How to make an awesome mount?

[Balor01]

It is a simple question. I am making a mounted NPC and I wonder how to make best use of his mount. He is to challenge a lvl 6 party and is one of the bosses on their way with important tweak - he will not be bent on killing them but fleeing and surviving to fight another day IF(this is a big if) PCs engage him. I am starting with his mount and I would like some nice ideas how to approach this.

Idea for this NPC is Godo Bandit Warlord:
http://img.aegen.nl/CHK/Godo,%20Bandit%20Warlord.jpg

[Belril Duskwalk]

Assuming an evil NPC: Nightmare. 40 feet land movement, 90 feet flying by magic and if that isn't good enough Etherealness and Astral Projection (either of which can effect other beings than itself) for a plane-hopping escape plan.

[Balor01]

Tnx Belril, I will use this if more common options turn out to be useless, but I would really like this beastie to be more of a "down to earth" thing. An animal, or magical animal perhaps? And no flying. (pic related :smallsmile:)
I may introduce mentioned abilities via items perhaps.

[Coidzor]

Axebeaks are in Arms and Equpiment Guide or can be relatively easily backported from Pathfinder along with Emus and Ostriches.

I believe they have a 65 speed in A&EG and are about 50 or 60 in PF.

[jackattack]

Have you considered tricking out the steed with magic items?

Hooves should be able to carry any enchantment that magic boots can (in a complete set of 4, rather than 2).

Not sure what I'd do with the saddle, maybe make it difficult for the rider to fall off, maybe link steed and rider somehow.

Tack (bit, bridle, reins, etc) might make the steed easier to control, even providing a bonus to the steed's maneuverability.

And barding can have the same enchantments as any magical armor.

So, in short, magic items "worn" by a steed can turn a good mount into an awesome mount.

[Kaeso]

:smallamused: Let him ride his druid buddy

But in all seriousness, a wizard/sorcerer/gish could probably use the phantom steed spell for a pretty awesome ghostly mount, though I'm not sure if that's any good for a levle 6 NPC.

[dsmiles]

You should totally ride a polar bear (http://theoatmeal.com/comics/polar_bear).

[Balor01]

- Like the polar bear tip :smallsmile:
- Awesome tips on item equipping
- Question: Where does it say that nightmare can make rider also etheral and plane shifted?


Astral Projection and Etherealness (Su)

These abilities function just like the spells of the same names (caster level 20th); a nightmare can use either at will.

[ericgrau]

Griffons, hippogriffs, pegasuses or giant owls are pretty standard for flying mounts. A giant owl or pegasus could even be added with leadership and be given class levels to make him more interesting. Next the rider gets ride by attack and the mount fly by attack so that the villain is really hard to hit. Even close range spells might sometimes be out of range depending which PC the villain attacks and where he is relative to the caster. From there you do standard charger stuff, maybe spirited charge and a lance for example. Give the mount some +1 light barding (chain shirt most likely) and if the villain can spare the wealth maybe a minor magic item.

[Averis Vol]

does this npc have a specific niche? something about him special? because that might be a determining factor of what he rides.

[Balor01]

So, how about those Nightmare abilities? Do they also apply to rider?

[Belril Duskwalk]

I may have been slightly incorrect on the abilities effecting the rider, but only slightly so. The exact text of both spells says that the spell can bring others linked by hands in a circle along for the ride. So... you probably still could, but it might technically be slightly less simple than I originally figured.
Also forgot that Astral Projection leaves your body in the Material Plane while your spirit goes Astral. Less than good as an escape mechanism. Etherealness still works though, you take all of yourself to the Ethereal.

[Coidzor]

Less than good as an escape mechanism.

Not as an escape mechanism. You astral project first and then go and have fun.

Granted, IIRC, one needs plane shift to take advantage of it. On the other hand, astral projecting and plane shifting back to one's own plane means that one has just duped all of one's items, so even an item-based planeshift+nightmare combo pays for itself given time.

[Urpriest]

The creature in the picture really looks like something I've seen in a sourcebook before. AFB atm, but I'd guess Fiend Folio.

[Coidzor]

Sorta like a cross between an ultralisk, a rhino, and a nerf.

[Urpriest]

Sorta like a cross between an ultralisk, a rhino, and a nerf.

To be fair, that describes most MTG beasts.