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You can take the alternate advancement to have the wolf stay medium, or you can switch to a medium riding dog.
And "best cavalier" needs a definition: best at doing what?
Any small race has the size advantage, so you need to understand what you want your cavalier to do. A gnome, wayang, or grippli might be just as good as a halfling, depending on your purpose.
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@ Saldiven -How does slayer give an open animal companion list?
Tho I do agree giant gecko is a superb mount as I use it on Fruian Thistlefoot. Old stickfoot has down right made DMs in PFS sad as he just goes anywhere and everywhere. Typically most cceilings are ideal hight to charge on keeping him out of harms way.
Then Deinonychus/velociraptor has room to become the best choice
Mostly because they are the only ones that get pounce and go from small to medium; everything else only gets it when they go large, so I am unsure if you can take it and stay medium.
A hunter dip might not be bad, even if you already get free companion choice. The primal companion hunter gives you eidolon evos for minutes/level, which basically means fights/level. Just dipping a bit into that seems like it would give you options (wolf/dog with pounce and claws seems fairly doable)
A halfling could probably ride around in a kangaroo's pouch. Whether that's funny or just stupid is up to you.
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nice idea! if only it had Armor and abilities
Natural spider climb is a good ability and I make my gecko wear Light Armor without Armor Check Penalty. So he has armor. But armor is not needed on a mount too much because mounted combat. I made my Gecko take Bodyguard feat so he can help the rider with his AC.
So what you mean by if it only had armor and Abilities....it seems to have good abilities for a character who will cap at 12.The problem with multiclassing to open up the companion list is that it doesn't work unless that second classes companion is the same as the existing companion list.
My ranger/fighter 1 took it @ 5 and has a full HD Companion. But it is wise to be mostly a Animal Companion class.
Then Deinonychus/velociraptor has room to become the best choice
Mostly because they are the only ones that get pounce and go from small to medium; everything else only gets it when they go large, so I am unsure if you can take it and stay medium.
A hunter dip might not be bad, even if you already get free companion choice. The primal companion hunter gives you eidolon evos for minutes/level, which basically means fights/level. Just dipping a bit into that seems like it would give you options (wolf/dog with pounce and claws seems fairly doable)
Pounce is great as long as the mount is doing the fighting...but if your playing a Lancer do remember the 10 foot reach makes it hard for the mount to reach it with natural weapons. And you don't want to stop at the target...Ride by attacking is pretty key to setting up the next charge.
So yes pounce is super powerful....but not very welcome when your playing a Lancer.
Best 2 abilities for a mount that is to be lanced off of are Spider Climb and Fly.
Tho trampling over someone works after a charge. which a Dino or a Elephant could accomplish. I'd rather be Medium sized on a large+ mount tho for that tactic. Makes for a harder time dungeon diving. The key reason I rolled small was to fit into dungeons.
You know, the only thing affected by a mount that's too big (as best I can tell) is using the Ride Skill for Fast Mount/Dismount. Your Halfling can ride a large wolf just fine.
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The Mighty Khan wrote:
You know, the only thing affected by a mount that's too big (as best I can tell) is using the Ride Skill for Fast Mount/Dismount. Your Halfling can ride a large wolf just fine.
The big problem with large mounts is dungeon accessibility. Medium mounts can go more places.
In 8 levels I have only been dismounted 1 time due to Scenario in PFS. it was for 1 fight in a spa resort. They wouldn't let animals in. But the majority of the time I ride my Gecko into houses, shops, Libraries, dungeons. Medium mount really pays off. I will be honest typically the difference between Small vs Medium is a lousy 6 damage if they can both accomplish being mounted. But when you take the mount from a Medium person his damage becomes gimped. All those mounted feats become worthless. The lance does normal damage not x2 or x3 respectfully.
No when it comes down to it the Smalls ability to stay mounted more often make it the true winner.
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nice idea! if only it had Armor and abilities ::)
It doesn't need armor or abilities, because it's safely on the ceiling out of reach of most foes! Plus, it's main ability is the ability to move along the ceiling. I've GMd for a couple gecko-mounted PCs now, and they did, indeed, make me sad. I've yet to see a lance-charger fail to find a clear charge lane on the ceiling. Often, even if foes survive, they can't even reach their tormentor.
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Lol Magda feels the pain. The Giant Gecko is really a top tier mount even though it lacks Flying. There have been so many sessions Spider climb has just wrecked the place. Assaulting Forts has been rather easy when you can get a ladder/rope up the wall in a move and after your up there can charge down and 1 shot all the guards on the wall. No where for them to run. Have a mage cast Protection from Arrows on you and your just demolishing the wall defenses. The gecko is brutal in more than just on ceilings. The mount totally craps on most medium mounts issues of not being able to climb ladders or make good climb checks. I personally keep feather step on my Gecko so he can charge from just about anywhere over most things. Not having flight has not been an issue for me. Air walk and Fly are good cheap answers. There is typically always someone who can cast either and all players should carry a potion of fly if they are melee.
You know, the only thing affected by a mount that's too big (as best I can tell) is using the Ride Skill for Fast Mount/Dismount. Your Halfling can ride a large wolf just fine.
It's more an issue of getting a large animal through tight dungeons, which is why a lot of mount-based classes use small races and medium mounts.
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one: why waste a friend?
a large trex \ tiger \ rhino can hold its own with armor of 30+ and nice damage and... can squeeze while narrow places.
a pouncing tiger can do 80+ damage by his own.
A medium mount can do plenty good damage, and will not have to squeeze.
two: why a climber if can gain flight?
wont a griffon be better with flight? is it worth 2 feats?
Flight is better, but: encumbrance hurts winged flyers worse than quadrapeds. Climb speed is good enough in most situations indoors.
three: my mount has spring attack, as do i. we both, if no charges, go in and out for nice attack each.
Spring attack is a trap for mounted characters. If you are a lancer, you want to charge, and you can't charge on a spring attack. If you are not a lancer, you want mounted skirmisher, so again no spring attack. Mounted characters get better mobility if the mount and rider both take escape route.
last, ceiling can be really high...
If the ceiling is too tall, the walls are just as good.
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this lead to a Q:
can you charge while squeezing?
especially with
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/narrow-frame
No you can't charge while squeezing. Its too difficult. but that feat does help the larger critters in through a door.
Undersized mount is the better feat option. It is a fair feat since most small races have to take either arcane strike or risky striker to make up the negative of being small. But it does make it medium characters have the same feat tax.
one: why waste a friend?
a large trex \ tiger \ rhino can hold its own with armor of 30+ and nice damage and... can squeeze while narrow places.
a pouncing tiger can do 80+ damage by his own.
Because a Mounted Lancer tends to be the one doing the damage and you are using the mount for extra damage and mobility. Sure they can do good damage on their own but since a lancer is 10 feet away it makes it hard for the mount to do the damage. You could be a Mounted skirmisher instead of a lancer then you may want to consider the Pouncer mount. But there is a complete difference in Character design between the 2 of those builds. As a lancer the only attacks a mount can really accomplish due to reach restrictions is a Trample/Over Run cause you can always ride-by through them in the stright line. Which that stratgy is best suited for the highest STR score you can find.
For the rest of your questions Imbicatus answered them pretty well.
You have to distinguish between building a AC for combat or as a mount. A lancer only needs a mount Animal companion. Where another class might really want that Animal companion to be a real bruiser that he can buff up. The OP wanted to talk about Lancers not some Animal Buffer who focuses on pouncing.
If the dungeon has Large monsters in it then presumably you should be able to ride a Large mount in it. If you can't ride the tiger then how do the trolls fit? The Narrow Frame feat can be helpful for getting through tight spots.
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If the dungeon has Large monsters in it then presumably you should be able to ride a Large mount in it
Not always true. You need 10 feet to begin a charge on top of your 10 foot lance. You can't charge while squeezing.
sometimes large monsters are fit into those rooms never to leave them. Like constructs or plant monsters.
With Narrow Frame a Large mount should rarely be squeezing. I didn't say you'd always be able to charge, but honestly you're not always able to charge even on a Medium mount or on foot. Still, the Large mount only adds 5 feet to the horizontal distance required to charge with a lance. With Narrow Frame you wouldn't be squeezing.
I think the inability to ride Large mounts in dungeons is mostly just a misconception based on the idea that a man riding a horse would be too tall to fit indoors. That depends on the ceiling height of course though in Pathfinder there are also Large mounts much lower at the shoulder than a warhorse (that and Holy Diver being why I mentioned "ride the tiger")
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If you decide to go with the gecko mount you might want to check out some old Mage Knight "Dark Rider" minis. Salamander #115 and #116 would work really well for the riding gecko, and there are various minis available which are properly shaped to ride on top of the mounts. I guess the only problem is that the lizard might be a little bigger than Medium. I don't have one handy right now to check.
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A halfling could probably ride around in a kangaroo's pouch. Whether that's funny or just stupid is up to you.
"Hey, kangaroo. Is that a halfling cavalier with a lance in your pouch, or are you just happy to see me?"
If the dungeon has Large monsters in it then presumably you should be able to ride a Large mount in itNot always true. You need 10 feet to begin a charge on top of your 10 foot lance. You can't charge while squeezing.
sometimes large monsters are fit into those rooms never to leave them. Like constructs or plant monsters.
Plus a lot of the nasty creatures have teleport and shape change.
There are a lot of ways for a big monster to be in a room without being able to get out. Some times the room was even made around the monster, and it was specifically designed so it couldn't get out.
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If you decide to go with the gecko mount you might want to check out some old Mage Knight "Dark Rider" minis. Salamander #115 and #116 would work really well for the riding gecko, and there are various minis available which are properly shaped to ride on top of the mounts. I guess the only problem is that the lizard might be a little bigger than Medium. I don't have one handy right now to check.
I use Chief Ripnugget Which is fitting since he gave me idea to make a better player version of himself. He is the proper medium size and the gecko is very detailed. I am very pleased that I picked him up. I got him for $12 instead of $18. I will treasure it for a long time. When I retire my gecko rider I will put his stats in a Folio and Put the Gecko rider on display for my kids to enjoy when they get older and get an interest in fantasy stuff.
I don't know if you by those dice in a clear box...but I keep my favorite lucky dice set in one. At the table I use the clear box to indicate I am above ground level (ceiling and flying). I can put the clear box over other characters if I am above them on the ceiling.
Chief Ripnugget would definitely be a great mini too though he's a little more costly and lacks the ability to remove the rider from the mount so they can split up. The good news is that it looks like you can pick him up quite a bit cheaper if you shop around for used minis. We often use clear dice boxes as stands for flying PCs. My girlfriend even recently began attaching multiple boxes together with their lids since they'll snap on in either direction. This allows us to have a rudimentary if somewhat precarious way of tracking elevation.
Regarding big monsters in dungeons without big corridors, that's obviously possible, but we really only need 5 foot wide corridors to move Large mounts around with Narrow Frame. I wouldn't expect a "typical" game (if there is such a thing) to include lots of dungeons with corridors so small that Medium PCs have to squeeze and Large monsters can't leave their lairs.
That's not to say that being smaller doesn't still have some advantages as far as concentrating attack power. So does the Cavalry Formation feat.