Could someone walk me through mounted combat step by step?

[RoboEmperor]

I'm having real trouble understanding it. I want to ride on the shoulder of a greater stone golem and fight.

So... how does this work? I want to cast full round spells while the golem charges in and smashes things.

d20srd just assumes you're riding a war horse or a coward horse.

[ericgrau]

I think you'd treat him like a war horse.
Ride (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/ride.htm). Except if you can communicate with him verbally I don't think you need "guide with knees". You can have both hands free and still tell him to go to such and such place. The main obstacle is the concentration check. See casting spells while mounted in this section: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#mountedCombat
DC 10 + spell level on a double move. DC 15 + spell level if it runs (4x its speed). At level 10 you should have around a +15 in concentration which is reliable up to 6th level spells on a double move. You shouldn't have any problem auto-passing the check. There are no nat 1s on skill checks.

You should at least have a +4 in ride to auto-pass the basic ride checks like taking damage without falling off. If it dies you'll have to roll a check for soft fall. If you want a quick +4 AC from cover, make a DC 15 ride check in response to an attack. This represents you ducking behind the golem. If you want to hop on/off him as a free action, make a DC 20 ride check. But you can only do this when you have a move action available and if the golem is no bigger than large size. If you fail it merely eats your move action to mount as normal. I don't think the other ride checks really apply to a golem.

[RoboEmperor]

I want the golem to smash. Is there any check if it moves and attacks while I'm on it?

Also, how would initiative work? Does he and I act same turn using my initiative? So basically I'm a guy with 1 move action and 2 standard actions. Or 1move, 1 standard, 1 fullround (me). Is this right?

[ericgrau]

I don't think there's a check to have him attack. Just tell him to attack. Mounts act on your initiative (2nd paragraph): http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#mountedCombat .

Your golem gets a full turn and you get a full turn. The mounted combat rules seem to imply that if the mount double moves you cast your spell after the mount's first move and before his second move. Because moving twice his speed before or after casting isn't given as an option. Likewise if he runs you cast halfway through the run. So it would look like:

1. Golem charges
2. Halfway through the movement you make a DC 10 + spell level concentration check and when you pass it (often even if you roll a 1, if your concentration is high enough), then you cast your spell.
3. Golem finishes his charge and does his attack.
4. If your spell is not a full round action then you can use your move action now, or before or between any of the above steps. Not actual movement since you're sitting on the golem, but other move actions.

[DEMON]

I want the golem to smash. Is there any check if it moves and attacks while I'm on it?

I'd say this applies:


Fight with Warhorse

If you direct your war-trained mount to attack in battle, you can still make your own attack or attacks normally. This usage is a free action.

The title of the skill usage says "warhorse", but as the text indicates, this should apply to any "war-trained" mount.

[RoboEmperor]

Alright! So if I'm on my mount, and have sufficient ride checks, my actions per round doubles. Thanks!

It seems you don't need the concentration check if the golem doesn't double move or charge.

Doesn't seem like I need ride except the +4 you recommended. It's actually +9 since golems don't have saddles. Greater heroism will get rid of +4, gloves of dexterity with 8 dex with give me +2, so I only need +3. Unless I can argue you can put a saddle on the golem's head, shoulder, or neck.

edit: Fight with warhorse is a DC10, which increases do DC15 because of the no saddle. Damn, I guess I will need to invest in ride quite a bit since it's a cross class skill.

[ericgrau]

Correct if the golem single moves you don't need a concentration check. But it is an easy check.

You get double the actions per round if you mean you get a full set of golem actions and a full set of wizard actions. Your wizard doesn't actually get more actions.

You could ask your DM about a custom harness to work as a saddle. Perhaps a basket-backpack you can stand in, or a supported seat strapped to its back. Like a warcraft 3 goblin alchemist.

Ask your DM about fight with warhorse. I think it refers to using a melee weapon, or possibly a weapon-like melee touch . I don't see why other spells would. See:
http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050201a . "Fight Along with Your Mount" section.
http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050208a . "Melee attack" and "casting a spell" sections.

[RoboEmperor]

Thanks for the links. It answered an additional question of mine, which is, if I fail the check, can I forfeit my attack so my mount can use its attack. Answer is yes. Successful check means both can attack, failed means only one attacks.

edit: Ahhhh! Creatures ill-suited for a mount confers an additional -5 penalty. T_T