Hi, everyone!
I'd like to know if there is any way to summon/conjure a medium-sized mount which does not freak out in combat (so it has to be combat-trained or similar).
Mount spell can be used to conjure a pony, but I assume it's not combat trained and therefore not very useful in combat situations. Phantom steed spell conjures a large horse-like creature, but my character is small.
What I want to do is to use a mount to move around in combat while staying away from melee, keeping my full-roud actions to attack with my bow. My combat-trained riding dogs keep dying, and keeping a pack of them with me at all times seems cheesy (and cruel!).
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
As long as you do not want to fast dismount I do not think there is a problem with riding a large horse as a small pc. The mammoth rider, for example gets no special ability to ride his huge mount. He only gets an ability to be able to fast mount/fast dismount it.
Nothing in the rules that I am aware of says that a small character can't ride a large horse. There's only the rule tat says the mount must be one size larger than the rider. So just ride a combat trained Horse or use the mount spell.
Nothing in the rules that I am aware of says that a small character can't ride a large horse. There's only the rule tat says the mount must be one size larger than the rider. So just ride a combat trained Horse or use the mount spell.Unless of course you're looking for something you can ride in small spaces. Which is generally the point of small riding characters.
Sure. But the OP sounded as if he thought there was a problem for him to ride the phantom steed. And, most of the time, when a large mount would be an issue I think the mounted archer would have other issues, too.
But you have a point that should not be ignored.
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Sounds like the real problem is that you don't have a special mount, so you're using either an ordinary purchased mount or a summoned creature as a mount.
Without a class ability, your mount is always going to be subpar and fragile in combat. If you want a mounted character with a combat capable mount, you pretty much need to be a class with some sort of mount ability. Possibilities are: Druid Animal Companion, Cavalier, Samurai, Sohei, Paladin, Oracle of Nature (and other oracles with animal companions), etc. Unfortunately, without planning ahead, it's not like you can suddenly switch classes, so you're probably stuck with your character as is.
One possibility is that if you can afford a 4 level dip in Cavalier and a Feat (Horse Master), you can get a Cavalier mount that scales up with you.
Magically summoned mounts are a possibility, but they have issues too. Either they last only a short time (e.g. Summon Monster) or they last a long time but are fragile (e.g. Mount).
There still are leadership (if allowed) or the new feat chain to get an animal companion.
Thanks everyone for your input.
My character is a halfling bard. Leadership is not allowed, and I don't have two feats to spare to get an animal companion. The fragility of the mount is not an issue if I (or someone in my group) can cast another mount once the first one dies. With riding dogs, I would have to buy one of them roughly every day, which is really inconvenient (and expensive).
So yes, phantom steed is fragile, and maybe it will get killed in the middle of an encounter, but even if it does it can always be conjured again. Sacrificing one riding dog after another is just mean.
Phantom seed's size is the worst problem. Large mounts are a pain in small spaces, while medium sized ones are just as mobile as regular characters. I thought maybe I had missed a similar spell able to conjure a medium-sized mount, but I'm starting to feel there is nothing like that (the spell Mount conjures a normal pony, which is hard to handle in combat).
Can I ride creatures summoned with the summon monster spell? Duration is really short, though...
List of Riding Animals Just scroll down passed the Animal Equipment and for the Riding Animals table. This includes a whole list of ride-able animals with a combat trained and non-combat trained price. If your animal seems to be dying too easily, consider buying it some barding. It functions the same as regular armor: you choose the type of armor (leather, chain shirt etc) and double the cost for a medium mount and now your mount has armor! A combat trained boar would cost 150 gp, and you could add on leather barding (+2 AC) for an AC of 16 for 20 gp. It has a nice d8 gore attack.
When calculating the cost of combat training for an animal, it is equal to 50% of the animals base cost (a simple observation from looking at the table). So if your GM was willing, you could ask him if you could purchase a combat trained mount of a type that you want for +50% gp.
Or just ask the GM if you could research a spell working like phantom steed but summoning a medium mount.
I would totally allow it.
Or just ask the GM if you could research a spell working like phantom steed but summoning a medium mount.
I would totally allow it.
This is also a great idea. I was going to suggest this until I found the mounts page. It still wouldn't be combat trained, but perhaps that could be something you learn over time.
Thanks again for all your answers.
Combining Mount and Wartrain Mount is a very good idea, actually. Too bad Mount is not on the bard list. Are there any feats/traits that can grant a 1st level spell from the wizard/sorcerer list?
The problem with real animals is that, even with barding, they usually only survive one or two succesful hits. A medium-sized Phantom Steed would be perfect (I'll ask my DM). I assume since it's not an actual animal it doesn't have to be combat-trained because it just doesn't get scared, right?
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If you're a halfling bard who isn't going to multi-class paladin, then start casting movement spells as soon as possible if more move is what you crave.
At low level, a mount is your non-magical Boots-of-Speedy-Dog that give you 50' move and keep you out of trouble. Use/abuse/sell at 4th if still alive (take Allegro, or just UMD Expeditious Retreat and/or Longstrider).
It's not more movement that I crave, but the ability to move and still be able to use full-round actions with my ranged attacks. In order not to sarifice one riding dog after another, Mount+Wartrain Mount or Phantom Steed are the better choices so far.
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Another option is to just forget about having a combat trained mount. If you can make the DC 20 Ride check to control the mount in combat, then your mount doesn't really need combat training. It doesn't sound like you expect your mount to attack or guard. Then you can just use the 1st level Mount spell to spam ponies.
This depends entirely on your character's ability to consistently make the DC 20 check and I don't know how your PC is designed.
Or just buy two wands (750 gp each), one mount and one wartrain mount, but that's 2 actions/UMD rolls, + an action to mount, before combat. Given that they last 2 hours and 1 hour, you could cast them ahead of time and just ride around on the pony, but that won't always be the case.
For fragile mounts Mounted Combat is good feat assuming you have a little Ride skill and a feat to spare.
Getting +19 in ride is something hard for my build. Wartrain Mount is on my spell list, so I think that would be a better option.
My mount is not killed every combat, but one area attack and it's over. It's not rare at all, unfortunately.
Animated object is something I hadn't thought about, thanks for the tip. (besides, it would be funny to carry furniture around :D). When a Stone Horse loses all it's HP it's dead for good, right?
Thanks everyone for your help!