Paladin's and Special Mounts

[Cyri'kazzen the Drow]

Hey everyone,

Recently, the paladin in my group turned 5th level and now can be given a special mount. Rather than just give him one, I want the paladin to earn it in some way. Either through a short quest or challenge. Or maybe through a series of visions, etc.

I wondered how others here played out this event for paladins in there group. Any input is most welcome. Thanks.

 

[Gez]

Here's what I've planned IMC: A dream.

The paladin will make a dream that will seem, initially, to be real; he'll just think he can't sleep and have an unresistible desire to wander away. Walking by moonlight, he'll discover a weird landscape, more and more frightening, until it really begins.

The dream will be organized a bit like a dungeon, it will be a serie of challenge and fight against enemies like demons and devils. (After each fight, his wounds will be "coincidentally" healed -- for example he'll get to free a prisoner that'll be a cleric of his deity -- so he'll be fresh for the next.) Eventually, he'll defeat the last challenge and discover a little treasure, an emerald, horse-shaped amulet.

When he'll wake up, he'll have that amulet around his neck, and will be able to use it to conjure forth his mount. (It's not a figurine of wondrous power, just a focus for calling his mount, and using the mount-related abilities like empathic link.)

Another cool thing is that the enemies he'll face (usually low-level, like dretch, lemure, mane, nupperibo, schir, herlekin... I have lots of evil outsiders at my disposal) are creatures he may face later.

 

[alsih2o]

how about your pally going out and spending a few weeks amongst a wild herd of horses till your god gives you a sign that one of them is the right horse?

 

[Durifern]

One of my players was separated from his heavy war horse. Because the horses in this campaign are treated more like familiars I made them find their masters later on. The Paladin, who previously achieved 5th level soon found out that something was different: his horse was even more aggressive and cunny like before.

 

[Gothmog]

When the paladin in my campaign hit 4th level, nothing happened right away in regards to his mount. He went on another adventure or two, then in the middle of one of the adventures, his horse was killed by a gnoll spear in a forest known to be haunted. The rest of the party was pretty badly wounded as well, and they holed up in a small cave behind a waterfall to rest and recoup. During the paladin's watch, he heard noise outside the cave, and went to investigate. The noise lead him away from the cave, but instead of feeling alarmed, he felt somehow compelled to follow. He followed the noise and his instincts for about 3 miles from their campsite until he came to a ruined monastery of his church. Inside, standing near a statue of his deity, he found a huge black warhorse. He and the animal bonded almost instantly, and as he left on the horse, he thought he heard something move behind him. When he turned to look, he saw the statue of his deity had changed position, and now was giving him the gesture his order uses for "May Herion guide you and your judgement."

 

[MasterLich]

What god does yer paladin worship? Depending on what he does, check out the Defenders of the Faith and try to convince him of waiting a bit till he can get a truely "special" mount. God of the sun or something like that, tell him to wait till 8th lvl and get a dire lion!!

Then you can make a real adventure out of it, and have him get something other than a prissy warhorse

 

[kingpaul]

It depends on the group, really. In one campaign I was in, no one else really wanted to participate in a "Find the Paladin's Called Mount" adventure, so the warpony (gnome paladin) just showed up one day. Some groups don't mind participating in the adventure for a called mount, so that'd be fun. Also, if the group doesn't mind the palading going one-on-one with the DM, and getting the extra XP, then that's a possibility as well.