Picking up a person or an object from the back of a moving mount?

[Elvensilver]

So, (Option A) imagine, a group of adventurers is fleeing a level-inappropriate encounter. After securing the rear guard, the Cavalier (Druid/ Ranger/ other mounted character), notices the halfing/gnome/dwarf/person in armor laging behind and decides to scoop them up on their horse, so they don't fall behind and get eaten by the level-inappropriate encounter.
Or (Option B) maybe they just want to pick some object lying on the floor (more realistically, on a elevated surface) up, without dismounting. (in real life, there is a sport where you do that- though mostly from pony-back because horses are so tall that you wouldn't reach the floor)

So- how would you rule that?
Surely there is a ride-check involved, likely a very hard one. Cover (DC 15) could give us the baseline here, since the rider would have to let themselves hang from the side of the mount to reach something low.
But-for Option A, would a difficult ride check be enought? Maybe you could combine that with grapple-check to get the person up on your horse? If you do that and you want to continue riding, do you need ride-by-attack? Or maybe just some unspecified strenght-roll instead of grappling?

And for Option B, I think it's somewhat easier: Maybe you roll dexterity? Or Sleight of Hand?

[Elkad]

A feels like Fast Mount to me, except if the other (walking) character is aware/willing, he can Aid Another to help himself up.
I'd put a limit of your Heavy Load on it, maybe allowing an excess on your Ride Check to temporarily raise your Str by the same amount.

For B, I'd assign the thing an AC, and you'd make a disarm/grab attack on it. Don't forget the -4 penalty for using a light weapon (your hand), and an adhoc penalty for it being out of reach (which you could negate with that cover Ride check)

[Gallowglass]

I feel like there is probably a feat for this.

Given 3.5/P predilection toward taking any odd or unusual thing a PC might try and putting it behind a gate so that you can't "try it but its hard" but "can't do it without having a specific and never-taken feat"

Ride-by-attack maybe?

Honestly, option A> I'd just give them a ride check that I thought they could succeed at because its a cool moment for the PC that has zero impact on the game. So 15 sounds good.

B> I wouldn't make them roll. Why make people roll for something like that. Okay, you reach down awkwardly and pick the object off the ground without dismounting. Ride check DC 5 and you can take 10 if you want because you are not being harried.

[Elkad]

B> I wouldn't make them roll. Why make people roll for something like that. Okay, you reach down awkwardly and pick the object off the ground without dismounting. Ride check DC 5 and you can take 10 if you want because you are not being harried.

The assumption is you are doing it on the move.
Awkwardly dangling off the side of your stopped horse to reach out with your fingers and pick up the favor thrown by the Princess, and then struggling to get your armored self upright in the saddle again.
Vs swinging down to grab that favor while your horse is at a canter. Or flipping it into the air with your lance tip and catching it as you ride by.

[Gallowglass]

The assumption is you are doing it on the move.
Awkwardly dangling off the side of your stopped horse to reach out with your fingers and pick up the favor thrown by the Princess, and then struggling to get your armored self upright in the saddle again.
Vs swinging down to grab that favor while your horse is at a canter. Or flipping it into the air with your lance tip and catching it as you ride by.

Yeah but that still beggars the question, why make them roll it?

These are seasoned adventurers with ranks in ride. If it makes them feel cool to describe "I gallop past the bandstand, dangle off the edge of my saddle, scoop up the favor and return upright while smiling at her" then let them do it.

What would be the point of

"Okay roll a ride check."

"Ugh, I rolled a 1. That's 9 total"

"Okay, you slip off your saddle and fall into a pile of horse **** in front of the princess, crushing her token under your armored thigh. Everyone laughs at you. Oh and you take 4 damage"


I'm a proponent of limiting unnecessary rolls and letting people get on with roleplaying and the story. But I recognize that others have a different viewpoint on it. I can only advocate for my own.

[Elkad]

Sure. In that situation they can take10 against some arbitrary difficulty that I'll tell them upfront.

So they may not have the Ride ranks for the lanceflip, and opt for the easier grab instead. Or in the case of the no-ranks Wizard, opt to Mage Hand it with a flourish instead.

If instead it's the MacGuffin rolling towards the storm drain while dodging through the hobgoblin ranks? Yeah, roll that. You don't get long to decide, and opting for the easier method means the hobgoblins get more AoOs on you.

[Psyren]

Yeah but that still beggars the question, why make them roll it?

These are seasoned adventurers with ranks in ride. If it makes them feel cool to describe "I gallop past the bandstand, dangle off the edge of my saddle, scoop up the favor and return upright while smiling at her" then let them do it.

What would be the point of

"Okay roll a ride check."

"Ugh, I rolled a 1. That's 9 total"

"Okay, you slip off your saddle and fall into a pile of horse **** in front of the princess, crushing her token under your armored thigh. Everyone laughs at you. Oh and you take 4 damage"

I mostly agree, but in this case they were explicitly fleeing something though. That sounds like enough stress/duress to force a roll. It makes the PC have to make a tactical choice between fleeing scot-free, or attempting to grab something/someone important and risk not getting away. Alignment can even play a role here. ("Play a role," heh.)