Acquiring a level-scaled mount?

[WarKitty]

Is there any good 3.5 feat/feat series that lets you acquire a scaling mount? So far the options I've found are wild cohort (which doesn't scale) and leadership (which is a bit too powerful). I need something that's feat-based rather than based on class levels.

[Cog]

So far the options I've found are wild cohort (which doesn't scale)
I think you may have misread the feat. It scales quite similarly to a Druid's companion.

[WarKitty]

I think you may have misread the feat. It scales quite similarly to a Druid's companion.

You're right, I missed that. I was really hoping for something that would allow me a magical beast instead of an animal - I'm going for a paladin-esque feel, and the only flying mount I see on wild cohort is the dire bat.

[Talya]

You're right, I missed that. I was really hoping for something that would allow me a magical beast instead of an animal - I'm going for a paladin-esque feel, and the only flying mount I see on wild cohort is the dire bat.

Wild Cohort allows all the same animals that Animal Companion does. As such, Dire Eagles (an excellent choice for a flying mount - see Races of Stone) become available at level 4. They are a -3 animal companion.

If your DM allows Exalted Companion to apply to Wild Cohort (wild cohort is technically not an animal companion, though it is subtitled "Animal Companions for any character"), then the Pegasus may be one of the best flying mounts in any book, assuming you are CG.

[WarKitty]

Wild Cohort allows all the same animals that Animal Companion does. As such, Dire Eagles (an excellent choice for a flying mount - see Races of Stone) become available at level 4. They are a -3 animal companion.

If your DM allows Exalted Companion to apply to Wild Cohort (wild cohort is technically not an animal companion, though it is subtitled "Animal Companions for any character"), then the Pegasus may be one of the best flying mounts in any book, assuming you are CG.


These alternative animal cohorts work like the alternative animal companions available to a druid, but they are available as cohorts later than they are available as animal companions. When selecting an alternative animal cohort, use the list of alternative animal companions on page 36 of the Player's Handbook, but treat yourself as a druid three levels lower than your character level.

Also, dire eagle is listed as a 7th level companion for a druid, which means it wouldn't be available until level 10 for a character with the wild cohort feat.

I'm playing a LG, no DM yet so I want to stick as close to RAW as possible.

[Talya]

Also, dire eagle is listed as a 7th level companion for a druid, which means it wouldn't be available until level 10 for a character with the wild cohort feat.

Ah, damn. Yeah...well. Natural Bond, maybe? Probably not.

Perhaps look for something with a Cohort level adjustment, and take Leadership? You can get a Pegasus by level 8 that way...(Pegasii are not all CG.) It remains 4 levels behind you most of the time, but it's an available cohort.

[herrhauptmann]

Lets see: Zhentarim Skymage from Lords of Darkness.
Get a creature with HD less than your Class Level+Cha mod+1.
If you get permanent charisma damage, the creature flees at first opportunity.

I know it doesnt' match what you want, because it's an Evil PrC, nor does it match a paladin feel, even if you refluff it to take away the Zhent part.
Also, the creature doesn't scale with you, you just get to call/summon a new one.

[Darrin]

You're right, I missed that. I was really hoping for something that would allow me a magical beast instead of an animal - I'm going for a paladin-esque feel, and the only flying mount I see on wild cohort is the dire bat.

Dragon #326 has two feats, Savage Empathy and Monstrous Animal Companion, that adds varioius magical beasts to your list of available animal companions. However, you have to actually find the magical beast first (it doesn't show up automatically), and it may leave/attack if it's attitude ever drops to indifferent or worse.

Beast Heart Adept (Dungeonscape p. 48) has a Monstrous Companion with a list of available magical beasts, but it's a rather limited list and doesn't advance much of anything besides your monstrous companion.

Actually, you might want to take a look at Windrider in Masters of the Wild. You can designate any flying creature as your chosen mount, and it advances much like a Paladin's special mount. Also, full BAB and some minor divine spellcasting.

[HunterOfJello]

The Bone Knight PrC gives a special mount, but you said you're looking for a feat only.

There's the Dragon Steed feat which gives you a Dragonnel as a mount. It's a good mount, but doesn't scale unless you're a paladin.

The Dragon Cohort feat, but the lowest level that you'd be able to ride on one of the cohort options is ECL 9 unless you happen to be small size.

~

You could try to get your DM to let you get the bonuses from the Dragon Steed feat s if you had the mount class feature by taking the feat 2 times.

You could also just roleplay the entire thing and seek out different mounts during your campaign. The Arms & Equipment Guide has lots of info on exotic mounts like Gelatinous Cubes, Hydras, and Rust Monsters. It's a good source for strange information and game rules.

[Petrocorus]

If your DM allows Exalted Companion to apply to Wild Cohort (wild cohort is technically not an animal companion, though it is subtitled "Animal Companions for any character"), then the Pegasus may be one of the best flying mounts in any book, assuming you are CG.

What about the Asperi? I think it's NG (only 1 step from LG) and available for 7th lvl druid, so available as wild cohort to a 10th character.

[WarKitty]

The Bone Knight PrC gives a special mount, but you said you're looking for a feat only.

There's the Dragon Steed feat which gives you a Dragonnel as a mount. It's a good mount, but doesn't scale unless you're a paladin.

The Dragon Cohort feat, but the lowest level that you'd be able to ride on one of the cohort options is ECL 9 unless you happen to be small size.

~

You could try to get your DM to let you get the bonuses from the Dragon Steed feat s if you had the mount class feature by taking the feat 2 times.

You could also just roleplay the entire thing and seek out different mounts during your campaign. The Arms & Equipment Guide has lots of info on exotic mounts like Gelatinous Cubes, Hydras, and Rust Monsters. It's a good source for strange information and game rules.

I think the idea was more to have a mount that would grow with me. Doesn't have to be something fancy, just something that wouldn't go to completely fragile in a few levels. Flying is rather a must - I'm doing a melee build that will need access to flight to remain effective.

[Talya]

What about the Asperi? I think it's NG (only 1 step from LG) and available for 7th lvl druid, so available as wild cohort to a 10th character.

Pegasii are only "Usually CG," not "always", so as a cohort they'd work fine, and they fly much better than Asperi, as I recall.

[Coidzor]

Familiars will scale off of half your HP and have your BAB and all that jazz, though one that's rideable would require one to take an improved familiar of one type or another, which would require a bit of a CL investment to get access to a decent rideable one, espeically when flying is taken into consideration.