My friend is starting a game soon (homebrew, not PFS), and I am playing an Oracle of Nature with the Bonded Mount revelation to get a horse. I am dead set on playing an Oracle. We are starting at level 1, and after talking to my GM and working stuff out, my back story for my character is that he was a stable hand. Our initial encounter will be the inn he is working at getting attacked and burning down. His bonded mount is the former mount/animal companion of a nameless adventurer who will ad hoc die in the battle and the horse will adopt me in the aftermath. My mystical powers will awaken, the party will meet in the wreckage, blah, blah, blah, adventure time.
In the spirit of my character being basically a commoner who suddenly got powers and a super cool horse, I am trying to go whole hog into making the horse awesome. After researching, I really want the Aasimar favored class bonus to add 1/2 my level to determine my effective level for one of my Revelations (meaning every two of my levels, my horse goes up another level), and I want the Huntmaster feat to give me another +1 level on my mount, meaning that I need to be a Scion of Humanity Aasimar or a Human with Racial Heritage: Aasimar (if that even works to get the favored class bonus).
This is further complicated, because if at all possible, I want the Eye for Talent alternate racial feature from Human to give the horse a +2 stat, but that leaves me feat starved and unable to get Huntmaster at level 1 because my level 1 Human feat slots will got to Racial Heritage and Eye for Talent.
So, basically, my two options are:
1) Aasimar Scion of Humanity with Huntmaster as my level 1 feat and all favored class bonuses going into my mount's levels.
Pros: Level 4 mount at my level 2, spell like abilities
Cons: Lower STR on my horse
2) Human with Eye for Talent and Racial Heritage: Aasimar as my level 1 feats and all favored class bonuses being treated as Aasimar favored class bonuses and going into my mount's levels.
Pros: Flavor since my character is more mundane and higher STR on
the horse.
Cons: Feat starved and the horse ends up lower level since I have to
wait until level 3 to get Huntmaster.
Ideas? Suggestions? Feats/spells/abilities I should pick up? I have Celestial Servant and Mounted Combat on my short list, Mounted Combat mostly so I can negate attacks for free on my party's frontline fighter since the only other player is playing a Magus, Pact Mage, or Alchemist.
Yeah, I had the character idea, then I saw that thread and got a lot of mileage out of it to refine my concept. Also, just now realized that it was more than one page, lol.
Which is more important though? Higher stats on the horse (from Eye for Talent) or more feats earlier on?
You rat bastard.
Just so everyone else can share my ear worm-y pain.
I'd post the Weeble's stuff version, but I like the second verse and I doubt people would appreciate animated horse penis on the fourth line.
That song was totally my inspiration for the entire character. I have it on my phone to bust out at inappropriate roleplaying moments and when we charge into battle.
Depends on your conceptual idea. Blackbloodtroll has a full length conversation as to his idea. My last concept idea as a culmination of the ideas presented was:
"Aasimar Oracle of Nature with the bonded mount revelation, Scion of Humanity alternate racial trait, and the Celestial Servant and Huntmaster feats seems to be a solid build. Who else can say my horse has energy resistance, spell resistance, and can smite evil? Besides, later levels give it improved resistances and damage reductions. Just use your actual character to buff the horse & your good. Also, the lame or clouded vision curse would make you rely on the mount even more. It could be your powerful legs or your eyes to steer you clear of danger."
large cats make better animal companions
Halp
I can't stop
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I say Option 2. Oracles don't really need many Feats if you spec 'em as straight casters.
BTW I stole the idea, but I gave you full credit.
...meaning that I need to be a Scion of Humanity Aasimar or a Human with Racial Heritage: Aasimar (if that even works to get the favored class bonus).
Sure. Racial Heritage spells out "traits, feats...and so on". The wording is inclusive, not exclusive. Favored class bonii are an option available to members of a specific race, and thus fair game for Racial Heritage.
Ah, I see that issue with Racial Heritage, but then I could see a convoluted argument for Racial Heritage: Aasimar-with-the-scion-of-humanity-ability.
In any case, it looks like I'm gonna go for Aasimar and just ignore the +2 STR from Eye For Talent in lieu of getting my animal companion's fourth level adjustments at level two.
For the horse itself, since I get its level 1 and 2 feats at my level 1, should I go Multiattack and Narrow Frame? Is there something else the horse should take instead?
Weapon Focus (hoof). Armor proficiency of some sort.
Ah, I see that issue with Racial Heritage, but then I could see a convoluted argument for Racial Heritage: Aasimar-with-the-scion-of-humanity-ability.
In any case, it looks like I'm gonna go for Aasimar and just ignore the +2 STR from Eye For Talent in lieu of getting my animal companion's fourth level adjustments at level two.
For the horse itself, since I get its level 1 and 2 feats at my level 1, should I go Multiattack and Narrow Frame? Is there something else the horse should take instead?
Animal companions get multiattack free at level nine, I'd say go with dodge and mobility, +4 vs AoO's can be vary useful for a mount
Power attack and armor proficiency. AFAICT, Multiattack does nothing once you're level 2.
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I'm with Blackbloodtroll. Racial Heritage feat doesn't work to gain Aasimar status since they are Outsiders (native). Same reason that Enlarge Person and a handful of other spells don't work on an Aasimar character. Go with Option 1, and see if you can make your horse a heavy horse or a heavy warhorse. That gives you a natural boost to Str, and other things.
A horse's stat for a mount or AC are the same for a light or heavy. There are no bonuses for saying that your mount/AC is one or the other.
Light use the normal horse stats. The Heavy Horse has the Advanced Simple Template.
But for a mount or AC, you are not afforded those templates without some type of feat.
I started the character sheet (and by started I mean nearly finished) at work. I'm using Aasimar Scion of Humanity and using the favored class bonus for extra horse levels. My level 1 feat is Huntmaster, so by level 2 my mount will be a level 4 animal companion. I took Narrow Frame as my level 1 horse feat and Power Attack sounds good as my level 2. I have Leather barding for the time being, since it has no armor penalty and I kinda rolled for crap for my gold. There really isn't an issue that I can see using it without the proficiency, although Light Armor Proficiency is on my shortlist of stuff to take with the mount.
So, feat break down for Horse is as follows:
Narrow Frame, Power Attack, Light Armor Proficiency, then what? Dodge? Furious Focus? Weapon Focus?
The template to make it a heavy horse/warhorse won't be happening. I don't see my GM letting a template fly for free what with the horse already being so good.
A Heavy Horse is the Normal Horse with the Advanced Template. Otherwise it is just a Light Horse.
The Heavy Horse has been confirmed to be a valid option for a Mount.
Look at Dragon style for the horse to be able to charge in difficult terrain. Weird for feats but great game mechanics.
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I don't see why your GM would deny it. You do have to pay extra for a heavy horse, so it's not like there isn't a cost involved from the get-go. The only problem would be if you specifically have to chose one that qualifies as a druid animal companion, in which case you use the baseline horse animal companion stats.
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The simplest, least rules-intensive idea I can come up with is to spend all your WBL on gear for the horse instead of gear for you. Get Horseshoes of the Zephyr as your #1 priority and pick up a magic weapon whenever. As an Oracle, you'd have an easier time with this than most since you're a spellcaster and don't really need weapons to contribute.
Also, you can cast spells while your mount moves, so just sit in the saddle and cast buffs and heals on your horse while the horse does the real adventuring. Again, Oracle is a good choice here-- their spell list has plenty of support. Just make sure you pick spells that don't target "humanoids".
Well, all the focus on the horse is cool and all, but I'm playing the Oracle. The horse is a super cool awesome ultra powerful pet, but at the end of the day, I want to play as my Aasimar (this diverges from the other thread). I'm playing the wide eyed back country boy guided and guarded by an awesome horse.
I can't "buy" a horse with the advanced template. A) I have nowhere near enough gold, because I rolled really badly on my starting wealth roll. B)I'm not buying the horse, I'm getting it from the Bonded Mount Oracle Revelation which does not state that I can pick a heavy horse. C) I'm pretty sure my GM would shoot that down hard, and he's tentative about all the alternate rules I'm using and about templates in general. Getting the Celestial Template later on from Celestial Servant is probably all the templating I'm gonna get, and I don't want to press things.
@Jubal Breakbottle, thanks for the Dragon Style suggestion. I will have to pick that up when I get another feat and the skill ranks. Level 1, I am taking Narrow Frame and Power Attack unless someone has something much better than Power Attack. Narrow Frame is going nowhere, because I want the horse to fit in dungeons and be able to barge into buildings to save me.
On the plus side, I rolled really well on my stats. I ended with:
STR: 14
Dex: 12
Con: 14
Int: 13
Wis: 11 (9+2 from Aasimar)
Cha: 17 (15+2 from Aasimar)
I also took the Scion of Humanity, Halo, and Deathless Spirit alternate racial abilities for Aasimar because of flavor stuff for later on, and I like having Light at will without using one of my precious few spells known.
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I still say just ride your horse, cast buffs on it, and let it do the heavy lifting.
Pick your spells known with an eye towards buffs, and make sure they target "creatures", not "humanoids". Bless is a pretty basic starting point that the rest of your party will also appreciate. Of course you'll also be able to Cure your horse, so no worries there. Speak with Animals might be a good choice for roleplaying purposes if you want the horse to have its own personality, or if the Oracle seems like he'd be worried about living up to the horse's original rider. Maybe the horse can give him some advice if he's serious about this whole "adventuring" thing?
You'll want Combat Casting fairly early so that you can still cast while your horse makes a double move, and a few mounted combat feats or even Animal Affinity would help the idea that your character started out a stablehand and deep in his heart he'll always be one, no matter how many dragons he slays.
As for gear, it shouldn't be too hard or cut into the Oracle's gear too much either. At level 1, light armor for a horse isn't so expensive. When the fighter is splurging on his first +1 weapon, you should start shopping for +1 horseshoes.
We actually get two traits, so I took Savannah Child so I get Handle Animal and I'm between Militia Veteran for +2 on Ride and Focused Mind for +2 on Concentration checks so I don't have to dump a feat into Combat Casting or Warrior Priest.
My spell list right now is:
0 Level- Mage Hand (Haunted), Ghost Sound (Haunted), Spark, Create Water, Detect Magic, and Enhanced Diplomacy (for flavor)
1 Level: Cure Light Wounds, Bless, Burning Disarm (because my GM said at least the first three levels are an urban game)
A Heavy Horse is the Normal Horse with the Advanced Template. Otherwise it is just a Light Horse.
The Heavy Horse has been confirmed to be a valid option for a Mount.
Source on that, please?
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Source on that, please?A Heavy Horse is the Normal Horse with the Advanced Template. Otherwise it is just a Light Horse.
The Heavy Horse has been confirmed to be a valid option for a Mount.
Not needed for this conversation.
The Mount functions as an Animal Companion, and those stats are here.
Source on that, please?A Heavy Horse is the Normal Horse with the Advanced Template. Otherwise it is just a Light Horse.
The Heavy Horse has been confirmed to be a valid option for a Mount.
Not needed for this conversation.
The Mount functions as an Animal Companion, and those stats are here.
It looks like the fourth level advancement is it becomes a heavy warhorse (basically).
And due to Huntmaster and my +1/2 level favored class bonus, I get the level 4 adjustment at level 2! As a nice side effect, it becomes wartrained at level 2, which will help me a lot with training tricks so I can focus on other stuff.
Does it actually become a magical beast thought? I understand that it is almost as smart as the average fighter, but since it gets bonus tricks for leveling, my GM and I assumed that I still had to teach it tricks to make it do stuff?
Oh, well, I probably won't be getting that feat until my 5th level, since my level 3 feat will probably be Mounted Combat to negate hits on my party's front line fighter. Until that point, I need a way to control him and was confused if the INT 6 automatically made the horse a magical beast.
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Nope, but it does make it a sentient creature that doesn't require tricks to do stuff, it has low human level intelligence, but still human, far beyond the cap of Int 2 that animals are stuck at. This means it can also understand Common and take any feat a player could, it is not restricted to animal feats.