Warhorse - not proficient with any armor?

[Joshua Randall]

While gearing up a paladin character and his special mount, I noticed something: warhorses are (apparently) not proficient with any armor!

A creature’s armor proficiencies (if it has any) depend on its type, but in general a creature is automatically proficient with any kind of armor it is described as wearing (light, medium, or heavy), and with all lighter kinds of armor.

The warhose in the SRD's monster section doesn't have any armor in either its AC line nor in its description.

Not being proficient with armor has some pretty hefty penalties:

Nonproficient with Armor Worn: A character who wears armor and/or uses a shield with which he or she is not proficient takes the armor’s (and/or shield’s) armor check penalty on attack rolls and on all Strength-based and Dexterity-based ability and skill checks. The penalty for nonproficiency with armor stacks with the penalty for nonproficiency with shields.

The attack roll penalty is ouchy, especially if your warhorse is wearing full plate (-6! armor check penalty).

But maybe I've overlooked some obscure rule somewhere that gives war-trained mounts proficiency with armor?

 

[Scharlata]

[...], I noticed something: warhorses are (apparently) not proficient with any armor![...]

Seems to be an oversight. I stumbled upon it lately, too, but fixed it for my campaign.

Enjoy!

 

[kjenks]

Your warhorse is indeed proficient in armor.

SRD - Type description for "Animal"
===
Animal Type: An animal is a living, nonhuman creature, usually a vertebrate with no magical abilities and no innate capacity for language or culture.
Features: An animal has the following features (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
—d8 Hit Dice.
—Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (as cleric).
—Good Fortitude and Reflex saves (certain animals have different good saves).
—Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die.
Traits: An animal possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
—Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal).
—Low-light vision.
—Alignment: Always neutral.
—Treasure: None.
—Proficient with its natural weapons only. A noncombative herbivore uses its natural weapons as a secondary attack. Such attacks are made with a –5 penalty on the creature’s attack rolls, and the animal receives only 1/2 its Strength modifier as a damage adjustment.
—Proficient with no armor unless trained for war.
—Animals eat, sleep, and breathe.
===

 

[KarinsDad]

Your warhorse is indeed proficient in armor.

...

—Proficient with no armor unless trained for war.
—Animals eat, sleep, and breathe.
===

The problem with this is that it does not state which armor the animal is trained for. You could assume all (and I suspect most DMs, myself included, would rule that way), but it is not explicitly stated.

 

[Infiniti2000]

The problem with this is that it does not state which armor the animal is trained for. You could assume all (and I suspect most DMs, myself included, would rule that way), but it is not explicitly stated.

Well, whatever you choose, proficient in something is better than nothing!

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

The problem with this is that it does not state which armor the animal is trained for. You could assume all (and I suspect most DMs, myself included, would rule that way), but it is not explicitly stated.

Even by the strangely restrictive approach, just train the animal three times to gain all of them.

 

[frankthedm]

The problem with this is that it does not state which armor the animal is trained for. You could assume all (and I suspect most DMs, myself included, would rule that way), but it is not explicitly stated.

True enough, the closest the rule set ever comes to 'training for war" is under handle animal.

Combat Riding (DC 20): An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel. Training an animal for combat riding takes six weeks. You may also “upgrade” an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat riding by spending three weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal’s previous purpose and any tricks it once knew. Warhorses and riding dogs are already trained to bear riders into combat, and they don’t require any additional training for this purpose.