I've seen a couple and played one PC that is a small character on medium mount. That way there aren't nearly as many cases where the mount can not be used due to the space requirements.
I've seen a halfling on a dog and a grippli on a geko (this was hilarious). Both lance builds. Mine was a halfling on giant wasp. Mounted flying sling-staff ranged attacker. All were reasonably successful. I've been trying to think of a new mounted build. I was considering a gnome on an elephant and just figuring out how to deal with not being able to take my elephant everywhere.
I recently came across something that just now made a connection to my vague thoughts on a mounted build. The giant flea familiar can make a 120' leaping charge attack. A mauler familiar in combat form is medium sized.
I could make a lance charge from 120' distance, leaping over anyone in the way. That's before any buffs like haste, expeditious retreat, longstrider, etc...
Holy chopsticks batman! That would be amazing!
Seems like a ratfolk or goblin would be most appropriate for a giant flea mauler familiar. Could always do Eldritch Guardian for a martial class with a familiar. But a magus can get a familiar and might be more fun since I could then add a spell strike on that lance charge attack. Sheesh! Have you seen anything like this? Does it seem like it would work pretty good to you?
If you're going to do a mauler familiar which goes into melee you want to give it a chance of staying alive. Mine didn't and familiars are expensive to replace especially at low levels. A magus can cast defensive buffs, true, but a bloodrager has the most HP for a familiar to have half of. You can get a familiar free via trading out the level 1 bloodline power.
Also with mounted lance combat note the annoying fact that a lance can't attack adjacent and medium mounts can only attack adjacent. That is a little more protection for your mount I guess since things that don't attack seldom get targeted by GMs, but don't put too much work into offensive buffs for your familiar except maybe enlarge person.
don't put too much work into offensive buffs for your familiar except maybe enlarge person.
I wouldn't think enlarge person would work on a mauler in battle form, that being a polymorph effect. Am I missing something?
avr is right. Probably just low level defensive buffs off a wand or low level spells. If it comes down to it, the bite of the flea in combat form actually isn't too bad on it's own.
Enlarge person isn't technically a polymorph effect but Scott's right that size increases won't stack. I was trying to think of a way of matching the reach of the lance but no luck there.
Enlarge person doesn't need to be; any polymorph effect, size-changing or not, shuts out size-changing effects.
I will probably go with Longarm to let the flea attack when needed.
I'm thinking I might take Escape Route for the familiar's single feat.
Would the feat Death From Above work with this leaping charge?
Not sure if Ride by Attack would be worth it or not.
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Highly optimized mounted charge builds are rarely fun to play in my experience.
They either completely obliterate an enemy, or yo're denied the ability to charge for some reason. Most of your build ends up being about increasing your ability to charge or deal damage on a charge. And cavaliers are great at it. It just becomes a one trick pony that gets kind of old, at least it did for everyone else at the table.
The GM would add a lot of objects to rooms or walls or difficult terrain just to allow the other players a chance to act, since my character would kill an enemy basically every round. I never needed more than one charge (for like 95% of enemies).
TL;DR - Mounted charges are effective, but not really fun.
Highly optimized mounted charge builds are rarely fun to play in my experience.
They either completely obliterate an enemy, or yo're denied the ability to charge for some reason. Most of your build ends up being about increasing your ability to charge or deal damage on a charge. And cavaliers are great at it. It just becomes a one trick pony .
...
TL;DR - Mounted charges are effective, but not really fun.
To a certain extent, I agree with you.
That's part of why I'm looking at building it this way. If I wanted just a charge machine, I would probably do something like a half-orc cavalier on a rhino (I still might do that some day).
This is looking to be a small magus that occasionally rides a giant flea. Most of the small races have a penalty to strength. Certainly not a bonus. Lance is not a finesse weapon. Magus is still a 3/4 caster. Mostly combat not utility spells it is true.
This is most certainly not a "highly optimized mounted charge build." What it would give me is a freaking hilarious charge every so often when some bad guy thinks he is out of reach.
It also isn't a one trick pony. It's a magus. The magus won't be an optimized scimitar shocking grasp crit fisher, but even a vanilla magus is still a decent combatant.
I just found something that may be a killer for this concept. HeroLabs says the giant flea is only available to a witch as a familiar.
Does anyone know if this is true? I don't remember familiars being limited this way.
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I just found something that may be a killer for this concept. HeroLabs says the giant flea is only available to a witch as a familiar.
Does anyone know if this is true? I don't remember familiars being limited this way.
The Giant Flea is not a "listed" familiar (i.e. it's not in a section specifically on familiars), but rather is a creature in Beastiary 4, and under Description in the entry it says "A witch can take a giant flea as a familiar."
Archives of Nethys also says a flea can only be taken as a familiar by a witch.
Well crapola! A witch would be a pretty terrible mounted charge build. Back to the drawing board.
Doh! So I wasn't awake enough yet to be posting. I really only need a single witch level dip to get the flea familiar before the 3rd level of beastbound magus. Still works fine.
I will work on initial build a little later.
Here is what I've got so far. I'm not sure if Death From Above will work, so I didn't take that.
Male ratfolk magus (beastblade) 4/witch (beast-bonded) 1 (Pathfinder Player Companion: Familiar Folio 8, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 65, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 231, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 9, 83)
N Small humanoid (ratfolk)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
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Defense
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AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +3 Dex, +1 size)
hp 41 (5 HD; 1d6+4d8+14)
Fort +7 (+3 vs. disease), Ref +5, Will +8
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Melee +1 adamantine lance +8 (1d6+4/×3) or
. . mwk cold iron tailblade +7 (1d2+2) or
. . mwk silver cestus +7 (1d3+2/19-20)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with +1 adamantine lance)
Special Attacks arcane pool (+1, 5 points), hex (familiar feat), magus arcana (familiar[UM]), spell combat, spellstrike, swarming
Magus (Beastblade) Spells Prepared (CL 4th; concentration +7)
. . 2nd—blur, stone call[APG]
. . 1st—chill touch (DC 14), long arm[ACG], shield, shocking grasp
. . 0 (at will)—detect magic, mage hand, open/close (DC 13), prestidigitation
Witch (Beast-Bonded) Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +4)
. . 1st—command (DC 14), shield companion
. . 0 (at will)—guidance, read magic, stabilize
. . Patron Agility
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Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 7
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 17
Feats Alertness, Escape Route[UC], Mauler's Endurance, Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (lance)
Traits bladed magic, dedicated defender, indomitable faith
Skills Acrobatics +3 (-1 to jump), Appraise +4, Climb +6, Craft (weapons) +6 (+7 to craft magic or masterwork weapons), Fly +9, Handle Animal -1 (+3 to influence rodents), Intimidate +2, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7, Knowledge (planes) +7, Linguistics +8, Perception +9, Ride +11, Sense Motive +2, Sleight of Hand +4, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +12, Swim +6, Use Magic Device +4; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +2 Use Magic Device
Languages Aklo, Common, Cyclops, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Necril, Orc, Undercommon
SQ paranoid, rodent empathy, tandem touch, witch's familiar (giant flea (mauler) named Skitter)
Other Gear +1 mithral chain shirt, +1 adamantine lance, mwk cold iron tailblade[ARG], mwk silver cestus[APG], cloak of resistance +1, magus starting spellbook
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Pool +1 (5/day) (Su) Infuse own power into a held weapon, granting enhancement bonus or selected item powers.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Deliver Touch Spells Through Familiar (Su) Your familiar can deliver touch spells for you.
Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar.
Escape Route You do not provoke attacks of opportunity when moving through spaces adjacent to allies
Familiar Bonus: +3 to Fort saves vs. Disease You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach.
Mounted Combat (1/round) Once per round you can attempt to negate a hit to your mount in combat.
Paranoid Aid Another DC 15 for attempts to help you.
Rodent Empathy Ratfolk gain a +4 racial bonus on Handle Animal checks made to influence rodents.
Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
Speak with Familiar (Ex) You can communicate verbally with your familiar.
Spell Combat (Ex) Use a weapon with one hand at -2 and cast a spell with the other.
Spellstrike (Su) Deliver touch spells as part of a melee attack.
Swarming (Ex) Can share a square with another with swarming, if both att the same foe, he is flanked.
Tandem Touch (Su) May cast a spell while familiar holds charge for touch spell.
Witch's Familiar (Ex) Gain the services of a special familiar that stores spells.
And the familiar in battle form.
Giant flea (mauler) (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 99)
N Medium magical beast (vermin)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +8
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Defense
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AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 30 (1d8+1)
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6
Defensive Abilities improved evasion; DR 5/slashing; Immune disease, mind-affecting effects
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee bite +6 (1d6+4 plus disease)
Special Attacks bond forged in blood, disease
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Statistics
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Str 16, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 6
Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 18
Feats Escape Route[UC]
Skills Acrobatics +3 (+19 to jump), Appraise -1, Climb +4, Fly +3, Handle Animal -1, Intimidate +2, Linguistics +3, Perception +8, Ride +4, Sleight of Hand +0, Spellcraft -1, Stealth +7, Swim +4, Use Magic Device -1
SQ battle form, empathic link, uncanny leap
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Special Abilities
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Battle Form (Str +2, 3/day) (Su) As standard action three times a day, grow larger.
Bond Forged in Blood (Su) You cannot speak or communicate with language. Master dropping a foe grants +2 att/dam to both master and familiar for 1 rd.
Damage Reduction (5/slashing) You have Damage Reduction against all except Slashing attacks.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Disease (DC 13) Injury; save Fort; onset 1d3 days; freq 1 day; effect 1 Con; cure 1 save
Empathic Link (Su) You have an empathic link with your master.
Escape Route You do not provoke attacks of opportunity when moving through spaces adjacent to allies
Immunity to Disease You are immune to diseases.
Immunity to Mind-Affecting effects You are immune to Mind-Affecting effects.
Improved Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save; half on failed save.
Share Spells Spells with a target of "You" can be delivered by a familiar with a range of touch.
Uncanny Leap (Ex) As a full-rd action, jump up to 120 ft (counts as a charge if in a straight line).