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Asbestos
2009-10-22, 11:28 AM
Say that my character has grown fond of their Warhorse and doesn't want to abandon it just because they're now a higher level and griffins are the 'it' thing to ride. That just seems too gamest to me. What cavalry man is going to just give up on the horse that has carried him into countless battles?

So, does anyone have any suggestion for keeping lower-level mounts up to par? Would the beast companion leveling rules work for this? Should their be an inherent cost?

Kylarra
2009-10-22, 11:50 AM
There's magical barding and such that you can equip your warhorse with.

As far as actually leveling them, you need to have some sort of opportunity cost else there's no reason for anyone to not do it. Rangers give up other class features in order to get their companions that level with them.

Kurald Galain
2009-10-22, 12:10 PM
I would suggest something like this,

Mount defensive training - heroic feat. Prereq: mounted combat. While you are riding a heroic-level mount, it gains a +1 feat bonus to defense for every two levels that you are higher than the mount, to a maximum of +5.

Mount defensive mastery - paragon feat. Increase the maximum bonus of mount defensive training to +10.

Epic mount defense - epic feat. Increase the maximum to 15.

Kylarra
2009-10-22, 12:11 PM
Yeah I was going to suggest a feat of some sort, but laziness struck. :smallredface:

Aron Times
2009-10-22, 12:37 PM
I would level them up like magic items. To add five levels to your mount, you have to pay four times its base cost, similar to how a level 1 magic item costs 360 gold while a level 6 magic item costs 1,800 gold (five times the cost of the latter).

360 + 4(360) = 1,800

BinarySolo
2009-10-22, 12:48 PM
My answer? Create a spell, only available in scroll form (or only castable by NPCs) that can transform a mount with a cost of [new mount cost] - [old mount cost]. If you want to be really strict you can do [new mount cost] - [old mount cost]/5.

That way, you can upgrade to a gryphon, but keep the personal connection you have to your horse. If having him be a gryphon is offensive, maybe you could fluff it such that he doesn't change shape, but can now just magically fly and reflavor any claw or bite attacks appropriately. There is no good reason (other than it offends his sensibilities) for a DM to disallow this type of fluff. Mechanics-wise, you sold your horse and bought a griffon. Roleplaying-wise, you still have your favorite horse.

It also doesn't have to be a spell, maybe it is an intense training regimen, or maybe you could say that the horse did just level up naturally, and do the bookkeeping of the cost somehow more creative (let it be stolen as an adventure hook, have the horse upgrade instead of some cash reward, go to a land with a bizarrely overpriced horse-tax, etc).

I think this is the easiest and most sensible answer because the mechanics for it are all already there, you're just adding fluff.

Tyrmatt
2009-10-22, 02:28 PM
Ask the DM for a quick sidetrek to hunt down the Legendary Blacksmith who was once said to have shod the horses of the Gods themselves.
Meet tiny, near blind old man, gather up vital rare metal from nearby cave system, fight off resident creatures that worship said metal, have him forge a set of shoes for your horse.

[Paragon]Horseshoes of Cloudstriding
These shoes allow your mount to move through the air with a fly speed equal to it's usual mounted speed with good manoeuvrability. The horse can ascend at 0.75x it's base fly speed and descend at 2x it's normal fly speed.
Daily Power: The rider can choose to summon a rush of wind that allows the horse and rider to shift 3 squares, Immediate Interrupt.

Fluff these as you wish or make them epic. I'm thinking Horseshoes of the Pale Rider...

NPCMook
2009-10-22, 03:13 PM
Ask about it enough, and you'll probably see it in DMG 3 or even possibly PHB 3

Mando Knight
2009-10-22, 03:58 PM
If the characters already have their mounts, I'd level them up like monsters alongside the PCs, keeping them at a low enough level to let them use Mounted Combat. Once the characters hit 5 extra levels, I'd look at giving them a new mount type or brewing up a better estimate of the higher-level version of the existing one.

Come to think of it, the Monster Builder would be great for this.

ShadowsGrnEyes
2009-10-22, 04:21 PM
I like the buyoff idea. Invest a certain amount of gold into the animal to buy it more hit dice or newer niftier armor and horseshoes. . . its still something that can be bought and sold, but the character would have an understandable attachment to an animal they put that much money and work into.

you'd have to work out investment cost to raise the hit dice but it could work nicely.

t_catt11
2009-10-22, 04:35 PM
Ask the DM for a quick sidetrek to hunt down the Legendary Blacksmith who was once said to have shod the horses of the Gods themselves.
Meet tiny, near blind old man, gather up vital rare metal from nearby cave system, fight off resident creatures that worship said metal, have him forge a set of shoes for your horse.

[Paragon]Horseshoes of Cloudstriding
These shoes allow your mount to move through the air with a fly speed equal to it's usual mounted speed with good manoeuvrability. The horse can ascend at 0.75x it's base fly speed and descend at 2x it's normal fly speed.
Daily Power: The rider can choose to summon a rush of wind that allows the horse and rider to shift 3 squares, Immediate Interrupt.

Fluff these as you wish or make them epic. I'm thinking Horseshoes of the Pale Rider...

This. This is beautiful.

Meek
2009-10-22, 07:06 PM
The horse can ascend at 0.75x it's base fly speed and descend at 2x it's normal fly speed.

I like the idea except this. It seems like unneeded math. Just give a straight penalty to ascending.

Tiki Snakes
2009-10-22, 08:32 PM
If the characters already have their mounts, I'd level them up like monsters alongside the PCs, keeping them at a low enough level to let them use Mounted Combat. Once the characters hit 5 extra levels, I'd look at giving them a new mount type or brewing up a better estimate of the higher-level version of the existing one.

Come to think of it, the Monster Builder would be great for this.

This.
Advance it's hp, defences and whatever in line with the normal way of doing so for monsters. As long as it's level is in line with the mounted combat stuff, it's all fair.
If he starts lamenting the fact that his old warhorse can't fly, tough. That's right, they can't. That's the choice you are making by NOT aquiring a mount that can.

I really don't think charging feats for this kind of thing is appropriate, because even with the animal being level adjusted, he's going to be losing power and flexibility that more mythic creatures will grant.