Ride the Synth!

[TheBulletKnight]

So this is a continuation of my mounted magus question that I didn't feel like resurrecting. Mounted Magus thread

So, say you have an ally who is a quadraped synthesist. You two become friends, and he takes the mount evolution. How would combats work in terms of initiative, attacks, etc?

Say I were to take the dimensional agility/assault/dervish feats. If combat is treated as normal for a rider and his mount, if I used dimensional dervish, would the synthesist gain the benefits of the feat, allowing him to attack with me?

[Gilarius]

A sensible GM might just drop rocks on you rather than figure it all out.

Our current GM is regretting allowing a paladin to ride our synthesis summoner due to the incredible damage output of a smiting, lance-wielding paladin and a pouncing summoner with lots of natural attacks and a greatsword...

[ProfPotts]

TheBulletKnight wrote:

Say I were to take the dimensional agility/assault/dervish feats. If combat is treated as normal for a rider and his mount, if I used dimensional dervish, would the synthesist gain the benefits of the feat, allowing him to attack with me?

The only point where this may be of concern is the line in Dimensional Assault saying that you can 'make the attack normally allowed on a charge'... anything else follows the usual rules for bringing a passenger along with you when you cast Dimension Door (apart from that, using the mounted combat rules only means you get to both go on the same Initiative... plus the usual higher ground bonus and stuff if that happens to apply). The mounted combat rules state that '... if your mount charges...' so in the case of Dimensional Assault you could get your lance charge damage (or whatever) if the mount was using the Feat and casting the spell, but not if you were (then the mount is just along as a passenger).

[boring7]

Initiatives are rolled separately, if the pair wish to act together one of them delays until their actions are at the same time. The Dervish abilities will let you move the Mount character around, but not allow him to attack, you take your actions then he takes his (or vice versa) and if he holds an action to attack at step 2 of your 3-step attack he only gets that one attack.

And while your damage output can get pretty impressive with such a build, I don't think it's game-breaking.

If I were DM I'd house-rule that fighting behind something larger than a horse's head would involve some difficulties, like if the Synthesist looked like a centaur the rider would probably get cover bonuses/penalties, or have it work like if you were wielding a tower shield.