Request official clarification on cavalier mount question with regards to PFS play

[teribithia9]

Hi, I’m sorry if someone has asked this before (and I’m sure they have) but I’m new to Pathfinder and am trying to make up a few possible characters prior to playing my first Pathfinder Society game next week. I tried to find an answer in search, but although there were a lot of posts on animal companions, I couldn’t find this addressed anywhere with regards to the Pathfinder Society games.

One of the characters I had made was originally a paladin, but I think would actually be much better as a cavalier. The cavalier gets, as a class feature, “a trusted and loyal mount to carry him into battle”. The mount is treated as a druid’s animal companion of the cavalier’s level. Most of the cavalier’s abilities and bonuses work “while on his mount” and/or “when charging on his mount”.

My question would be—the druid’s animal companion horse template isn’t combat riding trained—it gets combat trained as a special quality at 4th level, in fact. And the campaign guide for pathfinder society says animals don’t come trained with tricks unless specified. So from what I can tell, with the rules as they are written, the druid’s/ranger’s/cavalier’s animal companion/mount will just have the one “bonus trick” that the rules say doesn’t require any training at the start of the first pathfinder society game. I would guess you can only choose an individual trick for this and not a package such as combat riding trained. So if the cavalier’s “trusty mount to carry him into battle” is not combat riding trained, does the first level cavalier have to make a dc 20 riding check every round to take the “trusty mount to carry him into battle” actually into a fight? This would pretty much be impossible at first level—with scale armor—which is the best my PFS character can afford, starting, and no shield, the armor check penalty makes my cavalier’s ride check only a +2. Not to mention, this is a move action, so would keep the cavalier from being able to charge—which is what the class was built to do. I mean, sure, I could dismount and use a handle animal check to get the animal to attack. If that’s my bonus trick, I don’t even have to roll—but this negates most of my cavalier abilities because I’m not on my mount. This seems kind of counter to the purpose of the class? Are druid/ranger/cavalier’s mounts assumed to be willing to ride into battle without the once a round DC 20 ride check because they ARE loyal companions? I’d really like to know how this mechanic works before I play my first game with this character.

Again, sorry if this has already been addressed and I missed it.

[Joshua J. Frost]

I believe the intent for the cavalier is that their mount is combat-trained, but I'll need Jason to confirm this. I've emailed him this link.

[teribithia9]

Hi, not trying to be a pain, but wondering if you have gotten an answer back on this? I'll be playing my first game shortly after Thanksgiving--thanks!

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

I believe the intent for the cavalier is that their mount is combat-trained, but I'll need Jason to confirm this. I've emailed him this link.

[Joshua J. Frost]

I got the answer just now: cavalier mounts are assumed to be combat trained. This will be noted in a future update.

[teribithia9]

Thank you very very much!

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

I got the answer just now: cavalier mounts are assumed to be combat trained. This will be noted in a future update.

[Belladonna Blayze of Andoran]

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

I got the answer just now: cavalier mounts are assumed to be combat trained. This will be noted in a future update.

Joshua, when you say that you got confirmation that cavalier mounts

are combat trained does this mean that they get the general purpose
training package called Combat Riding in the Handle Animal skill or
does this mean that it automatically gets the trick Attack trick (DC
20) for free. Thanks ahead of time.

[Joshua J. Frost]

They receive the combat training package under the Handle Animal skill on page 98 of the Core Rulebook.

[outrider11us]

timing is everything I had a guy asking about it today. thanks for the information.

[gr1bble]

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

They receive the combat training package under the Handle Animal skill on page 98 of the Core Rulebook.

I have a similar question - I've tried searching the forums but can't find an answer.

Can a 1st level cavalier choose a heavy horse as his mount, or is he restricted to the basic horse (light)?

[teribithia9]

gr1bble wrote:

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

They receive the combat training package under the Handle Animal skill on page 98 of the Core Rulebook.

I have a similar question - I've tried searching the forums but can't find an answer.

Can a 1st level cavalier choose a heavy horse as his mount, or is he restricted to the basic horse (light)?

I believe you use the horse stats from the animal companion section for the druid class for horse---with the exception that it's already combat trained and has proficiency for light armor.

[Joshua J. Frost]

gr1bble wrote:

Can a 1st level cavalier choose a heavy horse as his mount, or is he restricted to the basic horse (light)?

The cavalier chooses the horse as listed under the Druid animal companions except that his horse begins play combat trained and has Light Armor Proficiency.

[gr1bble]

Thanks guys - that makes a lot more sense now.
:)

[emirikol]

I just built a cavalier. I'm pleased with the clarification that their mount is combat trained.

If I get this right, my cavalier can make an attack and the horse can make all three of its attacks in the same round, correct?

Also, it would be cool if at some level the cavalier could "trample" opponents with his horse.

jh

[teribithia9]

emirikol wrote:

I just built a cavalier. I'm pleased with the clarification that their mount is combat trained.

If I get this right, my cavalier can make an attack and the horse can make all three of its attacks in the same round, correct?

Also, it would be cool if at some level the cavalier could "trample" opponents with his horse.

jh

Just have your mount take the trample feat at some point.