Riding an Ice Mephit Familar? Possible?

[Swiftest]

Is there any reason why a gnome wizard with the improved familiar feat, permanent reduce person cast on himself, and an ice mephit familiar couldn't ride the mephit as a mount? I see that an ice mephit is of type outsider but the picture in the mm has them as humanoid-ish ... could one still be used as a mount since it would be one size category larger than it's rider?

edit: if anything I think this question would reference 'riding an ill suited mount' as per the description in the ride skill, which would mean a -5 to ride checks associated with riding this mount.

[Ravens_cry]

If it's at least one size smaller then you, you sure can.
However, you are going to have to eat a -5 penalty on ride checks for an ill-suited mount.

[Snake-Aes]

That's pretty much it. You'll buy a custom saddle and eat that -5 penalty. Check with the dm how you'll guide it, since it has an intelligence much greater than an animal's

[Darrin]

Is there any reason why a gnome wizard with the improved familiar feat, permanent reduce person cast on himself, and an ice mephit familiar couldn't ride the mephit as a mount?

Try a kobold instead. Their "Sleight Build (Ex)" allows them to be treated as one size smaller in certain situations.

[LibraryOgre]

At a certain point, you're not "riding", they're "carrying".

[Coidzor]

Try a kobold instead. Their "Sleight Build (Ex)" allows them to be treated as one size smaller in certain situations.

Wait... that means a kobold can ride a gnome.

[Ravens_cry]

At a certain point, you're not "riding", they're "carrying".

Google "shoulder ride."
That's how I imagine it anyway.