Improving a paladin's Special Mount

[Pazu]

If an elf paladin takes the 5th level substitution option (from Races of the Wild), does the unicorn mount improve its HD, BAB, and saves as a magical beast? The PHB text specifies that paladins' mounts improve their stats as animals (although they're considered magical beasts), but the mounts described in the PHB are all animals to begin with, while a unicorn is a magical beast at baseline.

If this character also has levels in ranger and takes the Devoted Tracker feat (from Complete Adventurer), thereby allowing him to apply animal companion advancements derived from his ranger levels to his special mount, do these improvements in turn use the animal or magical beast progression?

Any thoughts?

ETA: Although, come to think of it, I don't know why someone would take that substitution level and take that -6 level hit for purposes of stat advancement, when you could just use the rules in the DMG, get your unicorn at level 6, and gain the stat advancements by -1 level instead.

The DMG, by the way, also doesn't say anything about how the mount advances, even though a number of the listed options are magical beasts as well.

 

[Pazu]

Feh--I seem to have a positive talent for asking questions that no one here finds interesting.

Oh well.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

If an elf paladin takes the 5th level substitution option (from Races of the Wild), does the unicorn mount improve its HD, BAB, and saves as a magical beast? The PHB text specifies that paladins' mounts improve their stats as animals (although they're considered magical beasts), but the mounts described in the PHB are all animals to begin with, while a unicorn is a magical beast at baseline.

Well, the feat from Book of Exalted Deeds, Exalted Companion, allows you to make a normal animal companion a celestial creature. This ups it's int to 3 and makes it a magical beast. Even so, it still progresses as described in the table, with animal HD. As another reference: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rangerVariantPlanarRanger

So, this also allows for a magical beast companion, but makes no mention of using magical beast HD. I think the default answer becomes, "If no exception is noted, then it follows the given rules." Sorry, I know magical beast HD are way better than animal HD.

As for your second question, I have no idea.

 

[Cameron]

Actally, no. The relevent text just says +HD. It doesn't specify type.

The Celestial creature template you are quoting *specifically* says that your HD type, BAB, etc., do not change. This is a function of the template, not the ability.

The Unicorn is not a magical beast via template. It should get the relevant HD and BAB of a magical beast (ie., d10, high BAB).

Thus, the default answer is "whatever HD and stuff the animal already possess."

In this case, it is magical beast HD.


This also answers his second question...

 

[Pazu]

Thank you for the input!

 

[Cameron]

Thank you for the input!

Actually, why don't you just take the Unicorn as a special mount? It is an option in the DMG at Paladin level 7. You suffer less effective LA (2) than the Elf sub (6). In fact, there is no reason to take the Elf sub. Just wait a couple of levels and take the Unicorn normally.

 

[IanB]

The unicorn must advance as a magical beast because it starts as one; the only alternative I see is multiclassing it with animal, and that just seems completely nuts.

 

[Cameron]

The unicorn must advance as a magical beast because it starts as one; the only alternative I see is multiclassing it with animal, and that just seems completely nuts.

Nevertheless, you'd be surprised at how many DMs will insist on it, due to the example given in the PHB. It is just another excuse that a DM can use to try and explain the nerfbat headed your way at tremendous velocities.

 

[Pazu]

Actually, why don't you just take the Unicorn as a special mount? It is an option in the DMG at Paladin level 7. You suffer less effective LA (2) than the Elf sub (6). In fact, there is no reason to take the Elf sub. Just wait a couple of levels and take the Unicorn normally.

Yeah, I mentioned that in my edit to the OP. It does seem to make the elf paladin sub5 pretty worthless by comparison.

In fact, IIRC, the DMG has the unicorn as an option for a level 6 paladin, meaning that you're only LA -1 for advancement, rather than LA -6 (although the latter applies only to HD, saves, and BAB, not the other special abilities; still, though, jeez.)