Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Dyndrilliac Nov 17, 2014 19:30:08	When mounted, in addition to moving, the mount may perform one of three actions: Dash, Disengage, or Dodge.   Does this mean that a mounted combatant could close in on an opponent, attack, have the mount disengage, then move again without provoking an Opportunity Attack provided they have a high enough land speed? Or does the mount's Disengage only prevent an Opportunity Attack on the mount itself?
#2 Jay_Ibero_911 Nov 17, 2014 19:32:45	Dyndrilliac wrote:
#3 El_Condoro Nov 17, 2014 23:50:14	My first instinct was this: I would rule that both the mount and the rider are eligible for an OA but since the mount is the only one able to Disengage, the rider attracts an OA, which is the second option you present.   But then I read "You also don't provoke an OA when...something moves you without using your movement, action or reaction" PHB195. I guess a horse/mount counts as "something", so no OA. Instinct was wrong according to RAW, but it seems like a very nice attack to do without risk of counter. Makes mounted combat very effective, I guess.
#4 Timborama Nov 18, 2014 5:36:21	Horses are good in combat against non-mounted opponents. Working as intended...?
#5 Kentus Nov 18, 2014 9:08:50	Since you don't move yourself but are moved as a result of another creature, opportunity attacks wouldn't work normally. So yes, normally your scenario would work. And I'll definitely do it for my campaigns, since the reality of a cavalry attack is that without preparing to strike beforehand, you'll most likely won't even get a chance to attack.
#6 Dyndrilliac Nov 18, 2014 22:39:20	One more mount related question. When determining the total load on a mount in terms of weight, do you factor in the rider's weight?   For example, one character in a game I'm running is a Dragonborn. Without gear, he's already 300 pounds. The most expensive mount in the PHB is the Warhorse, and it tops out at 540 pounds capacity. The only pack animal with more capacity is the Elephant. The character's gear weighs a total of 142.5 pounds (will go up slightly when the character gets Plate Mail), so if the rider's weight is taken into account, the Warhorse is already looking at 442.5 pounds of its 540 pounds of capacity used up and that leaves no more weight to put armor on the horse (since barding weighs 2x the weight of humanoid armor).
#7 Timborama Nov 19, 2014 7:33:14	Seems about right to me. 450 lbs. of person PLUS armor seems like a lot, even for a horse. Also, what the heck is that dragonborn carrying to give him 142 pounds of gear o_O   Anyway, heavy-laden horses are heavy-laden. The ONLY downside to this, mechanically, is their speed is reduced by 10. A DM might say it gets tired faster or makes certain checks at disadvantage. But that's not a big deal in most cases, since it's still faster than a person despite this...
#8 Dyndrilliac Nov 19, 2014 10:49:01	A dungeoneer's pack is 61.5 pounds, and Splint/Plate armor both weigh 60 or more on their own for a total of 120+ pounds from just two items.   Considering the warhorse only has 19 HP and a base AC of 11, if he can't wear armor without going over his capacity, then mounts seem like they just flat-out aren't viable past episode 4 unless you have the Mounted Combatant feat. Feats should enhance your playstyle, not be required in order for the style to be viable. If a 400 GP horse gets one-shotted on a regular basis then what is the point? A warhorse is trained for combat and conditioned to be capable of bearing both an armor-wearing rider and be armored itself.
(Reply to #8) OoftaMeg	Dyndrilliac wrote:
#10 El_Condoro Nov 19, 2014 11:27:19	The difference is that your example is a dragonborn and horses are judged according to the 'standard' of being human mounts. The dragonborn weighs a lot more, so when a horse is laden to breaking point with a human rider, it will certainly be overladen with a dragonborn on it. Perhaps dragonborns should look for a mythical creature as a mount. I'm not sure what a hippogriff or such would carry. It might even be a disadvantage to be a dragonborn (spawn of dragons that eat horses, amongst other things?) trying to control a horse at all.
#11 AaronOfBarbaria Nov 19, 2014 13:31:27	Buy a second animal to serve as a beast of burden so that your combat mount need only carry your character and your character's combat equipment. That might free you up just enough of the mount's carrying capacity to put barding on it.   Alternatively, find yourself a stronger mount - whether it's something fantastic like a dragon that likes you enough to provide the service or is simply "a horse of prodigious strength" with 2 or 4 more points of Strength than a regular horse.
(Reply to #11) OoftaMeg	AaronOfBarbaria wrote:
(Reply to #12) SteveMND	OoftaMeg wrote:
(Reply to #10) Dyndrilliac	El_Condoro wrote:
#15 Danny_Montanny Nov 20, 2014 15:39:37	A pack animal would definitely be something you'd probably use. Touring knights would usually travel with no less than 3 beasts. Their tournament horse, who travels unencumbered. A beast pulling a wagon with all of the gear, then a riding horse to ride. If you're gonna invest some serious coin in a warhorse, especially with barding, you're gonna do whatever you can to keep it healthy.
#16 DungeonKrusher Nov 20, 2014 16:11:40	I agree with Danny_Montanny. I'm no historian, but it's my understanding that the armored knights and horses you're mentioning may have fought that way, but that wasn't an everyday situation. A cart or packhorse carried a burden, and soldiers wouldn't go into battle with their sundries on their back -- only their weapons and armor.   But I'm not historian. Did I mention that already?
(Reply to #16) OoftaMeg	DungeonKrusher wrote:
(Reply to #15) Dyndrilliac	Danny_Montanny wrote:
(Reply to #18) Danny_Montanny	Dyndrilliac wrote:
(Reply to #17) Timborama	OoftaMeg wrote:
#21 intently Nov 22, 2014 16:39:18	The Ranger pet gives some precedence for increasing animal HP.   If a human fighter can get more HP by experience, why can't a horse fighter? Of course, non-rangers should have to split their XP share with the horse. I'd say 90/10 or so. If you're willing to do that, then as DM I might consider giving the horse HP using the ranger pet formula: 4*PC level or normal max HP, whichever is higher.