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So, I would really like to make my cavalier into a mammoth rider around 9th level, and I can do it, but I have to know first:
Is the Mammoth Rider even viable in PFS? Will I be able to use my mount in most scenarios, or will I have to leave him/her outside during the majority of them? Is it even worth it in the first place?
Thanks!
Developer
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Fitting a Huge creature into many dungeons is very difficult. Remember that Pathfinder Society scenarios use a healthy number of Flip-Mat and Map Pack products, so I recommend taking a look at a few of the map previews to judge for yourself whether you feel you could enjoy your character on a healthy percentage of the maps.
Along with many other mental checklists (like trying to include at least one non-humanoid foe in each scenario), I try to include a fair number of scenarios each season that are "cavalier friendly." The truth of dungeons and ruins, though, is that many have fairly narrow halls and involve twists and turns.
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Small & medium creatures fit in 1 5' square, so 1x1.
Large creatures, generally, fit in a 2x2 square area. 10' by 10'.
Huge creatures, IIRC, as the next step up, should be 15' by 15', so 3x3 squares.
Gargantuan creatures, the step up from huge, would be 4x4, 20'x20'
Colossal creatures, I think, would be 5x5, so 25'x25'.
SWSE (Star Wars Saga Edition) actually sub-divided Colossal out even further, since they had to deal with spaceships, where Colossal was on the small side for their needs. Even the Millennium Falcon was bigger than Colossal, and that totally ignores Star Destroyers and the Death Star...
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Consider using this spell:
Reduce Animal
School transmutation; Level druid 2, ranger 3CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, SEFFECT
Range touch
Target one willing animal of Small, Medium, Large, or Huge size
Duration 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance noTable: Tiny and Large Weapon Damage
Medium Weapon Damage Tiny Weapon Damage Large Weapon Damage
1d2 — 1d3
1d3 1 1d4
1d4 1d2 1d6
1d6 1d3 1d8
1d8 1d4 2d6
1d10 1d6 2d8
1d12 1d8 3d6
2d4 1d4 2d6
2d6 1d8 3d6
2d8 1d10 3d8
2d10 2d6 4d8
DESCRIPTION
This spell functions like reduce person, except that it affects a single willing animal. Reduce the damage dealt by the animal's natural attacks as appropriate for its new size (see Table: Tiny and Large Weapon Damage to adjust damage for size).
This should allow you to bring your animal into most dungeons, and the animal archive has:
Narrow Frame
Your excellent coordination allows you to maneuver better in close quarters.Prerequisites: Escape Artist 1 rank, animal or magical beast.
Benefit: You do not take penalties on your attack rolls or to your AC for squeezing through a narrow space that is at least half as wide as your normal space, though each move into or through a narrow space still counts as if it were 2 squares.
Normal: You take a –4 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to AC while squeezing.
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I'm the Mammoth Rider David mentioned earlier. It's definitely not the optimal choice in most circumstances, but I picked it up because Ranger gets kind of boring in the mid teens, and it's definitely more fun.
My mammoth is a veteran of the Army of the Open Road (he's got a set of Parade Barding to confirm that fact). While I was seeking out some vengeance at sundered crag, I had the opportunity to watch a Tengu cleric of Besmara lead a group of mammoth riders to great effect against the demonic hordes. Naturally, I decided I needed one of my own. The character is currently in Eyes of the Ten, and my only regret is that I didn't get the chance to refute the title of Where Mammoths Dare Not Tread with him.
But yes, sometimes your huge mount won't be able to fit places, though a wand of reduce animal would go a long way towards helping that (and, if you're going via cavalier, a friend who can use it helps). That said, there are some other useful benefits to the class beyond the mount itself, like the bonuses against large creatures.
Belt of the Weasel give the compression ability which I believe lets you squeeze unhindered to 1/4 space. Its 10k and would be a belt slot for mount. Double check me on this as i'm unable to verify at the moment.
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You guys have a lot of good suggestions. Sadly, as a Cavalier, I don't really have the ability to cast spells, nor do I have a good CMD. However, I have a Sorcerer buddy who plays alongside me quite often, so that could work. I'm gonna put my points in Handle Animal, Ride, and Survival, just so I have the OPTION of going into Mammoth Rider.
I'm transferring to Order of the Sword, and have a T-Rex mount, so I'm a prime candidate for the prestige class, as my T-Rex's already amazing grab ability and massive strength score will only benefit, so I definitely benefit from it...
Anyway, I'm going to look into more options, thanks guys.
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I just found out that a T-Rex isn't an option for the Mammoth Rider, but can I take it anyway and still have the size increase, because it's still an option as a Beast Rider? Technically it doesn't say the size increase HAS to go to the mounts available through the prestige class... I'm just trying to keep my T-Rex, because I think I could wreck face, of course I could go with a Mammoth instead.
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The mammoth rider's steed ability specifically statest that it replaces the list.
Steed (Ex): A mammoth rider can choose from among the following animal companions to serve as her loyal steed: arsinoitheriumB2, aurochs, baluchitheriumB3, camel, cat (big), elkB3, horse, mastodon, megalocerosB2, rhinoceros, triceratops, wolf, or woolly mammoth (use stats for a mastodon). A GM might expand this list to include other possible steeds. This steed functions as a druid’s animal companion, replacing any animal companion or mount gained from another class. The mammoth rider’s class levels stack with other classes that grant an animal companion to determine her effective druid level.
Bolded the important part. If it weren't for PFS then yes you could use the T-rex as your GM can expand the list, for Society however you're stuck with the list as given.
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Disclaimer: this is about mounted charge based combat.
Don't worry too much about one, albeit very prominent, class feature. I've played a medium sized cavalier for 10 levels and one of the first things I noticed was that the mounted play left every other melee character to the dirt.
Granted, since I've never bothered spending any resources or feats into it, mounted charges don't pack such a wallop anymore, but when they did I treated them like SoS spells: pretty freaking cool once in a while but only good in moderation. I think such an epiphany came to me when soloing an evil outsider boss with a 10 gp lance.
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Well, your not getting the Mammoth until 9th level anyway, and a lot of 7-11 scenarios have huge creatures in them that would also require a fair amount of space to maneuver in. So you might be able to use it a fair amount. Ironically, the scenario Where Mammoths Dare Not Tread is perfect for a Mammoth Rider.
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Disclaimer: this is about mounted charge based combat.
Don't worry too much about one, albeit very prominent, class feature. I've played a medium sized cavalier for 10 levels and one of the first things I noticed was that the mounted play left every other melee character to the dirt.
Granted, since I've never bothered spending any resources or feats into it, mounted charges don't pack such a wallop anymore, but when they did I treated them like SoS spells: pretty freaking cool once in a while but only good in moderation. I think such an epiphany came to me when soloing an evil outsider boss with a 10 gp lance.
Mounted Combat kicks butt. I've grown very attached to the cavalier class and their mounted combat abilities.
My Seeker group has a Mammoth Rider. Narrow frame goes a long way toward fixing the space problem. A wand of Carry Companion (Knights of the Inner Sea) and a good UMD or caster class dip lets you transport the mount through areas it can't fit. And in places is does fit, it can be extremely useful.
He also has a belt of the weasel, I think.
Mounted Combat kicks butt. I've grown very attached to the cavalier class and their mounted combat abilities.Disclaimer: this is about mounted charge based combat.
Don't worry too much about one, albeit very prominent, class feature. I've played a medium sized cavalier for 10 levels and one of the first things I noticed was that the mounted play left every other melee character to the dirt.
Granted, since I've never bothered spending any resources or feats into it, mounted charges don't pack such a wallop anymore, but when they did I treated them like SoS spells: pretty freaking cool once in a while but only good in moderation. I think such an epiphany came to me when soloing an evil outsider boss with a 10 gp lance.
If you haven't yet, pick up Knights of the Inner sea. It's a manual on how to make your mounted character a god.
The Lastwall Cavalry knows what they're doing.
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Well that and allow a character to say "I no longer eat, I do not sleep, and I am working on the breathing thing." Due to "Keep Watch"
Yeah, if only I could cast it...
Also, Fomsie (I don't know how you feel about forum names and stuff), the wolf is not as good as a mammoth, because the wolf can barely carry me as it is, and it's strength score isn't as good.
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Well that and allow a character to say "I no longer eat, I do not sleep, and I am working on the breathing thing." Due to "Keep Watch"Yeah, if only I could cast it...
Also, Fomsie (I don't know how you feel about forum names and stuff), the wolf is not as good as a mammoth, because the wolf can barely carry me as it is, and it's strength score isn't as good.
You are taking into account that a Wolf, as a 4 legged medium creature, can carry 150% the encumbrance rating for it's strength? At level 4 that is at least a 14 Strength and a light encumbrance limit of 87 pounds... how hefty is your halfling?
Then at level 7 the wolf becomes Large and gets a +8 bonus added to it's current strength and the carrying capacity for a large quadruped is 300% of the listed amount. This is the same time the mammoth becomes large.
The difference in strength between the mammoth companion and the wolf is 1 point.
There is a benefit in favor of the mammoth due to 2 attacks, but the wolf will have a slight edge in health, speed and the ability to trip. So while the mammoth has an advantage if able to take a full attack, during rounds while moving, their offense is pretty much a wash. The differences are really not all that great.
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Well that and allow a character to say "I no longer eat, I do not sleep, and I am working on the breathing thing." Due to "Keep Watch"Yeah, if only I could cast it...
Also, Fomsie (I don't know how you feel about forum names and stuff), the wolf is not as good as a mammoth, because the wolf can barely carry me as it is, and it's strength score isn't as good.
You are taking into account that a Wolf, as a 4 legged medium creature, can carry 150% the encumbrance rating for it's strength? At level 4 that is at least a 14 Strength and a light encumbrance limit of 87 pounds... how hefty is your halfling?
Then at level 7 the wolf becomes Large and gets a +8 bonus added to it's current strength and the carrying capacity for a large quadruped is 300% of the listed amount. This is the same time the mammoth becomes large.
The difference in strength between the mammoth companion and the wolf is 1 point.
There is a benefit in favor of the mammoth due to 2 attacks, but the wolf will have a slight edge in health, speed and the ability to trip. So while the mammoth has an advantage if able to take a full attack, during rounds while moving, their offense is pretty much a wash. The differences are really not all that great.
About 30 pounds for my halfling, 30 pounds and 30 pounds for my gear, and a little extra for my mounts barfing and such, it's actually at medium encumbrance. Not to mention that's it's a big fluffy elephant! What's not to love?
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How does this thread not get moved but my exact-like same thread for "is a trip build viable for PFS" gets removed from the PFS forum?Admittedly, this did start as a question of if most PFS scenarios would be accommodating, but it's sort of de-railed.
Which is the exact same spirit of the question I asked..
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Which is the exact same spirit of the question I asked..How does this thread not get moved but my exact-like same thread for "is a trip build viable for PFS" gets removed from the PFS forum?Admittedly, this did start as a question of if most PFS scenarios would be accommodating, but it's sort of de-railed.
Well, I'm not sure. Things are run really weird around here, and I none of us can really control it. Where did it get moved to anyway?