Rules: PC mounting another PC vs PC being carried

[Orc_Lord]

Rule wise how do you determine is a PC is mounting another PC vs a PC is being carried by another PC.

(Insert dirty joke here)

If I am a small race and I want a PC to carry me can they? What's the difference between being carried vs mounting someone?

Who controls the movement? Can both PCs take standard, reactions, bonus actions?

[NotPrior]

Rule wise how do you determine is a PC is mounting another PC vs a PC is being carried by another PC.

(Insert dirty joke here)

If I am a small race and I want a PC to carry me can they? What's the difference between being carried vs mounting someone?

Who controls the movement? Can both PCs take standard, reactions, bonus actions?

I'd assume mounting would require piggybacking.

Both PCs can take full actions and the lower PC controls the movement if the lower PC is under their own control, which they should be. If for some reason the upper PC took control somehow (normally that takes an animal handling check I believe, but I'm not sure that would even be appropriate when riding a centaur or minotaur) then they would dictate movement and the lower PC would not be able to do anything at all.

Are there any actual rules regarding a PC being carried as opposed to any other object being carried? Is there a reason that a PC would ever not want to be mounted in that situation?

[kamap]

*Dirty joke reference something to do with clothes on and less clothes.*

All depends on your DM.

For mounting I'm assuming you mean sitting in someones neck or in some sort of carrying thing.

I would rule that when your beeing carried in a kind of back pack and you are high enough so you can look over and aim a bow / crossbow / throw stuff, nothing much changes except for your movement speed (would be zero till you dismount) and you not controlling where to go unless the one you're "mounting" has to listen to you or ... so you control the movement.

If you're beeing carried by someone but he or she is using his or her hands for it, then you could still take actions but the one carrying has to drop you first before he or she can do something different then move or headbut or kick though with disadvantage. Again the movment and controlling would be the one doing the carrying if no special circumstances would lead to it beeing different.

[Temperjoke]

I visualize it as the difference in maintaining balance and control. Player A is riding on the shoulders of Player B. Is Player B doing anything to help hold Player A on, like holding their legs or waist? Then B gets to make the rolls regarding whether A falls or not. Same thing if B is physically carrying A. It also means that B can't take actions other than holding A.

On the other hand, if B is doing their normal actions, while A is trying to stay on their shoulders, that means that A is doing the rolls to maintain balance. This can be mitigated if there are straps, or a saddle, or if B's form lends itself to being ridden (such as B being in a horse form for example or *insert dirty joke about a desirable body*).

[Starman973]

For being mounted it is required that there be one size class difference between the two, while being carried, pulled or dragged does not. Let's say there are two PCs, and the first is in Melee with a goblin and the second PC stands behind the first PC. The Second PC can use their action to grab the first PC and pull him away from the Goblin. This is of course as long as this doesn't go over the strength limitations of the Second PC. This also denies the goblin an attack of opportunity because the movement of the first PC is not his own. (Or at least that is how my group is playing it.) It has been compared to misty stepping or Dimension Dooring away from a fight.
As For mounting someone who is not a Druid in a Beast shape this is fine outside of combat and their weight and the PC's strength into account. If you have a Gnome Paladin in Full plate, a Teifling with wings can not fly them around as the Gnome Paladin weighs too much for them. Their Wings have a restriction that they can't wear heavy armor and fly. Where as a Dwarf Rogue in light armor on the back of a Goliath could truly do a Master Blaster look there. As for Combat, the Dwarf looses his movement as long as he stays mounted, he can also choose to make an acrobatics check to dismount. Or just stay on the Goliath's shoulders shooting his crossbow.

[Zippdementia]

One example of this kind of mounting can be found in the totem goblins (the Batiri Goblins) in Tomb of Annihilation, who ride on each other's shoulders. The game book has some specific suggestions on how they can attack and what their limitations are.

Another thing to do is play around with is advantage and disadvantage. If the smaller creature wants to be carried by the larger, then maybe the larger becomes a bit of a meat shield for the smaller creature. That could play out like this:

The larger creature can dash or disengage on their turn but no other actions. The smaller creature takes initiative at the same time and cannot make move actions, but can make attacks and other actions. Any attack made against the smaller creature has disadvantage.

Another option is that the larger creature builds some sort of carrying device, like Hodor and Bran in Game of Thrones or the Ice Barbarians in Lone Wolf (https://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/03tcok/ill12.png). In this case, the larger creature can still act as normal on their turn, but attacks against him have advantage. The smaller creature can act as normal and attacks against him still have disadvantage.

[Erys]

Rule wise how do you determine is a PC is mounting another PC vs a PC is being carried by another PC.

(Insert dirty joke here)

If I am a small race and I want a PC to carry me can they? What's the difference between being carried vs mounting someone?

Who controls the movement? Can both PCs take standard, reactions, bonus actions?

The difference between Mounted and Carried is decided by who is in control.

Bottom person in control = top person is being Carried.
Top person in control = bottom person is the Mount.

Generally both characters get their turn and actions as usual; albeit with some penalties based on what they do. Technically they would have their own initiatives too; but, ultimately, its all DM discretion at this point, so your mileage may vary.

[Amdy_vill]

Rule wise how do you determine is a PC is mounting another PC vs a PC is being carried by another PC.

(Insert dirty joke here)

If I am a small race and I want a PC to carry me can they? What's the difference between being carried vs mounting someone?

Who controls the movement? Can both PCs take standard, reactions, bonus actions?

my dm ruled that it was the choice of the player carrying or being mounted. he chose ether he was being mounted or carrying the other pc. after that we both had all are actions but had to make checks when attack.

[Greywander]

I'd imagine carrying a creature would look a lot like grappling them, rules-wise. So, the grappled/carried creature's speed is reduced to 0 while the grappling/carrying creature can move them around. Mounting an intelligent creature is remarkably similar: the mount moves on its own initiative, while the creature on the mount can't move on their turn except to choose to dismount.

There are a couple of differences:
Grappling requires a free hand, mounting does not. Mounting does require "appropriate anatomy", whatever that means.
You can only mount a creature that is at least one size larger than you. You can only grapple a creature that is up to one size larger than you.
The speed of the grappling creature is halved unless the grappled creature is two or more sizes smaller. Mounts have no such restriction.
Forced movement (e.g. from Thunderwave) can move the grappled or grappling creature so that they are out of reach of the other, ending the grapple. While mounted, forced movement moves both mount and rider together, but you'll have to pass a DC 10 DEX save or fall off, landing prone within 5 feet of your mount.

The half speed while grappling is likely to be an issue, as is requiring a free hand, so finding a way to "mount" your party member seems like the better option. Your DM might be flexible at to what qualifies as "appropriate anatomy", but you'll almost certainly need a saddle (or harness) of some kind. On the other hand, the half speed while grappling might assume the target is resisting the grapple, so a willing creature being grappled might not reduce speed.