Do horses have a valourous roll ?

I've been playing vs the Twilight period army from book of battle. This has some troops with the Arbalest (1d6+20), or Longbow (4d6+10) both of which may do enough damage to upset horses and give them a major wound after the 5 pt armour. (It is important to remember the bit on page 46 about "get shield", which is going to help the horse and may make the difference between a major wound or not).

On an odd damage roll then the damage is done to the horse. (There is the bit about wounded horses in book of battle on p48) Horses have the following stats:

Charger (KAP p181) Hit points 46 Major Wound 12 Armour 5
Destrier (KAP p175) Hit points 52 Major wound 10 Armour 5

Following a major wound (KAP p125) then the horse will be required to:
a) make a d20 against current hit points to stay conscious (which it will probably make).
b) make a roll against the statistics lost table (and things are reconfigured straight away)
but
c) characters would have to undertake a valourous roll to continue fighting. No valour skill for horses though.

I certainly intend to come up with some sort of house rules, since a beast that is obviously so badly hurt shouldn't be much use to be ridden around the battlefield, and a knight should be swapping horses with his squire to his next best horse.

Is there any consensus on what would be the best way forward ?

Part of me is tempted to say that the horse has to make a con roll each round (after suffering a major wound) to be used as a normal horse (move, fight etc) in battle, otherwise it just ambles and the knight can fight if attacked but he's not moving with the rest of his unit (so no lance charges for example!).

Chris

Do horses have a valourous roll ?


Not in my game.
A horse takes a major wound, he is unconscious, just like a human.
Since he's not a Player Knight, I'd not give it any other chance.

If the horse falls unconscious, then are we looking at the player making another horsemanship roll ?

I'd argue for this to be un-modified since what we are looking at, is how well does the knight bring the horse down ? (Watch what Jockeys do when their horses stumble and drop)(I saw a similar thing when a horse slipped on some mud whilst pony trekking and rolled to one side).

Cricital - Able to swap horses straight away with his squire ?
Success - no damage ?
Fail - fall and takes normal falling damage ?
Fumble - Ends with leg trapped beneath horse, requiring squire rolls to extricate himself ?

Chris

There's a horsemanship table somewhere in KAP4 or KAP5 that has the same results (except for critical result) as you posted above, for when a horse falls underneath you. In this context of battle, your table looks very appropriate.

If the horse falls unconscious, then are we looking at the player making another horsemanship roll ?

I'd argue for this to be un-modified since what we are looking at, is how well does the knight bring the horse down ? (Watch what Jockeys do when their horses stumble and drop)(I saw a similar thing when a horse slipped on some mud whilst pony trekking and rolled to one side).


That is correct.



Critical - Able to swap horses straight away with his squire ?
Success - no damage ?
Fail - fall and takes normal falling damage ?
Fumble - Ends with leg trapped beneath horse, requiring squire rolls to extricate himself ?


I suggest this:
Critical, Success = off the horse, standing, ready and armed.
Fail = normal falling damage
Fumble = the horse falls ON the knight, does its normal damage

If the horse falls unconscious, then are we looking at the player making another horsemanship roll ?

I'd argue for this to be un-modified since what we are looking at, is how well does the knight bring the horse down ? (Watch what Jockeys do when their horses stumble and drop)(I saw a similar thing when a horse slipped on some mud whilst pony trekking and rolled to one side).


That is correct.



Critical - Able to swap horses straight away with his squire ?
Success - no damage ?
Fail - fall and takes normal falling damage ?
Fumble - Ends with leg trapped beneath horse, requiring squire rolls to extricate himself ?


I suggest this:
Critical, Success = off the horse, standing, ready and armed.
Fail = normal falling damage
Fumble = the horse falls ON the knight, does its normal damage

Fumble...horse does normal dmg!?? You are an evil man Mr.Stafford...sooo evil!!!! lol