What is an ill suited mount?

[Mok]

In the Ride section:

PFSRD wrote:

If you attempt to ride a creature that is ill suited as a mount, you take a –5 penalty on your Ride checks.

I'm wondering what constitutes an ill suited mount?

Is it anything not trained either in the general purpose (under handle animal) of Combat Trained or Riding?

Or is it meant as a broader guideline dealing with common sense, such as trying to ride a giant snake, etc?

[Tom Baumbach]

I think the latter (though I'm not sure a giant snake would be a good example). When I read that line, I pictured Master-Blaster from Thunderdome, i.e. piggy-backing is riding an ill-suited mount (and that only applies if the "mount" is kinda stupid, otherwise it's not riding, it's carrying).

Generally, anything without a wide-ish, flat-ish, mostly-parallel-to-the-ground surface, would constitute an "ill-suited" mount: anything roughly humanoid in shape; anything smaller than you (though it might be strong enough, it doesn't have enough wide-ish and flat-ish to distribute your weight); most aberrations I can think of.

[Icarus Pherae]

a halfling is an ill suited mount :P

[Uninvited Ghost]

A Gelatinous Cube.

I'd like a strict definition as well.

[Skylancer4]

If you are looking for what is or isn't supposed to be a mount, read the description in the Bestiary of the creature, it tells you there. Usually in a "this creature can be used as a mount" in general or sometimes "a specific race sometimes uses this creature as a mount" (like a worg and goblin). Basically I think there are less than 2 handfuls of creatures that are considered "mounts" in the book, obviously supplements might add to that number.

Another thing to consider is that many of the creatures a character might want as a mount have average to above average intelligence. It is much less you "riding" the creature and more you being tolerated by the creature and it letting you hitch a ride at that point. If you are constantly using the mount for cover, I wouldn't be surprised if you got dumped on your rear at some point as per the DM saying so. Like a cohort versus an animal companion there would be certain expectations in a situation where one intelligent creature is riding another. One of those being "I'm not cannon fodder for you."

Anyways again, read the Bestiary descriptions and you'll see being a mount mentioned for particular creatures. If it isn't mentioned, that would make it an "ill suited" mount.

[Zmar]

Uninvited Ghost wrote:

A Gelatinous Cube.

I'd like a strict definition as well.

I think that the gelatinous cube would love to let anyone ride IN it without rolling ;)

[joecoolives]

Tom Baumbach wrote:

I think the latter (though I'm not sure a giant snake would be a good example). When I read that line, I pictured Master-Blaster from Thunderdome, i.e. piggy-backing is riding an ill-suited mount (and that only applies if the "mount" is kinda stupid, otherwise it's not riding, it's carrying).

Generally, anything without a wide-ish, flat-ish, mostly-parallel-to-the-ground surface, would constitute an "ill-suited" mount: anything roughly humanoid in shape; anything smaller than you (though it might be strong enough, it doesn't have enough wide-ish and flat-ish to distribute your weight); most aberrations I can think of.

I ran a fun for me encounter with a evil halfling cleric riding a ogre, with custom made basket. It was fun.

[The Grandfather]

Mok wrote:

In the Ride section:

PFSRD wrote:

If you attempt to ride a creature that is ill suited as a mount, you take a –5 penalty on your Ride checks.

I'm wondering what constitutes an ill suited mount?

Halflings and gnomes do not ride horses, but in stead ride ponies or large dogs.

This hints that horses are ill-suited as mounts for small characters, which brings me to the point. At some point in PRPG or 3.5 (I do not remember which) I am sure to have read that any creature two sizes larger than you is ill-suited as a mount.

E.g. elefants are as such not as much riden as they are driven.

Aside from that I would at the least expect mounts to be quadrupeds. You can riden an ostrich, axbeak, megaraptor, or a taun-taun but they are probably the exception to the rule.

In the end I think GMs should use their common sense, though I would love all bestiary entries marked with a sadle icon if they were suited as mounts.

[James Jacobs]

We leave that undefined so that the GM can decide based on his/her game. In some campaigns, an ankheg might be "ill-suited" to serve as a mount but in others it'd be fine.

The baseline is, though... things that are horse shaped are suited for being mounts. The less horse-like and horse-shaped a creature gets, the more ill-suited it becomes.