the skill with a different mount (such as riding a giant lizard when the character is used to riding horses), the character's rank is reduced by 2 (but not below 0). If the character uses this skill with a very different mount (such as riding a griffon when the character is used to riding horses), the character's rank is reduced by 5 (but not below 0).

Check

Typical riding actions don't require checks. The character can saddle, mount, ride, and dismount from a mount without a problem. Mounting or dismounting is a move-equivalent action. Some tasks require checks:

Riding Task	DC
Guide with knees	5
Stay in saddle	5
Fight with warhorse	10
Leap	15
Control Mount in Battle	20
Fast mount or dismount	20*
Cover	15
Soft fall	15
*Armor check penalty applies.

Guide with Knees

The character can react instantly to guide the character's mount with the character's knees so that the character can use both hands in combat. Make the check at the start of the character's round. If the character fails, the character can only use one hand this round because the character needs to use the other to control the character's mount.

Stay in Saddle

The character can react instantly to try to avoid falling when the character's mount rears or bolts unexpectedly or when the character takes damage.

Fight with Warhorse

If the character directs a war-trained mount to attack in battle, the character can still make the character's own attack or attacks normally.

Cover

The character can react instantly to drop down and hang alongside the mount, using it as one-half cover. The character can't attack or cast spells while using the character's mount as cover. If the character fails, the character doesn't get the cover benefit.

Soft Fall

The character reacts instantly to try to take no damage when the character falls off a mount, such as when it is killed or when it falls. If the character fails, the character takes 1d6 points of falling damage.

Leap

The character can get a mount to leap obstacles as part of its movement. Use the character's Ride skill modifier or the mount's Jump skill modifier (whichever is lower) to see how far the mount can jump. The DC (15) is what the character needs to roll to stay on the mount when it leaps.

Spur Mount

You can spur your mount to greater speed with a move action. A successful Ride check increases the mount’s speed by 10 feet for 1 round but deals 1 point of damage to the creature. You can use this ability every round, but each consecutive round of additional speed deals twice as much damage to the mount as the previous round (2 points, 4 points, 8 points, and so on).

Control Mount in Battle

As a move-equivalent action, the character can attempt to control a light horse, pony, or heavy horse while in combat. If the character fails, the character can do nothing else that round. The character does not need to roll for warhorses or warponies.

Fast Mount or Dismount

The character can mount or dismount as a free action. If the character fails the check, mounting or dismounting is a move-equivalent action. (The character can't attempt a fast mount or dismount unless the character can perform the mount or dismount as a move-equivalent action this round.)

Special

If the character is riding bareback, the character suffers a –5 penalty on Ride checks.

If the character has 5 or more ranks in Handle Animal, the character gets a +2 synergy bonus to Ride checks.

If the character's mount has a military saddle, it gives a +2 circumstance bonus to Ride checks related to staying in the saddle.

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