My friend and I have been arguing about the mounted combat rule. In it is says that you have two options when you mount, to either control the creature or let it be independent. I've argued that one could start the combat as controlling the creature but mid combat having it go independent. I feel like its important because i was planing on playing a gnome revised ranger that would mount its panther. Having it start as controlled means that its initiative changes from what ever it was to the same amount as mine and releasing it means it can now attack on my turn and since its my animal companion (ACo) it still obeys my command. Is that bending the rules too much?? Should a mount only be abble to be controlled or independent?
Thats what i thought as well, but do you think they'd share iniative ??
No. Only while controlling it (as a mount) will it have your initiative and act on your turn, but can only dash, dodge, and disengage. When you are not controlling it, it moves on its own initiative, and can take all its actions.
Being allowed to switch between control is up to your DM. I would allow you to decide at the beginning of each of your turns, and if you choose independent, your companion may act on its next turn (using its own original initiative).
It is easy to say that, but just as easy to say that since initiative of a controlled mount changes to “match yours when you mount it” you clearly must decide when you mount it.
The example you use for hypothetical wording indicating that when you mount would be the decision point is actually in the rule.
Then again, it only costs half your movement to dismount and remount a mount, so it is just as easy to change as one would ever need. You just spend all of the movement you weren’t using anyway while you were mounted to change from controlled to uncontrolled or back.
There is an entire sage advice video on mounted combat that confirms a player can choose if the mount is controlled or not. The video also says that an intelligent creature could choose to be ridden as a controlled mount. The video states that the mount changing initiative is one of the only instances in 5e where a mount can and if you switch back to letting the mount act independently it keeps your initiative to avoid any abuse of the rules.
This is all up to the DM of course but these are rulings by the lead rules designer in a sage advice video.
this is a good example of something that has been answered for a long time but people just put their opinion before searching any of the channels where the games designers answer these questions.
just put "sage advice topic" in your favorite search engine and there is a good chance that a video or twitter thread exists that clarifies intent of the rules for whatever topic you searched.
There's also the rules text. Certainly a lot easier at the table to just use what the book says instead of trying to wade through a 44 minute video to try to find the one paragraph where they talk about this one case...
Why remind people how to use search about a rule when almost universally, reading the rules is generally SO much more helpful for understanding rules?
There is a lot of rules advice from designers that doesn't make the cut to the sage advice compendium for lots of reasons, including that it doesn't actually make sense in the context of the actually printed rules. The rules for mounted combat assume you choose once, and even express that when they say "The initiative of a controlled mount changes to match yours when you mount it."
Just like you said, if the decision was when you mount it, then the rule wold say "when you mount it"...
It is easy to say that, but just as easy to say that since initiative of a controlled mount changes to “match yours when you mount it” you clearly must decide when you mount it.
The example you use for hypothetical wording indicating that when you mount would be the decision point is actually in the rule.
you argue with me here about the text "when you mount..." possibly overriding your choice to switch the mount from controlled to uncontrolled. The designers only added this text to make it possible to change from unmounted to mounted without losing the ability to move because your mount acts on a different initiative, not to force you into a controlled mount or independent mount chosen only when you mount.
I link the video because it exists and its literally the lead rules designer speaking about mounted combat and some nuance related to the printed rules and thats the topic at hand. I remind people to search for sage advice before typing their opinion because more often than not, its been answered already and threads like these only add to confusion when people are searching for actual rulings by the people that designed them.
I will once again point out the absurdity of you OR the lead rules designer arguing “when you mount it” means “whenever you change your mind” and leave it at that.
You know, sometimes the rules AND the designers say some stuff that doesn’t make a lot of sense. You don’t have to take it as gospel, even if you found it with google.
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My friend and I have been arguing about the mounted combat rule. In it is says that you have two options when you mount, to either control the creature or let it be independent. I've argued that one could start the combat as controlling the creature but mid combat having it go independent. I feel like its important because i was planing on playing a gnome revised ranger that would mount its panther. Having it start as controlled means that its initiative changes from what ever it was to the same amount as mine and releasing it means it can now attack on my turn and since its my animal companion (ACo) it still obeys my command. Is that bending the rules too much?? Should a mount only be abble to be controlled or independent?
Thats what i thought as well, but do you think they'd share iniative ??
No. Only while controlling it (as a mount) will it have your initiative and act on your turn, but can only dash, dodge, and disengage. When you are not controlling it, it moves on its own initiative, and can take all its actions.
Being allowed to switch between control is up to your DM. I would allow you to decide at the beginning of each of your turns, and if you choose independent, your companion may act on its next turn (using its own original initiative).
Hope that helps.
Ancient thread but the rules for mounted combat say "while mounted" not "when you mount" meaning they can be switched as much as you like
It is easy to say that, but just as easy to say that since initiative of a controlled mount changes to “match yours when you mount it” you clearly must decide when you mount it.
The example you use for hypothetical wording indicating that when you mount would be the decision point is actually in the rule.
Then again, it only costs half your movement to dismount and remount a mount, so it is just as easy to change as one would ever need. You just spend all of the movement you weren’t using anyway while you were mounted to change from controlled to uncontrolled or back.
There is an entire sage advice video on mounted combat that confirms a player can choose if the mount is controlled or not.
The video also says that an intelligent creature could choose to be ridden as a controlled mount.
The video states that the mount changing initiative is one of the only instances in 5e where a mount can and if you switch back to letting the mount act independently it keeps your initiative to avoid any abuse of the rules.
This is all up to the DM of course but these are rulings by the lead rules designer in a sage advice video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99tX6tmc73Q
this is a good example of something that has been answered for a long time but people just put their opinion before searching any of the channels where the games designers answer these questions.
just put "sage advice topic" in your favorite search engine and there is a good chance that a video or twitter thread exists that clarifies intent of the rules for whatever topic you searched.
There's also the rules text. Certainly a lot easier at the table to just use what the book says instead of trying to wade through a 44 minute video to try to find the one paragraph where they talk about this one case...
Why remind people how to use search about a rule when almost universally, reading the rules is generally SO much more helpful for understanding rules?
There is a lot of rules advice from designers that doesn't make the cut to the sage advice compendium for lots of reasons, including that it doesn't actually make sense in the context of the actually printed rules. The rules for mounted combat assume you choose once, and even express that when they say "The initiative of a controlled mount changes to match yours when you mount it."
Just like you said, if the decision was when you mount it, then the rule wold say "when you mount it"...
did you read
you argue with me here about the text "when you mount..." possibly overriding your choice to switch the mount from controlled to uncontrolled. The designers only added this text to make it possible to change from unmounted to mounted without losing the ability to move because your mount acts on a different initiative, not to force you into a controlled mount or independent mount chosen only when you mount.
I link the video because it exists and its literally the lead rules designer speaking about mounted combat and some nuance related to the printed rules and thats the topic at hand.
I remind people to search for sage advice before typing their opinion because more often than not, its been answered already and threads like these only add to confusion when people are searching for actual rulings by the people that designed them.
[REDACTED]
I will once again point out the absurdity of you OR the lead rules designer arguing “when you mount it” means “whenever you change your mind” and leave it at that.
You know, sometimes the rules AND the designers say some stuff that doesn’t make a lot of sense. You don’t have to take it as gospel, even if you found it with google.