Orc Cavaliers...

[ericthecleric]

Just wondering what mounts they use. Horses? If they have a wolf, then they can't use it as a mount until it becomes Large size.

[WarDriveWorley]

Baseline Orc Cavaliers get a choice of the standard Horse or Camel. You could take the Beast Rider archetype (which is AWESOME) to choose an alternate mount like a tiger or t-rex. However you don't get the upgrade till 4th level.

Wolf isn't available for medium characters though.

*EDIT* - A dire wolf could be taken as a mount for an orc at 7th level.

[Pharmalade]

You also have access to the Beast Rider feat out of ARG, available to both half-orcs and orcs. This allows your options to expand at 7th level. Dinosaurs mostly, but also an Elephant and a Pteranodon which allows for rudimentary flight. This opens up non Beast Rider archetypes for your use with neat mounts, including the Samurai.

Of course, if you have leadership access, you can get yourself a fancy mount at GM discretion.

[CylonDorado]

The orkiest method of transportation is a big spiky red trukk.

Barring that, the aforementioned dinosaur also seems good. But the first thing that comes to mind is a big friggin' boar. Or anything that can do damage by smashing it's face into you.

[WarDriveWorley]

CylonDorado wrote:

The orkiest method of transportation is a big spiky red trukk.

Barring that, the aforementioned dinosaur also seems good. But the first thing that comes to mind is a big friggin' boar. Or anything that can do damage by smashing it's face into you.

Could paint the boar red so it goes faster

[Major_Blackhart]

Orc's are an amazing race overall, but what fits most with them, early on at least, is something like a Dire Boar. In the holds of Belkzen anyway. I would think that in places like Qadira and desert lands, they'd be a bit worse for wear, riding sand serpents or something similar.
I've never really thought of them as the types that ride 'normal' mounts like camels or horses, mostly because Orcs wouldn't respect an animal that can't rip the rider to shreds or gore it with a tusk or stomp it to death.

Edit: Also, take a look at the Behirs for a mount later on or a Wyvern for a cavalier, both at very high levels.
Plus, if your Orc is from Belkzen, it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to have an Ankheg from the Skittermounds as a mount. Might make for interesting roleplaying if he has an Ankheg, as they are known to spit acid when surprised, aggravated, scared, or desperate. An Orc with an Ankheg can be a dangerous cavalier indeed. And in the Holds of Belkzen, they're considered different from their kin because rather than simply act in some small solitary groups, they actively wage war upon one another in their massive underground nests.
And only in Belkzen do they do this. Something in the ground where they gather makes them a bit different, maaybe more intelligent.
Having to deal with a semi-intelligent hungry acid spitting insect the size of a volkswagon could be fun!

[ericthecleric]

Thanks for the great advice!
I just remembered the Beast Rider archetype from Ultimate Combat.
Here are some excepts:

Small-sized beast riders can choose a pony or wolf mount at 1st level. At 4th level, a Small beast rider can also choose an allosaurus, ankylosaurus, arsinoitherium, aurochs, bison, boar, brachiosaurus, elephant, glyptodon, hippopotamus, mastodon, megaloceros, riding dog, giant snapping turtle, triceratops, or tyrannosaurus. At 7th level, he can also choose a dinosaur (deinonychus or velociraptor).

Medium beast riders can choose a camel or horse mount at 1st level. At 4th level, a Medium beast rider can also choose an allosaurus, ankylosaurus, arsinoitherium, aurochs, bison, brachiosaurus, elephant, glyptodon, hippopotamus, lion, mastodon, megaloceros, giant snapping turtle, tiger, triceratops, or tyrannosaurus as his mount. Additional mounts might be available with GM approval.

So, still a horse below level 4.

I was considering the question from the point of view of bad guys, not as a PC. T-rexes might be going a bit far for most, but an unusual leader might have one as you say.

[Shalafi2412]

There is also the Mammoth Rider PRC in the Prestige class book.

[Paladin of Baha-who?]

If you're a DM, just house rule it to allow a dire wolf or something from first level.

[Silent Saturn]

Just go through the Bestiary on the SRD, go to the Animal section, and look through for something suitably Large and impressive. NPCs are allowed to fudge the rules if it's for the sake of making them cooler.

If you can't find anything there, try the Magical Beasts section.

If you really want these Orcs to make an impression on your players, try the Abberations section! Orcs do live in caves, don't they?

[Serisan]

Orcs of Golarion also addresses this sort of issue.

[blackbloodtroll]

Paladin of Baha-who? wrote:

If you're a DM, just house rule it to allow a dire wolf or something from first level.

The "Additional mounts might be available with GM approval." part makes it not so much a houserule.

[Hawktitan]

Wargs.

Sorry, had to be said.

[ericthecleric]

So, just to gather people's thoughts, how happy would players be to see dire boar-riding orcs (that are cavalier 1s) as enemies? Using the general druid animal companion stats, but still large and otherwise using the dire boar's stats? So they'd have 2 HD, and so on. Is that how it would work?
Perhaps I should stat something up for you all to see...

[ericthecleric]

Dire boar mount for an orc cavalier 3
N Large animal
Init +4; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +7, Sense Motive +1
Speed 40 ft.; ACP -0
AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 20; CMD 20
(-1 size, +3 armour [mwk studded leather], +8 natural)
Defensive Abilities ferocity
Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +2
hp 25 (3 HD)
Space 10 ft.; Base Atk +2; CMB +10
Melee gore (reach 5 ft.) +8 (2d6+10)
Abilities Str 24, Dex 11, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 8
SQ combat trained, link
Feats Armour Training (light)B, Improved Initiative, Toughness

Would this be about right?

[WarDriveWorley]

Looks about right, but I'm not sure where you came up with a +6 to initiative (not that it matters much since it'll use it's rider's int).

I have to say the image of a horde of orcs on those is fitting enough.

[ericthecleric]

Thanks, Worley! (Init should have been +4, you were right.)

[WarDriveWorley]

De nacho

[blackbloodtroll]

Hawktitan wrote:

Wargs.

Sorry, had to be said.

I actually built a Goblin Ranger racial archetype that grants a Worg mount.

[Goblin Assassin]

I'd love to see that blackbloodtroll

[blackbloodtroll]

Goblin Assassin wrote:

I'd love to see that blackbloodtroll

It lacks flavor now, but the numbers are there. I based it of the Sable Company Marine archetype. Both the Hippogriff and Worg are of equal CR, so the archetype and companion are balanced.

See here.

[Jubal Breakbottle]

@bbt

Can you open the access to your build?

[blackbloodtroll]

Jubal Breakbottle wrote:

@bbt

Can you open the access to your build?

Whoops. Should be fixed now.