Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of Extraordinary Feats, where we bring you only the highest quality new feats each and every week to modify your PCs and NPCs to your heart’s content. This week I’ve been thinking a lot about ways to make mounted combat more fun for everyone involved, and I would like to present you with a number of feats based on my conclusions.
Armored Cavalry (Combat)
Over the years, you have grown accustomed to riding a horse while riding armor.
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Light Armor Proficiency.
Benefit: You never suffer the armor check penalty of your armor when making Ride checks while mounted.
Beast Master
You spurn horses and other traditional mounts, instead electing a more dangerous and combat-ready creature.
Prerequisites: Handle Animal 1 rank, Ride 1 rank.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all Handle Animal and Ride checks made to control or train animals and magical beasts, so long as they are not horses.
Combat Platform (Combat)
You use your mount as a mobile combat platform, dispatching foes from on high.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6 or higher, Handle Animal 6 ranks, Ride 6 ranks, Mounted Combat.
Benefit: You may make a full attack from the back of your mount, even if you take a move action in the same round; however, all attacks you make, as well as your AC and Ride checks, suffer a -5 penalty until your next turn.
Diving Charge (Combat)
Like the majestic hawk, you dive down from the sky to claim your victims.
Prerequisites: Fly 1 rank, Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge.
Benefit: You deal triple damage (or quadruple with a lance) on a successful charge attack made from the back of your flying mount against a target on the ground, provided that you began your charge at least 20 feet in the air.
Special: You can only gain the benefit of this feat if your mount has the Flyby Attack feat.
Dragoon Skirmisher (Combat)
Your skills learned in infantry skirmishes make you a terror on horseback. As you charge your opponents, weapon drawn, you suddenly hurl the projectile into them, causing panic.
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus for any thrown weapon.
Benefit: You do not suffer the normal penalties for making ranged attacks while mounted when you attack with a thrown weapon while mounted. Additionally, when you hit a creature with a thrown weapon while you’re mounted, that creature must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + your ranks in Ride) or become shaken for 1d4 rounds.
Equestrianism
Through talent or training, you have a natural bond with horses.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus to all Ride checks, so long as your mount is pony, light horse, light war horse, heavy horse or heavy war horse.
Joust (Combat)
You are well practiced in the art of the joust, and are a master of dueling while on horseback.
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.
Benefit: When mounted, you gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and weapon damage rolls against opponents who are also mounted.
Parting Shot (Combat)
You feign retreat, but when you get up to speed, you suddenly twist your body and fire your bow into stunned opponents.
Prerequisites: Ride 12 ranks, Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat.
Benefit: Whenever you use the withdraw action while mounted, you may make a Ride check (DC 25) in order to make a ranged attack as a free action. The target must succeed on a Sense Motive check (DC equals the result of your Ride check) or be considered flat-footed for this attack.