Alternate Paladin "companions"?

[Quasqueton]

Has anyone worked up an alternate to the paladin's mount? I'm not talking about different mounts, but rather something that distinctly *isn't* a mount, but that can follow the base rules for a paladin's mount -- summoned 2 hours/day, increases HD and AC, etc.

I would like to have something for paladins that is not a mount, yet can follow the rules for the paladin's mount. Some other kind of creature that the paladin can summon just like the rules for his mount. Something that the level bonuses could affect just like the chart for the paladin's mount.

I thought about just taking the heavy warhorse stats, giving the creature a different description (like claw attacks instead of hooves), and calling it a "guardian spirit" or something.

I'd rather not rewrite the chart for the paladin's mount. I'd like the new creature to conform to the rules as is, but not be a horse/mount.

Basically, I really dislike the idea of the paladin summoning and dismissing the *warhorse* each day. I'd prefer the celestial creature to be something a little more in the vein of a guardian angel/spirit than a magical horse.

Anyone seen anything like this? Any suggestions on what to consider?

Quasqueton

 

[Spatzimaus]

Here's the version we used IMC, first posted here about a year ago:

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=48419

It's not exactly in the final form, but it's close. Anyway, the point is, you don't need a horse, it's just any animal or beast. IMC we had someone who used these rules for a Dire Weasel "mount" named Mittens; he never rode it, it was more of a Divine Companion.

I wouldn't allow any sort of intelligent creature to be enhanced in this way. After all, if I was a Dragon, why wouldn't I then pick some Human Paladin, claim that I'm his mount, and gain all sorts of bonuses? Keep it to animals and you'll be fine.

 

[rkanodia]

I can't see anything abusable about it. If you're looking for ideas, a hound, a hawk, or a lion (higher-level character) would seem like natural companions for a paladin.

 

[Spatzimaus]

I can't see anything abusable about it. If you're looking for ideas, a hound, a hawk, or a lion (higher-level character) would seem like natural companions for a paladin.

It's not that it's "abuseable". Abilities intended to make a horse into a better mount don't always translate well; a Hawk doesn't need a STR boost so much, for example. That was part of why we created the system I linked; if you want the magical enhancement to be more about DEX and Resists than STR and Smites, you can do that.

But if you're willing to live with that downside, then I'd say sure, any animal substitutes well. But, be aware that if you allow a small creature to be selected, it'll now be able to go anywhere the Paladin does (as opposed to mounts, which can't really do dungeon-delving too well). Not so much a problem as a design consideration for DMs.

 

[rkanodia]

It's not that it's "abuseable". Abilities intended to make a horse into a better mount don't always translate well; a Hawk doesn't need a STR boost so much, for example. That was part of why we created the system I linked; if you want the magical enhancement to be more about DEX and Resists than STR and Smites, you can do that.

But if you're willing to live with that downside, then I'd say sure, any animal substitutes well. But, be aware that if you allow a small creature to be selected, it'll now be able to go anywhere the Paladin does (as opposed to mounts, which can't really do dungeon-delving too well). Not so much a problem as a design consideration for DMs.

I was replying to the original post. Your system is much more sensible imho; however, it may be easier to get your DM to just allow a non-mount animal with the standard PHB rules.

 

[Spatzimaus]

I was replying to the original post. Your system is much more sensible imho; however, it may be easier to get your DM to just allow a non-mount animal with the standard PHB rules.

I understand you meant the original post. I was just pointing out that while you CAN simply replace "horse" with "hawk" in the PHB mount rules, it often tends to result in a suboptimal creature, since some of the abilities are intended for mounts.

Actually, there's a bigger concern I'd have with just letting any Animal be enhanced. It's okay to give a Paladin's Mount a bunch of powerful abilities, because it's out there in the middle of the fight, fair game for any attackers. A Familiar, on the other hand, almost always seems to be inside a pocket or something, safe from everything. If you start allowing really small creatures to gain the Mount bonuses, things might get a bit unbalanced. That's why in the rules I linked we said "within one size category of the Paladin". There's a similar issue with flying creatures, but it's nothing a good DM can't handle.

 

[Stormborn]

I created a Human Paladin that summoned a riding dog, the dog was to small, of course, to be amount, but worked fine as a fighitng companion. No need to change the rules either. Also the Dragon issue that focused on Warriors (310?) has some Paladin alternatives that had different kinds of mounts/companions.