feels fear maybe acts on it no more then any other horse should
"You summon a light horse or a pony (your choice) to serve you as a mount. The steed serves willingly and well. The mount comes with a bit and bridle and a riding saddle."
the spell does not really last long enough to need food or water to a ruling degree
"Duration 2 hours/level (D)"
It works like any other horse.
So it feels fear in battle, just like any other non-combat trained horse would.
It is subject to hunger and thirst, but as Kyras states, the duration might not be long enough for it to have a real effect.
Additionally it becomes tired like any other horse, which could be relevant using overland movement.
Probably water, probably not food.
summoning involved bringing the creature from another plane, iirc
(I can't find the rules right now, but I recall something like this in the summoning rules/planar travel rules, might be old memories from 3.5 though)
usually that means becoming extra-planar for that time and outsiders don't need to eat/drink/sleep
now, giving the full outsider template to a summoned horse seems a bit extreme, but it not needing food or sleep does not seem extreme...?
EDIT-ADD:
light horse =/= wartrained horse
since the spell summons a light horse, you need to use the normal non-combat-trained-horse rules and ride DCs for things like combat or fear
Player is asking me whether the horse summoned by a Mount spell needs food and water, and whether it feels fear in battle.
I said yes.
I would say yes too, considering how the spell is written.
It just summons a horse or pony as a mount, so I would treat it as a normal horse or pony. As already pointed out, the food and water problem will hardly be relevant in game, but immunity to fear is very useful in combat and I think should have been written in the spell description. It is just a 1st level spell, after all.
Kyoni, having the extraplanar subtype does not make you an outsider, neither is "outsider" a template, it is a creature type.
I know, but I can't find the ruling, what being summoned from another plane gives you... I remember the stuff about eating/sleeping as this is why outsiders don't need to eat/sleep, while native outsiders DO need food/rest.
I just can't find the part where it explains that extraplanars don't need food/sleep.
its a useful spell, even in combat. while its not a combat summons, having a large horse suddenly appear somewhere can be a serious tactical advantage, more so when fighting goblins. goblins HATE horses after all.
Hey, now these are some interesting applications for this spell...
And with the Communal version you can even summon a Wall of Ponies!
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Already had this discussion...
The mount spell belongs to the Conjuration [summoning] school, which means:
=> the horse is not a "real" horse. It's a manifestation of a horse, which is not "really dead" if it dies (the manifestation just vanishes)
=> creatures you summon usually -but not always- obey your commands.
As I read it, we are in the "specific trumps general" territory:
=> general: you have to control your mount in battle (move action, DC 20 ride check) unless it's war-trained
=> specific: your mount is a manifestation brought by a summoning spell and thus, obeys your commands (i.e. you don't need any check to control it).
The "usually but not always" entry is unclear enough for a GM'call (or FAQ). I have this interpretation:
=> some spells don't automatically let you control the creature (such as Summon Swarm and most of the [calling] spells, such as Planar Binding)
=> you control the creature (i.e. don't need any action or check) as long as your commands are in the scope of the spell (using the Mount spell to ride your mount is in the scope, but making the horse running around to trigger traps or stand still in the middle of the battlefield to provide cover are not).
Except it is Conjuration(Summoning) and not Conjuration(Creating).
Emphasize's mine:
Conjuration
Each conjuration spell belongs to one of five subschools. Conjurations transport creatures from another plane of existence to your plane (calling); create objects or effects on the spot (creation); heal (healing); bring manifestations of objects, creatures, or forms of energy to you (summoning)
Except it is Conjuration(Summoning) and not Conjuration(Creating).Emphasize's mine:
Conjuration
Each conjuration spell belongs to one of five subschools. Conjurations transport creatures from another plane of existence to your plane (calling); create objects or effects on the spot (creation); heal (healing); bring manifestations of objects, creatures, or forms of energy to you (summoning)Re-emphasis mine.
Not create. Once again. It's a horse. For all intents and purposes.
Except death, you've got a point there.
They would have told us explicitly if it were something other than a horse.
They clearly did not, and gave us a different spell that Does tell us we are dealing with something other than a horse. Or a Pony.Without an errata or an FAQ, I would follow the example of Summon Monster in that yeah, it's a manifestation, but not a recreation: you don't get any special control over it. You're basically pulling some Horse's mind and physical presence from somewhere else to here, not creating a new horse on the spot. That horse still thinks on it's own, it's just friendly and obedient, and doesn't die if you kill it.
Re-re-emphasis mine. you kinda killed your point
Without an errata or an FAQ, I would follow the example of Summon Monster in that yeah, it's a manifestation, but not a recreation: you don't get any special control over it.
Again, the rule tends to disagree:
Conjuration
Each conjuration spell belongs to one of five subschools. Conjurations transport creatures from another plane of existence to your plane (calling); create objects or effects on the spot (creation); heal (healing); bring manifestations of objects, creatures, or forms of energy to you (summoning); or transport creatures or objects over great distances (teleportation). Creatures you conjure usually—but not always—obey your commands.
So getting some sort of control over your summons seems pretty obvious. The only gray area is the "usually but not always", as I stated earlier.
Is anyone else having the theme song to Mr. Ed in his head right now?
It is a horse, it may be a summoned horse but in all other respects it acts like a horse.
Food (CRB p445): 3 days before making checks.
Water (CRB p444): 24+con score hours before damage checks. This means 41 (24+17) hours before even checking if there is damage. Unless using an extended mount spell this will not happen.
Until the horse takes nonlethal damage from lack of food or water (an unlikely circumstance) there will be no effect on the horse. Once the horse takes damage from lack of food or water it will be Fatigued.
Fear: It is a normal summoned creature. As such it feels fear as any horse would.
Summary: No food or water required. Subject to fear normally.
- Gauss
Yeah, this summoned horse is usually obeying your commands; except when it's frightened because it wasn't prepared to go to battle. Usually but not always. Completely satisfied.
That is your interpretation of the "usually but not always".
Please accept that others can have a different interpretation, such as:
As long as you use the horse as a mount (scope of the spell), it obeys your command (no Ride Check required (*) to direct it in battle => it obeys you). It stops obeying when you ask it to do something else (attack, trigger traps, grant cover... not covered by the scope of the spell).
Once again, DM's call or FAQ.
(*)EDIT : or auto-success to the Ride Check for controlling a non-wartrained mount in battle.
Is it edible?
There is NO precedent or even anything other than willful manipulation of the rules that turn obeying you "well" into "Pass all ride checks".
The Ride Check exists to simulate the fact that you try to make the mount obeying your command.
Control Mount in Battle: As a move action, you can attempt to control a light horse, pony, heavy horse, or other mount not trained for combat riding while in battle.
The description of the conjuration [summoning] school already states that the summonned creature obeys your commands.
=> you should not need any skill check to have the creature obeying you.It is not about "passing all ride checks" (thanks for the fallacy by the way), but "passing the ride check to control your mount". You still need a check to stay in saddle, to avoid falling if your mount leaps and so on.