Paladin's Special Mount and its Natural Armor

[Herremann the Wise]

The Paladin's Special Mount when called receives particular benefits over and above the normal. One of these is Natural Armor.

Paladin Level (5-7) Natural Armor: 4

From the PHB:

"Natural Armor: The number listed here is an improvement to the mount's AC. It represents the preternatural toughness of a Paladin's Mount."

However, what happens when you call a Special Mount who has a Natural Armor equal to or greater than 4?

Is the higher of the two taken or
Is the Natural Armor above added to the pre-existing Natural Armor as a Bonus?

Best Regards and thanks in advance
Herremann the Wise

 

[andargor]

Since they are named bonuses, they do not stack. Hence the higher value would be used.

Andargor

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'm pretty sure it was ruled - maybe for familiars, anyway - that the bonus is an improvement to the Natural Armor bonus, not a Natural Armor bonus in its own right.

FAQ or Tome and Blood, maybe?

-Hyp.

 

[andargor]

I'm pretty sure it was ruled - maybe for familiars, anyway - that the bonus is an improvement to the Natural Armor bonus, not a Natural Armor bonus in its own right.

FAQ or Tome and Blood, maybe?

-Hyp.

There is a mention for familiars getting "improved natural armor" in T&B p.11. Maybe it applies to a Paladin's Mount...

Andargor

 

[Mahali]

It's an increase to the base # and stacks with existing natural armor.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

I just got an email back from Wizards and it's the higher of the two that is taken. However, they did not provide any explanation.

andagor,
What exactly did you mean by two named bonuses? Can you provide a good explanation I can provide for the player - the PHB is ambiguous which is what caused the whole thing anyway.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Hypersmurf]

Yeah, 'cos Customer Service has a great track record

I note that Defenders of the Faith, speaking on Special Mounts, specifically says that if the mount's Intelligence or SR is better than the figure for Intelligence or SR on the Paladin's Mount table, it simply takes its racial value.

It doesn't say that about the Natural Armor. And the fact that the PHB wording of the natural armor of familiars and mounts is identical leads me to believe that the Paladin bonus improves the mount's inherent Natural Armor, rather than overlapping it.

-Hyp.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Hypersmurf,
Thanks for replying. The only difference between the Familiar and Mount is that the Familiars Natural Armor has a "+" in front of it where as the Paladin's does not. Looked at Defenders of the Faith again and it does seem to be an omission.

I'm now more confused than ever?

Any suggestions?

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Hypersmurf]

Any suggestions?

Pick what works best for your game

-Hyp.

 

[Wolf72]

I always thought of it like the familiar's + ... as an improvement but +X

*wolf thinks WotC is loopy in the cabeza*