large mounts and small characters?


Rules Questions

Scarab Sages

Just wondering what the logic is here. I can't take a Camel because my character is too small?

Seems like if I'm in the desert, the size of the camel is the least of my concerns.


you're too small to ride it well. but you could always get a normal camel and use it. Just not one from a class.


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I would think that it would work just as well (and just as poorly) as a size Medium character riding an elephant. Note that the elephant is not an option when a limited number of mount choices is provided.


Small characters have access to a large Mount starting at level 7 with the wolf. Just ask your GM if you can have a camel instead. You can ride animals as many categories larger than yourself as you care to. See the Mammoth Rider prestiege class, for instance. The only drawback is that you can't Mount as a swift action with a ride check if they're too big; it's always a move action.


Honestly it doesn't make a lot of sense. As far as I know there is absolutely no rule that you can't ride a mount more than one size category larger than you. If a halfling buys a camel at a bazaar then he can ride it just fine.

I will note that the beast rider cavalier archetype gives options for larger than normal (exotic) mounts starting at level 4, you could follow this precedent and allow normal cavaliers etc to take larger size (normal) mounts at 4th as well.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about this restriction.

Scarab Sages

I'm doing this for PFS, so the restriction does matter.

Though this post is more asking what the Paizo logic is on the restriction. I'm completely unclear why the larger mount would be restricted. Is being smaller somehow more broken on a large mount?

Main reason I want the camel is that I'm going with a desert theme on the PC. No reason beyond that.

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