Handle Animal Questions

[MukkTB]

I have recently been handling multiple animals in combat. I've been doing pretty well but I want to make sure I'm playing right and not cheating. As such I have some questions about RAW. I'd like solid RAW more than RIA or DM interpretation. If you think RAW is unclear, I'd like to know that too.

#1 Handling an animal is a move action. I have all my animals trained to respond to the attack command. Lets say the command is me pointing at something and shouting "attack," and its the same for each animal. Does it take a move action to command them all to attack, or a move action per handled animal?

#2 Am I allowed to use multiple tricks in conjunction? For example can I have the animal trained to defend, and then order it to sneak? The goal would be for the animal to then spend its time stealthing near me and popping out to attack things that came after me.

#3 How do animals effect experience distribution? Do they get a share of XP in combats they contributed in? How about mounts?

#4 I have both ride and handle animal as skills, and I'm riding a trained mount. Can I use handle animal to direct it to do tricks it knows, or do I have to use the ride skill?

[RustyArmor]

At the very least this is my take on it. Doesn't reflect any true ruling.

1. It would be a move action for one animal each time. Mostly for the very sake of someone not having a legion of 1000 animals and doing such tactic.

2. Think due to its intelligence it would only be able to understand one trick at a time.

3. As summons, familiars, animal companions it is considered a tool and would not take away xp. Though if such a large number some DMs might.

4. Tricks is tricks. Riding skill would be you staying on during such tricks.

[jedipotter]

1. RAW Handle Animal is a move action that effects one animal. So you can only effect one animal per action.

2. No, but maybe. By RAW you must command the animal, by a skill check, each time you want it to change what it is doing. If the animal knows 'Defend' then it will defend even without any command being given, so that makes it automatic. So animal that you commanded to 'Heel" would automatically defend you, unless you use an action to stop the animal.

Sneak, by Pathfinder RAW, says the animal will stay hidden and to continue using Stealth even when circumstances or its natural instincts would normally cause it to abandon secrecy. So the animal has to be commanded to stop using the 'Sneak' and won't 'Defend' while it is sneaking.

3. Animals get no XP. By RAW, only characters gain experience points.

4. All most everything in the Ride skill is for the character, not the mount. You can make a Ride check to direct a Combat-Trained Mount as a free action, but by RAW the only way to direct an animal is by using the Handel Animal skill. But the Ride check does let you use handle animal as a free action, but only to command the animal to use the 'attack' trick. Any other trick is a move action as normal.