As I mentioned in another thread, I recently just re-rolled and created a Druid. The campaign/world are homebrew, but let's just say I'm a Gnome, and I'm riding my Animal Companion (a Tiger).
I'm only level 1, so I went ahead and took Mounted Combat. It's already paid off twice, being able to make a Ride check to negate hits for my Tiger's poor 14 AC (I'm getting him barding ASAP). I also was able to make a DC 15 Ride check to use my mount as cover (+4 AC) as an immediate action when I was attacked.
I was planning on using the mount as a gimmick until I got Wild Shape and more spells per day, but it worked so well in the first meeting that it has me thinking if I should capitalize on this some more, maybe even take a level or two of Fighter (proficiency with Lance, 2 bonus feats for mounted combat stuff).
I was looking through the mounted feats, and something struck me as odd. My Tiger can also take feats, being an animal companion, and is a competent fighter in his own right. Most of the mounted feats seem to assume a featless horse or other non-attacking mount. This led to a lot of questions, so I'll ask them one-by-one here.
1. If I say that I want my tiger to move in and attack, Do I have to use any actions? I need to make a DC 5 ride check to guide with knees, and a DC 10 check to make the combat-trained Tiger attack. These do not require actions. Does this mean I can still take a standard action?
2. Same as above, but the Tiger used the charge action. Do I have an standard action? Can I cast a spell, and then make the Tiger charge (a single move, to avoid a concentration check).
3. Related to #2, if my Tiger charges in and replaces his melee attack with a Bull Rush or Overrun attempt, do I still have an action? If my tiger does an overrun and beats the enemy by 5, can I then spear the prone guy on my Druid?
Ride-By Attack states "When you are mounted and use the charge action, you may move and attack as if with a standard charge and then move again (continuing the straight line of the charge. Your total movement for the round can't exceed double your mounted speed. You and your mount do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the opponent that you attack."
4. I assume this applies if I want my mount to do a Bull Rush or Overrun. Do you agree?
5. If #3 decided I could have a standard action while my mount was trying the Overrun, can I Aid Another on the Tiger's Overrun Attack? Would Ride-By Attack negate the AoO on the Aid Antoher?
Basically, I'm thinking that the tiger bounds forward in a charge, my gnome sitting atop. When we get in range, I distract him with my spear (roll against AC 10 to aid another), and then the tiger barrels into him, with a +2 to the CMB from my help.
6. What if my Tiger has Improved Overrun, and I DON'T have Ride-By attack? If my Tiger charges in and tries to overrun the guy, does the guy get an AoO on me, on my Tiger's back? What if he was knocked prone?
7. Would Trample let my Tiger get a claw attack if he Overran an enemy and knocked him prone?
8. If my tiger was 7th level and had grab, would he get an auto-grapple from the trample-claw?
9. Does Spirited Charge apply to attacks made by the mount? I don't think so, but I figured I'd check.
I'd also be interested to hear any other ideas you guys had. I found a "Mounted Druid" thread back from 3.5, and I've seen some stuff online and in old copies of Dragon. If you have any ideas, cool feats, or interesting spell combinations for a Mounted Druid, let me know.
We play Core+APG, no splatbooks please :)
1. If I say that I want my tiger to move in and attack, Do I have to use any actions?
No. It would be a real stick in the rear DM that would say an animal trained for war would have to be told to beat on something that you're beating on. Even IF your dm is one of those, you're a druid. At worst telling your animal to do something is a swift action.
I need to make a DC 5 ride check to guide with knees, and a DC 10 check to make the combat-trained Tiger attack. These do not require actions. Does this mean I can still take a standard action?
Yup. Druids are nasty on action economy.
2. Same as above, but the Tiger used the charge action. Do I have an standard action? Can I cast a spell, and then make the Tiger charge (a single move, to avoid a concentration check).
Yes. But if the tiger has to move more than his speed you're casting the spell while he's charging, which will cause a concentration check.
Casting Spells While Mounted: You can cast a spell normally if your mount moves up to a normal move (its speed) either before or after you cast. If you have your mount move both before and after you cast a spell, then you're casting the spell while the mount is moving, and you have to make a concentration check due to the vigorous motion (DC 10 + spell level) or lose the spell. If the mount is running (quadruple speed), you can cast a spell when your mount has moved up to twice its speed, but your concentration check is more difficult due to the violent motion (DC 15 + spell level).
3. Related to #2, if my Tiger charges in and replaces his melee attack with a Bull Rush or Overrun attempt, do I still have an action? If my tiger does an overrun and beats the enemy by 5, can I then spear the prone guy on my Druid?
You still have your action, but remember that you and your tiger have to stop the charge at the same time , so if he has reach, you need reach.
Bull rush: Only if you and the tiger have the same reach.
Over run: just stop the tiger at a good spot to whack someone.
5. If #3 decided I could have a standard action while my mount was trying the Overrun, can I Aid Another on the Tiger's Overrun Attack? Would Ride-By Attack negate the AoO on the Aid Antoher?
You can aid another. It will not negate the attack of opportunity. You draw an attack of opportunity for aiding another will a combat maneuver you don't have the "imrpoved" feat for as if you were making the maneuver yourself. Ride by attack only negates the AoO for the movement.
6. What if my Tiger has Improved Overrun, and I DON'T have Ride-By attack? If my Tiger charges in and tries to overrun the guy, does the guy get an AoO on me, on my Tiger's back? What if he was knocked prone?
No, you're not performing the maneuver, you don't get whacked... for performing the manuver. If you don't have ride by attack and you move OVER the person after the overrun...
By raw i would say yes, you draw an attack. It doesn't matter if they're prone. by the rules of the game you are in every square that your mount occupies so your mount cannot provide you cover. By reasonableness, i would say no, he can't reach you through the tiger.
7. Would Trample let my Tiger get a claw attack if he Overran an enemy and knocked him prone?
Technically no, it not a hoof attack. Sanity would say yes.
8. If my tiger was 7th level and had grab, would he get an auto-grapple from the trample-claw?
Grab is to the best of my knowledge a special ability and your tiger can't acquire it for his claw.
9. Does Spirited Charge apply to attacks made by the mount? I don't think so, but I figured I'd check.
Nope. Just you. If i were you i would grab a level of fighter or burn a feat on weapon proficiency: lance. (i think the fighter works better for you.. you need mounted combat ride by attack and spirited charge and waiting for 9th level to have them all is too long)
Grab is to the best of my knowledge a special ability and your tiger can't acquire it for his claw.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/animal-companions#c at-big-lion-tiger
Tiger Animal Companions get Grab at level 7 (along with Pounce and an improved Rend).
Also, a level 2 spell (Lockjaw) can give a Natural Attack the grab ability.
Grab is to the best of my knowledge a special ability and your tiger can't acquire it for his claw.http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/animal-companions#c at-big-lion-tiger
Tiger Animal Companions get Grab at level 7 (along with Pounce and an improved Rend).
Also, a level 2 spell (Lockjaw) can give a Natural Attack the grab ability.
Ahhh its not tied to their bite anymore. Same answer though, by raw trample gets you an extra hoof attack, kitty doesn't have an extra hoof attack.
That's pretty stewpid though. We need an errata on that.
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Here's a lame question on animal companions/cavaliers mount.
Can my mount move say 20ft, then I use a fast mount ride check to mount up and then have the mount move 50ft again? These actions are done with a horse mind you.
The question has arose about whether or not my horse gets more then one move action per round and the only creature that I know of that gets less then a move and a standard per round is a zombie. Can someone clarify this for me or point me to where it says in a rule that my mount/animal companion gets 'these' actions compared to me?
Just to throw in my own question, do the rules for training an Axe Beak (BB) as a mount apply to druids that have one as an animal companion?
Can my mount move say 20ft, then I use a fast mount ride check to mount up and then have the mount move 50ft again? These actions are done with a horse mind you.
Absolutely. His first movement action gets the 20 feet to you. If you make OR FAIL your roll you still mount. It is just if you make your roll YOU do not lose YOUR move action. In any case, your mount can then use IT'S move action to move up to it's base movement once your on board.