Ways to fluff a piggyback character?

[ftafp]

This might be an odd one. I'm working on a build for a small character who protects larger allies using Mounted Combatant by piggybacking on them, but finding a type of character that people would want to give a piggyback to is kind of rough. Kobolds, Goblins, Halflings and Gnomes would be kind of weird to carry around and most people wouldn't stand for it. Grung seem a bit more believable, except they're poisonous to the touch. Custom origins offer more options, but the question is what?

[Sigreid]

The bigger challenge is finding someone to agree to be a beast of burden at all.

[ftafp]

The bigger challenge is finding someone to agree to be a beast of burden at all.

That's the thing. How do you make a character people won't mind hopping on their back?

Another problem is that other players aren't a controlled mount, so the piggybacker is constrained to their movement.

One possible option that averts the other two issues is if you make an agile character who jumps onto allies shoulders in the middle of combat as a tagteam maneuver and can hop off or teleport off as needed to back up another ally.

[Sigreid]

That's the thing. How do you make a character people won't mind hopping on their back?

Another problem is that other players aren't a controlled mount, so the piggybacker is constrained to their movement.

One possible option that averts the other two issues is if you make an agile character who jumps onto allies shoulders in the middle of combat as a tagteam maneuver and can hop off or teleport off as needed to back up another ally.

The only thing you can do is find someone who already wants to do it. I think most people would be a hard pass, even with the potential perks from exploiting the Mounted Combat feat.

[ftafp]

The only thing you can do is find someone who already wants to do it. I think most people would be a hard pass, even with the potential perks from exploiting the Mounted Combat feat.

I think context is key here. Nobody wants a weird little man climbing on their back which rules out most of the standard small races, but I could imagine for example using the custom origins to play a small bird aarakocra might be a different situation.

Try imagining a hawk landing on your shoulder in the middle of battle and stabbing the guy who just swung an axe at you. That's a bit less weird and a lot more dignified

[Sigreid]

Sorry, I got nothing for you as it wouldn't appeal to me. Good luck though.

[Rynjin]

Play a Halfling, and fluff it as a small child. Works best as a spellcaster.

I made a character in Pathfinder with a similar theme; they were a Halfling with an alternate racial trait that allowed them to impersonate a doll. Combined with class features, they were able to cast spells and affect people while making it seem like someone else was doing the work, so I grabbed Leadership for a character to be my legs and the character everybody would see. Sadly never got to play it, but maybe the outline of the idea will help. Does a Leadership or equivalent (or maybe just a hireling) exist in 5e?

[JackPhoenix]

Too bad warforged scout didn't made it to 5e. A construct would propably be easier sell than anything living.

[Hand_of_Vecna]

"Hey dude, let's play MasterBlaster."

Another option would be convincing someone to play a Centaur. Obviously a by default wont consent to being mounted in combat, but you could make characters that have already been through a process of arguing over this and coming to mutual respect. Have them only mount up for combat or dungeon crawls. The Ridee isn't a beast of burden have a horse maybe even two horses for overland travel. This has historical parallels with wealthy warriors traveling with a horse for combat, a horse for riding, and a horse for gear to keep their combat horse fresh.

[Falconcry]

Macaroni Samsonite comes to mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVu_Ib1fpVI&feature=share

[Talionis]

Stat the carrying person like a warhorse. Treat this person like a mount. We’ve all seen halflings ride mastiffs in an entire campaign. You can give the carrier a personality so long as mechanically you treat him like a warhorse or mastiff it will be fine. You just may need to be a half caster.