Paladin Mounts - Info Requested

[Joust]

I've never played a Paladin before, so I wanted to make sure I understood the whole mount thing.

1) IIRC, DoF seems to indicate that having mounts other than a standard war horse is okay (DM's decision I suppose). Are there any interesting character/mount combos you've seen? I was thinking of a dwarven paladin on a brown bear mount.

2) If a paladin can bring his mount into a large adventuring area, like a large dungeon (high ceilings and walls), wilderness adventure, etc., is there a problem with the mount joining into battle mounted or unmounted? Using my example of the dwarven paladin, would a bear fight the enemy right alongside the paladin, using all attack/damage as listed in the MM?

3) What does a paladin do with his/her mount when he enters a dungeon, castle, etc. where a mount doesn't make sense? Since a paladin's mount is a magical beast, can it be "dismissed" and "called back" on command? If they cannot be dismissed, do they just hang out till the paladin returns?

4) Any specific rules about doing battle on a mount? IIRC, when you charge while mounted your weapon does double damage.

5) Any interesting paladin/mount stories?

 

[psionotic]

'Special' Mounts

1) I'm pretty boring, my elven paladin rides a pegasus. We haven't had any other paladins live long enough to earn a special mount.

2) Sure. In many cases the special mount will have intelligence that rivals the character. In our world, the mount has the same religious mission as well, and will gladly trample, bite, or rend some evil priests if it can.

3) You can't really 'dismiss' the creature unless you are doing so for good. You can have them wait by a cave entrance, or guard the rest of the party's mounts. They are more than intelligent enough to do so. Using the empathic link ability covers simple instructions, according to my group's interpretation of the ability. (but check with your DM)

4) Well, you do get +1 to your attack rolls while mounted against creatures your size or smaller that are not mounted. If you take the Mounted Combat feat, you can negate one attack a round against your mount with a good Ride check.

5) Not really, but let's just say Zephyr, my paladin's pegasus, is what Sam Jackson would call "one bad motherf*$%er". He routinely does as much damage as anyone in the party, and his quick movement and flight allow for much versatility.

 

[Rackhir]

1) Yes with DMs permision you can take a mount other than a horse. Our Paladin has a dire wolf. Of course mounts that are better than a horse usually require a higher level paladin than the minimum to call a horse so you might not get that dire bear till say +2/lvs higher than the min (I think that's 4th).

2) Again this is up to your DM. Sure, where it's appropriate and a bear certainly could fit into most areas you would go, the bear could accompany you and fight. Keep in mind that the more place you can take it, the more valuable your mount would be and the higher the level you would have to be before you can take it.

3) You leave it outside with your squire and the rest of the party's horses. It doesn't just "go away", though for convenience sake, most GMs just sort of ignore the issue. A paladin's warhorse though being more inteligent and such could concievably watch over the horse and take care of it's self though.

4) Read the mounted combat rules and weapons descriptions.

5) Well, our paladin's dire wolf saved our bacon by ambushing and killing Nightscale when she tried fleeing out through the lake in the Forge of Fury. We thought she'd gotten away, but the Paladin got a note passed to him by the GM and got a big grin on his face. Took a couple of min to get around to telling us and let us sweat some first.