Mounts & Vehicles

Purpose

This extension defines rules for mounts (creatures you ride) and vehicles (conveyances you operate). It builds on core TDGS documents and does not redefine any core rules.

Provide unified mechanics for:

• Riding creatures (horses, wolves, dragons, etc.)
• Operating vehicles (wagons, chariots, ships, etc.)
• Combat while mounted or aboard vehicles
• Progression for mounts and upgrades for vehicles

Core Distinction: Mount vs Vehicle

"The horse knows fear. The wagon does not. When the dragon roars, one will run and one will sit there, waiting for someone to tell it what to do. Calculate accordingly."

Creating Mounts

1. Select race (creature type defines base stats and innate traits)
2. Select class (if trained) or leave classless (wild)
3. Apply class abilities

Race defines what the creature is: a Horse has base stats, size Large, and innate traits like Kick.

Class defines what it's trained to do: War Mount grants War-Trained, Trample, and Charge abilities.

Wild vs Trained: A wild horse has the Horse race but no class levels. A trained warhorse has Horse race plus War Mount class levels. Same creature, different training.

Creating Vehicles

1. Select race (vehicle template defines stats and traits)
2. Class is always Inert (Level 1, no progression)
3. Apply upgrades if desired

Race (Template): "Wagon" is a race. "War Chariot" is a race. The template defines what the vehicle is.

Inert Class

• Name: Inert
• Description: For entities without agency or progression
• Max Level: 1
• Abilities: None
• Progression: None (cannot gain XP, cannot level)

Progression: Mounts

Mounts are entities. Entities that participate in challenges earn XP. Standard progression rules apply (Document 12).

Adventuring XP

Mounts earn XP from participating in challenges. Both rider and mount receive XP. Participation is not divided. They were there, they faced danger, they get XP.

Training XP

Downtime training is an additional XP source for mounts. Content defines costs (gold, time, trainer requirements) and XP awarded. This lets mounts progress even between adventures.

Spending XP

Mounts spend XP on class levels and stat increases using standard progression rules.

Progression: Vehicles

No XP. Vehicles cannot gain XP. The Inert class has no levels beyond 1.

Upgrades: Modifications, repairs, and enchantments can improve stats or add traits. Content defines costs. This is gold-based, not XP-based.

Replacement: Buy a better vehicle outright. Content defines vehicle catalogs and prices.

Progression: Draft Animals

Draft animals are entities. All non-inert entities earn XP per core progression rules.

Adventuring XP: Draft animals pulling a vehicle through combat earn XP from challenges. If the chariot tramples goblins, the horses faced danger and survived. They earn XP.

Combat: Action Economy

Rider and Operator

Your Action is occupied with controlling the mount or vehicle. Everything else works normally.

Using mount/vehicle abilities (Trample, Ram, etc.) uses your Action.

Passengers

Passengers are not controlling the conveyance. They have nearly full action economy.

Why no Step? Step is movement across the battlefield. Passengers are moving with the conveyance, not independently. Dismount to get your Step back.

Mounts (While Ridden)

The rider directs. The mount responds.

Attacking While Mounted or Operating

Default (no special training)

• Use mount/vehicle abilities (Trample, Ram) with your Action
• Use your Interrupts (Parry, Counterspell, etc.)
• Use your Instants at round start
• Use Free Actions (shout commands, drop items)
• CANNOT use personal attack Actions (swing sword, cast spell)

With appropriate Skill or Ability

• Rider with "Mounted Archery" can make ranged attacks while riding
• Charioteer with "Combat Driver" can attack while operating
• Content defines these Skills and Abilities

Passengers have no such restriction. They can attack normally without special training.

Being Attacked (Target Choice)

Attacker chooses target freely. Mount/vehicle and rider/passenger are both valid targets. No penalty for choosing either.

Tactical options:

• Kill the mount to strand the rider
• Kill the rider to claim the mount
• Destroy the vehicle to halt everyone
• Target the driver to leave the vehicle uncontrolled

Driver Incapacitation

If a vehicle's driver is killed or incapacitated mid-movement:

1. Vehicle completes declared movement in a straight line
2. Vehicle stops

Seizing control mid-movement: Requires a relevant Interrupt ability (content-defined). Without such ability, occupants cannot react until the vehicle stops.

Seizing control after movement: Any occupant may take control using their Action on their turn.

Trample

Trample applies to any mount or vehicle with the Trample trait. The physics are the same whether hooves or wheels.

Trigger: Trampler enters a smaller creature's square during movement.

Resolution: Trampler STR vs Target REF (standard resolution)

On Success

• Target takes trample damage (defined by Trample trait)
• Target is knocked prone
• Trampler continues in direction of travel

On Failure

• Trampler's movement ends in the square before the target
• The target braced and held the line

Trample Distance

Formula: MOV / 4 (rounded down) squares in direction of travel

Chain Effect: Each creature in the trample path gets their own opposed roll. Trample continues until maximum trample distance is reached OR a creature wins the opposed roll (stopping the trampler).

Restrictions

• Cannot trample creatures of equal or larger size
• Cannot trample the same target twice in one turn
• Target does not get an Interrupt (this is being run over, not an attack)
• Trample is part of movement, no extra Action cost

Charge

Mounts with the Charge trait deal bonus damage after straight-line movement.

Trigger: 4+ squares of straight-line movement immediately before attack.

Effect: Bonus damage as defined by trait (e.g., "Charge: +1d6 damage").

"The war chariot does not negotiate. It does not ask permission. It explains physics to anyone standing in the way, and physics is a very persuasive argument."

Mount Rules

"The beast wants to flee. You want to charge. There is exactly one moment to remind it that your courage is bigger than its fear. Miss that moment and you are cargo."

Any Entity Can Be a Mount

Rule: Any entity can be mounted by an entity at least one size smaller. Must have carrying capacity. Physics does not require a trait. Control is the question.

Control States

Control Check: Rider CHA vs Mount WIS (standard resolution)

Mount Stats

Mounts are full Entities. All 9 stats are the mount's own. A mount can be targeted by any effect that targets entities. Fireball uses the mount's CON. Charm uses the mount's WIS.

Mounted Movement

Use mount's MOV. Rider's MOV is irrelevant while riding.

• Mounting: Costs an Action
• Dismounting: Costs an Action

Traits MAY grant faster mounting (e.g., "Cavalry Training: Mount as a Free Action").

Mount Damage and Death

Mount has its own health pool. Damage to mount does not affect rider.

When mount dies or is incapacitated:

• Rider lands prone in adjacent square (rider's choice which)
• Standing from prone costs an Action

Airborne Mount Death: If mount dies or is incapacitated mid-air, rider falls. Falling damage applies per Document 14: 1d6 per 2 squares, capped at 10d6 (20 squares).

Size Compatibility (Mounts)

Mount must be at least one size category larger than the rider.

Multiple Riders

Multiple riders are allowed if the mount has carrying capacity for all of them.

Carrying Capacity: STR x 10 x Size Multiplier (WU)

One rider controls. Additional riders are passengers. Passengers can use their full Action but have no Step.

"I once saw a goblin riding a human. The human was not happy about it, but the goblin had a whip and the human had a broken spirit. Technically legal. Profoundly undignified. I laughed until I couldn't breathe, then laughed some more."

Vehicle Rules

"I once watched a wizard cast Dominate on a wagon for ten minutes before someone explained the problem. The wagon was very patient about it."

Vehicle Stats

Vehicles are Inert Entities. Physical stats are the vehicle's own. Mental stats are borrowed from the driver.

Occupied Vehicle: Physical attacks target the vehicle's stats. Mental attacks target the driver's stats.

Unoccupied Vehicle: Physical attacks target the vehicle's stats. Mental attacks auto-succeed (no resistance). Exception: Traits may grant resistance (e.g., "Warded").

Vehicle Operation

Basic operation: No check required. You can drive a wagon.

Difficult maneuvers: Standard resolution vs terrain's virtual DEX.

Vehicle Maneuvers Roll: d20 + (Driver DEX - Terrain DEX) + Handling + Modifiers >= 11

Handling is a vehicle trait. Positive = nimble. Negative = clunky.

Passengers and Crew

Passengers MAY use their full Action while aboard (they're not controlling).

Crew Requirement (X): Need X people or the vehicle does not move.

Crew are passengers with jobs. Additional crew beyond the driver are passengers. They use normal action economy for their crew tasks.

• A rower uses their Action to row
• A siege engineer uses their Action to fire the ballista
• No new mechanics; action economy applied to vehicle context

Cover

Cover is NOT inherent to vehicles. It is defined per vehicle via the Cover trait.

Vehicle Damage

Vehicles have their own health pool: HP = CON × 5 (per standard entity rules).

At 0 HP: Vehicle is destroyed or disabled. Occupants must disembark or are trapped (content-defined).

Motive Sources

Requires Motive Source: Vehicle has no inherent MOV. Needs draft animals, crew rowing, wind, magic, etc.

Self-Propelled: Vehicle has its own MOV (magical carriages, clockwork wagons, etc.). Self-propelled is exotic; most vehicles require motive sources.

"One horse fails, you're stuck. Two horses fail, you get to watch them argue about whose fault it is. Four horses? Now you're managing a committee. Delightful."

Draft Animals

Draft animals pull vehicles. Their STR and carrying capacity determine load limits.

Draft Animal Carrying Capacity: STR × 10 × Size Multiplier (WU)

Load Calculation: Total load = vehicle weight + cargo + passengers

Multiple Draft Animals: Add carrying capacities together.

Common Mount Traits

Common Vehicle Traits

Examples

"Four examples. A horse that could be more, a class that makes it so, a box on wheels, and a blade on wheels. Race is what you are. Class is what you become. Vehicles never become - they just are, until someone bolts armor to them."

Horse (Mount Race)

War Mount (Mount Class)

Warhorse (Horse + War Mount 4)

Wagon (Vehicle Race)

War Chariot (Vehicle Race)

Summary

Status

This extension builds on core TDGS rules. It does not redefine them.

Core documents referenced: Document 5, Document 6, Document 8, Document 9, Document 12, Document 13, Document 14, Document 15