Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Mounts in Pathfinder

Nast night I was struggling with the differences between an animal companion and a mount. The animal companion rules are just the mechanics for creating the special animals that characters receive as part of their class abilities. What the animals can and will do is still based upon the tricks the animal knows and the character using his Handle Animal skill. If an animal is trained as a mount it is easier to ride (DC10 vs. DC25) and if it is trained for combat it is easier to control (DC10 and free action vs. DC20 and move action).

I did some reading on the subject and here are my conclusions.

If an animal is being used as a mount, companion or otherwise, it will act according to the mount rules. Without a rider to guide it, a mount avoids combat. Meaning, if you are out of the saddle and not actively commanding it, it will only participate in a fight to defend itself. The exception is if the animal is trained to Defend. In that case, it will stand its ground and also defend the fallen rider.

I assume that combat mounts have the General Purpose of Combat Training. This means that the mount knows the following 6 tricks requiring a DC 10 Handle Animal check (DC 12 if the animal is injured) to execute :
  • Attack - The animal attacks apparent enemies. You may point to a particular creature that you wish the animal to attack, and it will comply if able. Normally, an animal will attack only humanoids, monstrous humanoids, or other animals. Teaching an animal to attack all creatures (including such unnatural creatures as undead and aberrations) counts as two tricks. (This can be purchased with an animal companion’s extra tricks.)
  • Come -The animal comes to you, even if it normally would not do so.
  • Defend - The animal defends you (or is ready to defend you if no threat is present), even without any command being given. Alternatively, you can command the animal to defend another specific character.
  • Down - The animal breaks off from combat or otherwise backs down. An animal that doesn’t know this trick continues to fight until it must flee (due to injury, afear effect, or the like) or its opponent is defeated.
  • Guard - The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching.
  • Heel - The animal follows you closely, even to places where it normally wouldn’t go.

According to the Ride skill, some checks are required to ride a mount in combat.  
  • Guide with Knees: You can guide your mount with your knees so you can use both hands in combat. Make your Ride check at the start of your turn. If you fail, you can use only one hand this round because you need to use the other to control your mount. This does not take an action. DC 5
  • Fight with a Combat-Trained Mount: If you direct your wartrained mount to attack in battle, you can still make your own attack or attacks normally. This usage is a free action. DC 10

To fight from the back of a combat trained mount with a two-handed weapon, expecting both you and the mount to attack, requires a DC 5 Ride check (Knees), a DC 10 Handle Animal check (command mount to attack) and a DC 10 Ride check (mount and you both able to attack) each round.

Mounted combat things to remember: 
  • When you attack a creature smaller than your mount that is on foot, you get the +1 bonus on melee attacks for being on higher ground.
  • If your mount moves more than 5 feet, you can only make a single melee attack.
  • If your mount charges, you also take the AC penalty associated with a charge. If you make an attack at the end of the charge, you receive the bonus gained from the charge.
  • You can use ranged weapons while your mount is taking a double move, but at a –4 penalty on the attack roll. You can use ranged weapons while your mount is running (quadruple speed) at a –8 penalty. You can make a full attack with a ranged weapon while your mount is moving.

We can debate the topic further if necessary but I would prefer to do so here rather than during the game session.

9 comments:

  1. So because the animal has learned to be a combat mount, it suddenly loses the ability to Attack if nobody is riding it?

    For example, a first level halfing fighter buys a wolf as a pet, and teaches it the Attack trick. He goes merrily about the next few levels using Fang as an attack buddy and everything is fine.
    Then he teaches Fang to be a combat mount... and suddenly Fang avoids combat and canNOT even be commanded to to the trick he's been using since first level - unless someone is on his back. *Jubal Early voice* Does that seem right to you?

    Also, I've been able to find that it takes a move action to command a normal (NOT Animal Companion) animal, but not what kind of action it takes a druid/ranger/cavalier to give orders to his fuzzy buddy. Any idea?

    ReplyDelete
  2. You seemed to have missed the most important part. You are not able to give it commands as you are unconsious or dead. I did not say it loses the ability to attack but if the master is not commanding it to do so, it will not unless directly threatened.

    I did not did deeply on the giving commands part. It seems that some are free and some are move depending on the command and roll involved.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ohhh so the reason Bruce's wolf couldnt attack was because Bruce was Hideously Laughing?

    OK...

    So when we kill the druid, his big dire tiger companion will avoid combat, because druid cant give him commands?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mostly correct. It is situational. If the tiger is already fighting, it will keeep fighting because no one is around to give the Down command. But if it was not already fighting it would not start a new fight unless it was protecting itself or Defending the downed druid. It is not quite identical but similar to killing the Summoner and the Eidolon going away.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So, if we're on the same page here... If me and my mount are fighting and I'm dropped, the mount will keep fighting until that opponent dies or runs away (or the mount dies), and then does nothing?

    ReplyDelete
  6. so my wolf could have attacked the guy who made me laugh?

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Dave - Pretty much. No new command, no new action.

    @Bruce - Only if he pressed the attack on you. That is when the the Defend trick comes in.

    ReplyDelete
  8. So the biggest advantage to having an Animal Companion as opposed to a pet is: giving it commands is a free or swift action.

    ReplyDelete
  9. ... and they are stonger, have more hp, higher AC, better skills, feats, have more tricks and special abilities.

    There is a big difference between buying a combat trained horse and having one as a companion. As would bee seen the first time you are fireballed.

    Per the Handle Animal skill:

    Handling an animal is a move action, while “pushing” an animal is a full-round action. (A druid
    or ranger can handle an animal companion as a free action or push it as a move action.)

    ReplyDelete

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