Different or Very Different Mount?

[reveal]

In my campaign, our Paladin just took on a Battle Drake (Vandalraug) as a mount. In the PHB, it says that the Ride check has penalties depending on if you are riding a mount different than what you are used to. It gives an example of a "Different" mount as "such as riding a giant lizard when you're used to riding horses." It gives an example of a "Very Different" mount as "such as riding a griffon when you're used to riding horses."

So where does the Battle Drake fall in? Technically, it is a giant lizard, but it does fly (poor) like a griffon. Help!

 

[Rybaer]

If the paladin is only used to horses and goes to *any* flying creature, I think I'd have to consider that "Very Different."

 

[GWolf]

Yes

Unless in the background somewhere this character is used to that form of mount it would be Very Different.

 

[Archer]

You (the player) declares what the base ride skill is keyed to and from that point on that is the basis of determination of different and very different. If the paladin says flying then if he later tried to ride a horse, treat the horse as very different.

 

[hong]

You (the player) declares what the base ride skill is keyed to and from that point on that is the basis of determination of different and very different. If the paladin says flying then if he later tried to ride a horse, treat the horse as very different.

It would have to be one helluva backstory if a player tried to convince me that his 1st level paladin's Ride skill was keyed to flying....

 

[Errant]

Originally posted by reveal
In the PHB, it says that the Ride check has penalties depending on if you are riding a mount different than what you are used to. [/B]

You could also argue that, once the paladin is "used to" riding the Battle Drake, that is "normal" for him & horses become different/very different. How long it takes the paladin to "get used" to the Battle Drake as his mount would be something for the paladin's player & DM to agree upon. Switching back to a horse after weeks/months/years riding the Battle Drake would subject the rider to the usual different/very different penalties - presumably because his reflexes are out of wack. Kinda like getting back into a floor-shift car after driving a column-shift for ages, you just can't help reaching for the wrong shift so change gears once in a while. (No, I don't it's a big enough difference to warrant the size of the penalties either, but thats the rules)

In answer to the original question (whether a Battle Drake would be different or very different), that's hard to answer with more info on what a Battle Drake is, but, I'd suggest that if it flies OR is greatly different in form to a horse, it is "different". If it flies AND is greatly different in form to a horse, it is "very different".