Ride

Epic Path \ Skills \ Ride

• Ability Score Used: Strength
• Usable Untrained? Yes
• Armor Check Penalty Applies? Yes

The drover skill applies to riding a mount in or out of combat, as well as piloting vehicles, directing a carriage team, or any other vehicle- or mount-related skill checks, including magic items such as flying carpets. It does not apply to skill checks made to move under your own power, such as innate flight, which is the domain of the Movement skill.

Most typical riding actions don't require Drover checks: you can saddle, mount, ride, and dismount from a mount without a problem. However, quite a few actions are so challenging that they do require checks. Riding a mount in combat often gives a +1 bonus to attack rolls for being on higher ground than your foe (assuming your foe is equal to or less than the size category of your mount). Mounts cannot attack on their own, even if combat-trained. Instead, combat trained mounts provide bonus damage to each of the rider's attacks, equal to the mount's CR. Mounts are always counted as allies for purposes of receiving benefits from class abilities, spells and other powers which grant benefits to "all allies". While mounted, the rider may use the mount's speed during move actions, to move around the battlefield, but doing so uses the rider's move action for the round. Full-attack actions are not possible while mounted, if the mount moves. Ranged attacks made while mounted take a -4 penalty if the mount moves.
Action Required:	Mounting and dismounting are typically move actions. Other checks are a move action, a free action, or no action at all, as noted below.
DC of Check:	Task Description Drover DC Guide with knees You can guide your mount with your knees so you can use both hands in combat. Make your Drover check at the start of your turn. If you fail, you can use only one hand this round because you need to use the other to control your mount. This does not take an action. 5 + 2x mount CR Stay in saddle You can react instantly to try to avoid falling when your mount rears or bolts unexpectedly or when you take damage. This usage does not take an action. 5 + 2x mount CR Cover You can react instantly to drop down and hang alongside your mount, using it as cover. You can't attack or cast spells while using your mount as cover. If you fail your Drover check, you don't get the cover benefit. Using this option is an immediate action, but recovering from this position is a move action (no check required). While under cover, attacks made against you that do not also include your mount are made at -4 to hit. 15 +2x mount CR Soft fall You negate damage when you fall off a mount. If you fail the Drover check, you take at least 1d6 points of damage and are Prone. This usage does not take an action. 15 + 2x mount CR Leap You can get your mount to leap obstacles as part of its movement. If the Drover check to make the leap succeeds, make a check using your Drover modifier or the mount's jump modifier, whichever is lower, to see how far the creature can jump. If you fail your Drover check, you fall off the mount when it leaps and take the appropriate falling damage (at least 1d6 points). This usage does not take an action but is part of the mount's movement. 15 + 2x mount CR Spur mount You can spur your mount to greater speed with a move action. A successful Drover check increases the mount's speed by 10 feet for 1 round but deals 1d3 points of damage to the creature. You can use this ability every round, but the mount becomes fatigued after a number of rounds equal to its Constitution score. This ability cannot be used on a fatigued mount. 15 + 2x mount CR Control mount in battle As a move action, you can attempt to control a light horse, pony, heavy horse, or other mount not trained for combat riding while in battle. If you fail the Drover check, you can do nothing else in that round. You do not need to roll for mounts which have been trained for combat. 20 + 2x mount CR Fast mount or dismount You can attempt to mount or dismount from a mount of up to one size category larger than yourself as a free action, provided that you still have a move action available that round. If you fail the Drover check, mounting or dismounting is a move action. You can't use fast mount or dismount on a mount more than one size category larger than yourself. 20 + 2x mount CR
Modifiers to Check	CR of Mount: All Drover checks pertaining to mounts increase their DC by double the CR of the mount you are riding. Frightened By Combat: A mount which is not combat-trained will be frightened by combat, adding a +15 modifier to any Drover check made to control it during combat. Mounts which have not been combat trained do not provide bonus damage to their riders, though they do still grant the +1 'higher ground' bonus to to-hit rolls. Bareback: If you are riding bareback, or with a Broken or improper/improvised saddle, you take a -5 penalty on Drover checks. Military saddles grant a +2 bonus to Drover checks related to staying in the saddle.
Take 10? / Take 20?	{{{Take10-Take20}}}
Allows Assists?	{{{Assist}}}
Results of Success	{{{Success}}}
Consequences of Failure	Failure frequently results in being dismounted. A fall from a mount inflicts damage based on how fast the mount is moving when you are dismounted, and you are left Prone on the ground where you were dismounted. Refer to the Collision rules for details.
Retry Allowed?	If you are still on your mount, you can retry the action in the next round.
Provokes AOO?	No

You can control the speed and direction of a vehicle, as described in the Vehicle Combat and Abstract Encounters rules.
Action Required:	Turns during abstract encounters are measured in intervals, and vehicular combat typically uses 1 hour intervals.
DC of Check:	The Drover check has no DC, but is divided by 5 to determine how many d6's are in your action pool each interval.
Modifiers to Check	Typically none, though other stations can influence the efficiency of the Drover's action pool check.
Take 10? / Take 20?	{{{Take10-Take20}}}
Allows Assists?	{{{Assist}}}
Results of Success	{{{Success}}}
Consequences of Failure	You always receive a minimum of 2 d6's in your action pool, no matter how poorly you roll on your Drover check.
Retry Allowed?	No
Provokes AOO?	No