DM advice: player wants monster mount

[Mongrel]

I'm DMing a game where the party is pretty high level (level 12). Their current quest is to obtain some live specimens for some wizard researchers. These specimens are all from a mysterious "lost world" type land, and none of them are normal.

Well, long story short, one of the things they need is a "black tyrannosaur egg." The black tyrannosaurs in the area are black because they are actually half dragons. Now, one of my players has expressed a desire to capture and ride one. In the last session, he managed to find and subdue one (he knocked it out and put a muzzle on it) He doesn't have any skills that would allow him to train or otherwise rear the creature, but there is a druid in the party that may be able to.

The problem is that since it is a half dragon, its type is dragon, not animal, so the druid's animal empathy should have no effect on it. Would the Handle Animal skill work in terms of training it? I assume so since presumably any creature could be trained to be a mount (things like mounted dragon or gryphon riders are almost a staple of fantasy), but the skill is called Handle Animal.

I guess what I'm looking for is both rules advice for this situation as well as DMing advice for how to handle it. On the one hand, I don't want to disappoint the player by having his pretty impressive feat of capturing one of the creatures almost single handedly (only one other party member helped, and he didn't do too much) go unrewarded, but at the same time I'm not sure I want him to get access to such a powerful mount so easily. Anyone know what a good balance might be? It may be worth it to mention that the party took a few black tyrannosaur eggs for themselves. I assume they intend to raise them, or perhaps sell them to someone.

[Wacky89]

maybe make a custom magic item that (a saddle?) that costs X GP, which allows him to use handle animal on this specific creature which is captured.

[Millennium]

Since these creatures are half-dragons, their intelligence should be too high to really respond well to things like Handle Animal. Assuming d20srd stats for both Tyrannosaurus and the Half-Dragon template, it's 4: too high for the Animal type, though still not very smart in absolute terms.

However, this opens up another possibility. Rather than merely training a mount, perhaps the character has to negotiate a partnership with the creature. The end result would be more like a cohort that the PC happens to be able to ride, as opposed to an animal companion or a paladin's mount (though the "Special Dragon Mount" rules from the Draconomicon might provide some inspiration). It also gives you an interesting NPC to play with.

The PC will need some way to communicate with the creature, but this may be something where the druid can help. Since we're still talking about an int-4 creature, I would have trouble imagining that it has much in the way of ambitions, but that might provide for some interesting negotiation possibilities in their own right.

[Necroticplague]

Even if handle animal doesn't work, the int boost from half dragon should make them smart enough to understand common. Thus, diplomacy should work. "Be ridden" seems well within the range of actions for helpful. Probably would need a custom saddle, and definitely custom armor. And somebody is gonna ask questions when you start looking to commision some.

[Honest Tiefling]

Well, depending on the templates and stats (And your opinion on dinosaurs), that thing probably has around 4 intelligence as mentioned above. Unfortunately, its heritage means that it is unlikely to be cooperative.

Perhaps play it up, that while at first it acts like a dumb animal, it can learn a few words of common. Maybe it is tricking the party. It isn't going to outsmart them, but it can fool them for a bit. And it might actually try to claim a share of loot (it is part DRAGON after all).

Also have the cost of making a saddle and feeding it a part of the expenditures of the player, and the thing has pride and isn't going to eat any old carrion! (I believe those dinosuars were indeed scavengers, but I could be wrong.)

Or, have EVERYONE in the party ride the dinosaurs.

[Mongrel]

Thanks for the advice guys. To address a few of the suggestions:

First off, I should mention that the party is working for a very prominent mercenary organization which affords them several benefits (for instance, obtaining equipment is pretty easy for them, though they still need to pay for it). That said, I like the idea of a magic saddle/bridle/whatever that is needed to train the creature. I also like the idea of diplomacy with the creature, and I'm thinking I'll make the training of the beast an affair that requires some role playing (it is supposed to take six weeks or so to train something to be a combat mount, after all). On that note though I'm not entirely sure how to play something with a 4 int well. Animal level intelligence is easy, as is normal intelligence levels (like Int of 10 or so). Higher intelligence levels are a little tricky but still pretty doable. What should the motivations of a 4 int creature be though? Also, I should mention that the eggs the party took belong to the tyrannosaur they captured (it's their mother), and that said tyrannosaur's mate is currently swooping down on the two party members who took the eggs, so it's possible they'll kill it (which I assume won't make the mother too keen on helping them, int 4 or no).

[Blackhawk748]

For Roleplay advice i would reccomend having it act like the T-rex from Land of the Lost, it glares at people and is fully aware of when its been insulted

[Urpriest]

The feat Dragon Trainer from Races of the Dragon lets you use Handle Animal on low-Int Dragons, like your Half-Dragon T-Rexes.

[Captnq]

The egg breaks open and a thousand starving crows burst forth and peck out everyone's eyes: Problem solved.

Have the black T-rexs all speak with a southern accent and play the banjo. They are actually a friendly bunch who have all lost their teeth due to inbreeding. They make their own moonshine and drink heavily. have one of the really drunk T-Rex/Dragons eye one of the players, lick his lips and say, "Puuuurrrrrdy."

If the prospect of being in a half-dragon/T-rex version of Deliverance doesn't convince the players to ditch the idea of taming one of them as a mount, I don't know what will.

[Felvion]

Ok, I'm not a great DM myself but i believe the most important thing is this
Also, I should mention that the eggs the party took belong to the tyrannosaur they captured (it's their mother), and that said tyrannosaur's mate is currently swooping down on the two party members who took the eggs, so it's possible they'll kill it (which I assume won't make the mother too keen on helping them, int 4 or no).

I mean it is something you can't overlook. I believe that since the PC tried something wild and finally managed to make it he should get a reward, it sounds fair. There are technical details that you can overcome one way or another.
Diplomacy and/or wild empathy would work for the communication part. Don't worry which one is the right by the rules. Its your game so decide by yourself what seems more reasonable (or more convenient :smallwink:). IMHO you could also decide to make this one creature smarter amongst the typical ones of its kind or even stronger. Improvise if you need to.

If i were in your place, the hardest to overcome would be the "family" issue mentioned above. No mother would willingly serve someone that killed her husband and enslaved her children... So I had this idea:
The father T-Rex has been kinda alpha male and is quite authoritarian. In order to establish his status he eats every male baby that cracks through an egg but keeps the female ones alive.
The mother can't help her children cause the male creature is too strong for her. She also knows most of her eggs are male (Cause a mother knows!).
Then, the party shows up and just a single PC is capable of taking her down.
In order to save her babies, the mother suggests the party kills the daddy T-rex. In exchange she offers herself to the man that managed to subdue her.
She may also suggest to raise the male babies to become mounts for the rest of the PCs as long as they help. (That will keep the party from getting jealus but it will be fair for everyone since the guy that first had the idea will get the older and thus stronger mother) Also note that she will make the party promise the female babies will be released free and safe in the wild if things go well.
Make the father T-Rex much stronger than the mother so that he would prove a challenging encounter for the whole party. This would also justify the alpha male stuff.

If they win they're all happy. If not... sh#t happens from time to time in dnd especially when you deal with half dragon T-Rex!!!

One last thing. If you find the plot too bright for a low int creature just make the father attack and if the party beats him have the mother do the same deal to save herself and her children from death. She may also do it to keep her babies close to her and not being sold away.
After all, she may try to win some time for her.Who knows? As the time passes and her children grow strong she may try to rebel against her bosses if they fail to gain her respect.

Hope i helped!