[3.5]Cohort and Paladin's Mount

[Artoomis]

Spatzimaus:

I think you read that incorrectly.

Intelligent and mostly-humanoid monsters most commonly advance with class levels, meaning they might advance by HD instead.

Intelligent creatutes that are non-humanoid in nature can advance by HD. No mention of them being able to advance by class at all.

Of course, such rules seem to always have exceptions.

 

[Ondo]

The MM has a unicorn with levels in cleric, so it seems quite clear than non-humanoid monsters can advance by class levels.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I was convinced that Awakened animals in 3.0 were explictly allowed to take class levels... until I went looking for the rule.

And I can't find it

If I can't find it in 3.0, how am I supposed to find it in 3.5?

-Hyp.

 

[youspoonybard]

I was convinced that Awakened animals in 3.0 were explictly allowed to take class levels... until I went looking for the rule.

And I can't find it

If I can't find it in 3.0, how am I supposed to find it in 3.5?

-Hyp.

The only thing I know relating to the subject is that Andy Collins said on the wizards boards that awakened animals could take class levels, and be a cohort. Of course, this was relating to 3.5.

There is the quote in the 3.0 DMG saying that monster PCs, being special, can advance through class levels, but that's all I can recall there as well. I always treated the awakened animal as a special monster.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The only thing I know relating to the subject is that Andy Collins said on the wizards boards that awakened animals could take class levels, and be a cohort. Of course, this was relating to 3.5.

Well, there you go. Magical beasts, decidedly non-humanoid in shape, explicitly allowed by Mr 3.5 to take class levels.

Combine it with the unicorn example, and the blanket prohibition is looking fairly moth-eaten...

-Hyp.

 

[Particle_Man]

No, it does not have the Celestial template. The description of special mounts makes this quite clear. They are magical beasts with only the extra properties mentioned in the special mount section of the Paladin class.

That is actually quite amusing. I guess some celestial being has a hobby of breeding Prime Material Plane horses on his/her celestial plane, and lends them out at companions for paladins as needed.

Hmm...if these horses can be sent at will to the Celestial Planes with their equipment, could you smuggle a halfling in a saddlebag and thus give the halfing a free ride to some celestial plane? Sort of a poor-man's Plane Shift.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

This probably falls into the realm of sub-optimal choices. Don't forget that a special mount gets a minimum bonus 2HD which kind of offsets the +2 LA anyway.

A Very Young Silver Dragon is Medium-Size and the equivalent of a Level 14 character (10 HD, +4 LA). With the +2 LA for a Paladin Cohort Mount, a Small 17th-level paladin with a Leadership score of 23 (easily attainable if you have 22 Cha) could have a bonded Silver Dragon mount with 18 HD. Not too shabby, eh? May even be too good.

Ah, I see. An 8th level paladin could have a 4th level equivalent cohort, and then apply the paladin mount template after the fact. I got confused on that point.

Sticking with the example of an 8th level paladin, she could attract a 6th level equivalent pegasus a cohort. Because of the +2 LA, she cannot make this cohort her paladin mount until 10th level, at which point the pegasus gains +4 HD and a bunch of other abilities. So it would be an 8 HD pegasus for a cohort mount (using my 3.0 MM).

Okay, that seems a little mediocre but not unreasonable.

 

[Cedric]

I'll have to talk it all out with my DM, hopefully since he is a Cohort and a reasonably intelligent creature, my DM will allow me to add some class levels to him...and start him off as a Heavy Warhorse with the Celestial Template.

I think the fact that I won't be trying for something much more exotic, like a Pegasus or Hippogriff will bring my DM around a lot...

Also, while we are at it...can people think of some good magic items for the horse? I have a Battle Bridal...

But maybe horseshoes of speed? or of the Zephyr?

Thoughts?

Cedric

 

[Pax]

Arms and Equipment has some good mount-wearable items (a couple saddles; the ever-useful Saddlebags of Providing; etc).

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Okay, I am confused.

Let's stick with a very simple example.

An 8th level paladin recruits an 4 HD heavy warhorse as his cohort which has the effective level of 6 if this cohort becomes his special mount.

Question 1: Is the cohort special mount 4HD or 8 HD? Do you just slap the +4HD for being an 8th level paladin?

Question 2: What happens when the paladin levels? Does the mount level as a cohort would normally?

I ask because if the cohort levels at the same rate as the paladin (as per 3.5 rules for cohorts) and gains the bonus HD as well, then then a 15th level paladin could have a 19 HD warhorse (4HD start + 7HD for levelling + 8HD bonus for being a paladin mount.