I've never had an issues with Druids of medium to small size riding animal companions (like wolves and big cats). For organized play, specifically PFS at PaizoCon, is there anything I should be aware of regarding riding of animal companions?
We've been using the Animal Handler skill to improve riding ability for DC checks on riding animal companions in situations that would be extra-ordinary.
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There's been a push to get animals to act on their own initiative. So fI would find and underline the following sentence in your book in advance
Your mount acts on your initiative count as you direct it. You move at its speed, but the mount uses its action to move.
Druids local 704 highly reccommends mw studded leather armor for your mount at least.
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I've never had an issues with Druids of medium to small size riding animal companions (like wolves and big cats). For organized play, specifically PFS at PaizoCon, is there anything I should be aware of regarding riding of animal companions?
We've been using the Animal Handler skill to improve riding ability for DC checks on riding animal companions in situations that would be extra-ordinary.
I'm not certain what that last sentence means, but it sounds like you are making a Handle Animal check either in place of, or in addition to a Ride check ... that is neither necessary nor allowed. The two skills are used for completely different purposes.
Also, as far as I know, a mount must be at least one size larger than its rider.
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A mount class feature (from a cavalier, paladin, etc) has to be one size category larger than the rider, but to the best of my knowledge there is no general rule to that effect for all mounts. Ponies are specifically called out as suitable for dwarves, but other than that you might have a hard time convincing a dm that a 100 pound wolf is a suitable mount for a 180 pound human.
If your legs are touching the floor you're probably too big for the poor thing.
I'm not certain what that last sentence means, but it sounds like you are making a Handle Animal check either in place of, or in addition to a Ride check ... that is neither necessary nor allowed. The two skills are used for completely different purposes.Also, as far as I know, a mount must be at least one size larger than its rider.
I just meant we were using Animal Handle to buff our Ride skill, and using the Ride skill check to control mounts. I haven't really found the canonical rules for riding animal companions, so we've stitched together what we think are the rules.
Your last part about being one size larger is helpful. That works for the Halflings, but not our Dwarf (who is riding a wolf - in our mind it was a smaller Dwarf and a larger wolf).
We'll adjust. Thanks!
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I just meant we were using Animal Handle to buff our Ride skill, and using the Ride skill check to control mounts.
That part I bolded is what I'm having trouble with. That is not a meaningful phrase in Pathfinder. There is no rule allowing you to make one skill check as a way of improving another. If that is what you are doing, a home game GM can certainly create such a rule, but you can't do it in PFS.
I haven't really found the canonical rules for riding animal companions, so we've stitched together what we think are the rules.
There are no rules for riding animal companions per se, just rules for riding in general. You use the Ride skill as needed to do particular tasks (generally only needed in combat). You use Handle Animal to convince your mount to do something (whether a trick it knows, or pushing it to do something it is not trained for).
I recommend reading the text of both Handle Animal and Ride, as well as the mounted combat section of the combat chapter, all in the Core Rulebook.
I just meant we were using Animal Handle to buff our Ride skill, and using the Ride skill check to control mounts.That part I bolded is what I'm having trouble with. That is not a meaningful phrase in Pathfinder. There is no rule allowing you to make one skill check as a way of improving another. If that is what you are doing, a home game GM can certainly create such a rule, but you can't do it in PFS.
You're misunderstanding. I didn't articulate it well - but I am sure you know what I am saying.
Handle Animal gives a +2 bonus to the Ride skill. << Is that better?
There are not specific rules for riding an AC. Per the PFS guide, this technically allows a GM to adjudicate an outcome. As such, you can expect table variation. The positive side is that if you talk with your GM before the scenario, you may be able to work out something that is reasonable.
What you should expect is that the GM will treat the AC as any other animal and follow the logic in the existing rules.
Ride
(Dex; Armor Check Penalty)
You are skilled at riding mounts, usually a horse, but possibly something more exotic, like a griffon or pegasus. If you attempt to ride a creature that is ill suited as a mount, you take a –5 penalty on your Ride checks.***
If you are riding bareback, you take a –5 penalty on Ride checks.
Per the the CRB, an AC an animal has to be trained to be ridden. Most (if not all) Class mounts come trained in the general purpose of Combat Training, which seems to include the ability to be ridden in combat.
So once you've given your AC general purpose training of of either "Combat Trainin" or "Riding" then you're using the Ride skill. If the creature is untrained the GM should require that you push the mount to take a rider..at which point, the Ride skill takes over.
In 3.5, there were skill "affinities". You got a bonus on Ride if you had 5 ranks in Handle Animal. Unfortunately, Pathfinder has seemingly done away with these. But if you had unusual circumstances, it's not unreasonable to ask if you can make a HA check to help you do something unusual with the Ride skill.
OK that is helpful. Pathfinder sucked in my kid (and her friends) primarily due to the marketing around the female half-ling that rides a leopard. So *all* the kids are half-lings or elf druids riding their companions. They aren't doing anything fancy other than riding them like you would a horse.
Handle Animal gives a +2 bonus to the Ride skill. << Is that better?No it doesn't. It used to in 3.5 with the skill synergy rules, but Pathfinder removed those rules.
Oops, Meant "Animal Affinity" not "Handle Animal". Now I know why I was confusing. :O
Oops, Meant "Animal Affinity" not "Handle Animal". Now I know why I was confusing. :OHandle Animal gives a +2 bonus to the Ride skill. << Is that better?No it doesn't. It used to in 3.5 with the skill synergy rules, but Pathfinder removed those rules.
Skill focus: ride would be better, but either is probably close to wasting a feat.