posted this in the Paladin folders. Was usggested to post here, but never got around to it.

Alright, apologies if any of this has already been covered. We already can joust from horseback (well, those of you who have enough money and circle, unlike me :o). But Jousting was like a tournament charge. Any chance of charging from horseback? Figure it would have to start from missile range, to gather enough speed, and the rider would need a lance. this would be a very tiring manuver for the horse, but in theory if you could retreat back to pole range, you could charge again. providing your lance was still intact, or you had a second one.

Leading a charge. This is based off of a Paladin's lead ability. It is not a continous affect, such as the normal lead, but works on two levels, starting the charge, and directing targets. It delivers a fairly small soul usage compared to normal leading.

To work, the Paladin's group must all be mounted, wielding lances, and at missile range. the paladin would then LEAD CHARGE. this would cause the entire group to charge as a whole.

Against a single opponent, the Paladin's lead would arrange them to strike in order from most skilled to least skilled, so that the least skilled lancer would strike when the oponent was already (hopefully) off balance from the more skilled lancer's strike.

Against more then one opponent, the Paladin leader automatically sets each person charging the opponent that their skill is best suited too, if there are different creatures present (for instance, a goblin and a hog).

In both instances, a Paladin with a low lead might make mistakes, either causing an error in the charge order, a mismatching of skill matchups, or perhaps even a completly botched run. Example:

Assigning multiple targets:

Squire Rialan signals the charge!
Squire Rialan directs you to charge against a bladed spider
You look at the bladed spider with heavy doubts, but lower your lance and Charge!
Your lance breaks harmlessly on the Bladed spider's skin!

Sentinal Candidus signals the charge!
Sentinal Candidus directs you to charge against a wood troll
You look at a wood troll and grin, then lower your lance and charge!
Your lance lands an apopalyptic strike blah blah blah

Or against a single opponent:

Squire Rialan signals the charge!
Squire Rialan's iexperience causes you to charge in order before Sentinal Candidus, rendering the charge less effective!

Sentinal Candidus signals the charge!
Sentinal Candidus's long experiences puts everyone in perfect sequence!

with multiple targets:

Squire Rialan signals the charge!
His inexperienced order causes you to almost collide with another lancer, ruining your charge!

Paladins would gain a bonus to charging.
If you want to get really indepth with charging, you could perhaps add in a factor so that weight increases damage done with a charge, while lighter chargers have a better chance of hitting. A Paladin in heavy plate with an 18 hand horse in plate barding has enough weight to drive that lance pretty deep, while a ranger in leathers on a bareback 16 hand horse is going to be able to adjust direction pretty easy to keep on track.

"But Squire Rialan," You say, "Doesn't your lance usually break when you charge? Wouldn't that be a very expensive way to do combat?" Yes! You are correct! And as a person who generally has silver as the highest currancy in my account, and will probably never own a horse, I have thought of that!

Lance carving works much like bow carving for rangers, requiring a knife, a shaper, and a foraged limb. wood plays a much more important role for lances however, as while a pine limb may be easy to shape, even a capped pine lance will probably shatter on a rock troll without making a scratch. hardness of wood vs. hardness of armor/skin, so to say.
I am split on whether a Paladin should have a bonus to carving lances. I pretty much came tothis conclusion, If rangers have a bonus to carving bows, Paladins should have a bonus to carving lances. If rangers do not have a bonus to carving bows, Paladins should not have a bonus to lance carving. Seems pretty fair.

Lance head forging: an addition, or upgrade, to lances that are carved would be to forge a head, or tip, for it from metal, which can be attached to the lance. This greatly increases the lances penetration ability. Since it is a forged weapon, I can't really see giving Paladins a bonus, as that would encroach into the barbarian's area. But then again, Rangers make better leather armor than Paladins..

Forging can be pretty expensive however, even though a lance head wouldn't take much metal to forge. So two thoughts on how to make this more affordable:

idea 1: The lance head can be recovered from the body of the opponent and attached to another lance

Idea two: possibly forging support bands that can also be attached to a lance and reinforce it, so that they last longer, perhaps a max of three rings on a lance. A capped ebon lance with three reinforced bands and a forged head might be a pretty durable weapon.

Squire Rialan
For Rutilor and Honor