[3.5 and PF]Trip, grapple, overun, bullrush to rider?

[isildur]

what happens?

for example, can i trip rider instead of mount?

If i can, the rider can take slowfall option?

[Berenger]

I don't know the rules of this game system, but from pure common sense it should be possible to trip and grapple a rider. To "trip" a knight from his horse without targeting the horse is the whole point of a medieval joust and in battle infantry pulled cavalry from their horses all the time, whether with hooked polearms or with bare hands.

Note that knights used special, more supporting saddles in battle to avoid exactly this fate, so you can give a small penalty to such trip and grapple attempts if you feel nice.

[TuggyNE]

This should really be in 3.5 subforum.


what happens?

for example, can i trip rider instead of mount?

You can certainly grapple, and you can also trip. Bull rushing and overrunning seem highly dubious.
Tripping a Mounted Opponent
You may make a trip attack against a mounted opponent. The defender may make a Ride check in place of his Dexterity or Strength check. If you succeed, you pull the rider from his mount.

Note, though, that because Ride checks are Dex + ranks + items, rather than just Dex, you're going to have a hard time of it against any kind of skilled rider.


If i can, the rider can take slowfall option?

Yes.

Incidentally, the point about military saddles is well made, but in 3.x they give a bonus to Ride checks made to stay in the saddle, so it works just fine out of the box.

[Sayt]

Pathfinder has the Unseat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/unseat-combat---final) feat, which is situational as hell, but lets you knock a rider off their mount, and auto-knocks them prone if you hit their Bullrush CMD, meaning that you can theoretically 'trip' things which can't otherwise be tripped, so long as they're riding a mount.