Mounted combat: Do you bother?
- Thread starter Mouseferatu
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ValhallaGH
Explorer
One of my friends/players/DMs came up with a new use of the Handle Animal skill to allow mounts to have a chance at survival.
With an appropriate Handle Animal check (don't have the DC nearby) and length of time, your mount gains bonus HD equal to 1/3 your Handle Animal modifier, minimum of 0. Every 4 additional HD, it gains a +1 boost to one ability score. It gains a feat every 3 total HD.
This gives some durability, espeically to those who are skilled in training mounts.
I had the idea of allowing certain warmounts to start gaining class levels, because the GM loves them and they've been in a lot of combat. Probably Fighter or Barbarian levels. That's been an untested bit of idea though, rather than anything with legs.
As for mounted combat, if we're using published adventures then it has very rare use. If we are doing anything homebrew then mounted characters are usually extremely effective. It all depends upon the adventure design, just like being good with traps.
With an appropriate Handle Animal check (don't have the DC nearby) and length of time, your mount gains bonus HD equal to 1/3 your Handle Animal modifier, minimum of 0. Every 4 additional HD, it gains a +1 boost to one ability score. It gains a feat every 3 total HD.
This gives some durability, espeically to those who are skilled in training mounts.
I had the idea of allowing certain warmounts to start gaining class levels, because the GM loves them and they've been in a lot of combat. Probably Fighter or Barbarian levels. That's been an untested bit of idea though, rather than anything with legs.
As for mounted combat, if we're using published adventures then it has very rare use. If we are doing anything homebrew then mounted characters are usually extremely effective. It all depends upon the adventure design, just like being good with traps.
I think the problem is mounted combat quickly become outdated as you get higher in levels.
As others have mentioned, the mounts can no longer survive the damage from mid to high level encounters. Let's also not forget the problems with moving mounts around in dungeon settings.
In addition, combats start leaving the ground as levels get higher and spells like fly become more common.
As others have mentioned, the mounts can no longer survive the damage from mid to high level encounters. Let's also not forget the problems with moving mounts around in dungeon settings.
In addition, combats start leaving the ground as levels get higher and spells like fly become more common.
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
ForceUser said:Super cool! One of these days I'm going to finally play my gnome paladin whose holy steed is a saint bernard!
I recently played a halfling paladin on an English Sheepdog
-Hyp.
Treebore
First Post
I think the first half dozen or so posts pretty much answered your question. If the campaign is going to be a lot of open field fighting they are very worth having. If not, then their usefulness is so limted as to be useless to have.
Like if they are going to do a lot of adventures similiar to the excellent Doom of Listonshire (written by some wierd guy ) then your mounted combat Marshall will probably have lots of opportunities to rock and roll.
So talk to your DM, see what they have planned. Or at least get them to commit to making it worth your time to have the feats.
At higher levels, around 9th to 11th, you'll definitely want to have a DM who will work with you on getting a mount that can survive as well as you can.
Like if they are going to do a lot of adventures similiar to the excellent Doom of Listonshire (written by some wierd guy
) then your mounted combat Marshall will probably have lots of opportunities to rock and roll.So talk to your DM, see what they have planned. Or at least get them to commit to making it worth your time to have the feats.
At higher levels, around 9th to 11th, you'll definitely want to have a DM who will work with you on getting a mount that can survive as well as you can.
(Psi)SeveredHead
Adventurer
I've seen it done twice.
Once, a gnome riding an animal companion. (Or were they a goblin?)
And once, a was a light fighter riding a warhorse with the Wild Cohort template applied to it.
I have to say, mounts eat up so much distance on the battlefield that they're not really that fun to play along with non-mounted characters. Also, charging was hard. It's not the distance but the straight line aspect that was a problem. I didn't get to use Spirited Charge as often as I wanted - good thing I had Mounted Archery.
Once, a gnome riding an animal companion. (Or were they a goblin?)
And once, a was a light fighter riding a warhorse with the Wild Cohort template applied to it.
I have to say, mounts eat up so much distance on the battlefield that they're not really that fun to play along with non-mounted characters. Also, charging was hard. It's not the distance but the straight line aspect that was a problem. I didn't get to use Spirited Charge as often as I wanted - good thing I had Mounted Archery.
One of my favorite characters was a Marshal 12 with Leadership and a Pegasus Fighter 2 as a mount. The pegasus was really solid with heavy armor barding and the like and a lot of hit points. With improved flight he had 60 Feet of flying perfect and since I had a killoren with a jacked up ability score 2 handing a lance Spirited Charge followed up with the aura and the Killoren's smite racial ability was ILL when it went off. The pegasus would also full attack when I made my Ride checks. Very fun.
Other suggestions rather than Marshal
Ranger with Natural Bond
Wild Cohort/Natural Bond Fighters
Druid(3/4 attack, a D8, and healing/buffing. Reccomend the Dire Bat in Mithril chainshirt barding)
Any class like Knight that relies on a High Charisma taking Leadership for a mount.
At low levels you could get your hands on a Magebred warhorse. Look out, though, your faithful steed will probably overshadow your character!
Other suggestions rather than Marshal
Ranger with Natural Bond
Wild Cohort/Natural Bond Fighters
Druid(3/4 attack, a D8, and healing/buffing. Reccomend the Dire Bat in Mithril chainshirt barding)
Any class like Knight that relies on a High Charisma taking Leadership for a mount.
At low levels you could get your hands on a Magebred warhorse. Look out, though, your faithful steed will probably overshadow your character!
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ForceUser
Explorer
I find that hard to believe--you only need ten feet of charging space to use the feat, same as on foot. Lances widen your zone of control, so you can pop a charge attack over the head of an ally in melee.(Psi)SeveredHead said:
The biggest problem I noticed with mounted-charging type PCs is that they had a tendency to overextend themselves--because of their great movement rate, they'd charge and end up on the side of the battlefield with all the monsters, leaving their allies in the dust! This has contributed to at least one character death IMC. But that's not a failing of the mechanic in my mind, merely an example of poor judgement.
Treebore
First Post
That straight line for a charge irrtiated me to, even for those on foot! So I houseruled that only the last 10 feet had to be in a straight line, with no more than a 30 degree turn during the charge, unless they can charge in a straight line for the last 20 feet. Then they can do one turn as sharp as 45 degrees.
Duncan Haldane
Explorer
I play/DM several living campaigns, and mounted combat is... interesting.
The players of characters with mounted feats often complain that too many modules don't allow them to use their mounts.
I've seen a player with a high-level mounted archer type, who is quite deadly - gets to where he wants to be on the field quickly, etc.
I have a 4th level character with ride and handle animal, and he owns a lance, but has none of the feats, so I'm happy to get the chance to use it, but don't care if it doesn't happen.
If you are playing a mounted marshall I hope your DM lets you use your feats. But it also depends on the other character's specialities.
BTW, if you read the D&D faq it has recently included some rulings that made Ride-by attack almost useless, as you cannot overrun, must continue in a straight line, etc, which basically means that unless you down your opponent, you can't use the ride-by.
Another point, if you are interested in doing more mounted combat in your game(s), I would suggest you read Skip Williams "Rules of the Game" articles on mounted combat - it's a pretty good overview of the whole mounted combat situation.
Mass Fly on mounted PCs = fun, as they can then separate into pairs of rider and mount
Duncan
The players of characters with mounted feats often complain that too many modules don't allow them to use their mounts.
I've seen a player with a high-level mounted archer type, who is quite deadly - gets to where he wants to be on the field quickly, etc.
I have a 4th level character with ride and handle animal, and he owns a lance, but has none of the feats, so I'm happy to get the chance to use it, but don't care if it doesn't happen.
If you are playing a mounted marshall I hope your DM lets you use your feats. But it also depends on the other character's specialities.
BTW, if you read the D&D faq it has recently included some rulings that made Ride-by attack almost useless, as you cannot overrun, must continue in a straight line, etc, which basically means that unless you down your opponent, you can't use the ride-by.
Another point, if you are interested in doing more mounted combat in your game(s), I would suggest you read Skip Williams "Rules of the Game" articles on mounted combat - it's a pretty good overview of the whole mounted combat situation.
Mass Fly on mounted PCs = fun, as they can then separate into pairs of rider and mount
Duncan
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