MOUNTS! - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 gamersgambit Jun 23, 2009 13:12:21	With the new rules on Mounts in the CG1.9, having looked over the mount stuff (and wanting a nice hippogriff or griffon), I discover that the rules on how mounts work leave out a bunch of stuff, so here are some questions. MOUNTS: * Mounts and riders normally share one set of actions. Does this only occur when the character is riding the mount? (i.e. can you have a mount attack, move, etc on its own without a rider, if the mount's owner gives its action to that?) * Is there a general rule regarding whether or not intelligent mounts shall be allowed their own sets of actions? (DMG p46 sez, "You can allow the PCs and the creatures they ride to get their own sets of actions, especially if a character rides a powerful, intelligent monster such as a dragon.") If you allow same, then: If a party has a mount (or multiple mounts) at the party's level-2 or higher, should encounters be adjusted as mentioned in the DMG to account for the presence of the mount? (Adding more creatures, reducing XP awards, or both) DMG pg. 46: "If you do this, add an additional XP value of monsters to the encounter equal to the mount's XP value. When granting the PCs experience, subtract these "bonus" monsters from the XP total."
#2 AxeMurder0 Jun 23, 2009 16:54:34	My LFR experiences with Mounts: For simplicity's sake we've been having mounts pretty much do nothing while not mounted by PCs. Been mentioning to GMs about the possible scaling due to the awesome brokenness of the Riding Lizard and most GMs have scaled the encounters up to 5 players if there are only 4 of us, but I suspect some of that is do to laziness about scaling the adventure at all.
#3 Keith53 Jun 23, 2009 18:47:25	Seems to me if LFR is going to allow PCs to fight separately from their mounts, we would have to have scaling up to 6 PCs with mounts. This could make the scaling really painful. I am not aware of any discussion for that, but I don't know the official answer. (I could see it in something like the D&D Challenge.) Keith
#4 Dragon9 Jun 23, 2009 22:04:58	MOUNTS: * Mounts and riders normally share one set of actions. Does this only occur when the character is riding the mount? (i.e. can you have a mount attack, move, etc on its own without a rider, if the mount's owner gives its action to that?) * Is there a general rule regarding whether or not intelligent mounts shall be allowed their own sets of actions? (DMG p46 sez, "You can allow the PCs and the creatures they ride to get their own sets of actions, especially if a character rides a powerful, intelligent monster such as a dragon.") The answer to both are No. PCs work differently. That enemy riding a wyvern has both creatures XP values in the encounter so they get full actions. As players, your mount is part of you. Like a piece of equipment. So even if yo are off your mount you still share actions (the same as animal companions, summoned creatures, etc.). If the mount was going to have its own set of actions, it would have to be figured in as another member of the party requiring you to scale encounters up to account for the extra party member.
#5 SYB Jun 27, 2009 8:04:34	There is a simple way to look at it. A mount not currently being ridden by a PC is a monster. The DM controls all monster stats. So, if the PC is riding the mount, then the player does not control the mount actions, the DM does. I can have fun with that. :D -SYB
#6 Dragon9 Jun 28, 2009 10:16:02	Situation 1 Player: I dismount. DM: As soon as you dismount and your mount realizes you are not controlling it, it mauls you in retaliation for months of oppression. Situation 2 Player: I dismount. DM: Without you controlling it and keeping it calm, the mount panics and runs away. Player:... (later in the session, the players find themselves in an outdoors combat encounter) Player: I attack the Orc... and hit for 15 damage. DM: As you fell the Orc, your passive perception is high enough to notice off int he distance... your horse. It's still running. It doesn't seem to have a destination... it's just running Player: ...
#7 kinevon Jun 29, 2009 1:26:34	Situation 2 Player: I dismount. DM: Without you controlling it and keeping it calm, the mount panics and runs away. Player:... (later in the session, the players find themselves in an outdoors combat encounter) At the start of the encounter: You notice that one of the Orcs is mounted. Player: I attack the mounted Orc... and hit for 15 damage. DM: As you fell the mounted Orc, you realize that he was riding... your mount. Player:... DM: As the Orc falls off the mount, it spooks, and starts running away. Player:... DM: It's still running. It doesn't seem to have a destination... it's just running Player: ... You missed one trick. Fixed it for you.
#8 Dragon9 Jul 01, 2009 21:23:50	Thanks. :P

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

gamersgambit

Jun 23, 2009 13:12:21

With the new rules on Mounts in the CG1.9, having looked over the mount stuff (and wanting a nice hippogriff or griffon), I discover that the rules on how mounts work leave out a bunch of stuff, so here are some questions.

MOUNTS:

* Mounts and riders normally share one set of actions. Does this only occur when the character is *riding* the mount? (i.e. can you have a mount attack, move, etc on its own without a rider, if the mount's owner gives its action to that?)

* Is there a general rule regarding whether or not intelligent mounts shall be allowed their own sets of actions? (DMG p46 sez, "You can allow the PCs and the creatures they ride to get their own sets of actions, especially if a character rides a powerful, intelligent monster such as a dragon.")

If you allow same, then:
If a party has a mount (or multiple mounts) at the party's level-2 or higher, should encounters be adjusted as mentioned in the DMG to account for the presence of the mount? (Adding more creatures, reducing XP awards, or both)

DMG pg. 46:
"If you do this, add an additional XP value of monsters to the encounter equal to the mount's XP value. When granting the PCs experience, subtract these "bonus" monsters from the XP total."

AxeMurder0

Jun 23, 2009 16:54:34

My LFR experiences with Mounts:
For simplicity's sake we've been having mounts pretty much do nothing while not mounted by PCs. Been mentioning to GMs about the possible scaling due to the awesome brokenness of the Riding Lizard and most GMs have scaled the encounters up to 5 players if there are only 4 of us, but I suspect some of that is do to laziness about scaling the adventure at all.

Keith53

Jun 23, 2009 18:47:25

Seems to me if LFR is going to allow PCs to fight separately from their mounts, we would have to have scaling up to 6 PCs with mounts. This could make the scaling really painful. I am not aware of any discussion for that, but I don't know the official answer. (I could see it in something like the D&D Challenge.)

Keith

Dragon9

Jun 23, 2009 22:04:58

MOUNTS:

* Mounts and riders normally share one set of actions. Does this only occur when the character is *riding* the mount? (i.e. can you have a mount attack, move, etc on its own without a rider, if the mount's owner gives its action to that?)

* Is there a general rule regarding whether or not intelligent mounts shall be allowed their own sets of actions? (DMG p46 sez, "You can allow the PCs and the creatures they ride to get their own sets of actions, especially if a character rides a powerful, intelligent monster such as a dragon.")

The answer to both are No. PCs work differently. That enemy riding a wyvern has both creatures XP values in the encounter so they get full actions. As players, your mount is part of you. Like a piece of equipment. So even if yo are off your mount you still share actions (the same as animal companions, summoned creatures, etc.).

If the mount was going to have its own set of actions, it would have to be figured in as another member of the party requiring you to scale encounters up to account for the extra party member.

SYB

Jun 27, 2009 8:04:34

There is a simple way to look at it. A mount not currently being ridden by a PC is a monster. The DM controls all monster stats. So, if the PC is riding the mount, then the player does not control the mount actions, the DM does. I can have fun with that. :D

-SYB

Dragon9

Jun 28, 2009 10:16:02

Situation 1
Player: I dismount.
DM: As soon as you dismount and your mount realizes you are not controlling it, it mauls you in retaliation for months of oppression.

Situation 2
Player: I dismount.
DM: Without you controlling it and keeping it calm, the mount panics and runs away.
Player:...
(later in the session, the players find themselves in an outdoors combat encounter)
Player: I attack the Orc... and hit for 15 damage.
DM: As you fell the Orc, your passive perception is high enough to notice off int he distance... your horse. It's still running. It doesn't seem to have a destination... it's just running
Player: ...

kinevon

Jun 29, 2009 1:26:34

Situation 2
Player: I dismount.
DM: Without you controlling it and keeping it calm, the mount panics and runs away.
Player:...
(later in the session, the players find themselves in an outdoors combat encounter)
At the start of the encounter: You notice that one of the Orcs is mounted.
Player: I attack the mounted Orc... and hit for 15 damage.
DM: As you fell the mounted Orc, you realize that he was riding... your mount.
Player:...
DM: As the Orc falls off the mount, it spooks, and starts running away.
Player:...
DM: It's still running. It doesn't seem to have a destination... it's just running
Player: ...

You missed one trick. Fixed it for you.

Dragon9

Jul 01, 2009 21:23:50

Thanks. :P