I have a player who has an Inquisitor character. He wants to be able to use he mount as an ally so that he can make use of his teamwork feats so long as he is adjacent to or riding his mount. I am having problems with the wording of the solo tactics ability since I am unsure if a mount with animal level intelligence could be considered an "ally". in addition I had thought that solo tactics only applied to allies who were capable of taking teamwork feats, which to my knowledge animals cannot. I'm inclined to limit the solo tactics to other PCs or friendly NPCs but I'd like a few other perspectives before making the call.
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If they are riding the mount then they are occupying the same square and thus not 'adjacent'. Other than that I probably would allow them to treat the mount as an 'ally'. Note that solo tactics does not actually give the ally the effects of any feats... rather the Inquisitor gets benefits from having allies nearby. It seems more a case of the Inquisitor using their own feats to take advantage of the ally's 'normal' actions in such a way that the Inquisitor gains a tactical benefit. NOT the ally suddenly gaining a new ability.
That said, the writeup on solo tactics states that the ally must meet any position and action pre-requisites for the advantage to apply. So, if the feat requires the ally to make an attack of opportunity and the mount cannot do so (e.g. because it already used its one for the round) then the Inquisitor can't get the benefit of that feat.
Then does it apply to all of the teamwork feats? I have a hard time justifying a +2 bonus to overcoming spell resistance because your standing next to a horse. . .
In addition unless the horse is bonded to the PC such as a cavaliers mount or a paladins then any successful handle animal check should alter the mount from an ally to an enemy. I simply see more problems arising from using a mount for those purposes than not.
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If the mount is considered an ally for the spell bless then it qualifies as an ally for solo tactics. Solo tactics does not have any requirement that the ally be adjacent or in the same square although some teamwork feats do have those requirements. The fact that the animal cannot take the feat is irrelevant as solo tactics do not require the ally to have the feat.
By disallowing animals as allies for the inquisitor then you have to be disallowed for all other classes. That means the druid and rangers animal companion no longer flanks. It also means that all spells that affect allies do not affect them.
that's a good point, i suppose there's not a lot i can do about some of those teamwork feats not making a lot of sense but by and large i think he should be able to use his mount for teamwork feats requiring him to be adjacent to an ally.
RAW yes.
RAI I would say no. Our cavalier with INT 3 mount: yes.
Years and years of training
Then does it apply to all of the teamwork feats? I have a hard time justifying a +2 bonus to overcoming spell resistance because your standing next to a horse. . .
Why would a horse be any different than, say, standing adjacent to a Rogue and still getting the bonus?
It's an extraordinary ability and basically ignores the typical rules.
Or maybe they just assume that the horse will bite down on a sensitive area for you...
as far as the rules are concerned your all right, the mount should count as an ally so long as the inquisitor is adjacent to it, not riding it. I attempt to have my campaigns make as much sense as pathfinder or any other rpg will allow however, because of that i think i the only limit ill put on the teamwork feats is that the ally must have at least a 10 INT or be a magical creature to count for teamwork feats regarding spell-casting.
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"ad·ja·cent/əˈdʒeɪsənt/ [uh-jey-suhnt] adjective
1. lying near, close, or contiguous; adjoining; neighboring: a motel adjacent to the highway.
2. just before, after, or facing: a map on an adjacent page"
As far as I'm aware, Pathfinder doesn't have their own separate definition of the word adjacent (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), so unless the feat or ability specifically designates "an ally in an adjacent square" as opposed to "an adjacent ally" an Inquisitor, or Cavalier or anyone else as appropriate really, should be able to count the mount they're mounted as being adjacent.