Is mounted combat just a waste of time?

[Diomeneus]

I have recently become interested in mounts and have discovered quite a bit of information that might help a few things.

first. If your in Eberron, make sure you are buying a magebred mount. They cost twice as much but benefit from a hell of a lot

+2 natural armor AC
+4 to one physical attribute (str, dex, con)
+2 to BOTH the other physical attibutes
excellent learner (-2 to all handle animal DCs, can learn eight tricks instead of 6, time to train for any purpose is lessened by one week)
+one feature - picked from swift [+10 speed], thick [another +2 natural AC], tracking [+4 to follow tracks or scent]
+ one of the following bonus feats:
alertness, athletic, endurance, improved natural attack, multistrike

the increased stats, +4 AC and improved natural attack can really boost the combat staying power of your mount.

so take a young magebred hiipgriff (just get an egg if your really stingy) for 6000 (training is still 1000) and you have yourself a fairly versatile and powerful mount. Not to mention that you can armor it with an additional +5 AC with simple masterwork light chain for 550 and the ACP will still only be -1 and the max dex will be higher then the mounts modifier ever will be

Size/Type: Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+15 (31 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares), fly 100 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 25 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +8 natural, +5 light chain barding)
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+12
Attack: Claw +8 melee (1d6+5)
Full Attack: 2 claws +8 melee (1d6+5) and bite +3 melee (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, Thick Skinned breed, Excellent Learner
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 8
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +8
Feats: Dodge, Wingover, improved natural attack
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Large); 7-9 HD (Huge)
Light load: 1-399 lbs

chain is only 50 lbs for a large non-humanoid creature so that still leaves you 349 for rider and equipment... its pretty easy to stay within those limits, and if it isn't, just add the +4 to strength instead of constitution and you have yourself a 519 lbs light load instead.

throw in a exotic military saddle for +2 to all ride checks (and make sure you have at least 5 ranks in handle animal to get the +2 ride synergy bonus) and you have yourself a versatile mount.

Yes the hit points are still a little low as far as hight levels go but talk to your DM and see if he will allow you to buy an advanced version (4-7 hit die and its still a large creature)

 

[RangerWickett]

I'm playing a ranger/beastmaster mounted archer in Red Hand of Doom. I own.

Even in the fight which took place inside a castle, I was able to ride my horse around fairly effectively. It tanked while I peppered adjacent enemies with arrows, assured of my own invincibility. And that was before I took beastmaster and the nature bond feat.

Now I've got a dire eagle mount. Even though by the rules it only needs 10 square feet to move, the DM insists that a 20-foot wingspan would restrict me from flying down hallways. This is causing me to miss my horse.

For the upcoming War of the Burning Sky, I intend to let horses be as useful as they ought to be in a good military engagement. I wish mage-bred animals were OGC. I'll have to design some new rules for those, to keep horses useful at higher levels.

 

[dogoftheunderworld]

In a recent campaign I played a Ranger (TWF). When I could, I took a light war horse as my animal companion and mounted combat feat. I didn't go full blown (except riding skill points - even from early levels), but the party did a fair amount of travelling, and it was worth it, especially with the extra HD, etc from animal companionship. And being able to make a high ride check to oppose an attack againts my mount (even once per round) really helped out in a pinch.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Druid on animal companion with Mounted Combat feats. Can buff themself up and their animal at the same time. Plus they can reduce it to fit in dungeons with spells.

Had a druid on a bison and dire boar who did this for the whole campaign.

 

[Ghendar]

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).


jh

If your games are heavily dungeon based, then yeah, mounted combat aint gonna do you much good.

I've often wanted to create a mounted based warrior but have never played in a campaign where it would make sense to do so unfortunately.

 

[jodyjohnson]

I find mounts very useful in sub 10th campaigns which also seems to be the more popular level range anyway.

We invest minor points in ride and do not pursue the mounted feats. Basically we treat them as possibly one shot resourses with the capability of lasting much longer.

A single warhorse at 400gp can save you from potentially 30-40hp of damage which if directed at you could require 5-7 Cure Light Wounds, 2-4 Cure Moderate Wounds, or 2-3 Cure Serious Wounds. They cost between a 300gp CMW potion and a 750gp CSW potion.

They are vulnerable to area attacks but so are henchmen, hirelings, cohorts, and Sorceror/Wizards/Rogues/Bards.

Benefits are higher speed, higher AC (with using mount as cover rule), ablative hit points, higher carrying capacity, potential extra attacks, scent, and effectively more move actions per turn.

In Eberron a Magebred mount can have enough hit points to survive the typical 10d6 fireball/lightning bolt (35 average vs. 39 or so hp). At 9th you could make your own Clockwork Steed (MMIV) or buy one earlier (~60 hp).


Overall I don't think pursuing the full Spirited Charge chain or using Wild Cohort is worth it most of the time. However if you want to name and get attached to your horse, Paladin, Druid and Wild Cohort are better (or Ranger with Natural Bond).

Dire Horse, Magebred Horse, Clockwork Steed, Dinomount, or Griffon are hardier. Hippogriff and Pegasus are a little squishy.


Any kind of dungeon delving we do usually requires an entourage so watching the horses isn't a bid deal. In town they stay at the stable just like the packs and heavy armor/weapons stay at the inn.

 

[Voadam]

Paladin only with ride skill and his mount. But once he gets his dragon mount cohort in a few levels after his quest ... we'll see.

I played a druid who rode a companion mount (flavor modified buffalo? been a while) and had a ranger who rode a dire bat companion.

 

[diaglo]

If your games are heavily dungeon based, then yeah, mounted combat aint gonna do you much good.

I've often wanted to create a mounted based warrior but have never played in a campaign where it would make sense to do so unfortunately.

i've seen it work best in water and air/plane based campaigns. the 3D nature of these campaigns make mounts so much more desirable.

 

[Crust]

Mounted combat works in a campaign that makes mounted combat available on a relatively regular basis. If only 20% or so of the campaign is spent on horseback, there's really no reason for PCs to pursue mounted feats.

I've never had a PC take any kind of mounted combat feats. I've had plenty of NPCs do so, but those NPCs were horsemen, members of cavalry, or knights who don't "adventure" but have jobs and duties that require them to be on horseback 90% of the time.

 

[Stalker0]

One other option you could is just advance the HD of the horse. Its not strictly core, but you could probably get a DM to allow it. For bonus feats take improved toughness and get that horse HP up.

Or you could just ask the dm to let you boost the hp of the horse and that's it. He might be more generous with this since the horse isn't getting better attack/saves, etc but it might help the survivability.