One of my players wants to gain a nightmare as a cohort to use as a mount. I was thinking a cohort level of 10 would be about right. I worry though that I am underestimating the usefulness of its special abilities. Has anyone had experience with players and nightmare mounts or any insight into a good cohort level for one? I would appreciate any input.
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10 is about right. Typically you add anywhere from 3 to 5 to the CR to figure out which level of cohort they would be. In this case, putting it at level 10 is fitting because of the fly speed, the plane shift, and the smoke. You could probably get away with level 9, but there is nothing wrong with playing it safe.
It's an evil campaign LazarX so alignment is not an issue. Thanks Caleb the player will probably be disappointed and some backup on my call should make it less of a hassle.
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Gonna dot this thread real quick. I feel like the Knights of the Inner Sea player companion actually has the Nightmare listed as an available cohort and includes the appropriate cohort level. I'll try and double-check that when I get home and post it here for you, but as I recall your instincts and Caleb's reasoning should be pretty spot on.
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Level 9 based on my eyeball test.
Comparable creatures having CR 5 and 6 HD and also having cohort level 9 (according to this and this):
Manticore
LeucrottaSo I'd go with 9th.
The Nightmare's abilities make him a bit more potent than the leucrotta or manticore though. He's far more mobile than either of those options, has an SLA that allows him and his rider to plane shift 1/day, plus an attack routine that includes a free action Supernatural Ability that sickens victims for 1d6 minutes and provides concealment. He definitely gives much more to a rider than the other mounts, even if his CR is comparable.