Paladin mount options


Pathfinder Society

Liberty's Edge 1/5

Are paladin's strictly limited to the list of mounts in their class description, or can they use a suitable creature from the list of all animal companions? (By suitable, I mean at least a size category larger than the paladin and able to carry his weight)?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

The class description says the mount is "usually" a heavy horse or pony. But then it goes on to say that the mount functions as a druid animal companion using the Paladin's level as the effective druid level. This immediately gives you access to a companion from that list.

For the sake of riding, however, I'd say that to be a "suitable mount for riding" (as loosely defined in the Ride skill) the mount generally has to be a quadruped one size category or more larger than your character. It would be pretty silly if your medium-sized human paladin rode a medium-sized boar, for example. :-)

Liberty's Edge 1/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

The class description says the mount is "usually" a heavy horse or pony. But then it goes on to say that the mount functions as a druid animal companion using the Paladin's level as the effective druid level. This immediately gives you access to a companion from that list.

For the sake of riding, however, I'd say that to be a "suitable mount for riding" (as loosely defined in the Ride skill) the mount generally has to be a quadruped one size category or more larger than your character. It would be pretty silly if your medium-sized human paladin rode a medium-sized boar, for example. :-)

Well, more specifically I was thinking a (large) tyrannosaurus once a paladin hit 7th level. Although it isn't a quadruped, it has sufficient strength and a saddle-back. It would certainly require an exotic saddle to accommodate riding while "at-rest", but it seems like a plausible mount.


The 7th level advancement for a dinosaur is to make it medium instead of small.

Liberty's Edge 1/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:
The 7th level advancement for a dinosaur is to make it medium instead of small.

Doh...that actually answered my question indirectly. For some reason I was assuming that the animal companions from the Bestiary were allowed, not just the ones from the Core Rules. (The Tyrannosaurus on p. 86 of the Bestiary goes to Large at 7th).

Then a new question: will the animal companions from the Bestiary be available for PCs after the upcoming campaign update? :)


I will include some of them in 2.1 of the guide book, yes.


A quick read of page 54 of the Core Rulebook reveals that the dinosaur in the druid animal companion entry is either a deinonychus or velociraptor.

The OP initially appeared to be addressing that dinosaur entry, not the specific animal companion entry for the tyrannosaurus on page 86 of the bestiary.

Edit: this post was a response to a post that appears to have been deleted expressing confusion between dinosaur entries.

Dark Archive

Yeah, I posted my confusion, but then realized that the thread was specifically discussing for Pathfinder Society play, not PF play in general. Thanks for the clarification, though.

Shadow Lodge 4/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:
I will include some of them in 2.1 of the guide book, yes.

When will the 2.1 guide book be ready?

Silver Crusade 5/5

ShadowDax wrote:
When will the 2.1 guide book be ready?

Early next month.


ShadowDax wrote:
Joshua J. Frost wrote:
I will include some of them in 2.1 of the guide book, yes.
When will the 2.1 guide book be ready?

The moment this one man show can get to it. :-) After the November scenarios, it's next on my to-do list.

Shadow Lodge 4/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:
ShadowDax wrote:
Joshua J. Frost wrote:
I will include some of them in 2.1 of the guide book, yes.
When will the 2.1 guide book be ready?
The moment this one man show can get to it. :-) After the November scenarios, it's next on my to-do list.

Take your time and, thanks for the heads up.

The Exchange 1/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:
It would be pretty silly if your medium-sized human paladin rode a medium-sized boar, for example. :-)

Ahhhh....but how would this work for a dwarf? I have a player (in my PFS game) who is a dwarven ranger who wants a boar for his animal companion and mount. I'm not sure how this would work.

Any thoughts or ideas?


He takes a -5 on all Ride checks since a boar isn't a suitable mount for a dwarf (it's the same size category).

Sovereign Court 1/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:
The 7th level advancement for a dinosaur is to make it medium instead of small.

Actually most of them turns large now. I still have a question as to whether a gnome Paladin would be allowed to take the velociraptor from the animal companion in the Core Rulebook as his mount (at least when it turns medium at level 7). This would of course require an exotic saddle.

I would also like to know whether an Ape is a viable option for a medium paladin.

This is a bit of a gray area and I'm currently creating a paladin charger for organized play, so a little guidance as to what is allowed would be nice.

Would a gnome paladin be able to ride a large tiger with -5 penalty for size?


Paladins specifically receive a mount as part of their divine bond. Because it repeatedly uses the word "mount," I'm ruling for Pathfinder Society that you can't take a companion that can't function as a mount. It comes down to common sense and GM purview in home games, but since I'm effectively the GM for Pathfinder Society, here's how it works:

As a paladin, your divine bond mount must be at least one size category larger than you starting at 1st level. If you're a Medium PC, your mount must be large. If you're a Small PC, your mount must be at least medium. Your mount must have four legs and be viewed from a common sense perspective as suitable as a mount.

I'll add this specific language to the next guide update.

Sovereign Court

Joshua J. Frost wrote:
Your mount must have four legs

No Roc love?


Not for paladins, no.

Scarab Sages 5/5 5/5 ****

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

Paladins specifically receive a mount as part of their divine bond. Because it repeatedly uses the word "mount," I'm ruling for Pathfinder Society that you can't take a companion that can't function as a mount. It comes down to common sense and GM purview in home games, but since I'm effectively the GM for Pathfinder Society, here's how it works:

As a paladin, your divine bond mount must be at least one size category larger than you starting at 1st level. If you're a Medium PC, your mount must be large. If you're a Small PC, your mount must be at least medium. Your mount must have four legs and be viewed from a common sense perspective as suitable as a mount.

I'll add this specific language to the next guide update.

So, for Medium-sized Paladin PCs, that means that they are restricted to Camels or Horses, because no other currently allowed mounts are large-size from first level?

Sovereign Court 1/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

Paladins specifically receive a mount as part of their divine bond. Because it repeatedly uses the word "mount," I'm ruling for Pathfinder Society that you can't take a companion that can't function as a mount. It comes down to common sense and GM purview in home games, but since I'm effectively the GM for Pathfinder Society, here's how it works:

As a paladin, your divine bond mount must be at least one size category larger than you starting at 1st level. If you're a Medium PC, your mount must be large. If you're a Small PC, your mount must be at least medium. Your mount must have four legs and be viewed from a common sense perspective as suitable as a mount.

I'll add this specific language to the next guide update.

The starting at 1st. level size thingy is in contradiction with the examples used in the description of the Cavaliers mount (which of course may be something entirely different), where it states that you can choose a wolf, but not before level 4 where it reaches a sufficient size.

Thank you for your quick answer though, and I will be looking forward to the precise wording.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32

In the future would it be possible to hold off on taking how divine bond (possibly even taking the -1 to attack rolls as if your bond had been broken) until your mount changes to the appropriate size?

Example:
Ayanna the Paladin desires to have an elephant as her mount. An elephant is only medium as of 5th level (and at 1st obviously) but grows to become large at 7th. Could she wait until the elephant becomes of the appropriate size?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

No. You must make the choices due to your character when they are available, which means you have to choose at 5th level.

Sovereign Court 1/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:
No. You must make the choices due to your character when they are available, which means you have to choose at 5th level.

This is not completely in accordance with the Org. play guide. In the guide it states that the animal companion should be one size-category larger than you at first level. Though as a Paladin you gain it at 5th level. So can you choose an animal that grows to the right size at 4th level?

Secondly the description of the cavalier (in the AP) states that he can change mounts when they grow. This is - of course - not finished work and may not be in accordance with org. play but I would still like it clearified.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

I see the confusion re: the paladin.

Quote:
As a paladin, your divine bond mount must be at least one size category larger than you starting at 1st level.

That should read,

Quote:
As a paladin, your divine bond mount must be at least one size category larger than you starting at 5th level.

...in the Guide, since a paladin gets her divine bond mount at 5th level. So a mount that changes size at 4th level to the appropriate size as noted in the Guide (Large for Medium PCs, Medium for Small PCs) is an acceptable choice since the paladin's mount is the same effective level as a druid companion.

I'll have to update the PDF with that change.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
aslak wrote:
Secondly the description of the cavalier (in the AP) states that he can change mounts when they grow. This is - of course - not finished work and may not be in accordance with org. play but I would still like it clearified.

It actually doesn't say that at all. It specifically notes that a Small-sized cavalier can select a boar or a dog so long as he's at least 4th level. Since Pathfinder Society PCs always start at 1st level, the Small cavalier would have to start with either a pony or a wolf. Should his pony or wolf die after the cavalier is 4th level, he may select a boar or a dog as his new mount.

Otherwise, cavaliers are specifically restricted in what mounts they can choose per the APG Playtest doc. Though it says, "The GM might approve..." I won't be approving more exotic mounts for the cavalier.

That's for now, though, and once I see the final rules for the cavalier that might change, but no promises.


Thanks for answering all these questions!

The inevitability of this question is biting at me and as such, I have decided I'd be the one to clarify and as they're 'large by level 4': Ape mounts are right out, correct?

I can't imagine an ape allowing for this... let alone a paladin wanting this...


Apes would not, from a common sense perspective, be considered a mount, no.


Joshua J. Frost wrote:
Apes would not, from a common sense perspective, be considered a mount, no.

Heh, thanks! I can't imagine that any-who... Give me a trusty stead any day!

Sovereign Court 1/5

thank you very much for the answers, it all seems clear now!

Shadow Lodge 5/5

I may be missing it, but I've never seen specific language for switching out mounts, even though there is language for replacing a dead mount.

Would it be legal (and I'm thinking Cavalier here) to have a mount from levels 1-3, release that mount from servitude at level 4 and replace him with a level 4 appropriate mount?

The Exchange 2/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

The class description says the mount is "usually" a heavy horse or pony. But then it goes on to say that the mount functions as a druid animal companion using the Paladin's level as the effective druid level. This immediately gives you access to a companion from that list.

For the sake of riding, however, I'd say that to be a "suitable mount for riding" (as loosely defined in the Ride skill) the mount generally has to be a quadruped one size category or more larger than your character. It would be pretty silly if your medium-sized human paladin rode a medium-sized boar, for example. :-)

Would this also apply to an Oracle with the Nature Mystery and the bonded mount revelation, since it references the druid animal companion list, too? Or is the oracle restricted to horse/camel/pony/wolf?


Nature Mystery says:

Quote:
A Medium oracle can select a camel or a horse. A small oracle can select a pony or wolf, but can also select a boar or a dog if she is at least 4th level.

So, yup!

The Exchange 2/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

Nature Mystery says:

Quote:
A Medium oracle can select a camel or a horse. A small oracle can select a pony or wolf, but can also select a boar or a dog if she is at least 4th level.
So, yup!

Is that a yup, they're restricted, or a yup, they have access to the list? Not trying to be a pain--just can't tell for sure!


The Oracle is restricted to what it says it's restricted to right there in the Nature mystery. :-)

The Exchange 2/5

Joshua J. Frost wrote:
The Oracle is restricted to what it says it's restricted to right there in the Nature mystery. :-)

Thanks, Josh!


would like mounts such as griffins,unicorns,pegasus or giant tigers. be allowed or usable

Dark Archive 4/5

So a Paladin would have to wait until 7th level to get a Dire Wolf (or Large-sized Wolf) as a mount? Cool beans :)

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I've been looking for the various FAQs mentioned on the header of the thread. Are these threads the FAQs?


LazarX wrote:
I've been looking for the various FAQs mentioned on the header of the thread. Are these threads the FAQs?

So Mounts useable then by a Paladin at 5th level(medium size character) ARE:

None not already listed under paladin(horse or camel.) There aren't any animal companions that are quadrapeds that have a 4th level advancement to large or are already large.

BIPEDS
1. Axe Beak (which says it is trained to be a mount but is from Bonus Bestiary)
2. Dinosaur, Deinonychus (bestiary version)

Could we get a ruling to make these two useable since they are the only two choices you could make if you must choose at 5th and stay with your choice?

Otherwise, unless you are a small paladin, you will be stuck with a horse or camel.


lostpike wrote:

BIPEDS

1. Axe Beak (which says it is trained to be a mount but is from Bonus Bestiary)

Nothing in the Bonus Bestiary is legal for play.

I've made all the rulings on paladin mounts that I plan to make. :-)

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
lostpike wrote:


Otherwise, unless you are a small paladin, you will be stuck with a horse or camel.

Or just take the weapon bond and take as an ordinary mount anything you can jump on that won't throw you off. Or eat you. :)

"How will I know that it's chosen me?"

"It will try to kill you."

Mount bonding ritual in Avatar

Scarab Sages

Robert Little wrote:
Joshua J. Frost wrote:
The 7th level advancement for a dinosaur is to make it medium instead of small.

Doh...that actually answered my question indirectly. For some reason I was assuming that the animal companions from the Bestiary were allowed, not just the ones from the Core Rules. (The Tyrannosaurus on p. 86 of the Bestiary goes to Large at 7th).

Then a new question: will the animal companions from the Bestiary be available for PCs after the upcoming campaign update? :)

Can a paladin use another character's animal companion as a mount? Either as a normal mount or as a divine mount, or does he need to wait and get his own?

Community / Forums / Organized Play / Pathfinder Society / Paladin mount options All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Pathfinder Society