My paladin, who fights with a greatsword, just turned 2nd level far away from a city where she could buy a weapon with reach (like a glaive). We won't be getting back to a city in the next game or so. So is there much reason to cast 'Find Steed', for a warhorse, when she only has 2 spell slots, and not do mounted combat with it? It could scout 1 mile ahead and carry things... Can it fight with us unmounted? What else could it do? - Or should I just wait till we get to city and I get a reach weapon?
Find steed is a second level spell, so you can’t cast it until 5th level. But even then, you won’t need a reach weapon. Reach is completely unnecessary. You can freely attack with your greatsword while mounted. Heck, you can freely attack with a dagger. If you’re on it, it’s going to boost your movement speed. Also, you are considered to be in all four of your mounts squares, simultaneously. So being on a mount actually ends up expanding your reach, since you can attack any adjacent square.
Beyond that, it lasts until it dies or you dismiss it, so cast it one day, and it just lasts — typically not a big burden on your spell slots. I’d usually cast it at the end of a day if I had a spell slot left, and just have it for a while. The only time to be hesitant is if you’re going indoors. Mounts can have a hard time in narrow hallways, and can’t climb ladders and such.
Also, it’s good to review the mounted combat rules with your DM. They’re pretty bare bones. In particular the parts about a controlled and uncontrolled mount. Since even if it is uncontrolled, someone at the table needs to make decisions for what it will do, which gets a little wonky.
I see that by consulting the Paladin table in the PHB - and not relying on Google - you are quite right - I don't get a second-level spell slot until 5th level. So mount or no mount is not going to be an issue right now.
I remember reading somewhere that you needed a weapon with reach to hit while on a large mount... can't find that info again, so I guess my DM would allow a greatsword...
As to Mounted Combat rules, I agree, it will depend on my DM's idea of it. For instance, I stumble upon this tidbit in a forum:
(From the rules for Opportunity Attacks in the combat section of the PHB)
You also don’t provoke an opportunity Attack when you Teleport or when someone or something moves you without using your Movement, action, or Reaction.
For so long as you're on your mount, you are effectively immune to opportunity attacks.
Well, at the very least, your mount would still be subject to OAs, and at 5th level, a horse’s 19 hp won’t last very long.
I think the idea with a reach weapon on a mount comes from optimization. A10’ reach in either direction, plus at 10’ mount means you end up controlling a 30’ wide area. Especially if you go PAM + sentinel. It’s not required, but it can be powerful.
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Hi All,
My paladin, who fights with a greatsword, just turned 2nd level far away from a city where she could buy a weapon with reach (like a glaive). We won't be getting back to a city in the next game or so. So is there much reason to cast 'Find Steed', for a warhorse, when she only has 2 spell slots, and not do mounted combat with it? It could scout 1 mile ahead and carry things... Can it fight with us unmounted? What else could it do? - Or should I just wait till we get to city and I get a reach weapon?
Find steed is a second level spell, so you can’t cast it until 5th level. But even then, you won’t need a reach weapon.
Reach is completely unnecessary. You can freely attack with your greatsword while mounted. Heck, you can freely attack with a dagger. If you’re on it, it’s going to boost your movement speed. Also, you are considered to be in all four of your mounts squares, simultaneously. So being on a mount actually ends up expanding your reach, since you can attack any adjacent square.
Beyond that, it lasts until it dies or you dismiss it, so cast it one day, and it just lasts — typically not a big burden on your spell slots. I’d usually cast it at the end of a day if I had a spell slot left, and just have it for a while.
The only time to be hesitant is if you’re going indoors. Mounts can have a hard time in narrow hallways, and can’t climb ladders and such.
Also, it’s good to review the mounted combat rules with your DM. They’re pretty bare bones. In particular the parts about a controlled and uncontrolled mount. Since even if it is uncontrolled, someone at the table needs to make decisions for what it will do, which gets a little wonky.
I see that by consulting the Paladin table in the PHB - and not relying on Google - you are quite right - I don't get a second-level spell slot until 5th level. So mount or no mount is not going to be an issue right now.
I remember reading somewhere that you needed a weapon with reach to hit while on a large mount... can't find that info again, so I guess my DM would allow a greatsword...
As to Mounted Combat rules, I agree, it will depend on my DM's idea of it. For instance, I stumble upon this tidbit in a forum:
(From the rules for Opportunity Attacks in the combat section of the PHB)
For so long as you're on your mount, you are effectively immune to opportunity attacks.
Well, at the very least, your mount would still be subject to OAs, and at 5th level, a horse’s 19 hp won’t last very long.
I think the idea with a reach weapon on a mount comes from optimization. A10’ reach in either direction, plus at 10’ mount means you end up controlling a 30’ wide area. Especially if you go PAM + sentinel. It’s not required, but it can be powerful.