Hi! I have a halfling player who has taken beast master path. Hes after an animal companion he like as a mount.
What limitations would you put on if any? Things like wolf, mastiff and possibly panther I'd be ok with, but incase he asks to go round mounted on the back of a giant frog I'm unsure how it would work 😂
Just after general advice and if anyone else has any advice about mounted players as its the first time I'll have had a mounted player in the party.
RAW on this is: "A willing creature that is at least one size larger than you and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount". Of those, only 'appropriate anatomy' might be a concern for a giant frog, and the definition of appropriate anatomy is entirely up to the DM. I would consider it dubious from a realism standpoint, but depending on the game style I'm after, I might allow it anyway. Doing a google image search for Frog Rider finds images that are at least not completely silly looking.
As DM, you make the call, period. Anything inane, you can usually dismiss as sated above, is anatomy doesn't lend well to being mounted. A Giant Frog is not built to be ridden and it's movement, if one somehow DID manage to saddle and mount it, would/should call for a Dex save every hop to remain mounted. I, personally, just work with a combination of what the players seem to want (one campaign I play in, our DM has allowed us to buy riding goats, about the size of small horses) and what makes sense and go with that. I'd allow him a giant bird (Ostrich or some such) rams, boars, essentially any beast built mount-ish, that you could reasonably picture someone sitting on while it moved around.
The only difference I consider for the little ones (Gnomes, Halflings and the like) are smaller animals, as you've mentioned. A wolf, or black bear isn't big enough for a Human to use as a mount, but a little 3 foot Halfling could get away with it. Humans and Elves and such will need to find a Dire wolf or a Cave bear to get a chance at riding the more interesting stuff.
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Talk to your Players.Talk to your DM. If more people used this advice, there would be 24.74% fewer threads on Tactics, Rules and DM discussions.
It depends on his alignment and whom he worships. Halflings typically tend to be lawful good. A blink dog would be appropriate and they'd like the blinking. If you want more wild and lizard, go for Clawfoot Raptor, and call him Yoshi. If he's more on the evil side, try a Fiendish Giant Spider. If he's wild, give him a Giant Boar. If he was raised by gnomes, a Giant Badger would be appropriate. If you want to give him the sad trombone prize, give him a Giant Snail.
Ice Toads show up in WGtW, and in at lest one of the adventures in that book, there are bandits or cultists who use them as mounts I believe. Ice toads show up in Tyranny of Dragons in the big halfway fight between HotD and RoT, can't remember them as mounts though.
But yeah, go full War Toad, or I would, but keep in mind environmental limitations. Toad, while not as amphibious may be more adaptable to varied terrain, whereas a frog, if you get too far from wet environs, well a dolphin's a cool mount too but there are practical limitations with that one as well.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
As a DM, I might allow a giant frog if a specially made and fitted saddle/harness were crafted. The sharp incline of a frog's back, along with the bumpy ride you'd be taking as he leaped would make it difficult to hold on. Additionally, it might be nauseating to the rider given the sudden and long jumps.
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Hi! I have a halfling player who has taken beast master path. Hes after an animal companion he like as a mount.
What limitations would you put on if any? Things like wolf, mastiff and possibly panther I'd be ok with, but incase he asks to go round mounted on the back of a giant frog I'm unsure how it would work 😂
Just after general advice and if anyone else has any advice about mounted players as its the first time I'll have had a mounted player in the party.
Many thanks!
RAW on this is: "A willing creature that is at least one size larger than you and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount". Of those, only 'appropriate anatomy' might be a concern for a giant frog, and the definition of appropriate anatomy is entirely up to the DM. I would consider it dubious from a realism standpoint, but depending on the game style I'm after, I might allow it anyway. Doing a google image search for Frog Rider finds images that are at least not completely silly looking.
As DM, you make the call, period. Anything inane, you can usually dismiss as sated above, is anatomy doesn't lend well to being mounted. A Giant Frog is not built to be ridden and it's movement, if one somehow DID manage to saddle and mount it, would/should call for a Dex save every hop to remain mounted. I, personally, just work with a combination of what the players seem to want (one campaign I play in, our DM has allowed us to buy riding goats, about the size of small horses) and what makes sense and go with that. I'd allow him a giant bird (Ostrich or some such) rams, boars, essentially any beast built mount-ish, that you could reasonably picture someone sitting on while it moved around.
The only difference I consider for the little ones (Gnomes, Halflings and the like) are smaller animals, as you've mentioned. A wolf, or black bear isn't big enough for a Human to use as a mount, but a little 3 foot Halfling could get away with it. Humans and Elves and such will need to find a Dire wolf or a Cave bear to get a chance at riding the more interesting stuff.
Talk to your Players. Talk to your DM. If more people used this advice, there would be 24.74% fewer threads on Tactics, Rules and DM discussions.
I would totally allow a Halfling or other small PC to ride a giant frog, or almost every animal on this list, they would simply need an exotic saddle. (That’s what exotic saddles are for, and at most it would be an Animal Handling check to stay mounted as per RAW.) Remember, in D&D there exist such things as giant riding lizards, and bats intentionally designed to be large enough for any PC to ride.
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It depends on his alignment and whom he worships. Halflings typically tend to be lawful good. A blink dog would be appropriate and they'd like the blinking. If you want more wild and lizard, go for Clawfoot Raptor, and call him Yoshi. If he's more on the evil side, try a Fiendish Giant Spider. If he's wild, give him a Giant Boar. If he was raised by gnomes, a Giant Badger would be appropriate. If you want to give him the sad trombone prize, give him a Giant Snail.
Ice Toads show up in WGtW, and in at lest one of the adventures in that book, there are bandits or cultists who use them as mounts I believe. Ice toads show up in Tyranny of Dragons in the big halfway fight between HotD and RoT, can't remember them as mounts though.
But yeah, go full War Toad, or I would, but keep in mind environmental limitations. Toad, while not as amphibious may be more adaptable to varied terrain, whereas a frog, if you get too far from wet environs, well a dolphin's a cool mount too but there are practical limitations with that one as well.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
The only limitations i'd put for mount would be;
As you can see many creatures can serve as a mount
As a DM, I might allow a giant frog if a specially made and fitted saddle/harness were crafted. The sharp incline of a frog's back, along with the bumpy ride you'd be taking as he leaped would make it difficult to hold on. Additionally, it might be nauseating to the rider given the sudden and long jumps.