Mithreinmaethor
First Post
It is completely DM discretion, but....
I think the spell itself indicates that it is meant to provide a steed, not a combat beast. So while I would agree on the beasts getting more powerful for higher level Paladins, (I believe) they should still be 'just a steed'.
One DM uses increased spell slots for increased CR.
2nd: CR 1/2 max
3rd: CR 1
4th: CR 2
5th: CR 4
Seems like a good system to me.
Since it looks like the CR maxes out at CR7 the DM could allow the CR to increase at every level that the Paladin adds a spell slot as follows:
Paladin Level 5 = CR 1 or less
Paladin Level 7 = CR 2 or less
Paladin Level 9 = CR 3 or less
Paladin Level 11 = CR 4 or less
Paladin Level 13 = CR 5 or less
Paladin Level 15 = CR 6 or less
Paladin Level 17 = CR 7 or less
So any Large, or Medium if the PC is Small, creature from the below list copied from the Sticky:
Beasts (PHB Appendix D)
Beasts (CR 0): bat, cat,frog, hawk (falcon), owl, rat, raven
Beasts (CR 1/8): mastiff, mule, poisonous snake,
Beasts (CR 1/4): boar, constrictor snake, panther, riding horse, wolf
Beasts (CR 1/2): black bear, crocodile, reef shark, warhorse
Beasts (CR 1): brown bear, dire wolf, giant eagle, giant spider, lion, tiger
Beasts (MM Appendix A) - All of the beasts from the PHB, plus the following:
Beasts (CR 0): baboon, badger, crab, deer, eagle, giant fire beetle, goat, hyena, jackal, lizard, octopus, quipper, scorpion, seahorse, spider, vulture
Beasts (CR 1/8): blood hawk, camel, flying snake, giant crab, giant rat, giant weasel, pony,
Beasts (CR 1/4): axe beak, draft horse, elk, giant badger, giant bat, giant centipede, giant frog, giant lizard, giant owl, giant poisonous snake, giant wolf spider,
Beasts (CR 1/2): ape, giant goat, giant seahorse, giant wasp,
Beasts (CR 1): giant eagle, giant hyena, giant octopus, giant toad, giant vulture, tiger
Beasts (CR 2): giant boar, giant constrictor snake, giant elk, hunter shark, polar bear, rhinocerous, saber-toothed tiger,
Beasts (CR 3): giant scorpion, killer whale,
Beasts (CR 4): elephant,
Beasts (CR 5): giant crocodile, giant shark,
Beasts (CR 6): mammoth
Beasts (CR 7): giant ape