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Hello,
I was looking to play a character with a really cool mount, ie something that could fly, or at least a large cat. I can only assume that the opportunities would be limited in scenarios, but I liked the idea anyway. I looked at the Paladin, Cavalier [Beastmaster] (I know the mount must have 4 legs and cannot fly), and stacking Druid. What would you be the best recommendation? Also is there a list of approved mounts/animal companions?
Thanks in advance.
TheBobJones
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Paladins are limited to the mounts listed in their class description, as are Samurai. Ranger ACs (Animal Companions) must adhere to the list in the Core Rulebook.
Druids are the only class that has access to additional ACs from the Bestiaries and other books, as listed in the Additional Resources. Other options have been made available in the form of a boon in the past. One series of scenarios offered an axebeak mount, for example.
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Ok, this is for a PFS character yes?
To the best of my knowledge, all of the critters are legal. Once you see a critter you like You can (and SHOULD) see what the source for the critter is and then check the pathfinder society additional resources to see if its legal.
In PFS, a level of druid does not "unlock" all of the critters for the other mount classes. If you want to have any critter you want, you need to be either
A druid
A ranger with the beastmaster archetype
A mad dog barbarian
or some mix of those. (list complete to the best of my knowledge. Do not use if nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant...)
If you want to fly, a small character on a pterodactyl or dire bat may be your only hope.
If you want a gryphon, consider a summoner with a good strength score and a lance.
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You can look at the Pathfinder Society FAQ Page for more information on which mounts are allowed and how different classes stack when determining pet progression, but Jonathan gave the highlights.
You could also consider a summoner. The eidolon can be built to match your imagination. You could even have a winged tiger or lion.
There is the Mad Dog Barbarian, who gets access to a full companion from the druid list, but he gives up a lot to get it. He does however get the power to share his rage powers with his companion/mount.
Beastmaster Ranger expands the rangers list of choices at the cost of his sixth level bonus feat.
Summoners can ride their eidolon, and they can get a very customized animal companion out of the deal, however they're very different from your full BAB choices.
Druid gets the full list!(naturally!) Again, very different.
Outside of society, your always free to chat with the DM about exotic mounts.
Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento
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Well, if you are willing to roll the dice a bit, there is also the Hunter, from the advanced class playtest.
Gets a druid companion. (Remember, unless you are size small, a lot of the druid companions cannot be used as mounts till way down the line.)
Also gets free teamwork feats for himself and his mount.
Downside is that it is a playtest class, so the playtest could end in 2 weeks, and your character might be illegal to play. Or the class could have changed completely.
Upside is they have promised to include some mount specific teamwork feats.
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Well, if you are willing to roll the dice a bit, there is also the Hunter, from the advanced class playtest.
Gets a druid companion. (Remember, unless you are size small, a lot of the druid companions cannot be used as mounts till way down the line.)
Also gets free teamwork feats for himself and his mount.
Downside is that it is a playtest class, so the playtest could end in 2 weeks, and your character might be illegal to play. Or the class could have changed completely.
Upside is they have promised to include some mount specific teamwork feats.
Oh! Totally spaced that bro. Lots to consider with him and he'll change quiet a bit before the end I'm sure. At the moment he's a 3/4 BAB class with weird armor and up for change if I remember right.
There's also the sylvan sorcerer, which is another option that's not quiet like the others. Around 12th level you can turn your mount into a dragon if I remember right. Doesn't get much more epic than that. Ride on a dragon, shoot magical lazers and explosions everywhere with heavy metal music in the backgrounds... or maybe I'm just imagining like, 80% of that imagery.
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Thank you so much for all the input. I read the FAQ and I am a bit confused:
As a paladin or cavalier, what mount can I have?
As a paladin, your divine bond mount must be at least one size category larger than you starting at 1st level. If you’re a Medium PC, your mount must be Large. If you’re a Small PC, your mount must be at least Medium. You may only select a mount from the listed mounts on page 63 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook unless another source grants access to additional creature choices. As a cavalier, you may select a mount from those listed on page 33 of the Advanced Player's Guide. No additional mounts are legal in Pathfinder Society Organized Play except when granted from another legal source.
That means that as a mount I am limited to:
Paladin - heavy horse (for a Medium paladin) or a pony (for a Small paladin), although more exotic mounts, such as a boar, camel, or dog are also suitable
Cavalier - A Medium cavalier can select a camel or a horse.
But the Beast Rider Archetype is legal and at Level 7 or higher Medium beast rider can select any creature whose natural size is Large or Huge, provided that creature is normally available as a Medium-sized animal companion at 7th level (like a bear).
Thank you so much for all the input. I read the FAQ and I am a bit confused:
What's confusing? Your only allowed to have the ones listed. The bit about additional suitable ones is just out unfortunately, so your stuck with a horse or camel for medium sized characters for nilla' characters. Archetypes can change your selection, such as beast rider giving you the option to take the animals listed in the archetypes description, and at 7th level gets to make the changes listed to any existing companion if he wants to give him an even larger list of choices.
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What's confusing? Your only allowed to have the ones listed. The bit about additional suitable ones is just out unfortunately, so your stuck with a horse or camel for medium sized characters for nilla' characters. Archetypes can change your selection, such as beast rider giving you the option to take the animals listed in the archetypes description, and at 7th level gets to make the changes listed to any existing companion if he wants to give him an even larger list of choices.
The confusing part for me was "No additional mounts are legal in Pathfinder Society Organized Play except when granted from another legal source."
So the Beast Rider is 'another legal source'.
So at 7th level as a Beast Rider, I can have any creature that:
natural size is Large or Huge, provided that creature is normally available as a Medium-sized animal companion at 7th level (like a bear), capable of bearing his weight, that has four legs, and cannot have a fly speed.
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Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento
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Correct. Of course you need to have something else up till level 7.
Actually, beast rider is one of my gripes with the system.
Because they bothered to spell out the specific animals allowed for small characters, small characters cannot take the full range of animal companions the class description seems to allow. (For example, I would like a giant gecko. At level 4, it is large enough for me to ride it, but because it is not in the list, I can't take it.)
What's up with the "no less than four legs" bit for the Beast Rider when allosaurus, tyrannosaurus, and megatherium were clearly bipeds?
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If you want an Exotic Mount, there is a scenario that gives an Axe Beak as a mount, adding it to the list of legal choices for any character. If you're lucky enough to play this scenario, you can get this very unique companion as a powerful LARGE mount suitable for medium characters.
"powerful" is actually very subjective... Axebeaks are decent replacements for horses, depending on what you want your mount to do and be.
Also, they are also medium until 4th level, as a note.
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If you want an Exotic Mount, there is a scenario that gives an Axe Beak as a mount, adding it to the list of legal choices for any character. If you're lucky enough to play this scenario, you can get this very unique companion as a powerful LARGE mount suitable for medium characters.Not any character, as of latest revisement, only the following types can make use of it.
Druid with AC bond
Ranger with same.
Cavalier
Samurai
Paladin with Divine Mount Bond.Poor summoner can't even make an Eidolon copy of it. Well he can, but not a rideable one due to the restrictions of the Mount evolution.
You do have to complete all three parts of the series with the intended character to get that boon.
There's a "revisement" [sic] of it? The chronicle sheet was edited somehow? The sheet itself says it adds the Axe Beak to any list.
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The most recent version of the sheet still says that anyone who gets an animal companion or mount that advances as an animal companion can take it.
There's a "revisement" [sic] of it? The chronicle sheet was edited somehow? The sheet itself says it adds the Axe Beak to any list.
I assumed so. I'm still curious what LazarX meant with their comment though.
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Venture-Captain, Michigan—Mt. Pleasant
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When the boon first came out, everyone thought they could suddenly get a free axebeak mount, even when they didn't have the mount/AC class feature. They clarified that you have to have the mount/ac feature in order to get the axebeak. LazarX was clarifying that not every character can get the axebeak, only those with the correct features.
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When the boon first came out, everyone thought they could suddenly get a free axebeak mount, even when they didn't have the mount/AC class feature. They clarified that you have to have the mount/ac feature in order to get the axebeak. LazarX was clarifying that not every character can get the axebeak, only those with the correct features.
Aaaah. I was confused since he stated only those classes could take the Axe Beak, which is false. Numerous other methods of obtaining an animal companion exist, and all of them are eligible for the Axe Beak boon.
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Actually, I just realized that there's a way of getting an animal companion that doesn't let you get an Axe Beak. The boon specifically requires you to have it via a class feature, so that one feat doesn't seem like it would work.When the boon first came out, everyone thought they could suddenly get a free axebeak mount, even when they didn't have the mount/AC class feature. They clarified that you have to have the mount/ac feature in order to get the axebeak. LazarX was clarifying that not every character can get the axebeak, only those with the correct features.Aaaah. I was confused since he stated only those classes could take the Axe Beak, which is false. Numerous other methods of obtaining an animal companion exist, and all of them are eligible for the Axe Beak boon.
Quite true. I actually did realize that as I posted, but decided it wasn't worth editing. I wondered if anyone would correct me on that tiny detail, heh.