So last night I started using my combat trained horse to add some extra damage in combat, and now I can't figure out why you would ever not want to attack with your mount when possible.
Making a DC10 Ride check is ridiculously easy, even if you are getting armor check penalties (and it's a free action too, so if you fail it's no biggie). Sure, their attack rolls don't have the best chance of hitting, but that's still 1-3 extra attacks per round.
So why wouldn't you want to do this?
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Well you can't always use the attacks. Remember if the mount moves more than a 5 foot step, it can't make those 3 attacks.
But generally, yes. Being mounted is a powerful advantage. The mount's attacks are part of that reason.
Another thing to consider is the lance.. obviously a popular weapon for use whislt mounted. It has reach, so you don't threaten the 5' squares around your horse.
But the horse itself threatens those squares, and your reach lance gets the next 5' as well!
The movement situation and that there are different types of mounts (lighter horses only have hooves, for example) is why I said 1-3 ;-)
And being indoors or just in a situation where you can't really be mounted is why I haven't really used a mount in this way until now.
Unless you have players who try to insist on riding their steed up circular wooden staircases in narrow castle towers to face the bad guys camped out waiting for them. In those cases you just kill the PC and move on.
** spoiler omitted **
Pffft, that's when you use the combined weight of the player plus the mount to justify the wooden staircase (designed to only support humans) collapsing. But it won't happen until right before the PC reaches the top, due to the carpenter using the better wood with more supports on the bottom than at the top.
Reflex to grab on to the broken stair as your mount falls to its death many floors below, and now you have a rather large hole torn through every floor of the staircase. But look on the bright side, the bad guys at the top who saw you fall will probably help you up...or something like that.
Or probably just die laughing. Hmm I wonder if that should count as defeating the encounter for purposes of awarding xp... lol
I'm not sure how much XP you get for a CR0 Spiral Staircase...
Heh no I meant the bad guys at the top of the stairs who died of laughter...
Yea, I know... but I thought the CR0 Spiral Staircase was more entertaining >.>