
DerCed |
For the second Doomsday scenario, I am building a goblin on level 4 with the Rough Rider ancestry feat. This adds the Ride feat which saves you from needing to use Handle an Animal before using Command an Animal. If you select Nature as a trained skill, I would deem it fair to assume the goblin PC had the chance to find an indifferent goblin dog to mount over the course of levels 1-3.
Now, for a normal home game, I would like to think any GM would be fine with having the player pay the cost for a Riding Dog but instead get a Goblin Dog, since they are of same level and similar overall feel (and made for for goblins to ride specifically, it seems). But for the playtest I'd like to stick to the rules -- do you think it's fine to do this?

Cantriped |

For Playtest Parameters, I would suggest using the statistics of an actual Riding Dog (Bestiary 53) and simply reflavor it as a goblin dog. However, as GM I don't think allowing you to buy a Goblin Dog would actually cause any problems.
I think (once such an option is published) that simply being a goblin would give you access to a goblin dog Companion (or a rented/bought one anyway.

Loreguard |

Keep in mind, I believe riding dogs are not combat trained, which means if a combat encounter occurs, technically, I believe they are forced to use an animal handling check or the animal will automatically flee.
And, yes, I have a player who has taken that feet at first level, but it does appear that they wouldn't have the resources to actually own a mount yet in their first adventure. I too wondered about the availability cost and functionality of a goblin dog for their character.

ErichAD |
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Oddly, the only things called out anywhere as being combat trained mounts are war horses and war ponies. That would seem to make facing goblins mounted on goblin dogs fairly trivial encounters as they'd be controlling fleeing animals.
Since you don't need to control an animal to ride it, your best bet is probably to steal a goblin dog during an encounter with mounted goblins.

Cantriped |

Oddly, the only things called out anywhere as being combat trained mounts are war horses and war ponies. That would seem to make facing goblins mounted on goblin dogs fairly trivial encounters as they'd be controlling fleeing animals.
Since you don't need to control an animal to ride it, your best bet is probably to steal a goblin dog during an encounter with mounted goblins.
Yes, but the Bestiary entries for such animals lack any mention of them possessing the Mount trait/ability, or any level of 'trained for combat'. So it would appear combat training is subject to GM fiat. Goblin Dogs trained to be ridden or for hunting would obviously need to be combat trained to function.
Given that the rules are woefully incomplete in this regard; and that the Train Animal feat gives no guidance for what qualifies as a 'trick'. The implication is that 'tricks' are simply actions they don't otherwise know. I would allow a character to 'combat train' any animal they are able to acquire or teach them any 'tricks' the animal doen't already know; such as how to Perform (like a trained monkey) or Invest/Activate An Item.
Edit: You cannot Handle a stolen animal (such as an enemy goblin dog). Handle An Animal only works on animals Helpful to you (or friendly/Indifferent if you're trained).

ErichAD |

The ride feat lets you skip the handle animal step, and the handle animal step is the part that requires friendly animals. Therefore, rough rider, which grants the ride feat, allows you to ride hostile animals. That's where the "buck" reaction comes in, though only a few animals seem capable of the ability.
I'm pretty sure the riding rules are just incomplete at this time.

Cantriped |

Sadly nay not again.
Ride only obviates the need to perform Handle An Animal before Commanding An Animal you've already mounted... You are still required to perform Handle An Animal before you can Mount an animal in the first place. Making it effectively impossible to ride a stolen mount.
First you'd have to change their attitude to Indifferent long enough to both Handle and Mount them (such as by Making An Impression if the GM allows, or via Magic). Because neither Rough Rider, nor Ride itself actually allow you to Handle a Hostile Animal.
Once Mounted atop your soon-to-be-hostile steed you're fine if you have Ride, sort of. Once it becomes Hostile again, you have to keep commanding it every round, or it'll Buck (or otherwise fight you however it can), and you cannot dismount a hostile creature... you have to wait for them to buck you.

Gortle |

Yes technically the full mechanics are not in the rules. The Handle Animal action does have the limitation of the animal not being hostile. But how do you get an animal to be friendly in the first place?
Common sense would suggest repeated application of Nature skill, patience and time.
But if you insist on RAW then:
Magical charm could work but everything in the playtest only charms humanoids.
The ways of making animals friendly mentioned in the rules are
1) a druid using repeated Diplomacy on an animal, easy enough if the animal is caught and contained first.
2) the Animal Whisper background. Says you can do it but doesn't give a roll for how.
3) the Rough Rider feat says you can do it but doesn't say how.

Cantriped |

Regarding Druids: Good catch, they're the only ones who, per RAW can actually steal a mount. Although I would've allowed most anyone Trained in Nature to make that check (as a Calm Animal action).
You could also Impersonate a creature the would-be mount is friendly with using Deception.
Animal Whisperer would allow you to train any animal (even hostile ones I think), but being trained doesn't change the animal's attitude... so you still wouldn't be able to handle them if they're hostile to you. Likewise, Rough Rider says nothing about changing the requirements for an animal to be Handled, only granting a +1 to the check under given conditions.
Realistically, 'Reforming An Enemy' is more appropriate as a Downtime Activity. Animals (and people) kept in captivity long enough will eventually become "Indifferent" to their captors if treated well. However that only my opinion as a GM, I cannot cite supporting rules.