Ok, so my GM is great about encouraging "creative" character development...he wants our characters to be stupid powerful (at least in our imaginations...) so it's that much more satisfying when he makes us run away with our tails between our legs.
Anyway, one of the players (my little brother) is playing a really well-built mounted archer that rides a Pegasus (of course). We just reached 7th level, and he wants to take the Leadership feat, despite his 6 CHA score, so he can have his Pegasus be his cohort. A little outside the norm, I know, but our GM, in keeping with his philosophy, will allow it as long as the Pegasus' first 4 levels are its Pegasus HD.
Ok, here's where things get really weird: the archer wants the Pegasus to have his 5th initial class level be Cleric. I pointed out that this may not be the best option as a Pegasus cannot speak, thus eliminating the ability to use Verbal spell components, nor does it have hands, which makes somatic, material and focus components impossible. He argues that the horse grunting and moving its hooves/wings is good enough since these are his natural means of fulfilling these component requirements.
I can't find in the rules where it specifically says one way or another. The closest thing we found was the rule on ploymorph casting, but that assumes the caster is in a foreign form while casting.
Any advice?
1) I thought pegasi can speak. but perhaps not. Regardless...
2) ask if you can use the "Natural Spell" feat to get around the limitations. Not exactly accurate, but close enough. Or you could take at least 4 levels of druid and take natural spell anyway which is still within the rules.
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You might want to check out Kobold Quarterly 18 - the Beast Masters article introduces a new feat, Beast Leadership, and is about this subject exactly! :)
1) I thought pegasi can speak. but perhaps not. Regardless...
2) ask if you can use the "Natural Spell" feat to get around the limitations. Not exactly accurate, but close enough. Or you could take at least 4 levels of druid and take natural spell anyway which is still within the rules.
Thanks Golem! Natural Spell might work...I'm sure he'll be salty he has to take a feat to cast, though...
Also, the bestiary entry for Pegasus reads "Common (cannot speak)", which I take to mean the Pegasus can understand common, but cannot speak it.
Marc, I'm sure that feat is awesome, but I'm not going to spring 6 bucks so my brother can have a broken mount... :) I'll pass that bit of info along to him, though.
Actually, it seems that magical beasts can, in fact, cast spells. It is Pathfinder canon that Blink Dogs can become sorcerers.
This thread talks about it for far too many posts. Basically, there was a rule in 3.5 that said that a creature could always cast in its natural form. That rule doesn't exactly exist in Pathfinder, so it's basically a DM call on whether or not to carry it over from 3.5 (assuming it was just left out unintentionally) or not (assuming it was removed on purpose).
Specifically being called out as not being able to speak might be an issue, but I see it not bigger an issue than not having hands. Pegasi (being basically horses with wings) probably make some sort of horse-like noises. Assuming that stamping its hooves, swishing its tail, flapping its wings and wiggling its ears is enough to satisfy somatic components, then snorting, neighing and whinnying is probably enough to satisfy verbal components.
It should be noted that in the game I run, one of the PCs took leadership for a half-celestial unicorn oracle. We let her cast her spells just fine.
If he can't get the pegasus, get a synthesist whose eidolon suit looks like a pegasus. ;)
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