Montare

Description: Montare are gladiators who specialize in mounted combat. Montare may ride a single mount (montare), drive a chariot (char-montare) or ride in a mobile war machine. To a montare, his mount or vehicle is like an extension of his body. Without it he is at a disadvantage.

Special Requirments: There are no special ability requirements for a gladiator to become a montare.

Role: The popularity of mounted combat and chariot games has increased in recent years in many of the locales where gladitorial games are prominent. Less bloody than regular gladiatorial games, they are even more exciting.

Weapon Proficiencies: The montare gains an automatic specialization in the whip at no cost. The whip is ued as a weapon as well as an implement to encourage their mounts to travel faster.

Nonweapon skills: Bonus skills: Animal Handling, Land-based Riding or Charioteering, Animal Training. Recommended skills: Land-based Riding or Charioteering (whichever was not picked as a bonus skill), Leatherworking, Animal Lore.

Equipment: Montare begin the game with any harness and tack necessary. If the montare is a charioteer, he does not begin the game with a chariot, rather he only owns the tack and harness. Chariots are very expensive and must be purchased, rented, borrowed or stolen, if the PC wishes to own one.

A montare may purchase a mount normally before the start of play. It is assumed that the mount he purchases will be of Charger quality and that the character has trained it over the past few months. No roll for animal training is required. If the mount is killed, a new mount must be trained in the normal fashion.

Special Benefits: Montare receive a +1 bonus to hit and damage when attacking from a mount, chariot or war machine.

The montare can learn three special attack maneuvers by spending a weapon proficiency slot on each.

Impale -- Any long polearm, spear, lance or gouge can be used for impaling attacks. Single montare or char-montare require a special harness to use two-handed weapons. The harness is slung over one shoulder to carry and aim the weapon. The second part of the harness is an impact plate mounted on the beast and attached either to the riding saddle or to the outsdie of the chariot. The butt of the wapon rests on the plate during the charge. The plate and momentum of the chariot/mount enable the montare to make an impaling attack.

To make an impaling attack, the mounted montare must successfully charge his opponent. If a successful attack roll is made, the victim suffers double damage from the attack. Strength bonuses do not apply in this attack. Following a successful attack, the montare rolls 1d6 and consults the table below. Unsuccessful attacks have no reprecussions.

 

• Catch and Drag -- In this type of attack the montare attempts to avoid a direct confrontation with his opponent. The montare may use a lasso or any hooked flexible weapon. If a succesful attack is made, the hook has grappled the victim. If the grappled target weighs less than the montare's mount, the victim is automatically off balance. If the target is the same size or larger than the montare's mount, the target must save vs. petrification or be thrown off balance. Targets more than twice the size of the mount cannot be pulled off balance. The montare's mount begins to drag the victim the following round (provided the mout is as strong as the victim). The victim takes two points of damage per round dragged, plus any damage from road obstacle. Two successful Strength checks must be made by the victim in order to break free.
  
• Move-By -- The most popular attack from among montare is the Move-By. Using a sharp slashing or heavy bludgeoning weapon, the montare rides past his intended victim at a high rate of speed and strikes a blow. The montare hten moves out of rech of the defender's weapn before the latter is able to attack. This type of attack adds one to the AC of the montare.
  

Special Hinderances: Montare are so specialized at fighting from horseback, chariot or war machine that their to hit and damage rolls are penalized by -1 when fighting dismounted.

Wealth Options: Montare roll their initial Socail Class and Social Rank as normal for gladiators.

Races: Any race that can ride a mount can become a Montare. The shorter races such as halflings, dwarves, gnomes, uldra, etc., seldom become montare.