Mounted Combat
- Thread starter dr_nukem
- Start date
Artoomis
First Post
For the most part, special mounts belong to paladins. Wnat a special mount? Be a paladin.
That said, there are a couple of things you could do. The best option would be to take Leadership and get a cohort who could serve as your mount. Now the mount will gain hit die (levels) as you advance. this is a GOOD THING.
If you get a special mount any other way (short of Awakening an animal, and then you STILL may need Leadership for it to stick around and serve you), its hit die will be forever fixed, and you can be assured it will die as you advance and get tougher.
Normally, you could just buy another mount if your mount dies, not too big a deal. This is not true if you have a special mount, so survivability is paramount.
That said, there are a couple of things you could do. The best option would be to take Leadership and get a cohort who could serve as your mount. Now the mount will gain hit die (levels) as you advance. this is a GOOD THING.
If you get a special mount any other way (short of Awakening an animal, and then you STILL may need Leadership for it to stick around and serve you), its hit die will be forever fixed, and you can be assured it will die as you advance and get tougher.
Normally, you could just buy another mount if your mount dies, not too big a deal. This is not true if you have a special mount, so survivability is paramount.
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Well, as cohorts take XP away from the party...my group has already told me they'll kill any cohort of mine! :->
I *think* they're joking, but their point is there...so probably no cohort.
I might be able to convice my DM to let a mount advance in levels as part of a prestige class...similar to how a palidin's mount works.
I was looking at some of the available classes that have mounts as a special feature...the only ones I could find were the Paladin and Halfling Outrider...but even the HO doesn't get any special abilities for his mount.
I *think* they're joking, but their point is there...so probably no cohort.
I might be able to convice my DM to let a mount advance in levels as part of a prestige class...similar to how a palidin's mount works.
I was looking at some of the available classes that have mounts as a special feature...the only ones I could find were the Paladin and Halfling Outrider...but even the HO doesn't get any special abilities for his mount.
Artoomis
First Post
A few ways to go:
1. Become a paladin. I presume this is not a desirable way to go for you.
2. Create a new prestige class, using the paladin's mount as a guide for mount advancement. You'd need to be very mount-oriented, perhaps requiring the mounted combat feats and lots of ranks in riding - if we are talking a special mount, then animal handling won't be required or of any value, since your mount would be a magical beast, not an animal.
3. Create a new prestige class that gets you a special mount which has intelligence of at least 4 or so and advances as a magical beast in a way that's similiar to a cohort - let it have 1/2 your experience points for advancement, but with no impact to party experience point awards. This pseudo-leadership feat would be a class feature. If you leave the mount with no other powers, it might be reasonable to NOT require a year-and-a-day delay before you could get a new one, if it is killed. This is pretty much new rules territory, but that's partly what prestige classes are for.
Of course, you'd need to work out why this prestige class exists and how they get their special mounts - quest, gift, automagically, etc.
Whichever way you go way, consider a Celestial War Dog with Celestial Armor for your mount, if you are a halfling. Very cool, very useful even indoors.
Also, here's something handy to have in your hip pocket:
If you read all the WotC supplemental materials, it appears that normal animals get only one magical item allowed (IIRC - from MotW - I think you'd normally stretch it to two when including barding), whereas familairs (and other magical beast companions, one assumes, like special mounts) get mutiple slots like anyone else - this is from T&B.
1. Become a paladin. I presume this is not a desirable way to go for you.
2. Create a new prestige class, using the paladin's mount as a guide for mount advancement. You'd need to be very mount-oriented, perhaps requiring the mounted combat feats and lots of ranks in riding - if we are talking a special mount, then animal handling won't be required or of any value, since your mount would be a magical beast, not an animal.
3. Create a new prestige class that gets you a special mount which has intelligence of at least 4 or so and advances as a magical beast in a way that's similiar to a cohort - let it have 1/2 your experience points for advancement, but with no impact to party experience point awards. This pseudo-leadership feat would be a class feature. If you leave the mount with no other powers, it might be reasonable to NOT require a year-and-a-day delay before you could get a new one, if it is killed. This is pretty much new rules territory, but that's partly what prestige classes are for.
Of course, you'd need to work out why this prestige class exists and how they get their special mounts - quest, gift, automagically, etc.
Whichever way you go way, consider a Celestial War Dog with Celestial Armor for your mount, if you are a halfling. Very cool, very useful even indoors.
Also, here's something handy to have in your hip pocket:
If you read all the WotC supplemental materials, it appears that normal animals get only one magical item allowed (IIRC - from MotW - I think you'd normally stretch it to two when including barding), whereas familairs (and other magical beast companions, one assumes, like special mounts) get mutiple slots like anyone else - this is from T&B.
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There is the Windrider Prestige class in Masters of the Wild. I think that may be dead on for what you are looking for. It has a number of features for enhancing your mount and improving it. Also for picking a superior mount.
Second option is just to talk to your GM. If the other characters don't want an XP drain and you want some sort of an exotic steed. Work something out with your GM to avoid that. There are a number of possible compromises. Though keep in mind Exotic steeds have high cohort levels (Griffon is 9) and are relatively fragile for their level. Particularly if the mount does not advance in relation to your advancement.
Finally, don't forget that many exotic steeds can be purchaced, if you GM permits. I think Griffon eggs and such go for a few thousand GP. Read through the Monster Manual. Giant Owls, Hippogriffs and Pegasai also spring to mind as exotic steeds that have a GP price attached to purchasing one. Though they all have various quirks and time requirements.
Second option is just to talk to your GM. If the other characters don't want an XP drain and you want some sort of an exotic steed. Work something out with your GM to avoid that. There are a number of possible compromises. Though keep in mind Exotic steeds have high cohort levels (Griffon is 9) and are relatively fragile for their level. Particularly if the mount does not advance in relation to your advancement.
Finally, don't forget that many exotic steeds can be purchaced, if you GM permits. I think Griffon eggs and such go for a few thousand GP. Read through the Monster Manual. Giant Owls, Hippogriffs and Pegasai also spring to mind as exotic steeds that have a GP price attached to purchasing one. Though they all have various quirks and time requirements.
Vaxalon
First Post
dr_nukem said:
Wow. This is really harsh.
Given how fast XP come in, I see the drain for cohorts, magic items, and the like to be a GOOD thing. It allows you to play your character for longer.
Perhaps they used charisma as a dump stat, and you didn't, thereby giving your character a significant advantage once you got to a level where a cohort was possible.
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