Other than increasing dexterity and Skill Focus(Ride) feat, how else can I increase my ride check? any suggestions?
Masterwork saddle as a "tool" to give you a +2 bonus. Enchant it as a skill boosting item for another +5.
As a cavalier you get the ability to ignore your Armor Check Penalty while riding your mount. If you have a positive dex modifier and put one skill point per level into ride you should be fine.
To what end do you want to max out your ride skill?
As long as your have a combat trained mount (and I don't know if you even can get a cavalier mount that isn't) the most common checks you will have to make are guide with knees and stay in seat which are both DC 5. As a level 1 cavalier that puts one skill point into ride and gets the +3 bonus from being a class skill you literally can't fail because you have a +4 bonus. The only thing I can think of that having a very hide ride skill is good for is using it to avoid 1 attack per round, but it eats up your swift action.
My recommendation is buy a masterwork saddle and invest 1 skill point per level into ride and you'll be fine. At best you really only need to be able to make a DC 10 ride check which even at level one you will still have a 70% chance of doing.
Unless you have a some specific goal in mind, you don't need to really optimize your ride skill.
DEX 16 (+3)+ Skill Focus (+3)+ ClassSkill (+3)+ Rank (+1)+ Military Saddle (+2)+ trait (Militia Veteran or Savanna Child (plains)) (+1)
= 13 at first level (+2 if you are a halfing with Outrider)
Even a 10 without Skill Focus is enough to beat the most needed DCs (10 for fighting with a mount). DC 15 for cover is also doable with a chance of 80% for success and Mounted Combat should be fine too for the first levels.
More DEX, a skill boosting item and more ranks are the next steps. Skill Focus only if you have to much feats or if you are a half-elv.
Masterwork saddle as a "tool" to give you a +2 bonus. Enchant it as a skill boosting item for another +5.
What do you mean about enchanting it?
So this item could give me +7 on ride checks total?
As a cavalier you get the ability to ignore your Armor Check Penalty while riding your mount. If you have a positive dex modifier and put one skill point per level into ride you should be fine.
To what end do you want to max out your ride skill?
As long as your have a combat trained mount (and I don't know if you even can get a cavalier mount that isn't) the most common checks you will have to make are guide with knees and stay in seat which are both DC 5. As a level 1 cavalier that puts one skill point into ride and gets the +3 bonus from being a class skill you literally can't fail because you have a +4 bonus. The only thing I can think of that having a very hide ride skill is good for is using it to avoid 1 attack per round, but it eats up your swift action.
My recommendation is buy a masterwork saddle and invest 1 skill point per level into ride and you'll be fine. At best you really only need to be able to make a DC 10 ride check which even at level one you will still have a 70% chance of doing.
Unless you have a some specific goal in mind, you don't need to really optimize your ride skill.
I want to max out my ride check to make sure I wont miss my DC with the Mounted combat feat and with the Indomitable Mount feat, those feats require to pass a DC equal to the enemies hit and equal to the saving throw DC of an enemy. This was pretty much my goal.
Masterwork saddle? I can't find it anywere, how much does it give you?
DEX 16 (+3)+ Skill Focus (+3)+ ClassSkill (+3)+ Rank (+1)+ Military Saddle (+2)+ trait (Militia Veteran or Savanna Child (plains)) (+1)
= 13 at first level (+2 if you are a halfing with Outrider)
Even a 10 without Skill Focus is enough to beat the most needed DCs (10 for fighting with a mount). DC 15 for cover is also doable with a chance of 80% for success and Mounted Combat should be fine too for the first levels.
More DEX, a skill boosting item and more ranks are the next steps. Skill Focus only if you have to much feats or if you are a half-elv.
No magic items at all? there are so many magic items around that increase diferent types of skills but nothing about riding : /, I want to max out my riding skill to never miss with mounted combat /indomitable mount.
Masterwork saddle as a "tool" to give you a +2 bonus. Enchant it as a skill boosting item for another +5.What do you mean about enchanting it?
So this item could give me +7 on ride checks total?
Military Saddle is effectively what I was thinking of. There are rules for "custom" masterwork items that will give a +2 circumstance bonus to any one skill, with DM approval. Looks like Paizo already made one for ride.
As for enchanting, look at the magical items like Boots/Cloak of Elvenkind for inspiration. There are several items that give a +5 enhancement bonus to skills, and I was suggesting getting a custom item that applies to Ride. Since you already have a saddle, it made sense to also enchant it as well, so yes, you have have one item that grants a +7 total bonus (+2 circumstantial, +5 enhancement). Since it is custom and essentially slotless, expect to pay a pretty copper for it.
EDIT: Looks like it was already made, but it gives a +5 competence bonus:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/h-l/horse master-s-saddle
The military saddle bonus should still stack, since it's not a competence bonus.
Masterwork saddle as a "tool" to give you a +2 bonus. Enchant it as a skill boosting item for another +5.What do you mean about enchanting it?
So this item could give me +7 on ride checks total?
Military Saddle is effectively what I was thinking of. There are rules for "custom" masterwork items that will give a +2 circumstance bonus to any one skill, with DM approval. Looks like Paizo already made one for ride.
As for enchanting, look at the magical items like Boots/Cloak of Elvenkind for inspiration. There are several items that give a +5 enhancement bonus to skills, and I was suggesting getting a custom item that applies to Ride. Since you already have a saddle, it made sense to also enchant it as well, so yes, you have have one item that grants a +7 total bonus (+2 circumstantial, +5 enhancement). Since it is custom and essentially slotless, expect to pay a pretty copper for it.
EDIT: Looks like it was already made, but it gives a +5 competence bonus:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/h-l/horse master-s-saddleThe military saddle bonus should still stack, since it's not a competence bonus.
Master work tool and military saddle wont stack right? I mean they are both circumstance bonuses.
Can I create a custom item that applies +5 to ride check? is this RAW? which rules allows me this? the problem here is that it has to be RAW in order for my DM to allow it. If Im able to create one it would be ''+5 circumstance bonus'' not ''+5 enchantment bonus'' right?
Ok Im checking the horse master saddle, thank you!.
I want to max out my ride check to make sure I wont miss my DC with the Mounted combat feat and with the Indomitable Mount feat, those feats require to pass a DC equal to the enemies hit and equal to the saving throw DC of an enemy. This was pretty much my goal.Masterwork saddle? I can't find it anywere, how much does it give you?
I meant Military Saddle, as did the above poster, whom made me think masterwork saddle was the correct term. In any event, it provides a +2 circumstance bonus to ride checks.
I will advise you against maxing out your ride check just for Mounted Combat feat, and try as I might I can't find the Indomitable Mount feat. Can you reference where this ability is from and what it does?
Mounted Combat uses your immeadiate action, which uses up your swift action on your next turn. Meaning if you use this ability you can't use it more than once per turn, and that you can't use it next turn, nor can you use anything else that requires a swift or immeadiate action that turn either. Couple that with now your spending thousands of gp to be able to possibly avoid 1 attack every other turn and never getting to use your swift or immeadiate actions for something else. It's a trap ability that sounds good but isn't really. It's situationally useful, and without sinking thousands of gold pieces into it monstesr will still often have a 50% chance or better in rolling higher than your ride skill check. Combine that with knowledge about how often your DM will attack you versus your mount. At low levels creatures only get one attack, but they will catchon and realize if you just avoid their one attack against your mount and instead attack your cavalier or just have multiple creatures attack your mount. Against higher level creatures with iterative avoiding one attack really breaksdown, especially if more than one creature will multiple attacks is after you. Even worse, many low level creatures rely on multiple weaker natural attacks, which you may block one of, but wont actually block the majority of damage. And then you wasted your swift/immeadiate aciton.
I want to max out my ride check to make sure I wont miss my DC with the Mounted combat feat and with the Indomitable Mount feat, those feats require to pass a DC equal to the enemies hit and equal to the saving throw DC of an enemy. This was pretty much my goal.Masterwork saddle? I can't find it anywere, how much does it give you?
I meant Military Saddle, as did the above poster, whom made me think masterwork saddle was the correct term. In any event, it provides a +2 circumstance bonus to ride checks.
I will advise you against maxing out your ride check just for Mounted Combat feat, and try as I might I can't find the Indomitable Mount feat. Can you reference where this ability is from and what it does?
Mounted Combat uses your immeadiate action, which uses up your swift action on your next turn. Meaning if you use this ability you can't use it more than once per turn, and that you can't use it next turn, nor can you use anything else that requires a swift or immeadiate action that turn either. Couple that with now your spending thousands of gp to be able to possibly avoid 1 attack every other turn and never getting to use your swift or immeadiate actions for something else. It's a trap ability that sounds good but isn't really. It's situationally useful, and without sinking thousands of gold pieces into it monstesr will still often have a 50% chance or better in rolling higher than your ride skill check. Combine that with knowledge about how often your DM will attack you versus your mount. At low levels creatures only get one attack, but they will catchon and realize if you just avoid their one attack against your mount and instead attack your cavalier or just have multiple creatures attack your mount. Against higher level creatures with iterative avoiding one attack really breaksdown, especially if more than one creature will multiple attacks is after you. Even worse, many low level creatures rely on multiple weaker natural attacks, which you may block one...
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/indomitable-mount-combat-local
Indomitable Mount (Combat, Local)
Your skill at riding helps your mount avoid attacks.
Prerequisites: Mounted Combat, Handle Animal 5 ranks, Ride 5 ranks.
Benefit: Once per round when your mount must make a saving throw, you can make a Ride check as an immediate action. Your mount makes its save if your Ride check result is greater than the DC of the opponent’s attack.
Why would you use military saddle instead master work tool(ride)? masterwork tool is an static +2 circ bonus o ride checks, military saddle in other hand is a +2 circ bonus only when mounted but you have a 75% of not falling from the mount if I fall unconcious. which one do u think is better?
I don't think ill have to sink tons of money on my ride check, maybe around 10k to 15k, at level 13 that ain't that much!.
Why would you use military saddle instead master work tool(ride)? masterwork tool is an static +2 circ bonus o ride checks, military saddle in other hand is a +2 circ bonus only when mounted but you have a 75% of not falling from the mount if I fall unconcious. which one do u think is better?
I don't think ill have to sink tons of money on my ride check, maybe around 10k to 15k, at level 13 that ain't that much!.
Indomitable Mount does actually sound valuable, but you should verify that your DM will actually allow it. Especially since I think that feat is from when Pathfinder was writing material for 3.5, and not the modern Pathfinder Role Playing Game. I as a GM would not allow that feat as written because its far too good, I would make it function like Mounted Combat feat and restrict it require a swift action as well.
There is no such item that as a masterwork tool for ride, you do have the option of taking a military saddle though, which is effectively the equivalent. The only time the saddle wont help is to make a quick mount.
In the end, the Indomitable Mount and Mounted Combat feats just aren't that good. You can avoid one attack, and you can use your ride check in place of your mount's save once per round. But on the saves you really want to make they likely wont target your horse. On the less important saves (damage attacks rather than say mind control) it will be annoying if the horse saves and takes half damage, but he wont avoid full effects. Ultimately you can do as you want, but those abilities really aren't as strong as you think they are.
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Why would you use military saddle instead master work tool(ride)? masterwork tool is an static +2 circ bonus o ride checks, military saddle in other hand is a +2 circ bonus only when mounted but you have a 75% of not falling from the mount if I fall unconcious. which one do u think is better?
I don't think ill have to sink tons of money on my ride check, maybe around 10k to 15k, at level 13 that ain't that much!.
Indomitable Mount does actually sound valuable, but you should verify that your DM will actually allow it. Especially since I think that feat is from when Pathfinder was writing material for 3.5, and not the modern Pathfinder Role Playing Game. I as a GM would not allow that feat as written because its far too good, I would make it function like Mounted Combat feat and restrict it require a swift action as well.
There is no such item that as a masterwork tool for ride, you do have the option of taking a military saddle though, which is effectively the equivalent. The only time the saddle wont help is to make a quick mount.
In the end, the Indomitable Mount and Mounted Combat feats just aren't that good. You can avoid one attack, and you can use your ride check in place of your mount's save once per round. But on the saves you really want to make they likely wont target your horse. On the less important saves (damage attacks rather than say mind control) it will be annoying if the horse saves and takes half damage, but he wont avoid full effects. Ultimately you can do as you want, but those abilities really aren't as strong as you think they are.
it would have to be an immediate action. you cant use A SWIFT ON NOT YOUR TURN
I want to max out my ride check to make sure I wont miss my DC with the Mounted combat feat and with the Indomitable Mount feat, those feats require to pass a DC equal to the enemies hit and equal to the saving throw DC of an enemy. This was pretty much my goal.Masterwork saddle? I can't find it anywere, how much does it give you?
I meant Military Saddle, as did the above poster, whom made me think masterwork saddle was the correct term. In any event, it provides a +2 circumstance bonus to ride checks.
I will advise you against maxing out your ride check just for Mounted Combat feat, and try as I might I can't find the Indomitable Mount feat. Can you reference where this ability is from and what it does?
Mounted Combat uses your immeadiate action, which uses up your swift action on your next turn. Meaning if you use this ability you can't use it more than once per turn, and that you can't use it next turn, nor can you use anything else that requires a swift or immeadiate action that turn either. Couple that with now your spending thousands of gp to be able to possibly avoid 1 attack every other turn and never getting to use your swift or immeadiate actions for something else. It's a trap ability that sounds good but isn't really. It's situationally useful, and without sinking thousands of gold pieces into it monstesr will still often have a 50% chance or better in rolling higher than your ride skill check. Combine that with knowledge about how often your DM will attack you versus your mount. At low levels creatures only get one attack, but they will catchon and realize if you just avoid their one attack against your mount and instead attack your cavalier or just have multiple creatures attack your mount. Against higher level creatures with iterative avoiding one attack really breaksdown, especially if more than one creature will multiple attacks is after you. Even worse, many low level creatures rely on multiple weaker natural attacks, which you may block one...
You misunderstand immediate actions. You can take an immediate action every turn, as long as you're using it when it isn't your turn because it will keep using the next one. You don't end up with every other turn being a "dead" turn.
Well, anything that cranks up your Dexterity (such as potions of cat's grace, and so on) indirectly raises your Ride skill... among other benefits.
And while maximizing your benefits for Mounted Combat and Indomitable Mount are worthwhile goals, don't forget other uses for that super-high Ride. I recently had a cavalier in one of my campaigns attempt to leap from his saddle to that of a runaway horse running full-bore in the opposite direction! I set a high Ride DC for that, as you might imagine... although I believe that within the rules-as-written, this was nothing more taxing than a Rapid Dismount followed by a Rapid Mount. Current animal speed doesn't factor into those DCs as far as I know. Hrm.
Indeed, thank you very much for the tips. I didn't think about ''super high ride checks'' until now that you mention it :)
Why would you use military saddle instead master work tool(ride)? masterwork tool is an static +2 circ bonus o ride checks, military saddle in other hand is a +2 circ bonus only when mounted but you have a 75% of not falling from the mount if I fall unconcious. which one do u think is better?
I don't think ill have to sink tons of money on my ride check, maybe around 10k to 15k, at level 13 that ain't that much!.
Indomitable Mount does actually sound valuable, but you should verify that your DM will actually allow it. Especially since I think that feat is from when Pathfinder was writing material for 3.5, and not the modern Pathfinder Role Playing Game. I as a GM would not allow that feat as written because its far too good, I would make it function like Mounted Combat feat and restrict it require a swift action as well.
There is no such item that as a masterwork tool for ride, you do have the option of taking a military saddle though, which is effectively the equivalent. The only time the saddle wont help is to make a quick mount.
In the end, the Indomitable Mount and Mounted Combat feats just aren't that good. You can avoid one attack, and you can use your ride check in place of your mount's save once per round. But on the saves you really want to make they likely wont target your horse. On the less important saves (damage attacks rather than say mind control) it will be annoying if the horse saves and takes half damage, but he wont avoid full effects. Ultimately you can do as you want, but those abilities really aren't as strong as you think they are.
Yeah you might be right, the problem with those feats is the fact that they spend my immediate action for just one attack : /.
If your mount gains takes bodyguard and the feat that lets it take a hit for you then mounted combat can be quite nice. In the game that I DM i cav who has a ride of 28 at 10th level and loves to try really insane stuff. This where I break out the -20 impossible penalty and he will still succeed more often then fail.
Ex. Guide with knees while standing on the saddle during a blizzard so that you can high jump your mount and then jump of its back to get the extra height needed to reach a flying opponent. He could not fly due to wind speed but allowed then attempt on this one.
The real question here is, does mounted combat let me avoid an attack that my pet already took ? (I mean my pet using bodyguard + In harms way)
it simply negates the hit, so RAW it would be fine.
Another thing you can look at is different races. Both goblins and hobgoblins can gain a +4 racial bonus to ride checks and the hobgoblin can gain +1/2 to ride and intimidate checks as a favoured class bonus. A very nice FCB indeed! You can also be human and take the racial heritage feat to access it if you really wanted, at level 13 it would be a +6 untyped bonus. You also would get access to the fell rider archetype which is just a great archetype :) You can also stack it with the Gendarme archetype if you wanted to.
As a side note, how often do you plan on using your swift/immediate actions? Aside from challenge (a generally single use ability) the cavalier will probably not be using his swifts all that often.
it simply negates the hit, so RAW it would be fine.
Another thing you can look at is different races. Both goblins and hobgoblins can gain a +4 racial bonus to ride checks and the hobgoblin can gain +1/2 to ride and intimidate checks as a favoured class bonus. A very nice FCB indeed! You can also be human and take the racial heritage feat to access it if you really wanted, at level 13 it would be a +6 untyped bonus. You also would get access to the fell rider archetype which is just a great archetype :) You can also stack it with the Gendarme archetype if you wanted to.
As a side note, how often do you plan on using your swift/immediate actions? Aside from challenge (a generally single use ability) the cavalier will probably not be using his swifts all that often.
Thats a great idea, a single feat which gives you +6 untyped bonus to to ride checks plus acces to a new archtype sounds awsome!!!!.
My swift actions would be defensive for mounted combat + indomitable mount, pretty much I got nothing else to do with those actions.
Claxon I disagree that Mounted Combat and Indomitable Mount are not good feats. If a monster is bothering to take a swing at your mount that is one swing per round that you can probably negate with just a ride check. Tack on Trick Riding and now you negate two hits per round.
Regarding Indomitable Mount, it just plain rocks so hard it may be flat out broken. How many saves per round will a mount usually have to face? One. Why target the rider when the mount is probably weaker minded? As a GM there are a number of spells and effects I would happily hit the mount with if only to negate the rider's greatest advantage, the mount.
Jose Suarez 916, you might want to check out the feat Trick Riding. It lets you negate two hits per round on your mount.
My personal favorite Cavalier build is a Halfling riding a Boar with the Emissary archetype with the Order of the Sword.
Between the archetype and the Order of the Sword there are plenty of feats.
Power Attack (1), Mounted Combat (1), Weapon Focus (3), Ride By Attack (5), Mobility (5), Spirited Charge (6), Lunge (7), Skill Focus Ride (8), Trick Riding (9, altered so you can use it with medium armor), and a vacant feat at level 9.
Additionally Order of the Sword comes with a +2 save bonus you can assign to a save of your choice (I prefer Will).
With all of that by level 9 my Halfling Rider usually has a Ride skill of: +3dex, 9ranks, +3class, +2halfling outrider, +3skill focus, +5 jousting armor, and no armor check penalty = 25 Ride skill.
- Gauss
Claxon I disagree that Mounted Combat and Indomitable Mount are not good feats. If a monster is bothering to take a swing at your mount that is one swing per round that you can probably negate with just a ride check. Tack on Trick Riding and now you negate two hits per round.
Regarding Indomitable Mount, it just plain rocks so hard it may be flat out broken. How many saves per round will a mount usually have to face? One. Why target the rider when the mount is probably weaker minded? As a GM there are a number of spells and effects I would happily hit the mount with if only to negate the rider's greatest advantage, the mount.
Jose Suarez 916, you might want to check out the feat Trick Riding. It lets you negate two hits per turn on your mount.
My personal favorite Cavalier build is a Halfling riding a Boar with the Emissary archetype with the Order of the Sword.
Between the archetype and the Order of the Sword there are plenty of feats.
Power Attack (1), Mounted Combat (1), Weapon Focus (3), Ride By Attack (5), Mobility (5), Spirited Charge (6), Lunge (7), Skill Focus Ride (8), Trick Riding (9), and a vacant feat at level 9.Additionally Order of the Sword comes with a +2 save bonus you can assign to a save of your choice (I prefer Will).
With all of that by level 9 my Halfling Rider usually has a Ride skill of: +3dex, 9ranks, +3class, +2halfling outrider, +3skill focus, +5 jousting armor, and no armor check penalty = 25 Ride skill.
- Gauss
Awsome feat man, trick riding is just plain awsomeness!!, nice build right there Gauss, thank you very much for the tips, really really helpfull.
Jose Suarez
When my Boar hits 4 HD I put his ability score increase into Int (3) so it can take Unarmed Strike and Dragon Style.
However, if the GM doesn't like animals taking Unarmed Strike my Boar takes the Charge Through tree. Not as good, but has the advantage that it allows my mount to charge through one enemy to get to another (such as a wizard in the back).
Added to that my mount gets the standard Light Armor Proficiency (free with Cavaliers) and bonus feat Mobility (at level 5).
If they ever fix the Charger Companion Archetype I would also recommend it (though intended for cavaliers it requires an ability cavalier mounts do not have, Share Spells).
Boars make excellent mounts, high strength (20 by level 9), decent Con, Ferocity, and an excellent Natural Armor bonus (+6 before druid level).
Additionally, you can be a halfling rider in an underground setting. :D
- Gauss
Jose Suarez
When my Boar hits 4 HD I put his ability score increase into Int (3) so it can take Unarmed Strike and Dragon Style.
However, if the GM doesn't like animals taking Unarmed Strike my Boar takes the Charge Through tree. Not as good, but has the advantage that it allows my mount to charge through one enemy to get to another (such as a wizard in the back).
Added to that my mount gets the standard Light Armor Proficiency (free with Cavaliers) and bonus feat Mobility (at level 5).
If they ever fix the Charger Companion Archetype I would also recommend it (though intended for cavaliers it requires an ability cavalier mounts do not have, Share Spells).
Boars make excellent mounts, high strength (20 by level 9), decent Con, Ferocity, and an excellent Natural Armor bonus (+6 before druid level).
Additionally, you can be a halfling rider in an underground setting. :D
- Gauss
This is the type of stuff I like to see, diferent ways to play the cavalier with diferent optimization methods, thanks again Gauss :).
it would have to be an immediate action. you cant use A SWIFT ON NOT YOUR TURN
You're right, but clearly you knew what I meant.
You misunderstand immediate actions. You can take an immediate action every turn, as long as you're using it when it isn't your turn because it will keep using the next one. You don't end up with every other turn being a "dead" turn.
You're right, I just lost my thoughts while I was typing. Still you can't do any swift actions if you're constantly using your immeadiate action to avoid.
I still strongly disagree about the usefullness of these feats. If for no other reason that when I run intelligent creatures they use the same sort of basic tactics that PCs do. They focus fire one enemy. Whether that is the Cavalier, or his mount, or the barbarian, or whomever. Maybe I'm different from most other GMs, I dunno. I also throw a lot of difficult terrain to make charging difficult, which is the only real problem cavaliers create in my mind (Spirited Lance Charges are devestating). I guess it boils down to a difference of play styles and what I'm used to seeing when I play under my friends and what I run.
Claxon
While yes, the GM's critters can target the Cavalier they are less likely to hit (higher AC usually).
So it is just smart tactics to say, "Lets take out the thing he is riding on and see how effective he is after that!"
The mount usually has less hitpoints, lower AC, and is the thing enabling the Cavalier to hurt you in a bad way. Removing the mount is the same as removing the weapon the Cavalier is using.
For unintelligent attackers such as a big dumb monster it may decide that the much larger animal (ie the mount) is the better food source. If it goes after the animal it probably has between 1-3 big, painful, attacks. Why wouldn't negating one of them be a good thing?
Regarding difficult terrain making charging difficult, that is why I have my mount take Dragon Style. If the GM is uncomfortable with that there are magical ways to eliminate the problem of difficult terrain.
- Gauss
I will advise you against maxing out your ride check just for Mounted Combat feat, and try as I might I can't find the Indomitable Mount feat. Can you reference where this ability is from and what it does?Mounted Combat uses your immeadiate action, which uses up your swift action on your next turn. Meaning if you use this ability you can't use it more than once per turn, and that you can't use it next turn, nor can you use anything else that requires a swift or immeadiate action that turn either. Couple that with now your spending thousands of gp to be able to possibly avoid 1 attack every other turn and never getting to use your swift or immeadiate actions for something else. It's a trap ability that sounds good but isn't really. It's situationally useful, and without sinking thousands of gold pieces into it monstesr will still often have a 50% chance or better in rolling higher than your ride skill check. Combine that with knowledge about how often your DM will attack you versus your mount. At low levels creatures only get one attack, but they will catchon and realize if you just avoid their one attack against your mount and instead attack your cavalier or just have multiple creatures attack your mount. Against higher level creatures with iterative avoiding one attack really breaksdown, especially if more than one creature will multiple attacks is after you. Even worse, many low level creatures rely on multiple weaker natural attacks, which you may block one...
not so if you are going mythic, where mythic mounted xombat allows you to use it ALOT more often. I can currently use mine 4x per round as a level 5 dragonrider/mythic tier 1. It has saved my dragons life a few times, but i only have a +10, and i am trying as well, to boost it higher
you are responding to a post that is 4 years old
Multiclass a level of Savage Technologist to rage-buff both strength and dexterity. (Has other benefits, of course, in the damage and AC departments.)
Thread necromancy at its finest, i was trying to figure out where the hell i got my previous post from when i saw the date... lol