Avoid Notice and mounts (or Exploration Mode in general)

[tivadar27]

So there isn't a lot of clarification around mounts during exploration mode. Lots of things, for example, say you move half your speed while performing an activity. Presumably that's half your mounted speed if mounted? And is there anything you can't/shouldn't be able to do during exploration mode while mounted? Can you Avoid Notice? It would seem as if this was just another exploration activity, but it's also one that seems a bit off in some ways.

I believe the answer is, effectively, you make what checks you would normally make but use your mounts movement speed while mounted. Is that other people's interpretation here or no?

[Captain Morgan]

I believe you're correct, by the rules. Whether or not that makes sense is a little up to interpretation. I'd say for most tactics it does, but I might let someone Defend while riding. Maybe Detecting Magic, too. Stuff that doesn't involve watching your surroundings closely.

I don't remember if Avoiding Notice, Hide, or Sneak are specially called out as actions animal companions can do by default. We have a Quiet Allies user in my party and a horse rider with Train Animal. I ruled the rider could spend a week training the horse to follow the expert behind the Quiet ally. I used Simple DCs for the Nature check based on the level of proficiency of the Quiet Ally. (Figuring you got a bigger bonus for following a master or legend, and probably from following more complex instructions.)

[tivadar27]

@Captain Morgan: Yeah, thanks. I'd agree that there are some corner cases here. I do a lot of society... so I might just have to play that one by ear. I was hoping to make a Rogue MC Druid, and wasn't sure if I could still effectively Stealth in this manner, or if I basically "had to" use Perception on initiative (because one less proficiency and no item bonuses basically make Stealth worse than Perception for Rogues).

It's definitely a weird case, though I think it makes some amount of sense. Avoiding notice isn't strictly moving silently, presumably, it's also knowing where to move to not be seen, and where to step. The rider of a horse, for example, should be able to do that sort of thing. Still, the headcannon is a bit weird.