Cataphract's charge!!

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Posted by mabon5127
7/09/2018 7:52 am
#1

A Cataphract in the party was given the task of leading a group of 6 fellow Cataphracts with the other characters to aid a warlord in the Bandit Kingdoms.

They were engaged in a fight near Nod's Chain with a large group of Ape-Men attacking from and moving in the tree tops as well as a ground force of Vhurmis and Albino apes.  The charge of the Cataphracts was devastating (pretty cool actually) and the chaotic forces were driven back to their frozen holes.

Question: I ruled that on a hit with the full Cataphract charge the lance would be in the creature and fouled, necessitating a change to sword or other weapon.  They could use the lance in combat at regular damage moving back and forth on their steed and striking first with bonuses but not the full charge damage multiplier.

Do others have Cataphract in the campaign and how do you handle the charge?  Could there be an avoidance save to reclaim the weapon after a full charge?  I'm interested in what others would do! 


“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?” 
 
Posted by Blackadder23
7/09/2018 10:01 am
#2

I've never seen a cataphract in AS&SH, or a cavalier in AD&D for that matter.

It may be because I tend to focus on dungeon adventuring, and my players just don't see any point because horsemanship is useless in that environment.


Michael Sipe 1979-2018
Rest in peace, brother.
 
Posted by mabon5127
7/09/2018 10:36 am
#3

Blackadder23 wrote:

I've never seen a cataphract in AS&SH, or a cavalier in AD&D for that matter.

It may be because I tend to focus on dungeon adventuring, and my players just don't see any point because horsemanship is useless in that environment.

My daughter liked the class feature of being honored / offered hospitality and riding horses....


“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?” 
 
Posted by Ghul
7/09/2018 11:58 am
#4

I give it about a 2-in-6 chance if the target stuck is heavily armoured; otherwise, I let it go. Do what thou wilt! ;)


HYPERBOREA- A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Science-Fantasy
 
Posted by DMPrata
7/09/2018 6:22 pm
#5

You could always make a class 2 or 3 item saving throw for the lance.

 
Posted by Jimm.Iblis
7/11/2018 6:53 pm
#6

Even though a megadungeon is central to the campaign I'm running, one of the players has in fact rolled a cataphract. If he lives long enough, maybe I'll let him have a cave lizard or something.

Anyway, as to the question: some quick research shows that medieval lances were designed to be broken off during a charge. But my personal idea of Hyperborea and other sword and sorcery settings is more modelled on the ancient world (bronze-early iron age). So, in my head and at my table, a "lance" is more accurately a kontos (kontoi). Thus, they are unweildly to use on foot, but not totally unusable and probably recoverable after a mounted charge.

Last edited by Jimm.Iblis (7/11/2018 7:54 pm)


"Role-playing isn't storytelling. If the dungeon master is directing it, it's not a game."  ~ Gary Gygax
 
Posted by grodog
7/11/2018 9:23 pm
#7

Blackadder23 wrote:

I've never seen a cataphract in AS&SH, or a cavalier in AD&D for that matter.

I played a cataphract in one of Jeff's playtest at GaryCon/NTX a few years ago (it may have been Return to Dunwich?)---quite the badass! :D

Allan.

 
Posted by mabon5127
7/12/2018 8:42 am
#8

Jimm.Iblis wrote:

Even though a megadungeon is central to the campaign I'm running, one of the players has in fact rolled a cataphract. If he lives long enough, maybe I'll let him have a cave lizard or something.

Anyway, as to the question: some quick research shows that medieval lances were designed to be broken off during a charge. But my personal idea of Hyperborea and other sword and sorcery settings is more modelled on the ancient world (bronze-early iron age). So, in my head and at my table, a "lance" is more accurately a kontos (kontoi). Thus, they are unweildly to use on foot, but not totally unusable and probably recoverable after a mounted charge.

Thanks!  I appreciate the research! For others, my concern was the weapon being caught within the target after such a brutal charge not so much breaking, though I like that idea as well.  I think I will give an avoidance save to recover and reset the lance for a new charge with a (one round delay) and a 2 in 6 chance of the lance breaking.
Thanks for all the suggestions!
 


“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?” 
 
Posted by mabon5127
7/12/2018 8:45 am
#9

grodog wrote:

Blackadder23 wrote:

I've never seen a cataphract in AS&SH, or a cavalier in AD&D for that matter.

I played a cataphract in one of Jeff's playtest at GaryCon/NTX a few years ago (it may have been Return to Dunwich?)---quite the badass! :D

Allan.

They do lose their horsemanship abilities quite often but the immunity to fear and prestige make for an interesting character.  
 


“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?” 
 
Posted by Blackadder23
7/12/2018 2:10 pm
#10

Jimm.Iblis wrote:

Anyway, as to the question: some quick research shows that medieval lances were designed to be broken off during a charge. But my personal idea of Hyperborea and other sword and sorcery settings is more modelled on the ancient world (bronze-early iron age). So, in my head and at my table, a "lance" is more accurately a kontos (kontoi).

I'm sure this is meant to be the case in Hyperborea; why else would Jeff have used the ancient term "cataphract"?

Jimm.Iblis wrote:

Thus, they are unwieldy to use on foot, but not totally unusable and probably recoverable after a mounted charge.

If a cataphract PC in my game wanted to take a lance into the dungeon (the better to make use of that mandatory weapon mastery) I would require him to "cut it down" for foot use, and to acquire another one (or at least a new shaft) before engaging in mounted combat.


Michael Sipe 1979-2018
Rest in peace, brother.
 
Posted by Jimm.Iblis
7/12/2018 2:55 pm
#11

Blackadder23 wrote:

If a cataphract PC in my game wanted to take a lance into the dungeon (the better to make use of that mandatory weapon mastery) I would require him to "cut it down" for foot use

I wouldn't say he couldn't try. But I would have everyone behind him make an avoidance save or be knocked down every time he turned his body around. Because I still find the Three Stooges funny.
 


"Role-playing isn't storytelling. If the dungeon master is directing it, it's not a game."  ~ Gary Gygax
 
Posted by Blackadder23
7/12/2018 4:10 pm
#12

Jimm.Iblis wrote:

Blackadder23 wrote:

If a cataphract PC in my game wanted to take a lance into the dungeon (the better to make use of that mandatory weapon mastery) I would require him to "cut it down" for foot use

I wouldn't say he couldn't try. But I would have everyone behind him make an avoidance save or be knocked down every time he turned his body around. Because I still find the Three Stooges funny.
 

As amusing as the slapstick sounds, I eschew anything that adds a lot of extra die rolls to the game. They just annoy me. It's the main reason I stopped running skill-heavy games like Call of Cthulhu.


Michael Sipe 1979-2018
Rest in peace, brother.
 
Posted by Jimm.Iblis
7/12/2018 5:16 pm
#13

Blackadder23 wrote:

As amusing as the slapstick sounds, I eschew anything that adds a lot of extra die rolls to the game. They just annoy me. It's the main reason I stopped running skill-heavy games like Call of Cthulhu.

More of a joke that. Kidding aside, I hear you. I'm trying to break away from my Pathfinder instinct of calling for roles everywhere and improve my pacing overall.
 


"Role-playing isn't storytelling. If the dungeon master is directing it, it's not a game."  ~ Gary Gygax
 
Posted by under_score
9/15/2018 6:47 am
#14

King Arthur Pendragon has a pretty simple rule for lances breaking: if the damage roll is odd, it breaks.  I don't have a cataphract in my game currently, but I'd probably use that if I did.

 
Posted by ALCAVDON
9/20/2018 2:24 pm
#15

I have to say, I spoil my cataphracts. When they charge, I up the damage dice, so a 1d8 spear becomes a 1d10 dice before to double the damage roll.

Anybody else thinks AS&SH is for Berserk manga?

 
Posted by achiriaco
9/20/2018 9:25 pm
#16

ALCAVDON wrote:

I have to say, I spoil my cataphracts. When they charge, I up the damage dice, so a 1d8 spear becomes a 1d10 dice before to double the damage roll.

Anybody else thinks AS&SH is for Berserk manga?

That is interesting (upping the die).

The way I do charge is (and I have been doing this for several years), I just double the damage. Period
And, as far as weapons breaking they only break on a d20 roll of a 1. 

In my current campaign, I had an AD&D paladin charge (with a  heavy lance) and 30' tall, 30 HD zombie construct. If I recall made several passes at the creature doing an amazing amount of damage until he was knocked off his horse.

Iron Ranger can attest to this (and elaborate more probably).

 
Posted by achiriaco
9/20/2018 9:26 pm
#17

under_score wrote:

King Arthur Pendragon has a pretty simple rule for lances breaking: if the damage roll is odd, it breaks.  I don't have a cataphract in my game currently, but I'd probably use that if I did.

Wow, that is an interesting mechanic. I like it

 
Posted by ALCAVDON
9/22/2018 2:41 pm
#18

I up the dice for cataphracts only. I think they're the embidoment of horsemanship, so...

 


 
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