Questions about Riding


Rules Questions


Are there any rules on small pc's riding enemies larger than they are? If so, are there any feats that would promote this effect?

Silver Crusade

Riding enemies?


Example; The Goblin PC decides to climb up high and drop down on an enemy, grappling and riding it in such a way that the goblin can steer the enemy into hitting other enemies.

Kratos Riding Cyclops

Silver Crusade

D&D 3.5 had some 3rd Party rules for this HERE, sort of.

Though even those are more for cinematic scenes climbing colossal monsters.

I don't know of anything in the Pathfinder rules other than what can be found in the Ride skill.


Thanks for the information, I hope I can see use of this.

This has also lead me to think of a Goblin that has an Ape companion. He rides on the ape, shooting arrows at enemies, while the ape goes around bashing people who get too close.


THIS is the closest I can think of.


There's nothing to my knowledge that will allow you to grapple and then turn that into a ride where you control the enemy's action.

Assuming the enemy isn't an animal, it's not going to follow your commands without magic.


I'm not aiming to control them, I'm aiming to make them thrash about and slam into other enemies on accident while they try and get me off, which may or may not be easy to do. I don't have to grapple them, just be able to hold on.


BlingerBunny wrote:
I'm not aiming to control them, I'm aiming to make them thrash about and slam into other enemies on accident while they try and get me off, which may or may not be easy to do. I don't have to grapple them, just be able to hold on.

Sounds a whole lot like Grapple to me. Holding onto one who does not want to be held is basically "your grappling him".

And the "riding" an enemy sounds like the fluff-description when a small grappler executes the move grapple maneuver.

Shadow Lodge

I'd agree that the basic mechanic sounds like a grapple (where the grapple check represents your ability to "hold on").

Getting the ridden/grappled creature to bash into your enemies sounds like something a feat would cover. I'm not aware of such a feat but I think something that would allow you to make a grapple check to induce the opponent to attack a random creature within its reach would be appropriate.

EDIT: Perhaps adding a small bonus to grapple checks made against creatures larger than you.


BlingerBunny wrote:
I'm not aiming to control them, I'm aiming to make them thrash about and slam into other enemies on accident while they try and get me off, which may or may not be easy to do. I don't have to grapple them, just be able to hold on.

To my knowledge there's nothing that does anything like that.

And for what it's worth, causing them to "thrash about and slam into other enemies" sounds exactly like controlling them to me. Especially if you expect them to somehow not harm you in the process.

Liberty's Edge

Well, the vigilante has an ability called Foe Collision that allows you to deal damage to an enemy adjacent to the opponent you deal hidden strike damage to. So you could grapple an opponent, grapple check to move them, then pin them next to another opponent, deal hidden strike damage and make them hit the other opponent. It's not really effective, but doable.

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