Mocking Horse (Mount with Mocking Dance)

[Laureth]

So, for various reasons I don't want to get into in this thread (there are tons of other threads on the matter), I don't personally believe Ride By Attack works as advertised, and so I have been looking for an alternative way to get back out into charge distance following a successful charge.

I would like thoughts on the following idea.

What if I, as a Cavalier, raise my mount's Int to 3 and then have him take Weapons Focus (Bite), Dazzling Display, Mocking Dance and Performance Combatant.

As far as I can see, on a charge, if my horse's bite hits at the end he should be able to trigger Mocking Dance and moonwalk back 50ft to where we started while sniggering like Mutley. The actual result of the Performance Combat check seems irrelevant since the movement happens before the check.

This obviously isn't going to work all the time since my horse is quite likely to miss his bite, but I think it will be pretty awesome when it does. My horse is also going to provoke an AOO, but I guess I can use Mounted Combat to try to negate that.

Any problems with this by the RAW?

[Reven Ent]

I'm not sure I understand how this feat is supposed to work at all.

You charge and hit, this lets you trigger a combat performance check as a swift.

Combat performance kicks in. It says, if you pass the check, you get the effects of one feat.

Mocking Dance says, when you spend a swift to make the check, before you make said check, you move.

So... the dance feat lets you move before the check, but performance combatant says you don't get any of the effects of the feat until you pass the check. So which is it? Do you have to pass the check first, or does it happen beforehand?

[DarkPhoenixx]

Thats why, probably, there is not many answers. This is pretty confusing combination of feats, but the idea is so awesome.

[Reven Ent]

What seems neat to me is using it for attacking targets separated by extended distance.

Charge in a straight line up to twice your mount's move, mount attacks, you move literally however you want for your mounts movement, then you the rider attack an enemy at the end of that.

Screw cavalier, give this to a Summoner. Flying pouncing Huge-size monster with a x1.5 Str bite that poisons, trips, and after all that fun you still go on to geek the mage he was protecting afterward, and promptly grab and swallow the next turn. Good luck casting in there robe boy!
Heck, they even have better Charisma for the performance check, and their eidolon already has feats so it doesn't need the int boost.

[Laureth]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I'm confused by the feat as well... I have just noticed that Performance Combatant is banned in PFS anyway, I wonder if this was one of the reasons.

I can't find any reason that you can't do what I am suggesting, but that does seem to make Mocking Dance seem a bit wonky/OP... and yes the order of operations is a bit screwy too as Revan notes.

You can't attack AFTER the free movement from Mocking Dance though, because you can't use that movement to get to a square where you threaten anyone... but it does seem to let you get away and line up the next charge for free. I'm really just trying to get that sweet 3x mod on Lance Damage from Spirited Charge as many rounds a s possible.