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Hawkflight
2011-01-20, 10:05 PM
Alright, I has a question. What would be the level adjustment for playing as a unicorn? Also, what would be the best class to take as a unicorn? (Preferable a class with magical abilities, like spells or maneuvers.)

LOTRfan
2011-01-20, 10:14 PM
If I remember correctly, doesn't the DMG have the LA listed for the leadership feat?

absolmorph
2011-01-20, 10:22 PM
It appears to be a +4 LA.
Check the Level Adjustment line. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/unicorn.htm)

Waker
2011-01-20, 10:30 PM
4 racial HD and +4 level adjustment would make it difficult to play as a spellcaster. You could go with a Paladin of Freedom or Bard would probably be the best. A barbarian wouldn't be horrible, since the special qualities would make up for the barbarians low will save. Scout would be amusing, since your huge speed and reach would make you a great charge skirmisher.

Urpriest
2011-01-20, 10:44 PM
A Unicorn Crusader wouldn't be awful. Focus on White Raven, with healing-related Devoted Spirit. Magical Beast HD are pretty good, so the fact that you're missing four isn't horrible.

It should be noted that technically that LA is cohort-only. D&D generally discourages you from playing things that don't have hands. So make sure your DM is ok with the concept.

Mando Knight
2011-01-20, 10:49 PM
One way to play a Unicorn is to roll up a level 6 Paladin. It's available as a Special Mount at -1 effective Paladin level, though normally only if the Paladin is a female human or elf.

Beelzebub1111
2011-01-20, 10:52 PM
. Magical Beast HD are pretty good, so the fact that you're missing four isn't horrible..
True, but don't forget the INSANE stat adjustments:
+10str, +7 Dex, + 10 Con, +10 Wis, +14 Cha

Those stats would make a good ANYTHING. And with a charisma boost like that, a Paladin would be Nigh unstoppable.Not to mention not having to worry about evil summoned creatures EVER. The healing is just Icing on the cake.

dspeyer
2011-01-20, 11:39 PM
It's not intended for PCs, but assuming you bribe the DM adequately...

The stats and fluff both cry out for paladin or melee-focused cleric. The paladin could probably switch to crusader once the paladin class features run out.

I also wonder if Psychic Warrior or Wilder with practiced manifester could work well, either pure or mixed with paladin/crusader. It partially depends on whether PM increases high-stat PPs. Heavily augmented powers can be very nice.

Scarlet-Devil
2011-01-21, 12:43 AM
I would totally go Paladin or Paladin of Freedom; at fifth level replace the special mount with that charging alternate class feature from PHB2. Essentially you would be some kind of crusading champion Unicorn with more powerful healing abilities than a normal Unicorn (Lay on Hands Horn).

Edit: If you ever need inspiration, you know where to go: http://games.adultswim.com/robot-unicorn-attack-twitchy-online-game.html

Zaydos
2011-01-21, 01:44 AM
Not a link to the robot unicorn game -cries a little but doesn't click it for the safety of his soul-

I'm going to put another vote in for some type of paladin, and say now all you need is a mounted warrior as an ally in your party and :smallbiggrin: CHARGE!

absolmorph
2011-01-21, 02:12 AM
I would totally go Paladin or Paladin of Freedom; at fifth level replace the special mount with that charging alternate class feature from PHB2. Essentially you would be some kind of crusading champion Unicorn with more powerful healing abilities than a normal Unicorn (Lay on Hands Horn).

Edit: If you ever need inspiration, you know where to go: http://games.adultswim.com/robot-unicorn-attack-twitchy-online-game.html
I prefer this one. (http://games.adultswim.com/robot-unicorn-attack-heavy-metal-twitchy-online-game.html)

Coidzor
2011-01-21, 03:50 AM
A totemist dip to increase one's armaments wouldn't be amiss, methinks.

Person_Man
2011-01-21, 12:43 PM
The Healer class (Miniature's Handbook) gets a Celestial (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/celestialCreature.htm) Unicorn Animal Companion at level 8. It gains Hit Dice (and thus Feats and Skills), attributes, and several extra special abilities as you gain levels (or you can trade it in for better Animal Companions). Most importantly, you can Share Spells with it. The Healer class by itself is mostly limited to healing, removing negative conditions, and a few useful Skills. But a Healer riding a Celestial Unicorn companion with the right Feats and magic items is actually a fairly good tank and combat medic, because the Healer can spend it's action each turn to bring herself and her Companion (or an ally) back up to full hit points with no negative conditions (or activate a magic item and/or Feats), while the Unicorn is free to do nothing but fight.

The only issue is that the Healer is pretty much one of the weakest classes you could play prior to ECL unless your DM allows some common sense homebrew fixes (Cha OR Wis based casting instead of dual Wis/Cha casting, spontaneous casting from it's entire spell list instead of memorized casting, plus Domains and Turn Undead). But if you're looking at a minimum of +4 LA and 4 racial hit dice, I think the Healer route is a superior alternative.

Greenish
2011-01-21, 12:53 PM
Scout would be amusing, since your huge speed and reach would make you a great charge skirmisher.Unicorns (or horses, or centaurs, or other equine-ish critters) don't have reach, or rather, don't have the increased reach most large creatures enjoy.

Mando Knight
2011-01-21, 01:06 PM
Not a link to the robot unicorn game -cries a little but doesn't click it for the safety of his soul-

Hold oooon... to the niiiight...
There will beee no shaaame...

Scarlet-Devil
2011-01-21, 01:16 PM
Hold oooon... to the niiiight...
There will beee no shaaame...

Aaalways, I wanna bee with you- and make belieeve with you-
And live in harmony, harmony- oh love!

Just played a few bouts :smalltongue:.

nedz
2011-01-21, 02:15 PM
True, but don't forget the INSANE stat adjustments:
+10str, +7 Dex, + 10 Con, +10 Wis, +14 Cha

Those stats would make a good ANYTHING. And with a charisma boost like that, a Paladin would be Nigh unstoppable.Not to mention not having to worry about evil summoned creatures EVER. The healing is just Icing on the cake.

Well Wizard might not be the best choice :smallsmile:

Shame the LA is so High, because that kind of kyboshes casters:
That Cha bonus would be very tempting for a Sorceror.
The Twin stat casters (Sprit Shamen, Favoured Soul) would also be good.

Half fey is an interesting choice, especially with the savage progressions which turn +2 LA into +2 Racial levels. These have plenty of character level and Cha based SLAs. You'd have another +4 Cha as well.

I wonder if you could just go straight into a PrC ?

Ernir
2011-01-21, 02:31 PM
I'd have a unicorn cohort level up mostly through dips.

Marshal levels: To make its massive Charisma count.
(Cloistered) Cleric: Find some party-friendly devotion feats you can swap towards.
Paladin of Freedom: So that it doesn't poof when someone says "Save or Die, horseface!".
Totemist: To give the horse some claws.

Coidzor
2011-01-21, 02:36 PM
Half fey is an interesting choice, especially with the savage progressions which turn +2 LA into +2 Racial levels. These have plenty of character level and Cha based SLAs. You'd have another +4 Cha as well.

Hmm, point.


I wonder if you could just go straight into a PrC ?

4 magical beast HD = 4 BAB. So, it's possible, but most would require one or two more levels.

Say, two levels of any arcane casting class(bringing us to ECL 10, with 6 HD, and +5 BAB), they could gish it up with Dragonslayer 1(Draconomicon) followed with abjurant champion 5(Complete Mage), Spellsword 1 (complete warrior), & SacredExorcist 3 (complete divine) ending up with 6th level spells (12th level casting) and +14 BAB (+15 if they go with Eldritch Knight/Knight Phantom/Cyran Avenger but that'd take their CL down to 11)... Not very good as a gish but it gets the sweet spot of spell levels for gishes (3rd to 5th, mostly) and isn't too fragile with mostly high HD.

Probably something more inventive is in order though.

Mordokai
2011-01-21, 02:42 PM
One way to play a Unicorn is to roll up a level 6 Paladin. It's available as a Special Mount at -1 effective Paladin level, though normally only if the Paladin is a female human or elf.

Lemme guess, male pride couldn't take being seeing on such a fairy mount? :smalltongue: :smallbiggrin:

Coidzor
2011-01-21, 02:44 PM
Lemme guess, male pride couldn't take being seeing on such a fairy mount? :smalltongue: :smallbiggrin:

Unicorns are homophobic (fear and avoid other males even when they could actually use their help) and sexist (regarding non-virgins as ruined and all).

Never really got why they had moral paragon status ascribed to them, really.

mabriss lethe
2011-01-21, 02:54 PM
I think a unicorn Binder would be hilarious.

Coidzor
2011-01-21, 02:56 PM
I think a unicorn Binder would be hilarious.

I'd have to agree with you there. :smallbiggrin:

JeenLeen
2011-01-21, 03:06 PM
I'd have a unicorn cohort level up mostly through dips.

Marshal levels: To make its massive Charisma count.
(Cloistered) Cleric: Find some party-friendly devotion feats you can swap towards.
Paladin of Freedom: So that it doesn't poof when someone says "Save or Die, horseface!".
Totemist: To give the horse some claws.

Can cohort animals, either through feats or the Healer's class feature, gain character levels or are they forced to gain more HD in their type (so, Magical Beast.)

Playing as a level 8 healer who uses their animal companion sounds better overall. I forget if unicorns can speak or not, but if not I could see the DM homebrewing an item it could wear that lets it speak (if such doesn't already exist.)

Greenish
2011-01-21, 03:12 PM
Can cohort animals, either through feats or the Healer's class feature, gain character levels or are they forced to gain more HD in their type (so, Magical Beast.)Cohorts gain levels normally, but I think Healer's companion advances in HD.

Ernir
2011-01-21, 03:39 PM
Can cohort animals, either through feats or the Healer's class feature, gain character levels or are they forced to gain more HD in their type (so, Magical Beast.)

Playing as a level 8 healer who uses their animal companion sounds better overall. I forget if unicorns can speak or not, but if not I could see the DM homebrewing an item it could wear that lets it speak (if such doesn't already exist.)

What greenish said - the Healer's unicorn companion advances with HD, but I can't think of anything that forbids a cohort gained with the Leadership feat to take class levels, aside from the usual caveats of the feat.

Also, "Unicorns speak Sylvan and Common." (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/unicorn.htm).

Mando Knight
2011-01-21, 04:02 PM
Lemme guess, male pride couldn't take being seeing on such a fairy mount? :smalltongue: :smallbiggrin:

Unicorns generally only permit fair maidens to ride upon them. The rules for alternate Paladin mounts (printed in the DMG, page 204) specifically note that a Unicorn will thus generally only be special mounts for elf or human females.

nedz
2011-01-21, 04:36 PM
I thought I would look at some more templates, since we already have lots of LA/RHD a few more won't make too much difference.

Half-Celestial (MM p144)
Str +4, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +2, Wis +4, Cha +4
LA +4
Lots of HD/Cha based SLAs

Vivacious Creature (Planar p131)
Incorporeal, impressive flight and all the positive energy you will ever need.
As a Healer's mount this would overshadow the PC's main class features.

Woodling (MM3 p198)
Vulnerability to Fire, Plant Traits and a number of Cha/HD based SLAs
LA +3

I still prefer Half Fey

grimbold
2011-01-21, 04:45 PM
I think that if you play it LA+4 it will require a bit of on the fly homebrewing but it should work
will the unicorn's name be charlie?

Hawkflight
2011-01-21, 05:08 PM
Well, this is an interesting discussion. Using templates sounds like a good idea, as does taking monster levels via Savage Species. Can templates be taken as monster levels as well? This sounds pretty boss in conjunction with Crusader levels, as the monster levels would add 1/2 initiator level.

@grimbold: More like Twilight Sparkle. ;p

Mando Knight
2011-01-21, 05:15 PM
@grimbold: More like Twilight Sparkle. ;pDon't you mean Sparklelord (http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/15p65)?

Hawkflight
2011-01-21, 07:23 PM
Uh ... not quite. :smalltongue:

Oh gawd. A dragonmarked unicorn. That ... would be interesting.

Czin
2011-01-21, 07:30 PM
One way to play a Unicorn is to roll up a level 6 Paladin. It's available as a Special Mount at -1 effective Paladin level, though normally only if the Paladin is a female human or elf.

A female human or elf of ages 5-15 that is. :smallbiggrin:

Urpriest
2011-01-21, 07:34 PM
Well, this is an interesting discussion. Using templates sounds like a good idea, as does taking monster levels via Savage Species. Can templates be taken as monster levels as well? This sounds pretty boss in conjunction with Crusader levels, as the monster levels would add 1/2 initiator level.

@grimbold: More like Twilight Sparkle. ;p

No it wouldn't. Savage Progressions and LA both leave you at the same level, as they both give the same number of hit dice, which determines level for things like IL.

Hawkflight
2011-01-22, 09:13 PM
Actually, wait. Can a unicorn be dragonmarked?

Greenish
2011-01-22, 09:18 PM
Actually, wait. Can a unicorn be dragonmarked?No, only PHB races can have dragonmarks.

BG
2011-01-23, 01:31 AM
Lemme guess, male pride couldn't take being seeing on such a fairy mount? :smalltongue: :smallbiggrin:

I always tell players that if their masculinity is threatened by riding a unicorn, then they aren't real men.