Paladin Warhorse

[Ravellion]

I will probably use it, but let the horse come from "somewhere behind the horizon", so you would ahve to wait a few minutes before it arrives. No Blue flash and *BANG* it's there, that wouldn't suit my campaign.

 

[WanderingMonster]

What's with all the neigh-saying (queue rimshot)?

I LIKE the idea. No, wait...I ADORE the idea. Forget about believability, suspension of disbelief, or what have you. This makes paladins a lot cooler! I makes having a mount a boon instead of baggage.

Now I'm sure you all are the exceptions, but most DMs (myself included) are not always keen (or adept) at making quests that allow the paladin to use one of his nicest class features. This revision takes the class feature and makes it player activated, rather than DM activated.

Kai Lord is right. Myself, I wouldn't envision it bamf-ing out of thin air, but rather appearing from around the corner, over the horizon, or swooping from the sky. A little application of the imagination muscle can erase the horrid image of the teleporting pony from any willing mind.

This increases playability and flexibility. It's more fun. It's a great revision.

 

[bwgwl]

Forget about believability, suspension of disbelief, or what have you.

no thanks.

It makes having a mount a boon instead of baggage.

i never noticed the paladin's intelligent, high hit dice mount with special abilities as baggage. seems like having it around all the time is more of a boon to me.

This revision takes the class feature and makes it player activated, rather than DM activated.

how is having the mount around all the time DM activated? how is it not player activated? if anything, being around all the time means its not activated at all -- it's just always there.

Myself, I wouldn't envision it bamf-ing out of thin air, but rather appearing from around the corner, over the horizon, or swooping from the sky.

personally, i'd rather the mount be around all the time, but a few times per day the paladin can "call" it to his current location. so when he goes into the dungeon, he leaves it up on the surface with the rest of the party's mounts, but if he needs help, he can bring it to him (from around the corner or wherever).

i just don't like the idea of the paladin storing his mount in some kind of "extra-dimensional pocket" from which he can summon it forth for a limited time per day. that doesn't match my vision of a paladin.

This increases playability and flexibility. It's more fun.

how is having the mount around for a limited time per day as opposed to all the time more flexible? or more fun?

 

[randomninja]

Well, it's a very unexpected change no question there. It's not necessarily for the worse however. It does make the Paladins mount more readily availible, and therefore more useful, which I think is a good thing. The Paladin's Mount is supposed to be part of the Strength of the class afterall, and the fact is that it wasn't very often practical for the Pally to drag a huge, honking horse everwhere he went " just in case"

I think that it is very important to see what the new flavor description of the New Mount is as well, because it does signifigantly alter how this ability is perceived. In the Older Editions, The Paladin would have to track down that one special horse with who he made a connection with, While staring into it's deep, sparkling blue eyes....
(Cut to Beautiful empty beach with cheesy music playing in the background. The Paladin and his Horse race towards each other for about 5 minutes, staring at each-other longingly before embracing and spinning in slow, contented, circles)

Paladin: Noble steed, bond with me, and together we will destroy evil.
Horse: Neigh! (stomps twice and flips it's mane)
Paladin: Whoa there, don't get so excited! I didn't say I needed you quite yet! With all my whacky adventures, who knows when I'll need a good horse? Tell you what I'll do....I'll get you set up at a nice stable, and if I ever need you, and it's not too inconvenient to come get you, I'll come for you.
Horse: Neigh! (kicks Paladin in the face)

I would assume that with the new rules, it doesn't quite work that way anymore. I would see the mount as a helper sent as a gift from the Paladins Diety, Sort of a Guardian Angel with Hoofs that he can call upon when he needs help

 

[BryonD]

I'm on the good idea side.

I have seen to many paladins never bother using a mount because it DOES become a burden.

It is no problem until that first time you have to go somewhere that the mount can not go. Then A) you effectively lose the class ability and B) you hold things up with the need to find a safe place to leave the mount. (And if you blow that off, please don't complain about believeability)

As to a knight calling a horse from a celestial plane: Well, if that night just happens to be a holy warrior who casts spells, I have a hard time seeing why not. No less knightly than lay on hands.

It is a great idea. I wish I had thought of it.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Um, I'll wait until the books come out but I don't like the view of this change from where I currently sit.

BLACKGUARD: Muah-hah-hah! My evil plan has been your undoing! My minions are approaching the castle and I will defeat you here and now with charging steed and thundering lance!

PALADIN: A joust? Um .... time out while I cast a spell, OK?

 

[John Crichton]

I could see some folks being peeved about this as it may not jive with how they have always dealt with the Paladin's Mount ability.

I kinda like it, especially for the setting I am running right now. It's kinda hard to move non-flying mounts around and now the party's Paladin won't have to worry about that after he quests for his warhorse.

It adds a little more stragedy to the game as well. Calling it may depend on location which could lead to having the party mage or cleric try to divine where they are heading to potentially save some resources. I don't think it hurts Paladins at all. Even in the example of a concentrated/hard ride I can see making a case for if the Paladin is rested for 8 hours that he can bring the mount about at that time for a bit at possibly taking a hit to attacks for a day or just having the mount not able to reappear for a bit longer (say half a day). To me, it gives the Paladin the ability to bring the mount places he normally wouldn't. And once you hit a certain level, you could basically leave the thing summoned all day.

And as for how the "summoning" works I believe any decent DM can come up with a way native that makes it not cheezy or like a typical spell effect. I like the LotR example from above, for one. And recall, the mount is not always a horse. I like the change but for those who don't, simple house-rule it back to the old way. I can't see any DM saying no to that if a PC requests it.

 

[The Halfling]

While I don't mind the change so much, especially as a paladin player myself, some people will chafe at this.

How about this...

Treat the new paladin mount as some sort of quasi-template. If the paladin has a mundane mount, then for a limited time per day that mount may be enhanced by a divine gift. The effects would be the same.

If the paladin is without his mount, or does not own one, then the diety fashions a mortal vessel to house the divine blessing. Similar to a 1st level Mount spell, really.

Either way the effects would be the same.

 

[randomninja]

BiggusGeekus: Quite Frankly, I would prefer having the Paladin in that situation take a moment and summon his mighty steed before enganging in some awesome jousting action with the Black Knight to the alternative....

Paladin: A joust huh? Well crap, I don't have my horse with me at the moment. Do you think you could just get off your horse and we do this the just and honourable way.
Blackguard:.....
Paladin: Right.....I guess I'll just have to deal with it and...Hey! Don't you go giving me that look! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get through your stupid "Labryinth of Evil" with a frikken horse! Do you? Huh? Lets see you try it smart guy!
Blackguard:....
Paladin: Well, before this gets bloody, I just want you to know that I AM an superb horseman. I've trained long and hard in mounted combat, and if my horse was here, you'd be getting your butt handed to you on a plate about now, I'm not kidding!
Blackguard:...
Paladin: Fine, be that way. I have just one thing I want written on my tombstone though. You suck, and I loathe you...

 

[BiggusGeekus]

randomninja,

HA! Nice.