Animal Companion question

[Bront]

Would the empathic link that grants +4 to animal empathy and handle animal to the animal also possibly grant a ride bonus? I know it doesn't say in the RAW, but it seems strange that if it's a free action to handle an animal, it should be easier to ride it, since they are in some ways similar actions.

 

[Whimsical]

No, but it would make a logical house rule. I believe that the game designers simply didn't consider this possibility.

 

[Infiniti2000]

There's already a synergy bonus from Handle Animal to Ride. You are arguing that being extra good at handling animals should grant a better bonus to Ride. Perhaps, but then in the rare (and I do mean extremely rare) case that someone has skill focus (handle animal), they should also get +3 to ride. It's the same thing, right? Logically, that is.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

You are arguing that being extra good at handling animals should grant a better bonus to Ride. Perhaps, but then in the rare (and I do mean extremely rare) case that someone has skill focus (handle animal), they should also get +3 to ride. It's the same thing, right? Logically, that is.

Uh, no, that's not what he's arguing at all.

He's saying that Druids and Rangers have an empathic link to a particular animal, which makes it trivially easy for them to communicate their wishes to that animal (i.e., a large bonus to Handle Animal checks, and Handling the animal can be done as a free action).

Wouldn't it then make sense to apply a similar bonus to Ride checks, considering you need to make a Ride check to get your mount to do things like jump a ravine, etc.?

Now, if the character has enough ranks in Handle Animal, he gets a synergy bonus to Ride. However, that's not what we are talking about in this case.

 

[aceofgames]

I would say in such situation, just give a Handle Animal roll in place of a Ride check, since the mount and the rider share a empathic bond. Ride itself is a Dex-based check, meaning you need to be dexterous to ride well, while Handle Animal is Cha-based check; such checks refer to some sort of connection (social or otherwise) between the two, on a level higher than a simple ride check.

 

[Bront]

Infinity2000, I understand ride and handle animal area already related. Empathic link goes well beyond that.

Thank you Patryn.

I was wondering why there wasn't some sort of bonus (maybe only a +2) seperate from the current bonus. Part of ride is being able to predict what your animal will do and react to it (Empathy helps with this), Part of ride is comunicating to your animal where you want to go (Empathy helps with this), and part of ride is actualy staying on the animal (Empathy doesn't realy help with this beyond what has been stated previously).

Obviously it would be a house rule, but I was wondering what others thought. Am I out of line to even ask about this?

 

[Saeviomagy]

Simply put - the system is broke, and ride and handle animal should probably be one skill.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Maybe add the +4 to some Ride checks, but not all. It might apply to things like guide with knees, fight with warhorse, spur mount, or control mount in battle, but not stay in saddle, cover, soft fall, leap (which most likely will be the mount's Jump check after a few levels of you maxing out Ride), or fast dismount. The key, though, is that I would not allow it for Mounted Combat.

 

[Bront]

Maybe add the +4 to some Ride checks, but not all. It might apply to things like guide with knees, fight with warhorse, spur mount, or control mount in battle, but not stay in saddle, cover, soft fall, leap (which most likely will be the mount's Jump check after a few levels of you maxing out Ride), or fast dismount. The key, though, is that I would not allow it for Mounted Combat.

I prefer it to be a simple +2.

Yeah, it is an issue for Mounted Combat, but a druid or ranger doesn't get a lot of feats, and if that's what they want to do...

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I wouldn't allow it. The empathic link doesn't allow any better riding. It allows the druid to convey emotions to the animal, and read emotions from it. How exactly does that allow one to better ride? It might allow better training, which coincidentally is already represented in the bonus it grants to Handle Animal, which is used for training.

The druid should pay skill points if he wants to be a better rider. If the paladin has to, the druid certainly should!