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Obviously a Druid would have no trouble using a horse or pony. But can my gnome druid ride a lion (medium sized)? What are the issues with spell casting and riding. I have a bunch of ranks in ride, and I assume that if a wolf can be used as a mount, a lion or big cat should not be a problem.
Thanks for the help!
Obviously a Druid would have no trouble using a horse or pony. But can my gnome druid ride a lion (medium sized)? What are the issues with spell casting and riding. I have a bunch of ranks in ride, and I assume that if a wolf can be used as a mount, a lion or big cat should not be a problem.
Your Gnome can ride pretty much any companion capable of supporting his weight and allowed by your DM. You will likely need an exotic saddle for things other than horse/pony/dog/boar. Riding bareback adds more penalties, also covered in PF Core near pg. 202. I have recently considered making a Halfling with a Giant Frog mount(Bestiary).
PF CORE (pg. 202) or HERE(LINK)
There's a feat that helps, though in an obscure book at this point, it may be reprinted in one of the many other books, dunno.
Prereq: Ride 1 Rank, Mounted Combat.
Benefit: You gain a +10 bonus on concentration checks to cast spells while mounted.
If you want to get really crazy, take 3 levels of Wizard and look at the 'Arcane Heirophant' PrC in 'Races of the Wild', it's a 'Mystic Theurge' that focuses on your animal companion. Your companion becomes a Companion Familiar and can then be the target of your wizard spells as well... Enlarge person, Mage armor, True strike, etc. My version of this was a Kobold Druid/Wizard on a Boar and it was AWESOME! :D
(In 3.5E you could share spells from any class you had levels in, not just the class that owns the companion or familiar... WITHOUT the PrC.)
I think mount or ridden is a trick you'd need to teach the animal. It's on the list. As long as you train it to be ridden and it can support your weight, you're golden.
From what I've read, here's the lowdown on riding and casting. Lions are considered "unusual mounts" for a -5 to ride checks(though that trick might make them trained and no longer unusual). On top of that, no saddle adds another -5.
Now, normally that would really hurt, but if you are riding a creature you have control over, then you need not make ride checks to direct it. You DO, however, have to make ride checks to not fall off when you get hit, and to cast spells DURING movement of the mount.
Agreed. Even with the appropriate tricks, you'd still be subject to all the normal penalties to actions while riding, unless you have the appropriate feats.
But by 4th level, you can put a point into the animal's Int score where it no longer requires "tricks" and teaching it becomes a much simpler task. An intelligent mount is far more versatile.
But by 4th level, you can put a point into the animal's Int score where it no longer requires "tricks" and teaching it becomes a much simpler task. An intelligent mount is far more versatile.
I dunno if you can simply "talk" a lion into letting you ride upon its back. That would probably still require some hands on training.
But by 4th level, you can put a point into the animal's Int score where it no longer requires "tricks" and teaching it becomes a much simpler task. An intelligent mount is far more versatile.I dunno if you can simply "talk" a lion into letting you ride upon its back. That would probably still require some hands on training.
Int 3 is sentience. You can teach it to understand many words in common, far beyond "Attack" and "Defend" or even "Hi-ho, Silver! Away!"
I never said you could get on the thing's back and expect it to carry you around immediately, just that teaching it would be way easier, and less constrained.