Halfling Beastmaster

[happybandit]

Just a quick question.

My daughter just built her first character and she opted for a Halfling Beastmaster Ranger. She selected a Boar as her animal companion. Being a small character, could the boar serve as a mount, being as it is a larger (medium) sized creature?

Wasn't sure how this would work. It's not anything dreadfully important, just something I was wondering about.

Thanks.

 

[fireinthedust]

I would argue yes... to the DM


But I think so. One size larger sounds good enough.

Does she have the Mounted Combat feat? (or Mark of Handling, which I learned is from Eberron and is better than Mounted Combat)

And do you have stats for a Boar mount? If there's any question, ask if she can swap out to the other set of stats when she's riding.

 

[Mort_Q]

The new Eberron Vadalis Griffonmaster paragon path allows a Beast Master to ride a Griffon. That requires a feat, the Mark of Handling, as a prereq.

That said, it wouldn't be a big deal to house rule something for your daughter

The DMG (p. 46) does say your mount has to be larger than you and no smaller than large.

Here's an old thread about it.

 

[DracoSuave]

I would argue yes... to the DM


But I think so. One size larger sounds good enough.

Yep, for a halfling.

Does she have the Mounted Combat feat? (or Mark of Handling, which I learned is from Eberron and is better than Mounted Combat)

For a lot of characters, Mark of Handling is Mounted Combat with some upside. For Beastmasters, it's the -other- effect that they want, the mounted combat is the gravy.

And do you have stats for a Boar mount? If there's any question, ask if she can swap out to the other set of stats when she's riding.

Boars don't have the mount type, so you don't need to Mounted Combat. Regardless, Beast Master rangers actually work better if they get off their damn killpig in battle. Half your powers don't work mounted, and the other half are suboptimal mounted. (Beastmasters are flankmasters, and you should milk that to the hilt.)

If she never wants to get off her killpig, then magebreeding it a mount ability is certainly good, have her build Archery-style.

Either way, an angry halfling with a chip on her shoulder riding an angry killpig with nothing to lose has 'awesome heavy metal' cover written all over it. If I were DM, I'd bend over backwords to make The Baconator happen.


EDIT: If she shoots some orc in the eye and then leaps off her killpig, and has it carreen into another enemy, that to me makes the build all worth while. Do what you can to make this happen.