Centaur Cavalier

[Jorda75]

In a previous edition I played a centaur fighter who used a lance. Essentially we simply created a house rule so that I was considered to always be mounted but could not do things like pushing my mount, ect.

Since I first saw it I've considered playing a centaur cavalier, but I have wondered if there was any official rule for centaurs being cavaliers. Do they not qualify at all? Are they considered always to be mounted? Do they need a Huge elephant to awkwardly ride on?

The concept it fun and the character was quite power min/max wise but I wonder if other GMs would see this as abusing the system or as a centaur cavalier am I actually on the losing end of the deal?

[Stynkk]

This seems more like a question for the Advice Forum.

[BYC]

The answer is totally depending on how a GM/player looks at the issue.

From a realistic standpoint, yes, this would work, because the centaur is gaining the benefit of riding a warhorse.

From a game balance standpoint, no, because it's really really good, and the existing rules that allows such a thing is usually unclear. Advanced Races Guide will probably have a lot more information, but centaurs are not balanced against normal Core races.

Personally, if I trusted my players, I would allow it with the caveat that all PCs have to play something ridiculous. Frankly, this is the opportunity for everybody to live their monstrous race experiences.

[Charlie Bell]

I'd allow it with the caveat that you wouldn't get the cavalier's mount class feature. Also centaurs are significantly more powerful than normal races, so I probably wouldn't allow it unless the campaign started higher than 1st level--or else you'd start as a centaur with no class levels then start gaining class levels when the rest of the party caught up.

[Jorda75]

The game I was in started high level, I understand that centaurs are statistically much more powerful than core races, I was just interested in the legitimacy of whether a centaur is considered mounted or not. You could very easily make a "centaur" race that is balanced with core races, and thus I was wondering if others felt the "always mounted" aspect would be a game breaking factor on it's own.

[Owen K. C. Stephens]

When creatign the centaur-like Lapith for Races of Hoof and Horn, I had to tackle this. The main issue is Mounted Combat, which I basically let lapith use when in centaur mode, but only against AoOs. Otherwise if you are "always mounted" you can make a ride check to dodge any attack against you.

[blahpers]

Clearly, a centaur cavalier should get a werehorse mount.

[Owen K. C. Stephens]

blahpers wrote:

Clearly, a centaur cavalier should get a werehorse mount.

Or a cohort rider, making the Centaur the mount...