Charging mount and lance question

[Braden]

According to the rules "A lance deals double damage when used from the back of a charging mount. While mounted, you can wield a lance with one hand."

If you are on a small creature on a medium mount can you ever really use this? If your mount charges a creature you will end up adjacent to the creature and be unable to attack with your lance. Or is this really only useful with ride by attack?

[Beckett]

You wil attack at the first oppertunity that you are able, (10ft away), and your mount who is actually charging, will continue their charge until the are able to attack at their first oppertunity, (usually 5 ft away), just like with a large mount and medium rider.

[Braden]

Beckett wrote:

You wil attack at the first oppertunity that you are able, (10ft away), and your mount who is actually charging, will continue their charge until the are able to attack at their first oppertunity, (usually 5 ft away), just like with a large mount and medium rider.

While I have been playing that way the rules say you make your attack at the end of the charge ("If you make an attack at the end of the charge, you receive the bonus gained from the charge. When charging on horseback, you deal double damage with a lance (see Charge)." unless I am missing something there is no allowance for the attack before the end.

[Beckett]

In order to charge, you are required to attack at the first oppertunity you are able, (rather than being able to wait until you can flank or something).

Mounted charges work a bit strangly for that reason, as the Mount is the one actually charging, so they must wait until the end of the charge.

It was because of that reason, (and a few other things) that Ride-By-Attack was useless in 3E. The only way you could use it is if you actually killed the target with your lance prior to the mount progressing forward.

When it says that you must make the attack at the end, I think it is saying you can not attack and then move, or move, attack, and then continue your full move, (without Ride-By-Attack). Think of it like your Lance is interupting the charge.

[Mojorat]

I think the point at which your lance connects with the target is the end of the charge. I don't think your mount continues on at all.

[Beckett]

I've heard of people doing it that way as well.

[Braden]

Mojorat wrote:

I think the point at which your lance connects with the target is the end of the charge. I don't think your mount continues on at all.

I prefer this reading as then I can attack with my lance on the next turn but it doesn't allow my mount to attack.

If this is the case, did your mount charge? If the mount cannot legally get to a space where the mount can attack it can't charge.

[Howie23]

Braden wrote:

Mojorat wrote:

I think the point at which your lance connects with the target is the end of the charge. I don't think your mount continues on at all.

I prefer this reading as then I can attack with my lance on the next turn but it doesn't allow my mount to attack.

If this is the case, did your mount charge? If the mount cannot legally get to a space where the mount can attack it can't charge.

Either reading, that the mount stops without attacking as part of its charge, or that the mount continues after the rider's attack, results in contradictions with other areas of the rule system. Stopping at the point of the lance attack sans RBA seems to have the least impact and the fewest inconsistencies.