When a mount is successfully tumbling

[Shin Okada]

Does the rider still provoke AoO from moving?

One of my player is trying to give a giant owl as cohort of her cleric PC. due to HD and LA, the owl can have some levels and we are considiering about giving Monk levles (the cleric is LG and thus her cohort being a LG monk sounds reasonable).

Of course she is trying to use it mainly as her mount. The issue is, when the Giant Owl successfully tumble past a monster, does the rider still provoke AoO from that monster?

If the answer is yes, letting the owl lern tumbling will be a good choice. But if not, the skill points would better go to other skills such as listen and spot.

Maybe this is a gray area which each DM should decide by oneself. But anyway I want to here the opinions of wise DMs here.

Thanks in advance.

 

[frankthedm]

IMHO a mount should not be tumbling with a rider on board.

That said, Yes, the rider draws AoOs as well in the above situation.

 

[Shin Okada]

IMHO a mount should not be tumbling with a rider on board.

Hmm. Yeah, good point. The rider should need some very difficult Ride check to stay on saddle.

 

[shilsen]

Hmm. Yeah, good point. The rider should need some very difficult Ride check to stay on saddle.

And I'd give the mount a serious circumstance penalty for trying to do it with a rider.

 

[Shin Okada]

And I'd give the mount a serious circumstance penalty for trying to do it with a rider.

But isn't that factor already covered by encumbrance rules? This is a flying mount and of course the total weight of the rider and gears are well within i'ts light load.

 

[jaelis]

From Skip Williams Rules of the Game article:

When you and your mount move, you both are subject to attacks of opportunity from your foes (your mount might be the one actually doing the moving, but you're moving as well). For example, when you and your mount leave a threatened space, you both provoke attacks of opportunity from foes that threaten that space. A foe who can make multiple attacks of opportunity in a round (for example, a foe with a high Dexterity score and the Combat Reflexes feat) can make an attack of opportunity against you and one against your mount.

Since you and your mount provoke separately, I'd say you would each have to make your own tumble checks to avoid the AoO.

 

[Shin Okada]

From Skip Williams Rules of the Game article:

Since you and your mount provoke separately, I'd say you would each have to make your own tumble checks to avoid the AoO.

Hm. So it seems impossible for both mount and the rider to avoid AoO with tumbling simultaneousely. The rider can't tumble as she is not making a standard move.

Well, then, we will just give the owl better Listen and Spot skills.

 

[green slime]

I'd say let the rider avoid AoO's while the mount tumbles. Just increase the DC.

1. Its Cool.
2. It's not an unreasonable use of the skill.
3. It's still Cool.
4. It's for NPC's too.

Consider: Could an skilled athlete do a forward roll while holding on to an delicate item, protecting it? Could such an athlete do such a maneuver 1 handed while holding on to a kitten, puppy or human baby? Is there any further penalty for tumbling while wielding two long swords, and your backpack? Presumably, you don't want your potion vials crushed (your ham-and-pickle sandwiches don't quite look as appetizing mixed with liquid of bull's strength and bits of broken glass), nor do you want to slice your carotid artery.

 

[Zelc]

Since you and your mount provoke separately, I'd say you would each have to make your own tumble checks to avoid the AoO.

Here's how you avoid the AoO:

Cover

You can react instantly to drop down and hang alongside your mount, using it as cover. You can’t attack or cast spells while using your mount as cover. If you fail your Ride check, you don’t get the cover benefit. This usage does not take an action.

Cover and Attacks of Opportunity

You can’t execute an attack of opportunity against an opponent with cover relative to you.

So, best of all worlds. Rider can avoid an AoO with a tumbling mount, but this requires a skill check, and the skill is Ride which makes sense.