Paladins doing trade-ups of their mounts?

[Kershek]

Are there rules that state you cannot trade-up your mount for a better alternative when you level-up? For instance, pick a warhorse at 5th, then a celestial warhorse at 6th, then a dire lion later?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Are there rules that state you cannot trade-up your mount for a better alternative when you level-up? For instance, pick a warhorse at 5th, then a celestial warhorse at 6th, then a dire lion later?

Don't appear to be - it specifically states you can dismiss a mount from your service.

I'd be inclined to enforce the dead mount rule for a dismissed mount as well, though - no more summoning for thirty days or until you level (though I wouldn't inflict the penalties) - to avoid someone switching out for any situation.

"We need to get up there? Okay, I'll dismiss my dire lion and summon a pegasus. A fight? Oops, I'll dismiss my pegasus and summon a dire lion again."

-Hyp.

 

[FireLance]

Again, no actual rule, but allowing a paladin to "trade up" his mount when he makes a new level sounds fine to me.

 

[Corinth]

So long as I can summon a Celestial Chocobo (thank you Dragon #323!), I'm happy.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I think it works fine. Now that the mount is not actually present all of the time, it makes sense for a mount to change. "Before, you were able to summon only a shadow of my being, now you see Heironeous more clearly and can manifest a truer image of me."

 

[Hypersmurf]

I think it works fine. Now that the mount is not actually present all of the time, it makes sense for a mount to change. "Before, you were able to summon only a shadow of my being, now you see Heironeous more clearly and can manifest a truer image of me."

Except if you're using the DotF rules for alternative mounts (is there anything else for 3.5?), then a more dangerous base creature means all the level-based benefits get reduced... so in theory, the (extremely suped-up) horse is just as true an image as the (slightly suped-up) rhinoceros.

-Hyp.

 

[Darklone]

Or the minuscule suped-up Draconomicon dragon mount.