Mounted Archery — D&D 3.5e Feat
D&D 3.5e Rules
This material is Open Game Content, and is licensed for public use under the terms of the Open Game License v1.0a.
- Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.
- Benefit: The penalty you take when using a ranged weapon while mounted is halved: -2 instead of -4 if your mount is taking a double move, and -4 instead of -8 if your mount is running.
- Special: A fighter may select Mounted Archery as one of his fighter bonus feats.
In Play
For example, a rider has a normal bow attack modifier of +8. With Mounted Archery, that attack becomes +6 while the mount takes a double move, or +4 while the mount runs. Apply other modifiers, including range, cover and shooting into melee, separately.
The feat suits a rider exchanging shots during a pursuit or covering a retreat across open ground. Choose the mount’s movement first, then apply the corresponding attack penalty. It grants no additional attacks.
Mounted Attack Penalties Compared
| Mount’s movement | Normal ranged penalty | With Mounted Archery |
|---|---|---|
| Double move | −4 | −2 |
| Running | −8 | −4 |
This comparison shows only the mounted movement penalty. It does not remove penalties from range, cover, ammunition, other combat conditions or any rule governing the attack itself.
Using Mounted Archery in an Encounter
On the open road a mounted scout can loose arrows at pursuing raiders while the horse crosses difficult ground. The rider must first decide how the mount will move. A double move leaves the attack at −2 with this feat; a running mount imposes −4. If the scout’s unmodified ranged attack bonus is +8, those results are +6 and +4 respectively before any other adjustments.
A pursuer on foot may try to reach cover, force the horse through a narrow passage or draw the rider into close quarters. Mounted Archery makes mobile shooting more dependable, but it does not make the horse faster, give the rider extra attacks or remove the tactical advantages of good cover.
Common Questions
- Is Mounted Archery the same as Mounted Combat? No. Mounted Combat is a prerequisite. The benefits of the two feats are different.
- Does it work with ranged weapons other than bows? The text specifies a ranged weapon, so apply it where the underlying rules permit the ranged attack.
- Does it eliminate attack penalties? No. It halves the specified mounted movement penalties, and all other relevant modifiers still apply.
- Can a fighter select it as a bonus feat? Yes, provided the prerequisites are met, under the special rule printed above.
Rules Reference
This page covers the D&D 3.5e feat; it does not substitute similarly named features from other editions. See the D&D 3.5e SRD — Mounted Archery, the Mounted Combat feat and the Ride skill. The worked encounter and comparison table are original explanatory guidance.
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