I get by with a little help from my friends

[The Rabbler]

One of my friends had an interesting idea the other night...

is it possible to use the mounted combat feat to ride an ally (note: non-animal) and effectively increase that ally's AC to rediculous numbers?
and would this require a saddle? (assuming no armor spikes)

[The Rabbler]

shameless self-bump.

[sonofzeal]

It's been proposed often. I think the classic ones involve a Psicrystal or Familiar. I don't see any RAW reason why it shouldn't work, but be warned that it might result in books being thrown.

[balistafreak]

I'm pretty sure there are rules for massive penalties to Ride checks (and additional penalities besides) when you go bareback.

If you did get a saddle, though, I'm thinking the PC would have to be totally subordinated to you and require training to get the Mounted Combat benefits.

Regardless, the image of a Gnome Wizard on a special seat hanging off of the Half-Orc's shoulders is bloody hilarious.

[The Rabbler]

and I thought I was being original. silly me.

the idea was for our party's wizard to ride me and use his obscene ride check to make me un-hitable (while staying invisible).

[Dr Bwaa]

shameless self-bump.

Not generally necessary 24 minutes after the OP.

Back on topic, how does you party's wizard, of all people, have a great Ride check? It's not even a class skill! That aside, him doing so to boost your AC while invisible himself is a pretty entertaining though. Outside the realm of the rules (say, in an OotS environment) I could see that getting comical very fast as the Wizard is always yanking your character (invisibly, of course...) this way and that without warning... hehe.

[The Rabbler]

Not generally necessary 24 minutes after the OP.

Back on topic, how does you party's wizard, of all people, have a great Ride check? It's not even a class skill! That aside, him doing so to boost your AC while invisible himself is a pretty entertaining though. Outside the realm of the rules (say, in an OotS environment) I could see that getting comical very fast as the Wizard is always yanking your character (invisibly, of course...) this way and that without warning... hehe.

he's a goblin (racial bonus) and we found an item for it. and he wanted to ride a boar in heavy armor and toss around bombs since level 1. it was his character plan. i'm his new boar.

[Irreverent Fool]

The PC would possibly need to be 'trained as a mount'.

There is a -4 penalty for riding an animal ill-suited to being a mount.

Only one attack per round may be negated this way.

Plus you look ridiculous.

obnoxious
sig

[balistafreak]

The PC would possibly need to be 'trained as a mount'.

There is a -4 penalty for riding an animal ill-suited to being a mount.

Only one attack per round may be negated this way.

Plus you look ridiculous.

obnoxious
sig

Point-by-point:

There's always reason to learn something new. :smalltongue:

Define "ill-suited". A good saddle can make carrying anyone easy - just ask the porters in China who literally do this for a living, at least for small children. (Not joking - it's actually quite a comfortable ride, and one of my better childhood memories. There's no other way a six-year-old's going to keep up with a mountaineering tour group.) I'm pretty sure a small humanoid isn't that much of a burden compared to a human child.

It's not just one attack per round, it's one hit per round. That's much better than one attack, at least at levels where people aren't auto-hitting everything. That, and this hit can be something like a touch attack that normally would be near-impossible to prevent, because of the method of prevention - check beating the attack roll, not substituting as AC.

And I'd argue that you don't look ridiculous, but that you look like a total badass. Others might ride mounts, but you ride intelligent beings that fight just as well as you. :smallamused:

[The Rabbler]

so. custom saddle to fit on the shoulder body slot?

maybe 1,000 gp?

could be disguised as a large banner so I don't look completely rediculous.

[Irreverent Fool]

Actually, checking the Rules Compendium, I was wrong on a couple points...


If you attempt to ride a creature that is ill suited as a mount, you take a –5 penalty on your Ride checks. Riding a mount without a saddle also imposes a –5 penalty on your Ride checks.

Furthermore,


Typical riding maneuvers don’t require checks. You can saddle, mount, ride, and dismount from a mount without a problem.

So for those porters, these penalties don't matter. I've carried younger relatives on my shoulders with relative (pun) ease, though it did require the use of my hands. I still don't think you can argue that a human is a well-suited as a mount and I'd imagine most DMs would apply the -5 penalty unless the ridden PC has done this sort of thing frequently in the past (like those porters you mentioned). I'll admit that it doesn't define "ill-suited".


so. custom saddle to fit on the shoulder body slot?
maybe 1,000 gp?
could be disguised as a large banner so I don't look completely rediculous.

An exotic saddle is like a normal saddle of the same sort except that it is designed for an unusual mount. Exotic saddles come in military, pack, and riding styles.

An exotic military saddle costs 60gp according to the srd.

obnoxious
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[Optimystik]

I'm pretty sure there are rules for massive penalties to Ride checks (and additional penalities besides) when you go bareback.

Don't forget all the awkward looks around the campfire in the morning.

[absolmorph]

and I thought I was being original. silly me.

the idea was for our party's wizard to ride me and use his obscene ride check to make me un-hitable (while staying invisible).
Keep it family friendly, eh? :smallwink: I'm horrible.

Seriously, though, it's a hilarious idea, and an amusing use of the game mechanics, but it's kinda inconvenient.

[The Rabbler]

but it's kinda inconvenient.

how? the wizard gets to make me a better tank and I get to make the wizard perfectly defended. I mean, let's be serious, who would expect there to be an invisible wizard throwing around spells from on top of the meatsack?

[sonofzeal]

I mean, let's be serious, who would expect there to be an invisible wizard throwing around spells from on top of the meatsack?
Anyone with See Invisibility, Blindsight, Scent, Arcane Sight, or area attacks. For starters.

[Irreverent Fool]

Anyone with See Invisibility, Blindsight, Scent, Arcane Sight, or area attacks. For starters.

How would area attacks make them more likely to see something?

obnoxious
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[The Rabbler]

Anyone with See Invisibility, Blindsight, Scent, Arcane Sight, or area attacks. For starters.

I didn't say "who could do anything about it," I said "who would expect it".

the difference being that at our level (level 6) no one actually can do anything about it. and even at higher levels, if someone wants to attack the wizard, I'm right there to get in their way. white raven maneuvers help to defend the wizard and I still have all of my actions.

[Ormur]

If you're in the form of a boar I'd require an exotic saddle but perhaps but in D&D quadrupeds (that don't have back spikes or something) in general probably aren't unsuitable for being ridden.

However I'd separate ride checks into passive things like staying in saddle that are necessary whatever your mount is and active checks for controlling a mount. It you as a PC are willing to cede responsibility for the fight to the rider and trust him to direct you (which is what I imagine the ride as a substitute for AC represents) and train for that I'd allow it. But if you want to fight he'll also have to direct you to do it.

I think it makes more sense to think of you as two independent PC's, one of which happens to carry the other in battle to provide him with free movement.

[The Rabbler]

I think it makes more sense to think of you as two independent PC's, one of which happens to carry the other in battle to provide him with free movement.

I'm a human and the idea was that I'd wear some sort of altered saddle and he would ride me. I would still get my actions and he would still get his, with the only difference being that with a jerk of the reigns, he can pull me away from a blow. once per round.

that's how I think of it, at least.

[Dr Bwaa]

how? the wizard gets to make me a better tank and I get to make the wizard perfectly defended. I mean, let's be serious, who would expect there to be an invisible wizard throwing around spells from on top of the meatsack?

Do bear in mind that if he's "throwing around spells," he's almost certainly going to break his invisibility.