Paladin Mounts

[Caryth Derellis]

I am wondering why (unless I missed something) paladins do not automatically get mounted combat as a feat when they pick the divine bond for a mount?

It seems awful silly to me to get a "mount" but not intend to ride it for one, and secondly, it seems like an awful burden to have to spend feats BEFORE you even get the mount in order to effectively use it later. I am referring to the spirited charge line of feats, etc.

Thoughts? Am I missing something? Is there a way to reduce the feat tax for this line of combat as a paladin?

[Raisse]

Mounted Combat (feat) is not required to ride a mount in combat. All you need is the Ride skill.

That said, if you are interested in going into the Mounted Combat feat chain, then you will have to take it at some point, and it can be as early as level 1. Nothing is stopping you from riding a regular horse before you are granted a special divine bond from your deity at level 5.

[Caryth Derellis]

Raisse wrote:

Mounted Combat (feat) is not required to ride a mount in combat. All you need is the Ride skill.

That said, if you are interested in going into the Mounted Combat feat chain, then you will have to take it at some point, and it can be as early as level 1. Nothing is stopping you from riding a regular horse before you are granted a special divine bond from your deity at level 5.

I guess I am just complaining that what (I think) should be a standard use of the ride skill, to outmaneuver an attacker versus your mount, is instead a feat tax for classes that are already severely lacking feat availability.

[Bob Bob Bob]

Because nobody else gets Mounted Combat when they choose a mount? Seriously, I can't think of any class that gets Mounted Combat automatically when they get a mount. The cavalier, the class for mounted combat, doesn't even get it automatically (I think it's in the list of bonus feats though).

Nothing in Divine Bond requires that you use your loyal steed as a mount. Your choices are restricted but nothing in the ability actually aids mounted combat in any way, it just makes the mount stronger and more accessible. You get the ability to summon it to your side and it gains a template and spell resistance. How would those help a mount any more than they would a non-mount combat animal companion? It's a full druid animal companion from a limited list, it can still be used as an extra combatant.

If your complaint is about the feat tax of mounted combat, that's something entirely different and has nothing to do with the Paladin class at all. If your complaint is that the class feature comes online later, and? Mounted Combat doesn't require that you have the mount class feature, you can take it at any level you want and use it with regular horses. If you're complaining it takes three feats to move, attack for double (or triple) damage, and move, usually with something much faster than any other character... yeah, that sounds about right. That one of the feats lets you use a skill check to replace AC 1/round is just a nice extra.

[Caryth Derellis]

Would someone be able to provide some suggestions for traits, feats, and items that boost ride skill?

[Imbicatus]

Skill Focus would be the obvious one.
A Military Saddle gives a +2 bonus to ride checks.

[Rennaivx]

For traits, Beast Bond gives +1 to both Handle Animal and Ride, and gives one or the other as a class skill if you don't already have it. There are other traits, I believe, but in general they're all trait bonuses and don't stack.

Having an animal companion is already a REALLY strong class feature, even without getting Mounted Combat for free. Sometimes it just takes investment to do what you want to do.

[Rennaivx]

An Equestrian Belt also helps to simplify a lot of combat related Ride checks, and I believe there are some wondrous horseshoes you can give your mount, too.

[Caryth Derellis]

Great, thanks!