RPing the Paladin Mount

[Newoblivion]

Hey friends :) I have a question.

I am playing with my friends d&d 3.5 and my character is a Paladin, and I am about to get to lvl 5 and get my mount. But I am not sure how to RP it. Does the mount just appear in a blast of holy light or should my old heavy warhorse just transform to a mount.

I need some ideas here. I don't want it to be to flashy, but I also would like my old horse to become the mount rather then get a new one from my god.

What do you say?

[Kalmageddon]

It should be something like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zIoElk3r2c).

[CheshireCatAW]

Well, first thought is have it be a dreamy transformation.

Maybe your Paladin is on watch duty one evening. The Paladin seemingly dozes for a few moments as the air gets thick and everything becomes vivid and surreal. As the paladin looks around he notices everything is similarly distorted except for his horse (Which, for the purposes of this example, I shall call Silver.) After a few moments (Nothing more than a few seconds at most, even though it felt like a long time) the Paladin snaps back to his senses and after a little while, goes over and checks out Silver to see if anything is different only to find nothing changed at all.

Paladin goes to sleep for the remainder of the evening. He dreams of riding Silver into battle against armies of the foes of his church. Valiantly, both fighter and steed wade into combat. You are able to withstand the blows that fall upon you, but poor Silver takes blow after blow and eventually stumbles and falls. You are left alone in a sea of terror and pain. At this bleak time, when all seems about to be lost, perhaps you hear an alignment/portfolio appropriate message from your god/godess. She proclaims that you will not ever be alone in your crusade from this day forward, and that the forces of evil/injustice/telemarketing will tremble before you. As she does this a light infuses the prone body of your friend, Silver. He rises, light pouring out of him, new strength infused within. With a mighty whinnie (and a dramatic pause in the action. This is a dream after all) Silver rises to his feet and you mount him again. The bond of companionship and holy cause reinvigorating you as well. The dream does not end by the time you awaken. It is a constant struggle and many times defeat seems certain, but you continue until you realize that Silver is nudging you awake.

The differences can be subtle. Perhaps your companions will not even notice a difference. But it is there. You know it.

[Namfuak]

One thing to consider is what exactly changes between level 4 and level 5? Do you kill the last thing you need to for your xp to hit level 5 and suddenly your mount transforms? Does your god come down and tell you that you have fought valiantly for him for a long enough time to entitle you to your own divine mount? Do you have to learn the technique from a wandering Paladin of your god?

I don't think any of these is more right than another, I'm just throwing them out there. Once you figure that out, then you can think of a way for the transference of mount to make sense. I like Chesire Cat's idea, too.

[Newoblivion]

I try to RP every ability I have. It took time for my pala to use his Lay on Hands, and I RPed that he is studing under the party's cleric how to turn undead.

I just don't know how to explain the fact that my good old horse can only stay for 10 hours now. I can use the idea that for 10 hours he become stronger but then I am losing the adventege of summoning it. I can't creep through dungeons with an horse, but in a big room or cave I can summon it.

[CheshireCatAW]

Ah, I had forgotten about that.

Ok, adding to the previously posted story.

Next adventuring day, as was eerily foretold in the dream, you charge into a small group of similar bad guys. The fight goes very similarly as the dream the night before. Silver falls beneath you. However, instead of rising up to help finish the group of enemies, he remains on the floor leaving the Paladin to, with great difficulty, clean up the remaining enemies. A little confused over his prophetic vision, Paladin spends the rest of the day in contemplation over his dead companion and communes with his deity of choice.

Throughout his evening vigil, the Paladin has blurry visions and short prayers pass through his mind. A heavy, long night follows and after a fitful nights' sleep, he awakens to the sound of a couple of bandits raiding a nearby caravan and beginning to flee with their ill begotten goods. They are on horseback and as the Paladin is about to chide himself for the loss of his friend, once again, he is struck. All of the information that he dreamt about finally aligns and he realizes the significance of the deity bringing back Silver in his dream. He knows the strange prayers and words that were passed through his psyche earlier.

I kinda wanted to tie in a "Hi Ho Silver, and Away!" with a chase scene into the sunset, but I think the point is made.

[Newoblivion]

@CheshireCatAW - Thank you very much friend, those are great ideas.

I think I will have my pala dream about it, and ask the DM to actually kill my mount before I reach lvl 5, so that I will be able to RP how sad my character is and it might even be a shock to the rest of the group, as they know that my character is very conected to the mount.

I will pass two or three sessions like this, and on 5th lvl if the DM won't agree to create a scene for it, I will just have to find a situation to summon the mount and fulfill the vision.

Thank you all for the comments! :)

[CheshireCatAW]

I really hope this works out well for you. I'd love to hear how it turns out ^_^