Help and suggestions for riding animals needed

[Nazhkandrias]

Have him ride a medium-sized humanoid. A fighter with a tower shield and a kurisari gama. Use the Exotic saddle from the PH for the harness.

Is that sufficiently distinctive and interesting?

Well, I don't think that falls under the category of "able and willing to carry a rider". Plus, something like that would incur a -5 Ride penalty. If you want something REALLY unusual and exotic, you could use a half-orc wizard with plate mail, a laser rifle, and a chainsaw (Warhammer 40k, anybody?). Actually, that might just be scary... and it would have to be a cohort. That requires a division of party loot. Bleah, I hate giving up gold... especially to a mount.

I remember that one time, one of the players was a paladin with a special mount (heavy warhorse). However, he was a Paladin of Tyranny, so his horse was evil, too. The DM said that the horse was greedy and demanded a share of the party treasure. When the time came to split the treasure, we killed the horse. The paladin helped.

 

[szilard]

Dire Otter. Treat it as a dire weasel without the Ex attacks but with a swim speed (30').

-Stuart

 

[sniffles]

Steal from Eberron, and let him ride a dinosaur.

That was my thought, too. Not all dinosaurs are horribly powerful. It could be an herbivorous tree-climbing type. Or just make it a large lizard, similar to an iguana. Iguanas also swim pretty well.

 

[blargney the second]

Have him ride a medium-sized humanoid.

Thunder Dome!

 

[carborundum]

Great ideas!
He's leaning towards a Dire Sea Otter now, but the iguana is cool too - if it can turn into the lizardbeast from Revenge of the Clones, that is!

 

[MarkB]

Try a Dire Bat. The price is a little steep (Savage Tide Players' Guide page 2) and you may have to handwave the qualifications for a Dangerous Pets licence, but otherwise it should be fine - just have him having obtained a loan prior to the game starting, with his earnings for the next few weeks having to go into paying it back if he doesn't want to wake up one morning with his legs broken.

My online Savage Tide has one character (a goblin Evoker) riding a dire bat, and it's been great fun so far.

 

[carborundum]

thanks for all the suggestions - looks like he will be taking a Dire Sea Otter.
I'll have to have a think about whether to hold it back for a level or two, or let it improve as he does. Don't want to make everyone jealous from the start!