Mounted combat and special actions

[Arachnofiend]

Can a mounted Fighter use spring attack? Commanding your mount is its own action, which then allows your mount to perform specific actions - your mount can stride or step if you're trying to move, but spring attack is understandably not listed in the actions your mount can take. Is there some way around this that I'm not seeing?

[Exton Land]

As long as you are mounted, no, you cannot use spring attack to move the mount. If you were hasted, you could in theory, command an animal to move you/whatever. Attack with hasted action, dismount, and then spring attack.

[HumbleGamer]

I think that the mounted combat system is limited because of the free action it provides ( not to say the higher speed given by the mount itself ).

Considering a 3 action + 1 reaction character, if we assume it also has a mount he will get at some point an additional action the mount can expend to either perfomr a stride or a strike.

This will give you very powerful benefits ( especially if compared to other class feats ).

- Higher speed ( assuming a 20-30 feet speed, compared to a 40/50 feet speed. You are going to save actions when it comes to move for great distances )

- Extra mount action ( the mount will be able to stride, leaving your character with 3 actions, or to attack, providing and extra attack with not map, which will probably be better than your second attack suffering from map ). It would be like being quickened from lvl 8/10+

There are then some limits, as the one you already pointed out.

I can also think of the champion ranged reprisal feat, when used with a melee weapon. You won't be able to step because riding your mount, and you can't concede that part to your mount.

It seems bad, but considering how the whole companion stuff works in this edition, it's nothing but balanced.

[Cordell Kintner]

Even if you could command your mount or animal companion to stride, you would not be able to use Spring Attack, or any other ability that requires you use a move action. The only move action you would be able to use while mounted is the Mount action. Everything else is Command an Animal or Strikes.

The Cavalier archetype has things like Cavalier's Charge to allow movement and attacking in a single activity.