Ideas for a high-level fighter's mount

[Magus Coeruleus]

Hi there. I've got a player in my campaign that is a 13th level single-class fighter with max or nearly maxed ranks in both Handle Animal and Ride. He would like to train a mount for himself but he is concerned that it will be too weak and die easily in combat. Does anyone have ideas on a good way to let him realize this aspect of his character, i.e. highly trained in handling animals and riding, and let him have something he can use in combat and use those skills? The rules are not very clear to me but it seems as if creatures more intelligent animals end up calling for things like Diplomacy checks to influence rather than just Handle Animal. He doesn't want a Cohort because that's something where Charisma is better. He really just wants a creature that can move fast and not crumple with a lightning bolt, and like I said let him use those skills. I'm sure he'd be willing to sink a feat into the process if it could help.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, RAW-based or house rule.

MC

 

[Quartz]

How about making an adventure of it? Or simply a challenge (q.v. Alexander the Great). As for the creature, you can still use a horse - just apply the Paragon or Legendary Creature templates. The horse only a hero can tame.

 

[Li Shenron]

The monster manuals are full of horse-like creatures that would be fantastic mounts... unicorn, nightmare, hyppogriff, asperi, pegasus.

I think that it depends if the intention is to use a mount in combat or not, but all of them are probably decent enough.

More savage mounts could be dire lion/tiger/wolf/wolverine, worg, winter wolf...

Scary ones: barghest, gorgon, hellcat (how's about an invisible mount?).

And the of course there's dragons....

Or just the break the freakin' roof: try riding a giant, an elemental, an ooze, or a swarm!

Li "surfing on a rat swarm, and charging!" Shenron

 

[Darklone]

Search for the Wild cohort feat on the wizpages.

 

[green slime]

Heroic characters with these mounted intentions deserve respectable steeds, not carbon copy cutouts of carnivore fodder.

For a 13th level character. I'd consider Advancing a Griffon (lets face it, at this level, who wants to plod around in the mud and dirt?) to around 15 HD, retaining the Large size rather than expanding into huge (perhaps by virtue of class levels of fighter/barbarian/turnip), and make mithral barding available.

Of course, it is obtained by a questing adventure.

 

[szilard]

Dinosaurs can also work as mounts if you want to keep things at animal-level intelligence.

-Stuart

 

[Magus Coeruleus]

Thanks for all these great ideas. Part of what befuddles me is the idea of what you are supposed to be able to do with Handle Animal. There are good potential mounts in the MM that describe training costs, times, etc. but have Ints greater than 2, yet the Handle Animal skill says you can use that skill on creatures other than animals if the intelligence is 1 or 2. There's a Rules of the Game series on mounts where it suggests that for intelligent mounts you would make Diplomacy or Wild Empathy checks to get the steed to go along with what you want. So I'm not really clear on the limits here. I do think, however, that the Wild Cohort feat Darklone mentioned is very appropriate--can be used for a horse that improves as you do, not as good as an animal companion, handled with Handle Animal rather than Diplomacy, etc.

Cheers,
MC

 

[smootrk]

I have used several houserules to beef up standard mounts:

- I use enhanced HD based on mount quality; a nag is HD d6, fair quality is d8, good quality is d6+2 per HD, and thoroughbred is d4+4 per HD.

- I use mount experience, and allow training in specific classes appropriate to the mount (i.e. Warhorses may take Fighter levels). XP earned is 1/2 of what the character earns but only when actively used for the encounters (i.e. ridden/commanded in the scenarios).

- when appropriate, mounts can have some templates added.

These changes allow for a degree of growth, and the templates add a degree of magical or strange functions to be added in line with the D&D setting. A character with a lot of money might purchase a Celestial Heavy Warhorse (ftr4) outright and might then allow more XP to be earned and further enhanced.

 

[Magus Coeruleus]

That's a pretty cool concept. I just emailed the player about the option for the Wild Cohort feat and also that he can take the Exalted Mount feat to give the creature the celestial template (even though it requires paladin level 4+ we don't have standard paladins in this game and his character has done the appropriate things in the context of the campaign for me to feel he's entitled). I was wondering, though, if instead of making him burn an extra feat, since he recently acquired a lot gold, if there could be an appropriate (if expensive) magic item that would grant the celestial template to an animal (only) that wears it. Does anyone know of a precedent for such a thing in terms of cost?

 

[smootrk]

I would just have the character work in conjunction with an appropriate temple/clergy to go through a number of rituals (and largish donation of gold), then have the template placed upon the mount. No need to make things too much of a hassle, as the point is to have a mount that is appropriate to the character's level, thus able to handle the hazards that the character is placed into (within reason). I have gone through similar thinking processes and believe me, if getting a stronger horse is too much of a derailment from the regular campaign events, then it is smarter just to 'make it happen' and move on with the real story.