Is mounted combat just a waste of time?

[takyris]

I don't like mounted combat, and I don't use it very often, either in games I'm running or in games in which I'm playing.

Doesn't mean I think it should be cut -- it makes a lot of sense thematically, and I know that there are campaigns out there that probably use it a bunch.

But for me... enh. There are a lot of different combat situations that arise in my games, and "out in the open on horseback" isn't a big one. The horse is no good in the dungeon and pretty much impossible in the middle of town when you're ambushed by the thieves' guild. And you can't take it into the palace halls in case that political conspiracy plot turns out to be a political combat plot instead.

 

[Wycen]

A player in my high level campaign is a paladin with mounted feats for her griffon mount. She's new to DnD and seems to prefer "flavorful" characters as opposed to useful characters. I try to let her do what she wants.

I used to try to have the bad guys kill her mount, but never seemed to inflict enough damage before she'd dismiss it. Then she stopped summoning it. Considering the campaign, it really is a waste for her character.

The campaign is based in the astral plane. You can fly just by thinking. When they travel to other locations in the astral they either take an astral carrack or teleport.

Finally the last couple of sessions they've found their way to Ysgard and have been adventuring in a giants fortress. The party is trying to find a portal back home and by completeing certain tasks the giant king will grant them the info.

One of the tasks is breaking a fiendish advanced griffon, something I figured the paladin would like. Unfortunately they asked the question, "why doesn't it just fly away?"

Not having thought of this simple question I suggested talking to it might help. I pulled out of thin air that one of the other strangers, a witch, in the giant's halls had its offspring and they made a deal that if they returned the babes, it would do as they wished. Unfortunately, the encounter with the witch turned bad and she had the last laugh. Those mounted feats are going to waste again.

 

[Greylock]

I played a mounted Fighter in a Mark Davis campaign. Didn't get to use his abilities as often as the Rogue player, or the Druid player, or etc etc etc.

But when I did get to play up the char's abilities, and Mark certainly gave opportunities, the character rocked. Extremely.

Given similar circumstances, I would do it again.

hth

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

It works okay for the Paladin just as is. But getting that Spirited Charge tree is a heck of a lot of eggs in one basket for a class without bonus feats. It is not usually worth it.

It works reasonably well for Small Paladins or Druids or Ranger/Beastmasters. The mobility of a Wolf is really impressive getting you into the right place and out of the wrong place, and your AC will be one of the best in the party. A Riding Dog loses out on mobility (compared to the Wolf) but has an even better AC by 2 notches -- it surely will have the best AC in the party.

It can also work for a Fighter who takes Leadership. Even if the horse is not in every fight, you can spare the feat. It will look weak when compared to the Paladin's or Druid's mount at first, but it will level up nicely into the mid-high levels.

 

[dpmcalister]

One of my Living Greyhawk characters fights using mounted combat. He's a Rgr4/Ftr1/OBI1 so firing his bow from horseback is excellent for him (able to keep away from (and move around) the main combat while still be able to fire in three arrows a round).

Of course, there are scenarios where it isn't possible (or feasible) for him to be on his horse but that's the risk you take

 

[DragonLancer]

Do any players in any of your groups use mounted combat much? Doesn't it seem like a waste of feats and resources in the average D&D game? (or perhaps, yours isn't an average D&D game).

I've never had players take the mounted route in any tabletop games I have run, mainly for the reasons cited above - dungeons, rather take other more useful feats...etc. I have seen a game where a player tried to take a fully barding'd up warhorse into a dungeon so that he could charge down corridors. Didn't work very well as I recall.

In general, most campaigns that I have seen either don't have room for mounted combats, or players just don't bother.

 

[Piratecat]

When the riding-optimized paladin in my game charges, she kicks truly spectacular butt. I believe she's set our record for single most damage done in a single blow.

 

[Schmoe]

In my most recent long-running campaign, we had a paladin with a griffon mount and Ride-by-Attack/Spirited Charge. There were certainly circumstances where the paladin could not ride his griffon, but the paladin was so effective on the griffon, and there were enough situations that it was possible to ride the griffon, that it definitely did not feel like a wasted pursuit. When the paladin pulled off a charge + smite + griffon's full attack (due to pounce and rake), it was nearly unstoppable. It was a thing of beauty to behold, and the paladin was generally able to pull it off around 1-2 times per session.

 

[lukelightning]

I don't know, you're the one riding through town casting spells at everyone.

Ah yes, the famous "Emirikol the Chaotic" picture from the old DMG. I loved that picture but it always bothered me it was in a book that explicitly stated that casting spells while riding was impossible.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Depends on the campaign, and the player's priorities.

Mounted combat can be absolutely lethal when it works (mounted full attack charge nets just about the most pre-epic damage of anything outside of, say, a hulking hurler or PunPun). On the other hand, it often doesn't work. That's a tradeoff some (most?) players don't want to make.

As far as tougher mounts are concerned, the Legendary Horse seems like a good choice for a 'powerful but not oddball' high-level fighter mount.

In general, it's better for NPCs. The proverbial 20th level fighter butchering thousands of infantry had better pray he packed some kind of speed-enhancing gear, or he will eventually be worn down by even a small force of 1st-level horse archers. Or halfling dinosaur riders in Eberron, who can outrun most speed-enhancing gear-equipped high level fighters, too.