Mounted Combat: how to?

[The Shadowdove]

Hey guys/gals,

I am using a mounted npc as a boss tonight and was hoping you'd help me make sure I am doing it right.

would you mind walking me through a round as a mounted combatant with the mounted combat feat?

Typical level 5 champion fighter with a lance, shield, +2 1 handed damage, and a warhorse.

It's in a forest clearing as well. No uneven ground/rough terrain.

Does he get 'both' attacks?


Thanks a bunch!

-Dove

[The Shadowdove]

Do Mobile and mounted combatant sync ?

[GiantOctopodes]

There are two different types of mounts, with wholly separate rules and characteristics for them. The relevant rules are on page 198.

"Controlled" mounts- these are creatures with minimal intelligence scores (typically 3 or less). Their initiative changes to match your own, and they move as you direct them, choosing from "dodge" "dash" or "disengage" for their action.
Independent mounts- these are creatures with normal intelligence scores (typically 7 or more). They act on their own, following their own whims and wishes. Typically they remain under DM control. They act on their own turn, and take actions as they deem appropriate. As with any other intelligent creature, you can communicate with them and tell them your desires and plans (assuming you share a language or possess some other means of communicating) but barring magical compulsion they'll take the actions they deem are appropriate, which may or may not fall in line with your wishes.

If you have a mount with an intelligence score of, for example, 5, talk with your DM regarding whether your mount is domesticated and controlled or independent.

In terms of Mounted Combatant:
This does not change anything in terms of how you interact with your mount. It grants 3 effects, wholly separate from the above rules.
1) Advantage on all creatures unmounted and smaller than your mount. This has nothing to do with height, and applies to flying creatures as well. Also note that your mount must be at least one size category larger than you. If you are a stereotypical halfling riding an elephant, you have advantage on Giant Bats, and any other Large or smaller creatures.
2) You can force an attack targeting your mount to target you instead. Note that this can be any kind of attack (weapon attack or spell attack) and you can use reactions which affect attacks which target you (for example, the Illusionist's Illusory Self) as normal. Their attack is then against you, being resolved as normal.
3) Your mount gains evasion, taking half damage on a failed save, and no damage on a successful save, against effects which require a dex save.

So, an example turn sequence for both types of mount:

Controlled mount.
Your mount is a warhorse. It got a 18 initiative result. You got a 13.
On its turn: It has been trained to run to you when combat starts. It begins by running directly towards you. An enemy happens to be in its way, so it gets trampled using the Warhorse's trampling charge, resulting in it being knocked prone, and thus a bonus action attack against it as well. The warhorse spends the remainder of its movement getting very close to you.
On your turn: You move to it and mount it. Its initiative changes to match your own. It can act, even on the turn you mount it, and as such, you ride 60' straight at an enemy. The warhorse has moved more than 20', but cannot use its action to attack, so you cannot use trampling charge. You, however, attack the creature, and since it is medium, you have advantage on the attack.
On the enemy's turn: It attacks you. It gets to choose whether it's attacking the warhorse or you. It attacks the Warhorse, rightly suspecting the Warhorse will be easier to take down, and you'll be far less dangerous on the ground. *If* you have the mounted combatant feat, you can force it to attack you instead.
On subsequent turns: The warhorse moves as you direct it, and uses its action to dash, disengage, or dodge, as you direct it. Its movement occurs on your turn, and they are effectively simultaneous (you can attack while the mount is moving and split your attacks between various points in the mounts movement, etc). You are "synced up".

Independent mount.
Your mount is a Giant Eagle. It has an initiative of 7. You have a 13.
On your turn: You go to the Eagle and mount it. You cast speak with animals so you have a means of communicating with it. There is nothing else you can do but wait for it to go.
On its turn: It acts as normal. It chooses to fly up to a creature and use multiattack, damaging the creature but not killing it. As it flies away, it draws an opportunity attack. *If* you have the mounted combatant feat, you can choose to have the opportunity attack instead target you.
On subsequent turns: You take your turn as normal, keeping in mind that you are on a stationary Giant Eagle, likely in the air, while doing so. If you are a melee combatant, you can choose to "ready" your action to attack a creature when you are in range, using your action to "ready" and your reaction to attack as normal (and thus denying you your reaction to use for other purposes). You can talk with the mount, and it may or may not choose to do what you've indicated when its turn comes up. It takes its full range of movement, actions, bonus actions, reactions, or whatever else it gets as normal for an NPC.

Just think of it this way: How would it normally work if my Druid buddy turned into a Horse or whatever, and I mounted him? That's the way it works for an independent mount. I hope that helps!

[PoeticDwarf]

Hey guys/gals,

I am using a mounted npc as a boss tonight and was hoping you'd help me make sure I am doing it right.

would you mind walking me through a round as a mounted combatant with the mounted combat feat?

Typical level 5 champion fighter with a lance, shield, +2 1 handed damage, and a warhorse.

It's in a forest clearing as well. No uneven ground/rough terrain.

Does he get 'both' attacks?


Thanks a bunch!

-Dove

Beastmaster with constricter snake? Or just an halfling with a panther.

[Dimcair]

there is also the complicated question of whether disengaging on a horse takes your action or not. And if not, can you disengage your horse to attack another target... etc. It is confusing

[The Shadowdove]

It doesn't say you use your action to tell your mount to do one if its allowed actions.

So I think it's okay to have it disengage then go to attack someone else. I also think they'd still get an attack of opportunity against the rider, who didn't disengage.



If you don't tell your mount to disengage, but rather to charge or dash... While having both mobile and mounted combatant feats

When you moved from the person you're attacking and they attack of opportunity the mount, your feat allows you to have it target you instead ... But since you can't be targeted by people you've attacked,...

Does the attack get nullified???

[GiantOctopodes]

It doesn't say you use your action to tell your mount to do one if its allowed actions.

So I think it's okay to have it disengage then go to attack someone else. I also think they'd still get an attack of opportunity against the rider, who didn't disengage.



If you don't tell your mount to disengage, but rather to charge or dash... While having both mobile and mounted combatant feats

When you moved from the person you're attacking and they attack of opportunity the mount, your feat allows you to have it target you instead ... But since you can't be targeted by people you've attacked,...

Does the attack get nullified???

Correct, the mount using its action to disengage does not take your action whatsoever.

Mobile doesn't prevent them from targeting you, it just makes it so you don't generate them. By RAW, if the horse *does* generate an AoO, and you choose to take the hit, it would be resolved against you normally.

[The Shadowdove]

Correct, the mount using its action to disengage does not take your action whatsoever.

Mobile doesn't prevent them from targeting you, it just makes it so you don't generate them. By RAW, if the horse *does* generate an AoO, and you choose to take the hit, it would be resolved against you normally.

Cool, thanks!