OSR Mount Rules

While Mounted:

You move at the same speed as your mount.

You have two moves and one action. You can take these in whatever order you want.

To get your mount into dangerous terrain or to perform a maneuver like jumping a hedge, test CHA.

If this fail, the mount refuses to go, and costs a move (you can keep attempting this check).

To get your mount into combat, test CHA. (Ignore this if the mount is War-Trained)

Mounting and Dismounting takes a move action.

Mounted Combat:

Unless hit, you move freely through foes in melee.

While mounted and moving, Enemies have Disadvantage to hit you with melee.

While mounted and moving, you have Advantage to hit enemies in melee.

You do not get these bonuses if the enemy is mounted or Very Big (like a giant or dragon)

Unless you have Stirrups/Chariot/Howdah, suffer Disadvantage when attacking with ranged.

Moving and attacking an enemy in the same round triggers a Morale Test for the enemy.

Getting Dismounted:

If while mounted you are hit by a Critical hit, test STR (or save v. breath) to stay on the mount.

Likewise if are hit by an attack when under half HP (or would bring you under half HP).

If dismounted, take d6 dmg and be stunned for a round.

Ignore the damage if you are wearing a hard helmet.

Lances:

You can use a Lance only while mounted.

Lances deal 2d6 damage.

If attacking massed enemies, you can keep attacking with a Lance until you miss, as one attack.

When you miss with your Lance it is broken or dropped.

You do need weapon proficiency to use a lance.

Polearms:

Polearms may be ‘set’ to take a charge from mounted enemies.

Set polearms ignore the ‘Disadvantage to hit mounted enemies’ rule (attack as regular).

Polearm users may also declare before attacking that they are attempting to dismount a rider.

If they hit, the rider has to test STR (or save v. breath) to stay on the mount.

Non-polearms can also attempt to dismount a rider, but attack at Disadvantage, and rider saves at Advantage.

You do need weapon proficiency to use a polearm (non-proficient users can use a polearm as a spear.)

Mounts Attack:

Some Mounts provide a bonus to the PCs attack on certain rolls.

There are two kinds of these attacks “Charge Attack” and “Static Attack”

Charge Attacks are used when the mount has moved already this turn.

Static Attacks are used when the mount has not moved already this turn.

These are triggered by the PC rolling above a natural number on the d20 attack (i.e. 16+/18+/20+) on their melee attack.

Think of these as bonus damage for the PCs attack.

Mounts without Riders:

When in combat and a rider is Dismounted, roll on the Mount Morale Table below.

Mount Morale Table

Roll	Result
2	Killed
3	Killed
4	Killed
5	Flees, Injured
6	Flees, Injured
7	Flees, Injured
8	Flees, Uninjured
9	Flees, Uninjured
10	Flees, Uninjured
11	Flees, Uninjured
12+	Stays and Fights

Roll on the Mount Morale Table every round the mount stays in a fight, subtracting the number of turns it has not had a rider.

Also subtract if there is any loud or strange noises or sights (i.e. magic) at the Judge’s Discretion

A mount will flee at full speed until it gets somewhere it thinks is ‘safe’.

If for some reason you took your mount into a dungeon, this means very far away from the dungeon.

Mounts that are ‘Injured’ are unable to be ridden or able to fight until healed.

How badly the mount is hurt and how much they need to heal is up to the Judge’s Discretion

Mounts that have not fled or have been killed mat be remounted.

They also still give their Mount Attack if the rider is near.

Mounts automatically flee if their rider is killed.

Barding:

There are only two kinds of barding Light and Heavy.

Rather than granting an AC bonus, they grant a +1 or +2 to the Mount Morale Table.

You can get “Imposing” barding which grants a penalty morale tests trigged by the mount

(If Law, this is imposing holy symbols)

(If Neutral, this is ornately detailed armor)

(If Chaos, this is spikey and rune scribed)

(Everyone gets bitchen’ caparisons, that’s some universal badassery right there)

Breaking a Mount:

To break a mount you must pass a test for every stat, in sequence. (STR DEX CON WIS INT CHA)

Add the mounts base mount morale as a penalty to each test.

If you fail, get dismounted - take d6 dmg and be stunned for a round.

You can attempt to redo a break.

Start at the stat before the one where you failed previously.

Breaking a mount is not a common skill that any adventure would have.

Just because you can break a mount doesn’t not mean you can break every mount (horse vs tiger)

Unskilled individuals may attempt to break a mount, but roll at Disadvantage.

Pony/Mule

Speed	Morale	Charge	Static
60	-1	20+/1d4	20+/1d2

Special:

Not War-Trained

Rouncey (‘Horse’ or Camel)

Speed	Morale	Charge	Static
60	+0	18+/1d6	18+/1d4

Special:

n/a

Courser (Warhorse)

Speed	Morale	Charge	Static
60	+1	16+/1d8	18+/1d6

Special:

n/a

Destier, (Heavy Warhorse)

Speed	Morale	Charge	Static
50	+2	16+/1d8	16+/1d8

Special:

Lances deal double damage while on a Desiter

Tiger/Wolf

Speed	Morale	Charge	Static
50	+0	18+/1d6	16+/1d6

Special:

6s explode from mauling

Bear

Speed	Morale	Charge	Static
40	+2	16+/2d6	18+/2d6

Special:

n/a

Horned Animal (Deer, Elk)

Speed	Morale	Charge	Static
40	+1	18+/1d6	18+/1d6

Special:

Unicorn/Nightmare

Speed	Morale	Charge	Static
60	+3	16+/1d8	18+/1d6

Special:

Both: Triggers a morale test in Chaos/Law aligned individuals respectively on sight

Unicorn: Can Heal for 1d8hp or Cure disease or poison 1/day

Nightmare: Flaming Hoofs deal +1 Fire damage on Mount Attacks

Chariot/War Elephants/Wagons

Chariots, War Elephants, and Wagons function similar to other mounts, providing the same bonuses.

Riders can still get Dismounted.

They also provide an AC bonus to their riders via the basket, wagon, or howdah

They are assumed to have Barding included in their stat block.

Unlike Mounts they require a Driver to function.

Mounts are ‘tied’ to their Driver.

Their morale tests are triggered when the Driver is Dismounted, not other riders.

Their attacks are ONLY associated with the Driver, not other riders.

The Driver cannot do any other actions but drive the chariot/war elephant.

While Driving a chariot/war elephant, a Driver can do no other action besides move and melee.

If a Driver is ‘out of action’ another rider may attempt to become the Driver.

Being a Driver is a skill and not something known to most adventures.

Warriors with a military background might know how to Drive.

Chariot

Speed	Morale	Charge	Static
40	+2	+18/2d6	+18/1d6

Special:

Seats 2 to 3, including driver.

Grants a +1 Bonus to AC

Can be equipped with War Scythes – giving the Charge Attack +d6 dmg

War Elephant

Speed	Morale	Charge	Static
30	+6	+16/2d6	+16/2d6

Special:

Seats 3 to 7, including driver, depending on the size of the howdah.

Very large howdahs might even be able to equip siege weapons

Grants a +2 Bonus to AC

Can be equipped with Tusk Swords – giving and extra 2d6 to both attacks.

Will always provoke a morale test on sight

Wagons/War Carts

Speed	Morale	Charge	Static
40	+2	+18/2d6	+18/1d6

Special:

Seats 5 to 7, including driver.

Grants a +3 Bonus to AC