D&D 5E House Rule - Mounts

[Rabbitbait]

Hiya,

I don't like how mounts work in 5e in combat. I'm thinking of this for a houserule. Any feedback?

• Mounts and riders act together on the characters turn
• Mounts and riders share a move speed while the character is mounted
• If untrained in animal handling, a character can choose either their attack action or the mounts attack action on their turn.
• If trained in animal handling, a character can use their attack AND their mounts attack on their turn
• If a mount or rider takes damage, the character must make a dex save at the end of that turn to stay mounted. The DC is the total amount of damage taken that turn. A character has advantage on this check if they are trained in animal handling. If a character falls they take 1d6 damage and are prone.
• If a mount is not naturally agressive or trained for combat, then it must make a morale check at the start of your turn. (DC to be set by DM based on how scary things are). If it fails it either refuses to proceed (Small failure) or flees (Big failure). Roll dex save to stay mounted.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Why did you decide to base it off of "trained in animal handling" rather than, say "proficiency: mounts"? Seems to me in 5e, that would be more like a tool proficiency than a skill, but maybe that's just me.

 

[DND_Reborn]

• Mounts and riders act together on the characters turn
• Mounts and riders share a move speed while the character is mounted
• If untrained in animal handling, a character can choose either their attack action or the mounts attack action on their turn.
• If trained in animal handling, a character can use their attack AND their mounts attack on their turn
• If a mount or rider takes damage, the character must make a dex save at the end of that turn to stay mounted. The DC is the total amount of damage taken that turn. A character has advantage on this check if they are trained in animal handling. If a character falls they take 1d6 damage and are prone.
• If a mount is not naturally agressive or trained for combat, then it must make a morale check at the start of your turn. (DC to be set by DM based on how scary things are). If it fails it either refuses to proceed (Small failure) or flees (Big failure). Roll dex save to stay mounted.

1. Mounts and riders act on rider's turn. Sure--keeps initiative simpler.
2. Mounts and riders share mounts' speed. Of course--otherwise what is the point in general?
3. & 4. I would remove the Animal Handling proficiency and change it to:

You can use your bonus action to control your mount on your turn, allowing your mount to move or take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help action.

5. I wouldn't do this just on either taking damage. Perhaps something more about if the mount is knocked prone?

If you are knocked prone while mounted, you must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or suffer 1d6 bludgeoning damage.

If your mount is knocked prone while you are mounted, you must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or also fall prone and suffer 1d6 bludgeoning damage. If you succeed on the saving throw, you land on your feet instead of being prone.

6. This is too subjective IMO. What constitutes "aggressive" or not? Perhaps:

If you become incapacitated while mounted or fall prone from your mount, your mount must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute (or fails Morale, as per the DMG p. 273).

Hope some of that helps.

 

[Rabbitbait]

For me, a griffon is naturally aggressive while a riding horse is not.

 

[DND_Reborn]

For me, a griffon is naturally aggressive while a riding horse is not.

Having worked around horses for two years while in high school, I can tell you some "riding horses" are aggressive, others are not.

 

[Blue]

Those DCs can quickly become unreachable with bounded accuracy. May I suggest more like Concentration? DC is half the damage, minimum 10. But that may not be low enough.

Right now mounts are often useless outside Tier 1 because of how fragile they are. If you additionally make it that even if you find a sturdy enough mount for the higher tiers but make that any expected hit at those levels will still knock you off it basically makes mounts even more unsuited for anything except beginning levels of play. Especially flying mounts where each and every hit has the potential to drop the rider for lots of damage.

If I recall, historically there were saddles you actually strap yourself into.

I would think about exceptions for intelligent mounts like dragons (who may also not say the rider is in control), for mounts with telepathic connections like that from the Find Steed spell (who are also intelligent), for magical items like figurines of wondrous power or animated statues. This is a fantasy game.

Finally, armored knights are rarely build with high DEX, are generally from classes that aren't proficient in DEX saves, and many don't have Animal Handling on their class skills list. (And probably shouldn't - just because they know how to ride their horse does not mean that they are good are befriending wild boars or training a bear to juggle.) This really kills being able to play as that whole archetype.

 

[Horwath]

1. Mount acts on your turn.
2. You use your mount speed, what else.
3. Your mount can only take Dodge, Dash and Disengage actions unless you spend Bonus action or one attack from your Attack action.

 

[Rabbitbait]

1. Mount acts on your turn.
2. You use your mount speed, what else.
3. Your mount can only take Dodge, Dash and Disengage actions unless you spend Bonus action or one attack from your Attack action.

I like #3 - that means that mounts will be able to be speedy, which is really the main point of having one.