Can a PC be used as a mount?

[fearcypher]

Recently in a game I was running I had a group of players at 3rd level. Including a halfling paladin and a tiefling monk. Because of how slow the halfling ended up being he attempted to ride the monk to take advantage of his increased movement speed.

How would this work? If I remember correctly it's stated that your mount must be one size category larger which the tiefling was. Would the tiefling not have his move action on his turn because it would be used on the halflings? Would he be able to charge and attack with the halfling?

Anyway I was wondering if anybody can shed any light on the situation because honestly the idea of a halfling riding on somebody's shoulders amuses me.

[Nefreet]

The restrictions for doing this are listed in the Ride skill. Namely:

"If you attempt to ride a creature that is ill suited as a mount, you take a –5 penalty on your Ride checks."

and

"If you are riding bareback, you take a –5 penalty on Ride checks."

The question irks a lot of people, but mechanically it's doable (and not outright forbidden anywhere). Riding a polymorphed (or wildshaped) character is probably more commonplace and deals with fewer penalties and grey area questions.

If your Halfling Rider took feats such as Mounted Combat, Trick Riding, Indomitable Mount, and Mounted Shield, and decided to ride a Raging Barbarian, the combination could be extremely effective.

This question comes up rather often, as can be seen HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and most recently in this lengthy thread HERE.

[Cap. Darling]

You could also allow the halfling to take the alternate racial trait Fleet of foot that will give him move 30.

[Doki-Chan]

The Monk's encumbrance may drop speed anyway?

[FLite]

Correct, the teifling would not get a turn, because all his actions would happen on the halflings turn. (Or to put it another way, the teifling and the halfling would take their turns simultaneously.)

For more details, see the threads Nefreet linked.

I still like the idea of a party of 6 ratfolk all with the undersized mount feat and escape route running around the battle field, provoking no attacks of opportunity, and getting autoflanking on everyone. Right up to the point where a single create pit spell kills them all.

[Byakko]

Apart from the physical configuration issues (which are arguably adequately covered by the penalties Nefreet has mentioned), the biggest problem is that the Ride skill and mounted combat section assumes the rider is in control of the mount's actions. There are 3 general ways to deal with this:

1) Allow the halfling to completely control the tiefling's actions, per normal mounted combat rules, presumably with little to no decision making by the "mount". This may significantly reduce what the tiefling is allowed to do while functioning as a mount. Proceed to use the mounted combat rules.

2) Allow the tiefling to "carry" the halfling on his back, without the benefit of any of the mounted combat rules, as the halfling really isn't in control on the tiefling's actions and thus doesn't qualify for the related rules.

3) Just give the big thumbs up and let them fully cheese the mounted combat rules. If this is a home game, things will quickly get silly (both in the fun way, and the face-palm-inducing overpowered way).

[FLite]

I vote for 3.

(Just in case that wasn't clear.)

Also, he can cut the penalty in half by picking up an exotic saddle. (Will probably have to be specially commissioned, feel free to let the price reflect that.)

[alexd1976]

Am I the only one imagining the monk dressed in pony-play BDSM gear right now?

Kinky little halflings. +1 to "hit" larger creatures indeed...

[fearcypher]

Thanks guys, the links that Nefreet posted were pretty helpful as well. I really like the idea of a halfling chickenfighting so I'm looking forward to next session. Also encumbrance isn't a problem a halfling in full gear is only around 60 pounds and the monk has a good strength and doesn't carry anything. I find it funny that most of the threads posted were also halflings trying to ride monks most of the time.