Playable Unicorn.

[Metahuman1]

Basically what is says on the Tin. Out the box the Unicorn has 4 mediocre (And that's being generous.) HD and LA 4. Assuming you have a half way reasonable DM, what can be done to get that down into functional and playable levels?

[Wacky89]

Sit down with your gm and make a savage progression?

[Crake]

i have a very reasonable optional gestalt houserule that works excellently for monsters by essentially gestalting your character with their LA. You'll still need to come up with a savage progression though, but the gist of it is that each level of gestalt costs the level x 500xp (so 500 for level 1, 1000 for level 2 etc), with the total ECL being calculated based on the sum of both sides of your gestalt rounded down to your nearest level threshold.

Note that this is a very high powered rule, as it enables relatively high LA for a minimal cost. For example, +2LA is only 1500xp, and, since level 3's threshold is 3000 above level 2, it will never actually result in an increase of ECL. Even +4 LA, which adds up to 5000xp in my system, is essentially +0ECL by level 6. The players will of course be behind in xp, having spent it on their gestalt side, but when they drop behind in ECL, their xp gains will increase, allowing them to catch up.

I normally use it only for acquired templates, rather than inherited ones, letting me give my players goodies over the course of the game without severely impacting their character's growth by forcing a bunch of LA on them. It also makes things like vampire more palatable.

And of course, it actually works out rather nicely as an actual optional gestalt rule, allowing a player to gestalt over the course of a game, slowly acruing an increase in ECL. I don't allow players to partial gestalt when they start taking class levels though, once they start gestalting with class, it's all or nothing.

I should make a thread on this in the homebrew forum I think...

[Psyren]

Horn graft and some kind of healing SLA on an Asswere.

[ZamielVanWeber]

When I am DM I am know for slashing down those disgustingly over the top LA's, so ask your DM to lower them a bit. Just be prepared to provide a reason as to why.

[Wacky89]

Unicorn do get a massive stat bonus, I dont think you can cut the LA that much

Str 20, Dex 17, Con 21, Int 10, Wis 21, Cha 24

+10 Str, +6 Dex, +10 Con, +10 Wis, +14 Cha

[Jeff the Green]

Here's (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=9235441&postcount=86) a halfway decent homebrew monster class.

[Urpriest]

The best way to play a Unicorn is to play a Healer.

[Troacctid]

The best way to play a Unicorn is to play a Healer.

Seconded. Alternately, Beloved of Valarian.

[nedz]

The best way to play a Unicorn is to play a Healer.

A Druid with Exalted Companion can get one a level earlier — and summon more.

[Inevitability]

A Druid with Exalted Companion can get one a level earlier — and summon more.

So druid is better than healer? Wow, big surprise there.

[Troacctid]

You can only get a unicorn with Exalted Companion if you're CG. That's an incompatible alignment for a Druid.

Works fine for a Bard, though. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#bard)

[(Un)Inspired]

See if your DM will let you bring in a pathfinder Synthesist summoner who turns into a unicorn.

[Metahuman1]

Unicorn do get a massive stat bonus, I don't think you can cut the LA that much

Str 20, Dex 17, Con 21, Int 10, Wis 21, Cha 24

+10 Str, +6 Dex, +10 Con, +10 Wis, +14 Cha

Ok. So, here's a notion. What does Wis benefit for the Unicorn other then skill checks and will saves. And what does Cha benefit since I don't think any of the normal unicorn (Not the celestial charger.) to the unicorn other then "It's a unicorn, of course it has high charisma, it's a unicorn!"?

I ask cause, if we took the unicorn down a size category (Which could create some interesting things on it's own.), that would nerf the strength bonus to a +2, and the Con bonus to a +6. From there, Wis and Cha can be seriously off set unless I'm over looking something, say, +2 apiece, and the higher Con and Dex can be justified with armor being more expensive as necessary to not dieing. That and as one of the things that offsets freaking not having either opposable thumbs nor an unseen servant/mage hand/prestidigitation SLA at will to off set the lack of opposable thumbs.

[Flickerdart]

A unicorn is a CR3 creature. Using alternate mount rules, a paladin of level X+3 can have a creature of CR X as a mount.

[Blackhawk748]

Id say LA 1 honestly, yes your powers are nice, yes that permanent magic circle vs evil is nice, yes the stats are nice, but YOU DONT HAVE HANDS!!! And that is very important.

Honestly when i look at a race i consider RHD to be part of its LA, that is i consider it a cost, so a lot of races with me get seriously lowered LA or RHD. With that being said if someone wanted to play a Feral Unicorn id be all for that, 4RHD and total of +2 LA. You make a solid beatstick and you have nice spells.

Also as has been mentioned armor is MUCH more expensive now. Trust me. I once played a Huge White Dragon and i couldnt buy armor because it was absurdly expensive, and thats another thing that must be remembered. There are other downsides than just stats

[ZamielVanWeber]

Id say LA 1 honestly, yes your powers are nice, yes that permanent magic circle vs evil is nice, yes the stats are nice, but YOU DONT HAVE HANDS!!! And that is very important.

2 if you are stingy. Those 1-2 LA pay for your generous stat mods, but you get really crappy "class features" compared to a decently optimized T3, low optimization potential, cannot play arcane classes without Surrogate Spellcasting (Mmm feat tax, its like playing an inverse human!), trade the ability to use weapons (aside from mouthpick) for a less than amazing natural attack routine.

[nedz]

Well it does depend upon what sort of character you want to play.

That Cha boost would work well with a Debuffing Warlock or possibly a Marshal.

Sorcerer or Bard too — though you'd have to burn some feats as other have said.

Really though you'd be best leaving this concept for a Gestalt game should you encounter one — the RHD and LA could be shuffled off to one side quite nicely and the Stat boosts would help with all manner of classes.

[gorfnab]

How about using Ponyfinder (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/125583/Ponyfinder--Campaign-Setting)? Granted if you're playing 3.5 you may have to adjust a bit since this is a book for Pathfinder.