How to Handle Mounts

[swbuza]

What's the best way to handle mounts particularly with regard to location of items and encumbrance? I thought maybe create a second PC for the player to control, etc., but then one of my players asked, "Are you just doing this so you know how much of my stuff I'm going to lose when a dragon eats my mount?"

I'm like, "yeah, so?"

But, seriously, what have you found to be the best way to handle this in FG?

[Allmight]

Personally i made the horse another PC that the player get's control over. In the beginning it's just a mule, but in time when/if he trains it using Animal Handling, he can do more and more stuff with the horse.

Advantage with using a PC instead of NPC is that you get the encumberance/item handling on the horse as well, so you can se how much it is carrying and what items it carries.

[Andraax]

NPC on the CT / map which the player controls.

As far as inventory, create a "container" for the horse on the player inventory and any items on the mount get put into that "container".

[swbuza]

So, you can create a saddlebags container on the PC sheet and items in it do not count against player encumbrance?

[Allmight]

So, you can create a saddlebags container on the PC sheet and items in it do not count against player encumbrance?

I was thinking the same. However, i have not seen any proof of it in FG. I did actually try it as soon as i saw his post. The fact he said "Container", note the quotes, i suspect he just was talking about the location column, noting items on the horse there. However, that means the weight still counts towards your own quota.

[swbuza]

It would be kind of ideal if this is how it worked. Makes me wonder whether an extension to address this is in order. It would also solve bag of holding and portable hole :)

[Allmight]

Yes. Something to alow for bags with content either counting to encumberance or option not to, would be sweet.

[swbuza]

So, there actually is. I was just digging around in the CoreRPG ruleset to find where encumbrance is calculated (and I found it). But, there is an option already by using the Carried/Equipped column. There are actually 3 options there, Carried, Equipped, and Not Carried. If an item is not carried, it does not count against encumbrance. Location can then be listed as "Mount" or "Saddlebags" or "Back at HQ."

[Allmight]

Ah yes, that works.

However, i prefer to give my players a full fledged horse instead. Makes the horse feel more real that way. My players love it, being able to move gear between the horse and themselves, and every other benefit it have over a NPC.

And for the HQ. I use the Locations extension, which makes their HQ have an inventory where they can stash and retrieve equipment themselves.

[swbuza]

Great idea about Locations extension. I just started using that this week.

[Andraax]

This is what it would look like from C&C:
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[Allmight]

This is what it would look like from C&C:
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Problem with that solution is that you don't know if you are overburdening your horse or not since you really don't track the weight it is carrying. Sure, you can sum the weight up manually and keep track of it that way, but that is just more work when a PC version of the horse can handle all that automatically.

[Andraax]

Problem with that solution is that you don't know if you are overburdening your horse or not since you really don't track the weight it is carrying. Sure, you can sum the weight up manually and keep track of it that way, but that is just more work when a PC version of the horse can handle all that automatically.

Well, actually in C&C you can setup the "capacity" of the container. I just didn't bother to do so for this example.

[swbuza]

I'm sorry for being a noob, but what is C&C?

[Allmight]

I'm sorry for being a noob, but what is C&C?

I think it is Castles & Crusades, one of the other rulesets.

[Allmight]

Well, actually in C&C you can setup the "capacity" of the container. I just didn't bother to do so for this example.

Unfortinitly, that functionality does not exist in 3.5/Pathfinder :(