Does Ride By Attack Protect the Mount?

[Croaker]

One additional point to remember is that the lance is the preferred weapon of mounted combatants for reason: it has 10' reach. If you have a heavy lance, there is no reason to ride next to the target when you can whack him from 10' to the left or right. This also protects against readied attacks, especially setting for a charge.

Croaker

 

[Jeremy]

Jairami
Member
Member # 7897


posted May 21, 2002 06:42 AM
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The ride-by attack feat states that you do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the opponent who's threatened area you move through. It does not state that your mount is also protected. Hence why I thought mounted combat was a prerequisite to ride-by so you could protect your mount with a ride check.. In the game stoppers, this doesn't come up and as Krusk cannot be flat-footed, he still threatens an area right? Would Krusk get an attack of opportunity against the hell hound for moving through his threatened area? Or is the hell hound protected by his rider's feat even though the hell hound didn't attack Krusk----(Sword & Fist, pg 66 says ride-by attack only protects against attacks of opportunity from your target)?

Help please?


Skip Williams
Member
Member # 79268


posted May 22, 2002 05:18 PM
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Your movenet during a Ride By Attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the foe you attack. This extends to your mount also (after all, it's your mount that is doing the moving).

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Skip Williams
Wizards RPG R&D

 

[mikebr99]

Take a look at the example of mounted combat in S&F (p. 65-66). It explicity shows one rider attacking(ride by attack). In this situation the attack does not draw an AoO against the rider, but it *DOES* draw an AoO against the mount.

The Mounted Combat feat allows you to attempt to evade 1 successful attack per round that is made against your mount.

In the example in S&F... a Paladin and his mount are 'ride-by-attacking' an evil ranger's mount. The Ranger and his mount anticipate some kind of charge, so they ready attacks for when the enemy gets into range. The Paladin closes and enters the Ranger's mount's range and he attacks (not AoO). Then the Paladin's lance hits and kills the evil mount. As the Paladin finishes his movement for the round, his mount provokes an AoO from moving out of the Ranger's threat range.

There are two oponents in this case, the Ranger and his mount. the Ride-by-attack feat only protects the rider, not the mount, and it only protects him against his oponent ( the Ranger's mount in this case) not the rider.

 

[Jeremy]

So if you ride in between two orcs and have ride by attack, you and your mount are protected from AofO's from the orc you attack but not the orc you do not attack per the example in Sword & Fist.

 

[kreynolds]

the Ride-by-attack feat only protects the rider, not the mount, and it only protects him against his oponent ( the Ranger's mount in this case) not the rider.

Not exactly. The mount is also protected from the target of it's rider. So if you use Ride-By-Attack to whack an Orc, the orc doesn't get an AoO against you or your mount.

 

[Jeremy]

<agrees>

Hence the "This extends to your mount also (after all, it's your mount that is doing the moving)." statement by the Sage.

 

[mikebr99]

Not exactly. The mount is also protected from the target of it's rider. So if you use Ride-By-Attack to whack an Orc, the orc doesn't get an AoO against you or your mount.

Ok... you're right (read the example for the 3rd time...)

But just to clarify, if the Orc was also mounted, and the Paladin attacked him with 'ride-by-attack', the paladin (& his mount) wouldn't provoke an AoO from the Orc, but would from the Orc's mount. And (unlikely though it may seem) if the Orc's mount had a high DEX and the 'Combat Reflexes' feat, he could attack both the rider and his mount as they move out of his threat range.

 

[kreynolds]

But just to clarify, if the Orc was also mounted, and the Paladin attacked him with 'ride-by-attack', the paladin (& his mount) wouldn't provoke an AoO from the Orc, but would from the Orc's mount. And (unlikely though it may seem) if the Orc's mount had a high DEX and the 'Combat Reflexes' feat, he could attack both the rider and his mount as they move out of his threat range.

Maybe. I have no idea. I've never been that interested in mounted combat, so I never even bothered to brush up on it.

 

[Jeremy]

Yes, though your example is confusing because you are using a mount as the second creature (and not the mount being used in the rideby attack either, more confusion) and a mount is normally dismissed.

To better clarify, just pretend you are riding straight inbetween two orcs. The one you attack doesn't get an AofO at all because of rideby attack. The one you didn't attack over on your other side can AofO you or your horse or both (if he has combat reflexes) because you are concentrating your feat's ability on the orc you are hitting and leaving yourself open to his buddy.

But again, to answer the original poster's question. Yes, rideby attack protection from AofO's covers your mount as well as you, just only from the target of your attack.

 

[mikebr99]

Maybe. I have no idea. I've never been that interested in mounted combat, so I never even bothered to brush up on it.

WHAT?? Never been interested???

Why, next to spell combat, and melee, and missile combat... mounted combat is the best.

Wait, no... aerial combat (non-mounted) should also be ahead of it too... oh, what about underwater combat??

Well, mounted combat is still "up-there"...