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Elric VIII
2010-12-14, 06:10 AM
The character which I am now playing (after receiving much aid from GitP) is in need of some advice. I am a Bone Knight, and have recently acquired my Skeletal Steed class feature. This mount works much like a Paladin's Special Mount and I have a few questions about this.



First, the steed wil eventually gain abilities, including an intelligence score. Which takes precedence, the skeletal template that makes it mindless or the paladin-like ability that gives it an Int score?



Second, if it does have an Int score can it take class levels? If so, does it act as a cohort when gaining exp or as another PC? (Also, if the Skeletal Steed can't, is it possible for a Paladin's mount to do this?)



Finally, I have thought quite thoroughly about the implications of the wording of the Skeletal Steed's wording. The following is a quote from the text:


"You may call this steed in the same fashion as a paladin whose
level equals your paladin level plus your bone knight
level, and the steed gains the same special abilities as a
paladin’s special mount at the same effective level."

The wording of this, and the fact that there are two separate clauses when refering to the level at which the steed functions makes me wonder if the second part means your ECL. While I realize this may seem like munchkin-ing, I really do have doubts.

What I am asking is whether the phrase, "effective level," refers to your ECL. My issue is that while the text mentions that the class is mostly entered by Fighter/Cleric builds and that this makes the class feature relatively weak, gaining nothing until bone knight level 5. Am I completely wrong here?

Thank you.

poignant123
2010-12-14, 07:43 AM
I recently made one of these for a campaign. I followed the sample given in the Five Nations book. This means:

The mount does not gain intelligence but otherwise gains whatever a special mount should gain at that level.

And yes, it only equates to Bone Knight + Paladin Levels. Bone Knight is quite a good class even without the mount. Armor that gives immunities and 9/10 progression of spells, as well as a whole new pool for controlling undead. To most clerics the steed is nice but merely icing.

Anyway your mount can't take class levels even if it were intelligent, unless you made it your cohort through Leadership (which adds +2 to you ECL for a cohort). Also, if you do this, ask your DM if the bonus HD count to ECL, cause if so then it's almost useless to make it a cohort for a paladin due to it's high HD.

Elric VIII
2010-12-14, 09:14 AM
Alright, I guess I'm just going to have to deal with a very fragile mount. Not a big deal, maybe I'll take a few levels in PrC Paladin after I finish the class.

poignant123
2010-12-14, 09:53 AM
Well, you could pay slightly over 2k to get an NPC to cast Awaken Undead on it, thus giving it feats and improving its tactical power.

Elric VIII
2010-12-14, 11:25 AM
Well, you could pay slightly over 2k to get an NPC to cast Awaken Undead on it, thus giving it feats and improving its tactical power.

Well, actually, I'll be doing that myself in a few levels. I have the Deathbound domain which gives it to me as a level 6 spell.

PlzBreakMyCmpAn
2010-12-14, 04:00 PM
Its not ECL

Ex: Pally 1 / x / BN2 = levels of special mount 3 (as pally 5)
Ex: Pally 5 / x / BN2 = Special mount of level 7 (as pally 11)
Ex: x / BN2 = Special mount of level 2 (as pally 5)

Elric VIII
2010-12-14, 07:28 PM
Its not ECL

Ex: Pally 1 / x / BN2 = levels of special mount 3 (as pally 5)
Ex: Pally 5 / x / BN2 = Special mount of level 7 (as pally 11)
Ex: x / BN2 = Special mount of level 2 (as pally 5)

I'm not sure what you're saying here. Does this meant that a Cleric 6/BK 2 has the effective Pally mount level of a 5th level Paladin? I know that PrC Paladin's mount is level +3, but I don't see how that works for BK.

Or, do you simply adjust the chart that, for a Paladin, has levels 5-7/8-10/11-14/15-20 to 2-4/5-7/8-11/12-17?