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Godskook
2009-10-09, 12:08 PM
When one grabs the cohort feat(in my case, Dragon Cohort), are there any steps necessary to train them as mounts, or is the 'cohort' status enough.

Zaydos
2009-10-09, 12:15 PM
There was a dragon magazine article about it issue 304. It said it took time to train them for it, but not skills or feats. It also suggested a variant which said that both rider and mount needed Mounted Combat for it to function in that case, but it was in a sidebar as a "Suggested Variant Rule."

It's the only thing I know of off the top of my head which says, but it's (one of the last few) 3.0 Dragon Magazines so not sure if it helps.

Ernir
2009-10-09, 12:20 PM
Yes. It is just like training an animal for combat riding (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/handleAnimal.htm), except that the DC to do so is 25 instead of the usual 20. Draconomicon 138.

And that is assuming the dragon is for some reason willing.

Fluffles
2009-10-09, 12:21 PM
I recommend looking in the Draconomicon. It has stuff in there about dragons as mounts.

Edit: Ninja'd.

Godskook
2009-10-09, 12:23 PM
And that is assuming the dragon is for some reason willing.

Dragon Cohort at least takes care of this much.

Prime32
2009-10-09, 12:29 PM
As a side note, a paladin can use a cohort as his special mount at the cost of +2 LA.

Godskook
2009-10-09, 12:54 PM
As a side note, a paladin can use a cohort as his special mount at the cost of +2 LA.

But if you simply grab Dragon Steed, it doesn't take your cohort slot, and you can actually get it 1 level cheaper. I.e., Dragon Cohort nets a VY Gold dragon at ECL 15, which according to your formula, couldn't serve as mount until ECL 17. Dragon Steed allows the same VY Gold Dragon to serve at ECL 16. For dragons at least.

Akal Saris
2009-10-09, 01:56 PM
But with dragon leadership you can have a dragon and a special mount!

Darrin
2009-10-09, 04:24 PM
Yes. It is just like training an animal for combat riding (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/handleAnimal.htm), except that the DC to do so is 25 instead of the usual 20. Draconomicon 138.

And that is assuming the dragon is for some reason willing.

Handle Animal is only required for animals (and some other creatures) with an Int of 1 or 2. According to the DMG, if a mount has an Int of 3+, it's treated as an NPC ally rather than an animal, and if necessary, you use Diplomacy to get the mount to agree to carry a rider or direct its actions in combat. You do not need to train it to carry a rider or for any specific tricks. Most cohorts are controlled by the player, so it is usually assumed they agree without a Diplomacy roll.

An Int of at least 3 means the creature can understand Common, although it doesn't necessarily know any languages by default. If no language is listed in the stat block, then its assumed the creature understands Common by default. If not... Pearls of Speech are cheap (MIC, 900 GP).

dspeyer
2009-10-09, 09:14 PM
While not RAW, logically there ought to be a "Be Ridden (dex)" skill. Centaurs, dragons and druids might take it. You may use a Be Ridden check in place of a Ride check anywhere that a Ride check is needed.

If both the rider and mount have the skills, whichever one makes the check gets a +2 synergy bonus for every 5 ranks the other has.