|
I've checked animal companion on the forum search and didn't find much. I heard that you get an armor check penalty to ride checks which is different than 3.5. I was trying to make a Gnome Pali with a riding dog, but that went out the window with the riding penalty with heavy armor. So, the next thing was a mount that I would not ride, but would fight beside me. I heard that there is a ruling that a Pali character can choose any Druid animial as his animal companion. Where is this ruling so I may have a print out for my character's records?
Moved to the appropriate forum.
|
Yes, ACP is applied to the Ride skill. This does not mean, in my opinion, that heavy armor+mount=fail.
At low levels you won't probably be able to afford the heavy armor anyway and your mount is just an every day run of the mill horse or pony anyway. But keep your eyes on the goal, at 5th level there is a power boost.
Divine Bond is a 5th level ability. So, assuming you apply skill points to ride each level, at 5th level when you really start to use the ability, you have a +8 without Dex, +5 for level and +3 for class skill. Now by 5th level at the very worst you can afford MasterWork armor. Lets say MW Full Plate, with a hefty -5 ACP. Also So at 5th level without adding any Dex or any other bonuses you might be able to find you are a +3 on ride checks. Is that Awesome? No, but hardly an epic fail.
Bear in mind that you will most likely have a Combat Mount, so you will want to use the 2 tricks to train it Attack. That being said the ride skill DC needed to fight in combat then is 10, not a freebie, but it will be in several levels and it is a free action so even if it doesn't work it cost you nothing. That is just to get it to attack on top of your attack(s)
Guiding with knees and staying in the saddle are both DC 5 so a 2 or better at 5th level with a dex bonus of 0 and you still can fight even if your mount doesn't. Neither of these actions take one of your actions.
Fast mount or Dismount is still in doubt at 5th level yes, but every level that is just going to get easier and easier.
And to add another point, there are ways to make this even better. Money fixes some of it, Mithril drops that ACP way down. A couple of feats could also be helpful if you can spare them. Skill focus (ride) will eat up a lot of that, Animal Affinity also can pad that.
What I tell folks is if you want to be a mounted paladin you have to pay for it. You have to invest in it. You will be spending Skills, Feats and Money to make it work, but the pay off can be quite impressive.
|
|
From another source I found out that I can have any of the Druid's animal companions as long as it can be used as a mount. I like the big cat, I can't ride it till seventh level, but it is better than a camel or a horse. I don't see any other exotic mount that I could use that has four legs besides those mentioned. I havn't figured out what kind of mount I'll use till seventh level.
As for armor, I suppose I will have to use lighter armor than heavy armor. Such as breast plate and a buckler. I try to off set this with a dex of fourteen. Mithril stuff is way down the line.
Rather than making a new post... My question is on how long does the mount stick around?
The weapons bond is for 1 minute per level but that wouldn't get you far on a horse. Does it stick around until you unsummon? If that's the case, why can you summon it more often at higher levels?
Rather than making a new post... My question is on how long does the mount stick around?
The weapons bond is for 1 minute per level but that wouldn't get you far on a horse. Does it stick around until you unsummon? If that's the case, why can you summon it more often at higher levels?
Until it dies, it is your companion, it will never leave your side. Which is nifty since it also comes with a teleportation power of sorts if your a paladin "calling spell". I think you can also desummon it if you want. I was never clear on that.
That's the part I am unclear on as well.
if I summon it X times a day, can I send it away?
Silver is about to die. "Alright boy, go home!"
Whew.. saved his bacon!
That's the part I am unclear on as well.
if I summon it X times a day, can I send it away?
Silver is about to die. "Alright boy, go home!"
Whew.. saved his bacon!
I believe so, as with any calling spell, since it function like one, once dismissed or service has been ended, it can instantly go back after informing you in anyway, which in this case your telling it to, so immediately, and it wouldn't go back on its own unless you die or tell it too.
Normally there is something with money and wealth with call spells, but your companion WANTS to be by your side, so that is not an issue, although it still has a mind of its own, so if you do anything that would normally end with someone trying to run away from you, like trying to kill them, it will do so.
Calling: a calling spell transports a creature from another plane to the plane you are on. The spell grants the creature the one-time ability to return to its plane of origin, although the spell may limit the circumstances under which this is possible. Creatures who are called actually die when they are killed; they do not disappear and reform, as do those brought by a summoning spell (see below). The duration of a calling spell is instantaneous, which means that the called creature can't be dispelled."
You still can't summon it unless you have X more summons left, and if you do have X many summons left, it returns at the health it was at if less then a day has past, at least, that is how some DMs I played with played it, other simply gave it its full health back. I'm sure where ever paladins get these magical horses from, have horse hospitals, or healers of something...
|
Once per day, as a full-round action, a paladin may magically call her mount to her side. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the paladin's level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the paladin. A paladin can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every 4 levels thereafter, for a total of four times per day at 17th level.
nothing ever says it can be unsummoned or dismisseed
you can "magically" call it to you, but cant make it "magically" go away
I'd recommend talking to your DM about replacing the paladin's pony mount with a riding dog.
Then, make sure you take the Shining Knight archetype, which grants the following (which will remedy your heavy armor / riding problem):