Reduced gnome wizard riding his owl familiar.

[Blas_de_Lezo]

So, a 3rd level gnome wizard with Find Familiar and Enlarge/Reduce, reduces himself to Tiny size. Now he's 1,5' tall or less and weights 5 pounds. Could he ride his Falcon/Owl familiar? I can't find anywhere in PHB stating that you can't. I can't find neither that you must ride creatures one size greater than you (also, mule is stated as a mount and it's medium sized, so medium side characters can ride it with no problem at all).

Am I missing something or this is completely legal?

[Strangways]

So, a 3rd level gnome wizard with Find Familiar and Enlarge/Reduce, reduces himself to Tiny size. Now he's 1,5' tall or less and weights 5 pounds. Could he ride his Falcon/Owl familiar? I can't find anywhere in PHB stating that you can't. I can't find neither that you must ride creatures one size greater than you (also, mule is stated as a mount and it's medium sized, so medium side characters can ride it with no problem at all).

Am I missing something or this is completely legal?

I doubt he could ride on it but the owl should be able to carry the gnome in its talons. An owl has a strength of 3, for a carrying capacity of 45 lbs, halved for being tiny size, or 22.5 pounds (which strikes me as a bit high for an owl, but that’s RAW). So a 5 pound, reduced size gnome is well within the owl’s carrying capacity. If the gnome wants to burn a Level 2 spell slot so his owl can carry him for 1 minute (the duration of the spell) I don’t see a problem with that. It would be a creative way to get out of a problem, like being stuck at the bottom of a ravine.

[Easy_Lee]

You can ride anything with proper anatomy as long as you can find or fashion an exotic saddle for it. Mechanically, this will work. It's thus up to the DM whether it will be allowed.

[Blas_de_Lezo]

In any case, I suppose it could be a sorcerer instead of a wizard, and with twin spell metamagic, you could both enlarge your familiar to small and decrease your size to tiny, this way there would be no problem at all.

[Eunostus]

To ride a mount, you need to be one size smaller than it. An owl is size Tiny, as is your character when Reduced, so RAW you can't ride it.

[Temperjoke]

To ride a mount, you need to be one size smaller than it. An owl is size Tiny, as is your character when Reduced, so RAW you can't ride it.

Do you know where this rule is? I've been looking for it and I can't seem to locate it.

[Millstone85]

Do you know where this rule is? I've been looking for it and I can't seem to locate it.Here it is.
A willing creature that is at least one size larger than you and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount, using the following rules.

[Temperjoke]

Here it is.

Thank you! It's been driving me nuts looking for it because I knew I had read it somewhere, but I couldn't remember where, and I was starting to think I had imagined it.

[Strangways]

To ride a mount, you need to be one size smaller than it. An owl is size Tiny, as is your character when Reduced, so RAW you can't ride it.

But it wouldn’t stop the familiar from carrying the gnome, in the same way that one medium sized creature could carry another one, assuming strength requirements are met.

[Easy_Lee]

Ah, I thought owls were size small, not tiny. There are other flying creatures you might be able to use, but I don't think any are familiars.

[LtPowers]

But it wouldn’t stop the familiar from carrying the gnome, in the same way that one medium sized creature could carry another one, assuming strength requirements are met.

True; I suppose the difference is which creature is in control.


Powers &8^]

[Blas_de_Lezo]

Here it is.

Nice, so plan B: Gnome Sorcerer with Enlarge/Reduce and Twin Spell can reduce himself to tiny and enlarge the owl to medium, and so ride it. Taking Mounted Combat seems as fun as hell... You can now redirect attacks from your familiar to you (and cancel them with Shield), while you rain death from above... A tiny laughing enemy as dangerous as the biggest one.

[Basement Cat]

But it wouldn’t stop the familiar from carrying the gnome, in the same way that one medium sized creature could carry another one, assuming strength requirements are met.

Strangely enough it wouldn't necessarily be a problem. In the real world predator birds attack large prey and carry them off.

My sister knew a woman who's Chihuahau was attacked in her back yard and carried off by a falcon. My sister recalls trying to console the woman (who was in tears) while striving to refrain from laughing at the bizarre event.

I've heard similar stories of Chihuahuas being attacked and carried off by vultures and eagles and falcons, etc.

Still, the owl would do better to carry the gnome than serve as a steed.

[Khrysaes]

Nice, so plan B: Gnome Sorcerer with Enlarge/Reduce and Twin Spell can reduce himself to tiny and enlarge the owl to medium, and so ride it. Taking Mounted Combat seems as fun as hell... You can now redirect attacks from your familiar to you (and cancel them with Shield), while you rain death from above... A tiny laughing enemy as dangerous as the biggest one.

First, Is this an African or a European owl? And how does it handle coconuts?

Second, dont forget the concentration requirement and max duration of enlarge. Wouldnt want you to spontaneously grow, and your owl shrink) and you squish it from the landing.