Best mounts for a Zhentarim Skymage...?

[Werephilosopher]

I've just finished building a character with all five levels of Zhentarim Skymage (LoD), and am looking for some of the best mounts to use. For those who don't know, Skymages can get practically any flying mount in the game, as long as its HD do not exceed Skymage lvl+Charisma mod+1. I know the mount isn't required to be the same alignment as the rider- in fact, riders who lose control of their mounts typically end up attacked by them- but for fluff I'd prefer the mount be LG or LE, so the character can be an alignment-appropriate paladin.

The character is a Wizard 5/Zhentarim Skymage 5/Dragonrider 1/Paladin of Honor or Tyranny 2/Spellsword 1/Mindbender 1/Arcane Devotee 5. Right now I've chosen a Purple Dragon (Dragon Compendium, Vol. 1) as a mount, because 1) it's my favorite kind of dragon, and 2) because as a dragon, it gains new abilities as it increases HD, meaning I can keep the same dragon I get from the first level of Skymage all the way to level 20 and assume my increases in Charisma represent my magic/whatever making it older and stronger. But I'm looking for any other suitable mounts, just out of curiosity. Obviously I'd prefer mounts that make sense, fluff-wise (ie. the character is not built to be a necromancer, so an undead mount wouldn't really make sense) but otherwise, anything is open.

[Nettlekid]

I think the outright strongest (but requires some serious Cha pumping) is either a Gray Linnorm or a Dread Linnorm. Both very big fearsome dragon beasts, although they are fantastic at melee combat just due to sheer strength, the Gray casts as a 17th level Cleric and the Dread casts as an 18th level Sorcerer. So, you know. You're a caster, and so are they. And if I remember right, you share spells. So yeah. That's a thing.

[Flickerdart]

Tome dragons have the fewest HD and the second fastest casting (Steel dragons have the fastest casting progression), making them a good choice.

If HD is the only restriction, don't hesitate to get some sweet sweet templating going on with your mount.

[CyberThread]

Honestly.... there is a mount you can buy/train in the drow of the underdark book, which has pounce on top of earthglide and gives it to the rider.


looked it up called a stone flyer, in the underdark book , so if your stuck in a dungeon and not in the open air, this is a really good mount. It earthglides and can take its rider with it, and falls under your skymage abilities for mount control and bonus.

[Werephilosopher]

I think the outright strongest (but requires some serious Cha pumping) is either a Gray Linnorm or a Dread Linnorm. Both very big fearsome dragon beasts, although they are fantastic at melee combat just due to sheer strength, the Gray casts as a 17th level Cleric and the Dread casts as an 18th level Sorcerer. So, you know. You're a caster, and so are they. And if I remember right, you share spells. So yeah. That's a thing.

Do you mean we share the effects of each others' spells? I considered and dismissed the linnorms, but if you're right, maybe I should look again.


Tome dragons have the fewest HD and the second fastest casting (Steel dragons have the fastest casting progression), making them a good choice.

If HD is the only restriction, don't hesitate to get some sweet sweet templating going on with your mount.

I really want to have a mount with templates, but if I ever use this character in actual play I EXTRA-really don't want books flying at my head. :smallfrown: Thank you for reminding me of Tome Dragons though, can you remind me which number magazine they're in? I'm not sure I have it.

[Werephilosopher]

Honestly.... there is a mount you can buy/train in the drow of the underdark book, which has pounce on top of earthglide and gives it to the rider.


looked it up called a stone flyer, in the underdark book , so if your stuck in a dungeon and not in the open air, this is a really good mount. It earthglides and can take its rider with it, and falls under your skymage abilities for mount control and bonus.

Going to have to correct you there, it's in Underdark, not DotU. :smalltongue: It sounds awesome, checking it now.

[Nettlekid]

Do you mean we share the effects of each others' spells? I considered and dismissed the linnorms, but if you're right, maybe I should look again.



I really want to have a mount with templates, but if I ever use this character in actual play I EXTRA-really don't want books flying at my head. :smallfrown: Thank you for reminding me of Tome Dragons though, can you remind me which number magazine they're in? I'm not sure I have it.

They get yours, but you don't get theirs. So it'd be good for buffing your mount. You can also cast Personal spells on them.

[shaikujin]

OP'd ones:

Unseelie Fey (to get flight) Illithid (tadpole if you need lower HD) with illithid savant levels :D

Succubus is pretty good too.



If somehow only HD matters, but not ECL (which by right is supposed to be RHD + LA + Class levels), then:
Add tauric, symbiotic, chimera, white dragonspawn, lycanthrope, paragon templates etc.

[Fouredged Sword]

Insert required "mount" and "Ride" jokes about the succubus option here.

Though, you could turn this on it's head and get a succubus with levels in Fiend of Possession. Extra actions and bonuses to your casting stat are ALWAYS nice.

[Gwendol]

I think the Succubus might be somewhat petite to be mounted? If the skymage wants to ride her he will first have to cast reduce person on himself.

[Zombulian]

While not the most optimal, one of my favorite mounts for this class is the Ogre Mage. Ride on his shoulders, both of you wearing sunglasses, full on goon-platoon mode.

[Uncle Pine]

If you'd like to have some more versatility, remember that you can slap the flying template on any animal, giant, humanoid, monstrous humanoid or vermin you'd like to use as a mount but that it doesn't normally have wings. It's in Savage Species.

Oh, and the tome dragon is in Dragon Magazine #343.

[Fax Celestis]

My vote is for a rukanyr with the winged, shadow, and half-farspawn templates.

But I'm partial to rukanyr.

[Rebel7284]

Dragonwraught Kobold with Dragon Wings and Polymorph? xD

[Vaz]

I think the Succubus might be somewhat petite to be mounted? If the skymage wants to ride her he will first have to cast reduce person on himself.

Any comments I was thinking of making belong purely from the BoED.

[Uncle Pine]

My vote is for a rukanyr with the winged, shadow, and half-farspawn templates.

But I'm partial to rukanyr.

What's a rukanyr?

[Fax Celestis]

A three-headed six-armed far-touched monstrous scorpion from beyond the stars.

http://wizards.com/dnd/images/ff_gallery/50150.jpg

Fiend Folio.

[gorilla-turtle]

What exactly is the LoD mentioned about where the Zhentarim Skymage comes from? A class that can get any mount with only an HD restriction sounds both broken as heck to use by the PCS, and an excellent opportunity for encounters as a DM.

[Fax Celestis]

What exactly is the LoD mentioned about where the Zhentarim Skymage comes from? A class that can get any mount with only an HD restriction sounds both broken as heck to use by the PCS, and an excellent opportunity for encounters as a DM.

Lords of Darkness. It's a FR book.

[Nettlekid]

What exactly is the LoD mentioned about where the Zhentarim Skymage comes from? A class that can get any mount with only an HD restriction sounds both broken as heck to use by the PCS, and an excellent opportunity for encounters as a DM.

Lords of Darkness.

Yeah, the Zhentarim Skymage is quite formidable. Five levels, easily accessible by a caster (you have to burn a feat for Mounted Combat but get some bonus feats later so it kind of works out), 5/5 casting class, you get free scrolls (any that you can cast) that if you're a spontaneous caster you just get, but if you're a caster like Wizard or Archivist you can immediately add those spells to your spellbook at no cost (which is great for a Archivist to get Druid or Paladin or other niche divine spells). And of course, an amazing mount whose only requirements are: Mount-sized, flying, and HD<=Your class level+Cha.

[gorilla-turtle]

Lords of Darkness. It's a FR book.

Thanks. So, the lack of the Scry Skill in 3.5 is just handwaved the same way Iaijutsu Focus is, right?


Lords of Darkness.

Yeah, the Zhentarim Skymage is quite formidable. Five levels, easily accessible by a caster (you have to burn a feat for Mounted Combat but get some bonus feats later so it kind of works out), 5/5 casting class, you get free scrolls (any that you can cast) that if you're a spontaneous caster you just get, but if you're a caster like Wizard or Archivist you can immediately add those spells to your spellbook at no cost (which is great for a Archivist to get Druid or Paladin or other niche divine spells). And of course, an amazing mount whose only requirements are: Mount-sized, flying, and HD<=Your class level+Cha.

Was this class on the Prestige Class Tierlist? Because this sounds like it's easily a +2 class, what with a free and plenty capable mount at a cost that ends up being made up.

[Andezzar]

It's Lords of Darkness. I's a 3.0 forgotten Realms source book, so take any rules with a grain of salt. AFAIK the Skymage has not been updated to 3.5

[herrhauptmann]

It's Lords of Darkness. I's a 3.0 forgotten Realms source book, so take any rules with a grain of salt. AFAIK the Skymage has not been updated to 3.5

It also needs some editing even for use in a 3.0 game. The bab needs to be fixed to properly match medium progression (0,1,1,2,3); and probably other things too.

[Fax Celestis]

It also needs some editing even for use in a 3.0 game. The bab needs to be fixed to properly match medium progression (0,1,1,2,3); and probably other things too.

...that is not the right progression for medium progression.

Who...who wrote this thing, anyway?

[herrhauptmann]

...that is not the right progression for medium progression.

Who...who wrote this thing, anyway?

I know there were updates for most 3.0 sources, mostly bringing things like DR in line with the 3.5 standard, but I don't know why they never fixed that when they updated other 3.0 faerun books.
There's probably other things that need to get fixed that I didn't catch either.

[Zeb]

There was a half decent list of mounts a while back...

Here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144612)

I do like the Steelwing myself, for the speed.

[Jeff the Green]

Thanks. So, the lack of the Scry Skill in 3.5 is just handwaved the same way Iaijutsu Focus is, right?

IF generally isn't waived, since it was never actually removed from the game like Scry was. The 3.5 update booklet doesn't give any insight into how to handle prerequisites with defunct skills, but under the deities statblocks from Deities and Demigods it suggests "replac[ing] any ranks in Animal Empathy, Innuendo, Knowledge (undead), and Scry with equal ranks in another skill." I'd go with Knowledge (arcana), personally, though upping Spellcraft to 7 ranks would work too.

[PraxisVetli]

My vote is for a rukanyr with the winged, shadow, and half-farspawn templates.

But I'm partial to rukanyr.

I love those things.

[Uncle Pine]

A three-headed six-armed far-touched monstrous scorpion from beyond the stars.

http://wizards.com/dnd/images/ff_gallery/50150.jpg

Fiend Folio.

Oh god, that thing is scary! :smalleek:

[Werephilosopher]

Thanks for all the suggestions! :smallsmile:

I think I'm gonna go with a Dread Linnorm, the image of riding a two-headed flying serpent is just too awesome.