How does Mounted Combat in Detail work?

[Martin Szongott]

Hi there!

Today I played the first time my new Cavalier lvl 1 with Archtype Beast Rider. At lvl 1 I think the only difference between the common Cavalier and the Beast Rider is that as a Beast Rider you get Endurance as a bonus feat, right? Because

- mount works like druid animal companion
- mount is combat-trained
- no armor penalty on Ride Checks
- mount starts with INT 6

stays the same, ya?

Now my questions (please forgive me, they are many...):

1.) The Horse has the Stats from http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/animal-companions without the 4th-Level Advancement, but with INT 6 and combat trained, right? Which HD is used (D8 or D10)?

2.) Does the mount has three natural attacks (1x bite, 2x hooves)?

3.) Because the mount is combat-trained, as a Cavalier I need every combat round only a free action to handle it, right?

4.) What is the difference between a free and a swift action?

5.) If I ride the mount and want the make a charge attack, does the charge attack make my Cavalier or his mount? Who gets the -2 AC?

6.) If I follow another rider on his mount. Both mounts has a speed from 50 ft (with a run 100 ft). So if I am adjacient to him and he runs 100 ft away and I will make a charge on him, may I do this every combat round, provided he runs away 100 ft every time? And if I run 120 ft one time (because of Spur Mount) so I can ride in front of the rider that I follow, does this gives me any advantage? And the rules said:

"You can use this ability every round, but the mount becomes fatigued after a number of rounds equal to its Constitution score. This ability cannot be used on a fatigued mount."

Does it mean, no matter if I use this one time or more times, the mount is fatigued after a number of rounds equal to its Constitution score?

7.) I know, if one attack on my mount was successful, I may make a Ride Check against the attack roll. May I do this only one time per combat round or every time? Does anything happen if my mount fails (disregarding the attacker hits it)? May I do a Ride Check if the attacker attacks me successfully?

8.) If I fight against another rider on his mount and I want to attack the other rider. Are there any differences between a combat without mounts for both? If I attack the other mount (while mounted) do I get the +1 attack bonus for higher ground?

9.) Because my mount is combat-trained, it knows all the standard tricks. Is this the list on http://www.d20pfsrd.com/skills/handle-animal from "Attack" to "Work"? Is e.g. Heavy Labor another trick I can learn my animal (because at lvl 1 I may choose one further)?

10.) I know that a druid can talk to his animal directly and therefore a Cavalier have to do it in the same way. But I don't what in which way a druid can do it. Does the druid speaks in his normal language and his companion (e.g. a mount) is understanding him or does the druid then may speak the "mount's language" or does the druid talk to him in a telepathic way? Unfortunately I didn't found anything in detail about this in the rules.

11.) I have heard that if I use my full-round-action my mount cannot attack to, but it is said that it can do some tricks or specials (like trample or overrun). Is it true and where can I find details to this?

The bottom line is that I want to use my mount as efficiently as possible and mainly in combat and that's why I ask all of this questions.

I know there are many so I numbered it that you can faster answer me. :-)

Many thanks in advance!

Kindly regards,
Martin

[Starglim]

A Beast Rider doesn't get heavy armour proficiency or the Expert Trainer class ability. His mount gets Endurance instead of Light Armour Proficiency as a bonus feat.

1) It has the normal Intelligence for an animal companion of its type (INT 2 for a horse or camel). Animal companions have d8 hit dice.

2) Check the companion type. This is correct for a horse.

3) Due to the Link ability, you can command it to perform a trick that it knows as a free action. Because it's combat trained, it knows the attack trick (write down all its tricks and be familiar with what they do). You only have to command it to attack once per combat unless you want it to change its attack to a particular enemy.

4) You can only take one swift action per round.

5) The mount takes a full-round action to charge. The rider can make a single melee attack once in range and also has a move action available that round. Both the mount and rider gain the attack bonus and suffer the AC penalty for charging.

6) You can charge every round if you meet the requirements for a charge.

If you place your mount in front of your enemy, he has to move around you and therefore can't take actions that require him to move in a straight line, such as running. You and your horse also get attacks of opportunity if he tries to move past you.

You have to apply Spur Mount again each round. Note that it does damage each time. If you do so for 15 consecutive rounds, your horse becomes fatigued and can't be spurred any further. If you spur the mount for less than its CON score in rounds, it's not fatigued.

7) Don't know, I can't locate this rule in Pathfinder.

8) If your mount moved more than 5 feet, you can only make a single melee attack on the other rider. You don't get a higher ground advantage against the other mount unless it's a smaller size than your mount.

9) The six tricks listed under the "Combat Training" purpose.

10) Handle Animal. Druids have specific spells to speak with animals, but that's not how they normally communicate with their companions.

11) This sounds a bit confused. Just go through the specific actions that you want your character and your mount to perform, then you should see what it can and can't do in a round.

[Martin Szongott]

Hi Starglim,

I thank you for your answer! Here my comments:

I didn't find, that a Beast Rider gets Endurance _instead of Light Armour Proficiency_ as a bonus feat. I only found, that he gets Endurance addtional. Could you please tell me where to find this information in rules?

1.) I am sorry, but I know that INT 6 is usual for druid/pala animal companion. The reason is, these animal are much more intelligence than common animals and therefore they need more INT. I know that is not a proove, but: http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderR PG/rules/paladinsBondedMountRangerAndDruidAnimalCompanion&page=1&so urce=search#0

One further question to the hit dice: If I take as a Beast Rider with lvl 4 a Tiger as my animal companion (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/animals/cat/tiger). This link to the tiger can be foudn in the text at the Beast Rider (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/cavalier/archetypes/paizo---c avalier-archetypes/beast-rider). Does it mean, because at lvl 4 the animal companion has 4 HD, it doesn't have hp 45 (6d8+18) hitpoints, but only 4d8+18?

5.) Why does the rider could not take a full-round-action too, if he can makes a single melee attack (standard action) und a move action? I thought SA and move action = full-round-action? Or does a full-round-action have to include the swift action too?

6.) But the other raider can makes a running to 90° in any other direction with double speed? So for example, if we both run south, he can stop running (because I am in front of him) and he can run west with double speed now?

Thank you for your answers (at this and other places)!

[Eric Mason 37]

Nope. Int 2

Horse

Starting Statistics: Size Large; Speed 50 ft.; AC +4 natural armor; Attack bite (1d4), 2 hooves* (1d6); Ability Scores Str 16, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.

You are confusing all animal companions with the Paladin's bonded mount. It alone has an Int of 6, and slowly collects supernatural things like templates and spell resistance. Druids, Rangers, Cavaliers, divine casters with the Animal domain, all just have normal Int 2 animal companions. You can, and most do put an attribute bonus into Int so they can get a wider variety of feats.

As for the Tiger, don't use the bestiary for stats and hit points for your mounts, just use the animal companion rules.

[Martin Szongott]

Okay thank you.

[Starglim]

Martin Szongott wrote:

I didn't find, that a Beast Rider gets Endurance _instead of Light Armour Proficiency_ as a bonus feat. I only found, that he gets Endurance addtional. Could you please tell me where to find this information in rules?

The Beast Rider's Exotic Mount ability replaces the Mount ability, so nothing in the standard cavalier's class ability applies. Mount gives Light Armour Proficiency as a bonus feat, but Exotic Mount gives Endurance as a bonus feat.

[Martin Szongott]

Okay. I have red the combat rules CRB p. 201/202. So, if my mount do not move more than 5 ft a round, I can use a full-round-action. The key question is, can my mount use a full-round-action too and makes his 3 natural attacks (1 bite, 2 hooves) and do I have to roll the attack die for every hoove separately?

And I my mount move more than 5 ft., I can use a standard action and my mount can use his standard action too?

And if an opponent moves far away from us my mount and I (we both) can do an AoO?

[Martin Szongott]

And I my mount move more than 5 ft., I can use a standard action and my mount can use his standard action too?

-> Should mean: And IF my mount move more than 5 ft., I can use a standard action and my mount can use his standard action too?

[Defoliant]

By the way, the rule he is referring to in his 7th question is the Mounted Combat feat. You can only make a Ride check to avoid a successful hit once per round.

Mounted Combat (Combat)

You are adept at guiding your mount through combat.

Prerequisite: Ride 1 rank.

Benefit: Once per round when your mount is hit in combat, you may attempt a Ride check (as an immediate action) to negate the hit. The hit is negated if your Ride check result is greater than the opponent's attack roll.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/mounted-combat-combat---final

[Martin Szongott]

Yes sorry. I found it already, that's why I do not comment it any longer. ^^ Only my other questions from my last post(s) is still open.

[Starglim]

Martin Szongott wrote:

Okay. I have red the combat rules CRB p. 201/202. So, if my mount do not move more than 5 ft a round, I can use a full-round-action. The key question is, can my mount use a full-round-action too and makes his 3 natural attacks (1 bite, 2 hooves) and do I have to roll the attack die for every hoove separately?

And I my mount move more than 5 ft., I can use a standard action and my mount can use his standard action too?

And if an opponent moves far away from us my mount and I (we both) can do an AoO?

Yes, to all three. You roll separately for each attack.

[Starglim]

Defoliant wrote:

By the way, the rule he is referring to in his 7th question is the Mounted Combat feat. You can only make a Ride check to avoid a successful hit once per round.

True. Playing a 3rd level samurai and 1st level summoner, I know a bit about 1st level mounts but get shakier at higher levels.

[Martin Szongott]

Thanks for your patience!