So, I bought an elephant...

[chainer1216]

I'm a lvl4 BM great weapon Fighter and our group came into a large amount of money, enough that I could buy fullplate and have enough to buy an elephant and get it chainmail barding.

...so I did.

I have handle animal so I've been spending all out my downtime training it, and when we get to 6th I plan on getting mounted combat but I have a few questions, specifically about the mounts size compared to my own.

How does my mounts size effect my ability to attack things from atop it? Am I considered to be in every space of the mount or do I keep track of where I am on it?

Do I need a reach weapon to even attempt to attack other things?

I saw the rule that says I can either control the mount or let it act on its own, when I control the mount can I still attack or does that use up my action?

Are there any other things I should consider about mounted combat?

[rhouck]

How does my mounts size effect my ability to attack things from atop it? Am I considered to be in every space of the mount or do I keep track of where I am on it?

You should be able to reach anything anything within 1 square of the area the mount "controls", two squares if you have a reach weapon. An elephant is a huge creature which means it "controls" a 3x3 grid (9 squares). Remember that's just the space it controls, not that it's actually 15' wide by 15' long. There are no rules against turning around within your space, so your mount should be able to turn within its area so as to let you attack any square you can reach.

Keep in mind that Medium or smaller enemies (i.e., two sizes smaller) can move through the elephant's space.


Do I need a reach weapon to even attempt to attack other things?

RAW, no. But ask your DM as he may rule that you are too high up for your longsword (etc.) to be of any use. If so, he might make a reach weapon only reach 1 square, rather than the usual two.


I saw the rule that says I can either control the mount or let it act on its own, when I control the mount can I still attack or does that use up my action?

Controlling your mount should not take your Action. The limitation on the actions available to the mount (to Dash, Disengage, and Dodge) prevent you from abusing the action economy (i.e, having the elephant make a stomp attack AND you making your normal attacks). You can let it act independently, and then you could both theoretically attack in the same round... but then you're really just along for the ride and at the mercy of what it does (i.e., what the DM determines, which is unlikely to be good!).

[ruy343]

Were I your DM, I would have you pick the square you were in on the elephant, and let you do attacks from there. I woudl let you occupy teh following squares

Front

* X *
X X X
* * *

Back

Where an X is occupy-able. Then, I would allow you to use reach weapons from those squares to any adjacent square beyond the elephant, since you would have to reach down quite a distance. All spaces would be safe from basic melee, and the middle square is safe from basic melee and reach melee.

Too complicated? perhaps.

[VoxRationis]

I'm not sure if there's a specific ruling hidden somewhere in the DM's Guide or something, but I'd say you'd definitely need some sort of reach weapon to do anything. Being able to cover a 5x5 square area with a regular sword would be silly, especially since you're already 6 feet or more in the air. War elephants usually have archers or spearmen on their backs, not swordsmen.

[Malifice]

Yeah I'd rule you need a pole-arm for sure (well - to attack anything M size and smaller on the ground).

Out of curiosity, where did you buy the elephant from?

[Paeleus]

Just get a bow and pink away. Use those weapon attack maneuvers and teach that elephant to swing a battle axe with its trunk. Congrats, you just became the badass of the battlefield. But then the party decides to go into a dungeon....

[chainer1216]

Out of curiosity, where did you buy the elephant from?

We had just escorted a group of this kingdoms elite cushion warmers from a newly burned down city to the capital city, known for its lavishness and decadence. I found an exotic pets dealer and inquired about an elephant and the guy said he "knew of a shipment coming in"

What this amounts to is my DM rolling d% and being surprised that there was in fact an elephant available.

Anyway, thanks for the help everybody, I'll talk to my DM about the RAW vs simulationist stuff and see what he says.

[Telok]

African or Asian elephant?

[Dhavaer]

African or Asian elephant?

And does it come with coconuts?

[BranMan]

African or Asian elephant?

Oh, yeah, an African swallow maybe, but not a European
swallow!

Sorry, I'll go :smalltongue:


ninja'd

[ThermalSlapShot]

Well while using mounted combat you don't really need to be sitting. You could totally move around while holding the reins and even be holding on and standing on the side of the elephant (leaning over to strike with a dagger or long sword).

[chainer1216]

I know lances no longer have the damage multiplier, but are they still treated as wielded in two hands when your mounted?

[ThermalSlapShot]

I know lances no longer have the damage multiplier, but are they still treated as wielded in two hands when your mounted?

No I don't think so.

[Inevitability]

I know lances no longer have the damage multiplier, but are they still treated as wielded in two hands when your mounted?

No. Instead, you need to be mounted if you want to wield them one-handed at all, now.


Just get a bow and pink away. Use those weapon attack maneuvers and teach that elephant to swing a battle axe with its trunk. Congrats, you just became the badass of the battlefield. But then the party decides to go into a dungeon....

So? Elephants can squeeze into 10x10 feet spaces, which isn't unusual for dungeon corridors. Bags of holding are also useful to carry it with you for up to ten minutes. And admit it, no one expects you to suddenly draw a giant animal from nowhere and have it wreck havoc on your foes.

[Paeleus]

So? Elephants can squeeze into 10x10 feet spaces, which isn't unusual for dungeon corridors. Bags of holding are also useful to carry it with you for up to ten minutes. And admit it, no one expects you to suddenly draw a giant animal from nowhere and have it wreck havoc on your foes.

My logic is that an elephants height would deter it from entering some dungeons. But I can also see a high dome ceiling environment. But can you fit a 2 ton elephant through a small hole?

[VoxRationis]

Yeah, it's not going to be the corridors (depending on ceiling height), but rather the doors. Most doors are rather narrower and lower than an elephant can squeeze through.

[Dimolyth]

I have another question about this topic.

How can Mounted Combat ability "to take a hit instead of your mount" will work on huge mount, when the rider is out of the reach of the attacker?

[caden_varn]

Slice the rider thinly & wrap him round the vulnerable parts of the elephant?

[KorvinStarmast]

Slice the rider thinly & wrap him round the vulnerable parts of the elephant? Don't forget the chipotle sauce.

[Chronos]

Quoth Vox Rationalis:

Yeah, it's not going to be the corridors (depending on ceiling height), but rather the doors. Most doors are rather narrower and lower than an elephant can squeeze through.
I've never yet seen a door that an elephant couldn't fit through. Though it's more about the door squeezing than the elephant...

[PoeticDwarf]

I have another question about this topic.

How can Mounted Combat ability "to take a hit instead of your mount" will work on huge mount, when the rider is out of the reach of the attacker?

You take the hit instead of your mount, so you take the hit, and if you take the hit, you get damage.

[TheTeaMustFlow]

You take the hit instead of your mount, so you take the hit, and if you take the hit, you get damage.

I think we get that bit. The problem is with the rider on top of an elephant somehow taking the hit from the guy stabbing the elephant's foot with a dagger.

[caden_varn]

Or you attach yourself to the elephant with bungy cords, and when you see someone about to stab Nellie, you leap in the way, taking the blow yourself, then ping back into the saddle (do you use a saddle on an elephant?). Also allows you to attack targets on the group with short weapons while staying (kinda) mounted.

This might annoy the elephant, of course...

Otherwise, train the elephant to pick up the enemy with it's trunk and lift it up so you can easily stab each other?

[Knaight]

There isn't a lot established in the rules for this. As such, my recommendations as a GM:

On the Mounted Combat feat: If you're interpreting HP as luck and such, keep it as is. Otherwise, restrict it to enemies that could realistically reach you.
On reach: I'd reduce your weapon reach by 5 feet, while considering you in all of the Elephant's space. The exception here is against Large+ bipedal or Huge+ nonbipedal creatures, in which case you get your full reach. If the giant is 15 feet tall, you can hit it with a sword from an elephant.