Fire Drake Mount for Paladin

[Vanzanze]

In my wife's solo campaign, she's playing a gestalt Alchemist/Paladin. She's just recently gotten her mount, and keeping in line with her character concept of "Smitey Bomb-chucker" and "Blow Stuff Up Lass," I toned down a Fire Drake to serve as her mount.

How would any of you suggest to "tone down" a Fire Drake to serve as a mount? Would you ever let the mount back up to its published stats? Would you require the Improved Familiar feat for it?

Essentially, I'm just torn as to how to go about balancing out the mount, given that it is more powerful than a horse. That's all. Since she's the only character with a mount (the other paladin has Divine Bond with his greatsword), it's not even a question of balancing it out with anyone else in the party.

Should I even bother worrying about it?

[theUnearther]

First: This is for Pathfinder, right? I know that the alchemist is a pathfinder class and that the pathfinder paladin is different, so apologies if some or all of this does not apply.

That said, a (3.5) paladin's mount does not really advance on its own. It gains some powers based on the level of paladinness of its master. So I'd say you are going at it the wrong way. Do not compare the drake with a horse, compare it with the higher leveled mounts that paladins can apply for at the expense of counting as less paladiny, and then decide how many paladin levels the drake should "cost".
If it turns out to cost more than what she has, you can either delay it or grant it at a "credit", at your choice.

[Vanzanze]

The Pathfinder Paladin Mount functions similarly to a Druid's Animal Companion. Therefore, it does improve as you level.

That said, the fire drake comes with things that I feel should change with level. Namely, a breath weapon attack that functions exactly like fireball. Its DC should improve with level/stats, but so should the damage done.

Also, Pathfinder drakes get a "speed surge" ability that allows them extra move actions per turn so many times per day. These, too, should scale with level, but I'm just not certain as to how.

[Vanzanze]

Not to double-post, but does Pathfinder have a "drake" template or something so that one could calculate it oneself?

[theUnearther]

Hello again.
Again, the (3.5) druid's pet fighter does not advance on its own either. Neither do familiars, nor shadowdancer unturnable shadows, nor any funny animal friend, really. As hilarious as it would be for your cat familiar to have a raven familiar who is a druid whose bear is a bard, their growth is "stunted" as soon as they become attached to a character.
Also I just realized I was assuming "Drake" was an age category of a True Dragon, but that's probably not true, is it?

So, a question. Do you want it to eventually become more powerful than it is; or do you want it to be less powerful than it should be, for a while?

If the first, my first suggestion was really the best one because, again, No Experience For Companions.

But if the second, you can probably grab a monstruous progression for it and have it take "levels" in it as the paladin advances. There's probably a progression in Savage Species if fire drakes existed back then; if not, somebody in this forum is liable to have homebrewed one at some point.
Just start another thread to ask for a "Fire Drake Savage Progression", and someone more knowledgeable will point you the right way.