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Animal Companions & Mounted Combat confusion
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<blockquote data-quote="Snapdragyn" data-source="post: 6370825" data-attributes="member: 12432"><p><em>[To avoid confusion w/ the long-standing abbreviation for Armor Class, I've used ACo for Animal Companion, unlike in the Ranger thread where AC is used for that as well.]</em></p><p></p><p>I'm working up a Beastmaster Ranger - I want to see how they actually play vs. the weak appearance they have compared to the Hunter when theorycrafting, & we already have a Hunter ranger in the group for side-by-side evaluation.</p><p></p><p>Two points (so far!) I've run into where I'm unclear:</p><p></p><p>1) If a Small race (halfling or gnome) has a Medium ACo, they can use it as a mount. However, the mounted combat rules state that a controlled mount only has 3 options for actions (AFB, but I think it was Dash, Disengage, & um... Dodge?) - none of which is attack. An uncontrolled mount, however, can act as normal, including making attacks.</p><p></p><p>Would a small ranger riding a medium ACo without bit & bridle, but issuing verbal commands (Beastmasters can freely direct their ACo's movement verbally) count as a controlled mount, or uncontrolled mount? This is central to the build: a wolf-riding TWF gnome, who grants advantage to his wolf ACo by being on its back (wolf Pack Tactics feature) & gets an offhand attack as a bonus action - at advantage if the wolf successfully knocks its target prone.</p><p></p><p>NOTE: I don't think the mention of intelligence in the mounted combat rules is crucial here, since a warhorse is not an intelligent mount either but clearly is meant to attack while ridden; the key seems to be in how we define 'uncontrolled'.</p><p>- Drop the reins on the warhorse - uncontrolled & attack-capable. </p><p>- Pick them up & ride it galloping after the escaping BBEG - controlled & can't attack.</p><p>The interaction between mount rules & ACo rules, however, is confounding me. If nothing else, it seems odd that I could yell 'go there', then have the ACo attack if I'm standing right next to it (or 100' away), but if I'm sitting on its back & yell 'go there' suddenly it's unable to attack. o_0 (OTOH, this may just be part of the 'I'm too stupid to keep biting the thing I <em>just bit</em> unless you tell me to every 6 seconds, & will stand here drooling until you say otherwise' nonsense that is 5e ACos.)</p><p></p><p>2) ACo hp: Higher of <max for its type> or <ranger proficiency bonus x4>. My question: would the latter option then add Con bonus, or does it override Con mod to hp to just be a flat hp? If it's the latter, you get into some really quirky rules territory - does that mean that changes to the ACo's Con would never affect its hp? Do we now have ACos that are immune to the negative effects of Con drain?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Snapdragyn, post: 6370825, member: 12432"] [I][To avoid confusion w/ the long-standing abbreviation for Armor Class, I've used ACo for Animal Companion, unlike in the Ranger thread where AC is used for that as well.][/I] I'm working up a Beastmaster Ranger - I want to see how they actually play vs. the weak appearance they have compared to the Hunter when theorycrafting, & we already have a Hunter ranger in the group for side-by-side evaluation. Two points (so far!) I've run into where I'm unclear: 1) If a Small race (halfling or gnome) has a Medium ACo, they can use it as a mount. However, the mounted combat rules state that a controlled mount only has 3 options for actions (AFB, but I think it was Dash, Disengage, & um... Dodge?) - none of which is attack. An uncontrolled mount, however, can act as normal, including making attacks. Would a small ranger riding a medium ACo without bit & bridle, but issuing verbal commands (Beastmasters can freely direct their ACo's movement verbally) count as a controlled mount, or uncontrolled mount? This is central to the build: a wolf-riding TWF gnome, who grants advantage to his wolf ACo by being on its back (wolf Pack Tactics feature) & gets an offhand attack as a bonus action - at advantage if the wolf successfully knocks its target prone. NOTE: I don't think the mention of intelligence in the mounted combat rules is crucial here, since a warhorse is not an intelligent mount either but clearly is meant to attack while ridden; the key seems to be in how we define 'uncontrolled'. - Drop the reins on the warhorse - uncontrolled & attack-capable. - Pick them up & ride it galloping after the escaping BBEG - controlled & can't attack. The interaction between mount rules & ACo rules, however, is confounding me. If nothing else, it seems odd that I could yell 'go there', then have the ACo attack if I'm standing right next to it (or 100' away), but if I'm sitting on its back & yell 'go there' suddenly it's unable to attack. o_0 (OTOH, this may just be part of the 'I'm too stupid to keep biting the thing I [I]just bit[/I] unless you tell me to every 6 seconds, & will stand here drooling until you say otherwise' nonsense that is 5e ACos.) 2) ACo hp: Higher of <max for its type> or <ranger proficiency bonus x4>. My question: would the latter option then add Con bonus, or does it override Con mod to hp to just be a flat hp? If it's the latter, you get into some really quirky rules territory - does that mean that changes to the ACo's Con would never affect its hp? Do we now have ACos that are immune to the negative effects of Con drain? [/QUOTE]
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