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Tavar
2009-09-17, 04:21 PM
I was looking at making a Paladin recently, and realized that like the druid/ranger's Animal companion, it gains feats. The difference in this case is that many of the feats that I would pick for an animal companion are useless for a heavy warhorse(improved natural attack really for 1d8 instead of 1d6 isn't that great, and it's weakest attack is the only one that benefits from multiattack). Therefore, I ask you, the playground, what some decent feats for a Paladin's mount are?

Frosty
2009-09-17, 04:40 PM
Martial Study (Leading the Attack)
Martial Study (White Raven Tactics)

More teamwork between horse and rider!

Akal Saris
2009-09-17, 05:51 PM
Well, look at the alternative mounts in the DMG for higher level paladins - some of those would benefit from typical druid stuff.

For a warhorse, I think Martial Study would be super cheesy but powerful if allowed, otherwise maybe Improved Toughness?

Darcand
2009-09-17, 06:42 PM
tower shield proficiency and blind fighting?

Frosty
2009-09-17, 07:07 PM
Well, look at the alternative mounts in the DMG for higher level paladins - some of those would benefit from typical druid stuff.

For a warhorse, I think Martial Study would be super cheesy but powerful if allowed, otherwise maybe Improved Toughness?

A Paladin's mount is smart. It can certainly study these things.

The horse uses IRON HEART SURGE, ENDING HIS "CONDITION" OF BEING RIDDEN. THE PALADIN DISAPPEARS! :smallbiggrin:

sentaku
2009-09-17, 07:22 PM
Stand still - Now any time someone tries to move away, your mount gets to make them stay. While you get to hurt them.

Quick Draw & Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Shuriken) - um he/she throws them with his/her mouth.

Grumman
2009-09-18, 06:05 AM
Knockback
Shocktrooper
Leap Attack

Those are some of the ones that I picked for Cally's Über-sandworm, anyway.

Keewatin
2009-09-18, 07:26 AM
Expiditious dodge
mobility
and elucive target is always fun

oh and weapon/shield proficiencies with dancing/animated weapons and a shield is always hillarious.

Zaq
2009-09-18, 12:08 PM
Martial Study, Martial Stance.
Hidden Talent.
Shape Soulmeld, Open X Chakra, Share Soulmeld.
Bind Vestige, Improved Bind Vestige.
Least Utterance of the Evolving Mind.
Yes, your horse really can get class features.

Kylarra
2009-09-18, 12:10 PM
Get VoP on your warhorse! >> <<

Eloel
2009-09-18, 12:16 PM
Get VoP on your warhorse! >> <<

But not on your riding dog. Everyone knows dogs own people, and not the other way around. A person is bound to be expensive enough to break VoP.

Kylarra
2009-09-18, 12:19 PM
But not on your riding dog. Everyone knows dogs own people, and not the other way around. A person is bound to be expensive enough to break VoP.Same with cats.

Bayar
2009-09-18, 12:39 PM
Get VoP on your warhorse! >> <<

Damn, beat me to it.

Travel devotion?

Tavar
2009-09-18, 12:42 PM
Considering that this is an evil paladin, I doubt VoP would work. If I was, though, that would still be really cheesy.

AJ_Impy
2009-09-18, 01:07 PM
I quite like Weapon Proficiency: Armor Spikes and then making their barding pointy. Definitely something an evil pally would consider...

deuxhero
2009-09-18, 01:46 PM
Can you acess the homebrew discipline focused on mounted combat that the name of escapes me?

Person_Man
2009-09-18, 03:03 PM
This thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106815) might help you with your build.

Once you stat out your build (presumably Paladin 20 or Paladin 5/PrC 10), let us know. It will make feat selection a lot easier. Off the top of my head:

Celestial Mount: Your Mount gains the Celestial template, granting it DR, Energy Resistance, and Spell Resistance.

Leadership: Probably the most powerful feat in D&D for a Paladin, you can pretty much get whatever you want, with DM approval. This instantly balances out the Paladin against almost any build. Oh, you're playing a Batman Wizard? Well, Dudly Do-Right has a Gold Dragon. Have fun fighting the Tarrasque together. PHB.

Devoted Tracker: You can designate your Special Mount as your Animal Companion. Open to all sorts of abuse.

Dreadful Wrath: Gives you a Frightful Presence. Player’s Guide to Faerun pg 38. (Or you can take Frightful Presence, which is very similar feat, from the Draconomicon). Fear effects don't stack with themselves, but they do stack with Fear effects from other sources unless otherwise specified. So combine this with a Dragon mount or a weapon that imposes Fear, and you're set. If you get access to the Intimidate feat, you can also optimize your ability to Demoralize.

Fearless Destiny: Once per day when you are reduced to -10 or fewer hit points, you are instead reduced to -9 and stable. A lot cheaper then Resurrection. Races of Destiny pg 152.

Saddleback: You can use Ride in place of Reflex Saves once per round for you and your mount. Player’s Guide to Faerun pg 43.

Shields (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6848292): A lot of combos here for the Paladin. In particular, get a Riding Shield (adds your Shield AC to your mount's AC) and take the Divine Shield (adds your Cha bonus to your Shield AC) + Shield Ward (adds your Shield AC to your Touch AC and to resist Trip/Bull Rush/etc) feats.

Sword of the Arcane Order: Let's you memorize Wizard spells in your Paladin spell slots, and use Wizard spell wands. Remember, you can Share Spells with your mount (Alter Person, Polymorph, etc). Champions of Valor.

Battle Blessing: You can cast Standard Action Paladin spells as Swift Actions.

Domain feats: Bunch of useful ones in Complete Champion. Take a look at Travel Devotion, Earth Devotion, and Animal Devotion.

Combat Reflexes + Stand Still: If you goal is control rather then offense, this is your best choice, and a lot less resource intensive then many other combos.

Minor Shapeshift (reserve feat): Spend a Swift action to get temporary HP = to your HD. Very useful, as you can replenish it every round as long as you have a 4th level polymorph spell memorized. Complete Mage.


My general advice is to focus on defense and control, as Paladins with an excellent Mount are great at it. If you want some sort of uber-charger build, look elsewhere.

Cieyrin
2009-09-18, 04:08 PM
This thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106815) might help you with your build.

Once you stat out your build (presumably Paladin 20 or Paladin 5/PrC 10), let us know. It will make feat selection a lot easier. Off the top of my head:

Celestial Mount: Your Mount gains the Celestial template, granting it DR, Energy Resistance, and Spell Resistance.

Leadership: Probably the most powerful feat in D&D for a Paladin, you can pretty much get whatever you want, with DM approval. This instantly balances out the Paladin against almost any build. Oh, you're playing a Batman Wizard? Well, Dudly Do-Right has a Gold Dragon. Have fun fighting the Tarrasque together. PHB.

Devoted Tracker: You can designate your Special Mount as your Animal Companion. Open to all sorts of abuse.

Dreadful Wrath: Gives you a Frightful Presence. Player’s Guide to Faerun pg 38. (Or you can take Frightful Presence, which is very similar feat, from the Draconomicon). Fear effects don't stack with themselves, but they do stack with Fear effects from other sources unless otherwise specified. So combine this with a Dragon mount or a weapon that imposes Fear, and you're set. If you get access to the Intimidate feat, you can also optimize your ability to Demoralize.

Fearless Destiny: Once per day when you are reduced to -10 or fewer hit points, you are instead reduced to -9 and stable. A lot cheaper then Resurrection. Races of Destiny pg 152.

Saddleback: You can use Ride in place of Reflex Saves once per round for you and your mount. Player’s Guide to Faerun pg 43.

Shields (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6848292): A lot of combos here for the Paladin. In particular, get a Riding Shield (adds your Shield AC to your mount's AC) and take the Divine Shield (adds your Cha bonus to your Shield AC) + Shield Ward (adds your Shield AC to your Touch AC and to resist Trip/Bull Rush/etc) feats.

Sword of the Arcane Order: Let's you memorize Wizard spells in your Paladin spell slots, and use Wizard spell wands. Remember, you can Share Spells with your mount (Alter Person, Polymorph, etc). Champions of Valor.

Battle Blessing: You can cast Standard Action Paladin spells as Swift Actions.

Domain feats: Bunch of useful ones in Complete Champion. Take a look at Travel Devotion, Earth Devotion, and Animal Devotion.

Combat Reflexes + Stand Still: If you goal is control rather then offense, this is your best choice, and a lot less resource intensive then many other combos.

Minor Shapeshift (reserve feat): Spend a Swift action to get temporary HP = to your HD. Very useful, as you can replenish it every round as long as you have a 4th level polymorph spell memorized. Complete Mage.


My general advice is to focus on defense and control, as Paladins with an excellent Mount are great at it. If you want some sort of uber-charger build, look elsewhere.

I think he was asking about feats for his mount, not for the character. While some of these would work for the horse, the majority aren't that applicable. >_>;;

Stephen_E
2009-09-18, 04:47 PM
If you take a Mount with Trip like the Dire Wolf (DMG 204 for alternative mounts) use a Headband of Intellect to boost their Int and take Combat Expertise and Improved Trip.

If you want more feats for them take Leadership, making your Mount your special Cohort, and then in addition to their Bonus HD they can take class levels.

You mentioned that it was an evil Paladin. If your DM is kind enough you could take 5 levs of Blackguard as well, and make your Paladin's Mount your Fiendish Servant as well, giving them even more bonus HD and thus feats. Note: doing so mean your Mount/Special Cohort/Fiendish Servant will be advancing HD/levels faster than you will, so yeah, he might consider himself boss. :smallbiggrin:

Stephen E

Tavar
2009-09-18, 08:19 PM
Just to give some more information, the character that made me think of this is using Fax Celestis's How it should be Paladin, specifically the LE variant. He's going to be a Horse archer/lance, similar to how the Mongols are portrayed. I'm imagining him going Paladin all the way(though I don't think the game will go to 20).

So far the character has the Feats Mounted Combat, Mounted Archery, and Ride by Attack at level 5. He has a Heavy Warhorse as a mount.

Leadership has been specifically banned.

Bang
2009-09-19, 01:51 AM
Improved Fly, Hover, Wingover, Wingstorm, etc. But those are boring.

so:
Lucky Break + Good Karma + Unbelievable Luck

or:
Mage Slayer + Combat Reflexes + Vexing Flanker + Adaptive Flanker

or my favorites:
Hidden Talent (Catfall) + Speed of Thought + Psionic Charge + Up the Walls