Rules of Mounted Combat?

[Gale]

I'm currently in the process of helping a friend make a Knight character for a campaign I'm running but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the rules for mounted combat. I've read them enough to have some understanding on how it works but I'm still not entirely sure I grasp everything. If someone wouldn't mind explaining it to me it would be greatly appreciated.
I've also been hearing about how it's better to play a Small sized race when making a mounted combat build. Why is that the case? I understand a Large mount would take up more space but is it actually that much of a hindrance or is it simply that Medium sized mounts are better?

[Vhaidara]

Small is better because Medium mounts are easier to bring into dungeons. Horses have problems with medium sized doorways.

Also, riding dogs are better than horses (trip on hit). And Halfling Outrider can let you progress a mount as both an animal companion and a special mount, if you combine Paladin and Ranger (preferably the Prestige variants of both)

[Urpriest]

What particular things about Mounted Combat are confusing you? There are some pretty knotty semantic issues hiding out in those rules, but there are also some bits that confuse some people but others find more straightforward. What in particular do you want to know about?

In terms of Large mounts, they can squeeze through Medium doorways, but generally the penalties for squeezing are bad enough that you don't want to do it in combat, so often a Small character (and Medium mount) is a better choice.

[Vogonjeltz]

Mounted Combat Basics:
Noncombat Steeds require a Ride check to control in combat (which is a move action). As a general rule, avoid using non-combat Steeds in combat situations unless you absolutely have to. (DC 20 ride check)
Combat Steeds require no check.
Mounts uses its own action to move, so it's usually no big deal unless you need to do some full-round actions.

If your hands are full you need a DC 5 ride check to guide with your knees (free action). This applies to both Combat and Noncombat steeds.

Melee, Ranged, Casting:
These are restricted based on how much your mount moves.
Melee: >5 ft move = 1 attack.
Ranged: Penalty to hit for more than single move, done at half-way mark of ultimate movement.
Casting: Like Ranged, but replace attack penalties with Concentration Checks.

Key skills: Ride, Concentration (spellcasting), Handle Animal (training).

Important Ride checks:
Guide with Knees: DC 5
Stay in Saddle: DC 5
Fight with Warhorse: DC 10 (Both you and a combat mount can fight)
Cover: DC 15
Soft Fall: DC 15
Leap: DC 15 (This is critical if you want to charge past simple barriers, like fences, stumps, whatever).
Spur Mount: DC 15
Control Mount in Battle: DC 20 (applies only to non-combat mounts....this is why you don't use non-combat mounts).
Fast Mount or Dismount: DC 20 (Congratulations, if you can make this at will, you are now Zorro.)

Mounted Combat feat: DC = Opponents Attack roll (Mundane mounts don't have alot of HP, so this can be critical for their survival against dangerous enemies)

Special Attacks: Charge and Trample
Charge: Functions normally as a charge, with both you and the mount receiving benefits and penalties (Ride-By Attack feat makes it more important that you line up correctly, so that you can continue the charge after hitting your opponent).
Trample: This is the overrun special attack, but it is your mount making the strength check, not you. (Trample feat means enemies can't just side-step your mount).

Mounts are generally outdoors things:

Unlike a horse, a donkey or a mule is willing (though not eager) to enter dungeons and other strange or threatening places.

If you want the Horse to go somewhere strange or threatening, you'd need to use Handle Animal to push them. (DC 25)

[Doug Lampert]

Mounts are generally outdoors things:
False. HORSES and their variants are generally outdoor things.

A small rider on a riding dog can go anywhere a human can other than a ladder, and need not push or squeeze his mount to do so.

[Gale]

What particular things about Mounted Combat are confusing you?

One thing I don't quite understand is the rules for the mount attacking. From what I've gathered they can attack with you on your turn assuming you don't take a move action, right? If this is true are their any limits on how much the mount can attack or is it the same as if they weren't mounted at all?

[Vogonjeltz]

False. HORSES and their variants are generally outdoor things.

A small rider on a riding dog can go anywhere a human can other than a ladder, and need not push or squeeze his mount to do so.

Riding dogs make up a tiny minority of all mounts (small riders making up a minority of the total game population).

So no, my statement was true.


One thing I don't quite understand is the rules for the mount attacking. From what I've gathered they can attack with you on your turn assuming you don't take a move action, right? If this is true are their any limits on how much the mount can attack or is it the same as if they weren't mounted at all?

They can act as a character, if they attack you must make a ride check to also attack (in the list above)

[Urpriest]

One thing I don't quite understand is the rules for the mount attacking. From what I've gathered they can attack with you on your turn assuming you don't take a move action, right? If this is true are their any limits on how much the mount can attack or is it the same as if they weren't mounted at all?

As Vogonjeltz says below, your mount gets its full set of actions. The best way to think of it is that you and your mount both get your full complement of actions on the same turn, but your actions are restricted based on the speed your mount moves.


Riding dogs make up a tiny minority of all mounts (small riders making up a minority of the total game population).


But a majority of mounts used by mounted characters in dungeons, naturally.

[Vogonjeltz]

As Vogonjeltz says below, your mount gets its full set of actions. The best way to think of it is that you and your mount both get your full complement of actions on the same turn, but your actions are restricted based on the speed your mount moves.



But a majority of mounts used by mounted characters in dungeons, naturally.

Natch :p

I don't really like halflings myself, but it wouldn't surprise me

[Urpriest]

Natch :p

I don't really like halflings myself, but it wouldn't surprise me

Gnomes too, really. Lots of reason to engage in mounted combat underground.

[Vhaidara]

Hey, kobolds ride Dire Weasels. That alone is reason enough for me to want to run a mounted kobold.