Darmanicus said:
AND? The only difference is the magical bit considering a horse IS a beast.
You're confusing standard usage with a game term. With regards to standard usage, yes, a horse is a beast. In game terms it is absolutely not. It's an [Animal]. Indeed, 3.5 did away with what used to be the plain [Beast] monster type. My point is that a paladin's mount is fundamentally changed by act of becoming a paladin's mount, and is no longer a normal horse. As was pointed out above, it's type may not change, but "treated as a Magical Beast" is good enough for me. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...
And what does the magical thang do? Grants smiting, DR, resistance......NOT a change in personality. If anything it's an alignment thang!
I disagree. The magical "thang" increases the creature's intelligence by (in this case) 7 points, and allows it to comprehend things such as mathematics, history, subterfuge, language, and much more.
And not change the creature's personality? How can it
not change the creature's personality, when that creature can now comprehend morality and express free will? How can it not change the creature's personality when it can now argue philosophy, discuss theology, and define it's own ethics?
Profound statement to say the least!!! It's not far more complex at all, in fact I'd go as far to say as sexuality and insticts are very much interwined but this point is irrelevant anyway.
Irrelevent? How so? It's entirely relevent. We're talking about the sexuality of the paladin's mount, versus its instincts. You seem to believe that even though the paladin's mount gains sentience, it remains a slave to its instinct. I, on the other hand, believe that--like us--such a creature could and would supplant raw instinct with sentient choice.
The paladin's mount might not be a Puritan about sex, but to say that its intelligence has no bearing on its sexuality is a fallacy, IMO.
Just remember that the increased intelligence doesn't mean a hell of a lot, it's not as though they've graduated with honours thru Cambridge University or something!!!!
Why should I remember an assertion I find erroneous? Increased intelligence
does mean a hell of a lot. It means everything, in fact. I think
you need to remember that we aren't talking about an animal that's become a little easier to train. We're talking about an animal that's become
self-aware and thoughtful.
In fact all that's happened is that they've become a smarter animal.
You say "all" like it means nothing, but again I think you aren't recognizing the change in paradigm we're dealing with. It's not the difference between a 1 Int and a 2 Int. It's the difference between the understanding of a dog, and the understanding of a
human being. We're talking about a warhorse that can understand concepts such as
tomorrow and envision what it means when you say "another continent." The two creatures, ordinary horse and paladin's warhorse, aren't living in the same universe.
Cr@ppy comparison, they were apes and he was human. A horse is a horse is a horse. Our example, just because he was more intelligent, wouldn't put him off at all, he'd be starting on the equivalent of the equine Karma Sutra if anything!!!
You must not have read my
Planet of the Apes reference very carefully. Or perhaps you don't know who Estella Warren is. She's the model/actress who played the lead guy's love interest. i.e. a human of extremely low intelligence but high physical attractiveness. Hence the parallel to our current conversation.
'Much more involved'??? Please be more specific, I'm DYING to hear what could possibly be floating thru the poor stallions mind.........
"Cr@p man, I can't be doin' that fine filly at a time like this, I got me exams in the morning"!!!
It's a horse with battle stats and a couple of odds and sods, NOT a totally different creature.
Exams? *sigh* Intelligence is neither dependent upon nor a product of education. It's an inherent quality that changes how well an individual understands things. Let's drop the references to college and exams, since they're pointless in this discussion.
As to what I could see going through a warhorse's thoughts? Perhaps he doesn't want to sire a child he'll never see (horses are herd animals. He'd usually remain a part of the familial group.) Perhaps he's concerned with how well his child will be treated, without him being nearby to protect it while it matures. Perhaps he'd rather not sire a child into the slavery of being a human mount (far different from the partnership of paladin and special mount.)
Perhaps he's looking for love. He's aware enough to understand that concept now. The idea of a mate with which to share mental and emotional intimacy as well as physical.
Or perhaps he finds the idea of mating with a beautiful but essentially mindless body disgusting, much as I would find the idea of mating with a fully-grown woman who possessed the mind of an infant.
