better mounts for non-ranger, paladin etc.

[brehobit]

Hello,
I'm playing a 3rd level halfling who rides a magebred clawfoot. The clawfoot is (too) good right now, but I can quickly see it getting useless as I make it to 5th level and beyond due to it's horrible hit points (well 15, which will start to suck once fireballs start showing up).

What I'm looking for is a way to improve my mount.

My current plan on progression is to go with Dragonmark Heir at 5th level (healing). After that i was planning on going DMH until level 9 when things get unclear to me. I'm currently a Fighter/Barb/Ranger 1/1/1. It seemed to fit the "wild warrior" model nicely.

The best I can figure is taking the "wild cohort" feat. But I think even a normal clawfoot wouldn't see any extra hitpoints until level 9.

Next option is to try to find an advanced clawfoot (say 4HD). But finding a magebred one seems unlikely. (Are there rules/guidelines on the pricing of such a thing?)

The next option is to take beastmaster. But unless I take lots of levels of this I don't think it helps much. Taking the feat that ups the animal companion by +4 druid levels would help, but I'd not get that until 9th level (need the Skill-focus: animal handling feat at 6th to even enter the class).

Other option is leadership and getting my mount awoken. But that would appear to create a creature with an ECL of 6 to 8, so again not an option for a while.

Anyone see another option? Feats I currently have (+2 due to disadvantages) Talenta warrior, Power attack, Weapon focus, Least Dragonmark, Dragonmark Heir. Handle animal and ride are maxed out. Skills are otherwise spread pretty thin.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[MachinaDeus]

You could see about training it to be a Warbeast(MM2, pg. 219). That'll give it a little extra "Ooomph".

 

[Legildur]

The closest thing I could think of was for the Halfling Outrider PrC (Complete Warrior), which grants the Mount ability at first level. Unfortunately, "Halfling outrider class levels stack with paladin, druid, and ranger levels for determining characteristics of a paladin's mount or animal companion." So this would require levels in the appropriate classes in order to benefit from this ability.

Should you, however, take a level of druid and then take the Natural Bond feat (Complete Adventurer) that boosts your effective druid level by three for the purpose of determining selected animal companion abilities (capped by total character level), then maybe you could be onto something (assuming you can live with the druid class restrictions on armor).

So it could look like Ftr1/Bbr1/Rgr/Drd1 plus one additional character level and then Halfling Outrider from that point (6th level) forward.

 

[Klaus]

Ftr 1/Rgr 1/Bbn 1 is pretty spread out. The Talenta in my campaign is Bbn 1/Wilderness Rogue 1, and will be advancing as Wilderness Rogue until 5th level, whe she taks on Beastmaster.

If you take Skill Focus (Handle Animal) at 6th, your 7th level can be Beastmaster 1, which grants you the animal companion of a 4th level druid. If you advance in Beastmaster to 9th level, then take Nature Bond, you'll have the animal companion of a 9th level druid.

Talk to your DM as see if he can let you take Dinosaur Wrangler (Races of Eberron) as a prerequisite for Beastmaster, instead of Skill Focus.

 

[Nyaricus]

Would this feat help you at all?

EDIT: oh crao, just skimmed your post and I see you have already considered this. Suggestion: take this to the WotCom Boards Character Optimization Boards and ask your question again - you'll have 35 over-powered answers within the day

 

[irdeggman]

Noble Steeds by Avalanche Press has some real good options for mounts.

It is 3.0 but still should give you some great ideas.

Basically mounts have different "races" and "classes" with feats available to them.

In order to "advance" a steed a character gives up some of his xp in order to improve it. That way the steed advances with his rider.

 

[brehobit]

Thanks all for the thoughts!

The warbeast thing looks mightly close to what I was looking for. I'll give that a shot. Only +1 HD and +3 Con, but I'll take it!

Mark