Cavalier and his mount

[Diablo2970]

Hi all,

so I have a player in my campaign who is a cavalier with the beast rider archetype, and in tonight's game his mount was killed by a lucky troll.

A couple of questions around cavaliers and their mount(s):

1. How does he gain a new mount. I think the rules state he can get a new one next level. Does he have to buy it, or quest for it, or does it just show up and does it start at 1st level?

*EDIT* 2. How much time does he need to take to find a new mount ? Is there any penalty for him losing his trusty steed ? I found the answer to the first bit (1 week)

I have another question, which is similar but around the other way, what happens to the players mount if the PC dies ? does it ride off into the sunset ? hang around ? hope and pray that party has a resurrection spell ?

Cheers

Andy

[dragonhunterq]

Cavalier Mount tells us that it functions as druids animal companion, and that the mount is replaced after 1 week of mourning.

Druids nature bond tells us, by the absence of any rules to that effect, that there is no cost to replace your mount, nor does your mount lose any power.

As to what happens to your mount if you die, nobody really knows, although this usually crops up with regard to familiars. There are many theories, from slowly fading back to a normal animal, to dying, to wandering off as a perpetually souped up animal. Go with what works for your campaign.

[Maezer]

Diablo2970 wrote:

*EDIT* 2. How much time does he need to take to find a new mount ? Is there any penalty for him losing his trusty steed ? I found the answer to the first bit (1 week)

I have another question, which is similar but around the other way, what happens to the players mount if the PC dies ? does it ride off into the sunset ? hang around ? hope and pray that party has a resurrection spell ?

2) Presumably it takes a 1 day long ritual after the mourning period just like the druid's animal companion. The new mount will only have his 'free' tricks any trained tricks will have to be taught again, likely taking a few additional weeks.

What happens to the mount.... well in general I find it hangs around a few days/weeks to see if its companion somehow revives himself (resurrection etc.) but it should probably lose its conferred abilities until the bond is reestablished in the mean time.

Though I'd put a nice healthy grace period before the abilities are lost. It'd be frustrating to see a companion die to losing all those extra hit dice only to have the druid/cavalier revived by breath of life 6 seconds later.

[Murdock Mudeater]

Diablo2970 wrote:

Hi all,

so I have a player in my campaign who is a cavalier with the beast rider archetype, and in tonight's game his mount was killed by a lucky troll.

A couple of questions around cavaliers and their mount(s):

1. How does he gain a new mount. I think the rules state he can get a new one next level. Does he have to buy it, or quest for it, or does it just show up and does it start at 1st level?

*EDIT* 2. How much time does he need to take to find a new mount ? Is there any penalty for him losing his trusty steed ? I found the answer to the first bit (1 week)

All up to the GM. It's not a supernatural or spell like ability, so whatever is decided, should be a natural solution.

In theory, it starts at full level, but it isn't the same mount, so it could have different abilities. As GM, you are free to restrict mount selections that would be inapproiate to the area that the PCs are in.

For the sterotypical Cavalier, the character would have two mounts, one his, and the other his squire's mount. When his mount dies, his squire get's to walk...

And the Cavalier really does need a squire option, just so he can don his armor quickly.