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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 6090741" data-attributes="member: 4937">The base difficulty to stay in the saddle is 5, and applies in all the following situations: the mount is injured/struck, you are injured/struck, the mount fails a save on any sort of mind effecting spell or spell-like ability (it bolts unexpectedly if it is subject to a fear effect), or the mount must make a skill check (even if it would be automatic for the mount) such as to jump an obstacle.Assuming this isn't 4e where everyone gets ranks in everything simply for leveling up, even an untrained dexterity check of 5 is going to present some players with difficulty.  It's not usual for clerics, paladins, and some fighters to have dex bonuses of zero, giving a 20% chance of failure.   But, there is a -5 penalty for riding a beast without a saddle which probably applies to this situation, and a -5 penalty that applies to riding something ill-suited to being a mount which I would rule definately applies in this situation on two grounds - one the beasts back is too wide to easily straddle and is smooth and chitinous and hard to grip and two the mount is not trained to bear riders.  Moreover, the only character that I'd allow to make a skill check to assist fellow riders is the one controlling the mount, which is the Wizard and Wizards don't usually have ranks in Ride. In short, I expect none of these issues to present insurrmountable problems to a party, but I do expect the journey to go less than smoothly - however much it may beat walking.  I'd also expect that this is a perfect time for intraparty characterization and role play.  If you really want to impress me, stay in character as you play out these difficulties.   I'll definately give XP for that equivalent to what you would have gained slogging you way through the desert.   On the other hand, you want to hand wave the journey, threat this as a contest between players and the DM, and get all rules lawyery and analytical in responce to the challenges I present, I'll let you 'win', but not a lot of XP is going to be forth coming for your short cut.</blockquote>

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