(OOC: That's correct--I would treat it as a Warhorse, so therefore you do not need to roll to use the Control Mount in Battle action, you just automatically succeed if you spend the move action:
SRD said:
As a move action, you can attempt to control a light horse, pony, heavy horse, or other mount not trained for combat riding while in battle. If you fail the Ride check, you can do nothing else in that round. You do not need to roll for warhorses or warponies.
It's worth noting that the horses have Good manoeuvrability, which means they use up a little bit of their speed in turning about. Now, their speed is incredible, so this is not a big deal except that it means you will have to turn about (like Valan did) and can't charge this round (like Droggle wanted to do). You can still have the steed move up to the enemy and then melee it, just not a charge. It's pretty much exactly as Logicsfate said last page)
*Quozen throws two shards, but his aim is terrible, perhaps because of the startling change in equilibrium he experienced when his horse fell out from under him after hours of riding. Valan comes about with his sickle and dives in to attack. Grendath is on his side, and he manages to come in with a critical blow (OOC: Natural 20!). Unfortunately, the undead beast proves to be immune to such things.*
(OOC: Valan deals 4 Damage)
*The strange creature retaliates not against Valan but against his steed, firing another bone quill at it and harming it badly, though it seems like it will be running out of those soon and need to wait for them to grow back.*
*Hasin turns about and draws his bow and arrows, ready to fire soon enough on the enemies below. Jace lets his mount simply hover in place and gives it no encouragement, instead carefully drawing his loaded crossbow and casting Light on a bolt.*
*Gloria turns her mount around and squints her eyes to make out the enemies in the shadowy illumination. When she sees the one that attacked Valan's mount, she chants in an arcane tongue, and her eyes flash blue as a tiny bolt of energy shoots forth from her fingertips and strikes the creature, injuring it again.*
(OOC: 3 more Damage, total 7)
*The second creature fires at Valan's mount as well, and it manages to cause the phantom steed to wink out of existence. The Cleric falls to the ground, a bit worse for the wear.*
(OOC: Valan takes 4 Damage)
*Though he is unable to charge, Droggle still makes a devastating attack on the enemy that has already been injured. It looks quite a bit the worse for wear.*
(OOC: 9 more Damage, total 16)
*Dorrin's higher position turns out not to be as useful in flight, but unfortunately, either way his attack is foiled, deflected by the bone lining that keeps the beast's squirming rotting flesh together.*
(OOC: Note that Dorrin actually spent a move action to control the mount in combat and drew as part of the move action. If Jace is wondering why I didn't offer that to him too, it's because he is still level 1, so he doesn't have BAB +1 yet.
Back to the top. For future reference, the people at the end of initiative who held off on actions to wait and see were fine to do so if they must--I would have updated the partial round if I had Quozen, all the way up to the first person I'm missing.)
