Mounted Combat

[DireSickFish]

One of my players recently got a Allasaurus mount and I realized that I have no idea how mounted combat works this edition. Can he use it to make attacks on his turn? Would that take an action? Does he get a benefit besides movement speed from riding it?

[silveralen]

One of my players recently got a Allasaurus mount and I realized that I have no idea how mounted combat works this edition. Can he use it to make attacks on his turn? Would that take an action? Does he get a benefit besides movement speed from riding it?

By RAW it is either a controlled or independent mount.

Controlled means it acts on the same initiative as the rider, can move as normal, and can only dash, disengage, and dodge for its action. This is for an animal trained as a mount.

The other type of mount is independent. This type has its own initiative, can take any action it wants, and isn't under the rider's direct control. This is for someone trying to ride a wild animal or an intelligent animal. Logically the DM would handle the creature's actions.

That's all there is by RAW.

Possible rulings: If he wanted to order a controlled animal to attack, you could rule he uses an action to take a animal handling skill check. That basically fits the "make a check to control your animal when making a risky maneuver" bit from the section on ability checks. Or you could rule that he can always give up his action to have his controlled animal attack, and allow the possibility of a free attack with an animal handling check (the downside being the animal gets no action other than a standard move if he fails, or something else appropriate.

I only mention those because someone with an allosaurus mount is unlikely to enjoy being forced to choose between an uncontrollable mount and one that can't attack.