Ride 'em hard!

[Joachim Pieper]

The rules for mounts in combat leave me underwhelmed. They're all fine and dandy when we're talking about horses - clunky but I can deal. What about when we are dealing with more fun things? Can I ride a nightmare? How about a golem? Can I ride my buddy the fighter? Why not?

Do I benefit from the nightmare's supernatural abilities - if I ride into melee and make my attacks, can I then have my nightmare make me ethereal, and can I then delay until after it has dismissed the effect to attack again?

If I can ride something fun with special abilities and spell-like abilities, how does initiative work? If my mount can cast harm, say, can I sit on it as it has its full turn and then finish off our victim on my turn? We would be able to use delayed and readied actions to leapfrog each other and deal out maximum punishment with impunity, no?

If one of the party is a dragon, can we all ride it? Beneftting from cover and such? Can we use our mounted combat feats to negate hits by using the check in place of our mount's AC? If our mount charges can we make full attacks?


Riding is all the fun of the fair - can someone untangle the mess for me, or at least wade in with their own truths?



Thanks in advance...

 

[lottrbacchus]

I'm too much of a lightweight to even BEGIN to answer this question, but hope that the heavies on this board are busy writing up some 12 page definitive answer.

 

[Darklone]

I want to be the mount of a pixie paladin!

 

[lottrbacchus]

I want to be the mount of a pixie paladin!

Or vice versa, what? Can't give a definite answer either way at this point. What with all the various books from this and that publisher, am surprised there isn't some handbook on mounts and mounted combat that spells it all out.

 

[mvincent]

Can I ride a nightmare? How about a golem? Can I ride my buddy the fighter?

Yes. However, some creatures (like bipeds) might require a special saddle, be at a penalty, or not be allowed according to your DM.

Do I benefit from the nightmare's supernatural abilities

Only if the abilities can be used on others as normal.

how does initiative work?

From the Rules of the Game (if desired):
"Intelligent Mounts
According to the Dungeon Master's Guide, a mount with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher acts like an NPC ally rather than a mount. Riding such an ally works much like riding an aggressive mount in battle (see Part Two), except that you don't have to make a Ride check to act while riding. (If your mount carries you willingly, the ride is smooth enough so your actions aren't restricted.) You also cannot make a Ride check to control the mount's actions, but you can make a Diplomacy (or possibly a Wild Empathy) check to get the mount to accept your direction. If you do, your mount acts just like a mount trained for combat riding.

Even if you cannot (or do not choose to) direct your mount's actions, you still can ride along, making your own initiative roll and possibly delaying until after your mount acts, as noted in Part Two."

If one of the party is a dragon, can we all ride it?

Yes, if it's big enough

Beneftting from cover and such?

Yes, if you can make the ride check

Can we use our mounted combat feats to negate hits by using the check in place of our mount's AC?

No. Only one rider controls the mount, and even then that assumes a non-intelligent mount (or at least one that accepts you as controlling it).

If our mount charges can we make full attacks?

No, unless your full attack is with a ranged weapon.

can someone untangle the mess for me

There are several RotG articles on mounted combat (if desired)

 

[Darklone]

Or vice versa, what? Can't give a definite answer either way at this point. What with all the various books from this and that publisher, am surprised there isn't some handbook on mounts and mounted combat that spells it all out.

Nonono, but his Cha mod to my saves (oops, I think this doesn't actually work) and the share spells with his Improved Invisibility are pretty interesting.

 

[lottrbacchus]

Nonono, but his Cha mod to my saves (oops, I think this doesn't actually work) and the share spells with his Improved Invisibility are pretty interesting.

I'm sure we can find a feat to share Cha mod, or maybe it is a level dependent thing. I'm liking this pixie-ridden combo more and more. Shall we make it a prestige class?

BTW, good on ya mvincent.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

There is also a third party Rules Supplement 1: Mounted Combat that compiles all the riding rules into one place, and makes some additions where the RAW is lacking.

One such area is covering how many characters can ride a larger mount.

 

[irdeggman]

Rules Compendium pg 89

"Your mount acts on your initiative count as you direct it. The mount uses its action to move, and you move along with it."

 

[moritheil]

I'm sure we can find a feat to share Cha mod, or maybe it is a level dependent thing. I'm liking this pixie-ridden combo more and more. Shall we make it a prestige class?

BTW, good on ya mvincent.

Two years ago someone had a build with a pixie marshall cohort riding on its shoulder.