[3.P] Best Special Mount/Animal Companion feature?

[Darius Kane]

No, I'm not asking about the best creature for an animal companion or special mount. I'm asking what class (or what combination of classes) gives the best Animal Companion or Special Mount ability. And in addition I'm curious about feats or equipment that make your animal companion or special mount more awesome.

[Kaje]

Well, there's the standard supermount build, which gets a mount with the stats of a level 18 druid ac and a level 18 paladin mount. It goes something like this:

Strongheart Halfling Paladin 5 / Beastmaster 2 / Wild Plains Outrider 3 / Halfling Outrider 10

Feats
1 - Mounted Combat [Strongheart Halfling]
1 - Track
3 - Skill Focus: Handle Animal
6 - Devoted Tracker
9 - Mounted Archery
12 - Natural Bond
15 - Ride By Attack
18 - Spirited Charge

I also like to gestalt that with the wizard acf from (iirc) Champions of Valor, which combines your familiar and special mount. Take the fighter feat wizard acf to get your mounted combat feats that way, so you can use your other feats to get things like Dragon Familiar (for a gold wyrmling mount), and lurking familiar (your mount has concealment when you ride it).

[Darius Kane]

And without being limited to race?

It will possibly be part of a gestalt build, so good gestalt ideas are appreciated.

[Kaje]

Well, you could do the same thing as above, but leave out the halfling outrider in favor of cavalier or something. won't be quite as awesome, but it can work.

[Gnaeus]

Arcane hierophant is an interesting choice. It makes your AC and your Familiar the same critter, so your AC gets a very solid intelligence and all the other familiar bonuses. Only real drawback is that (as a theurge class) it is likely weaker than either pure druid or pure wizard. Still, if you want an intelligent T rex that can share your Shapechange.....

[God Imperror]

Halfling outrider progresses both animal companion, and special mount, that's mostly the point of it.

Though if you are going gestalt it probably depends on what do you want to do with the mount. Do you want an uber charger? An awesome mount? Or some good mounted character? Also what's the level of cheese do you want to get? Wizards normally do it better, any restrictions on gods or sources?

Also if you don't want to be a goodie two shoes paladin, there is a scout ACF dragon magazine 346 that gives the scout an special mount. Ranger // Scout with both devoted tracker and swift hunter can be interesting, thematic and not necessarily over powered.

[Darius Kane]

Though if you are going gestalt it probably depends on what do you want to do with the mount. Do you want an uber charger? An awesome mount? Or some good mounted character?
EVERYTHING!

But seriously. I don't want for my companion to be just my weapon. I want it to be an extension of my own body. To be able to do most essential things for me. To be my scout, my fighter, my mount, my lover... urgh, forget the last one. :smalltongue: It's supposed to be a versatile helper. The personal power of the character isn't that important (but I'm not saying I don't want him to be powerful). The companion/mount should be the central point of this concepts in-&-out off-combat abilities.
TL;DR: Well rounded.

[Snowbluff]

EVERYTHING!

But seriously. I don't want for my companion to be just my weapon. I want it to be an extension of my own body. To be able to do most essential things for me. To be my scout, my fighter, my mount, my lover... urgh, forget the last one. :smalltongue: It's supposed to be a versatile helper. The personal power of the character isn't that important (but I'm not saying I don't want him to be powerful). The companion/mount should be the central point of this concepts in-&-out off-combat abilities.
TL;DR: Well rounded.

Then you want to be an Arcane Heirophant, with Knight Ranger of Furmundy for you mount basis.

Take Devoted Tracker, Holy Mount, Theurgic Mount, Theurgic Bond (D325). These with add your various classes' CLs to get better mounts.

[Urpriest]

EVERYTHING!

But seriously. I don't want for my companion to be just my weapon. I want it to be an extension of my own body. To be able to do most essential things for me. To be my scout, my fighter, my mount, my lover... urgh, forget the last one. :smalltongue: It's supposed to be a versatile helper. The personal power of the character isn't that important (but I'm not saying I don't want him to be powerful). The companion/mount should be the central point of this concepts in-&-out off-combat abilities.
TL;DR: Well rounded.

Actually, with Dragon Mount, and picking a Dragon with Alternate Form...

Anyway, in gestalt you could just have a Paladin mount advancing class on one side and a Druid animal companion advancing class on the other, no need to be a halfling. Furthermore with Arcane Hierophant your Druid-advancing side can also advance Familiar. There are a few Dragon feats (Theurgic Bond, some others) that can allow for sillier levels of stacking, especially with PlzBreakMyCampAn's interpretation of bloodlines. I don't really know the details of that, though.

[BShammie]

You can't be a Paladin//Druid unless the alignment restrictions are being ignored.

[Darius Kane]

There are variants for Paladins.

[Kuulvheysoon]

There are variants for Paladins.

But all of them are alignment extremes, and Druids need an element of Neutrality to them.

Personally, I love the Ashworm Dragoon. Not as strong as your typical Supermount, but come on - it's a giant, poisonous eyeless worm. THAT YOU CAN RIDE.

[Novawurmson]

Summoner riding an Eidolon, gestalted with a full BAB something that can benefit from Charisma (probably a Paladin) or maybe Barbarian with Ferocious Mount rage powers.

[Snowbluff]

You can't be a Paladin//Druid unless the alignment restrictions are being ignored.


There are variants for Paladins.


But all of them are alignment extremes, and Druids need an element of Neutrality to them.

Personally, I love the Ashworm Dragoon. Not as strong as your typical Supermount, but come on - it's a giant, poisonous eyeless worm. THAT YOU CAN RIDE.

Which is why you use Ranger Knight of Furmundy. Sure, you lose a CL and some feats, but you get a RFoF level +6 mount.

[Darius Kane]

But all of them are alignment extremes, and Druids need an element of Neutrality to them.
There are variants that are Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Neutral, Neutral Good and Neutral Evil.

[BShammie]

There are variants that are Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Neutral, Neutral Good and Neutral Evil.
That's true. I forgot they existed when I made my last post.
They're in Dragon Magazine 310 and start at page 37, if anyone is interested.
EDIT: There aren't any neutral evil paladins in that issue of Dragon Magazine.

[Coidzor]

Ranger Knight of Furyondy from Dragon 317, page 68 if this link (http://rpggeek.com/rpgissuearticle/44388/ranger-knight-of-furyondy)is to believed. Only problem with it is acquiring Smite Evil so that Devoted Tracker can work with it.

I thought the problem with the neutral-component variant paladins was that they didn't actually get special mounts, but some feature roughly similar to special mount but each different in their own at least mildly problematic way.