Could you fly on a Dire Bat?

[SangoProduction]

I think the rules for riding a flying creature require you to be under its light load (172 lbs), though I am unsure about that. Are there specific Ride skill rules regarding flying mounts? I don't see any in the PHB.

But, assuming you are light enough, then could you, if it was an animal companion?

On that note, are there feats to increase your effective druid level for animal companions?

[DrMotives]

Sure can, it's been a thing in fantasy before. The nighthob in Neverending Story rides one, and he's basically a goblin. He's got sort of a hanglider rig for it, but either that or sitting on its back makes sense if you fit the size & weight limits.

[AvatarVecna]

My first ever game, the DM had a halfling druid DMPC playing support for the paladin, monk, and sorcerer. They rode a dire bat, and they were awesome.

[SangoProduction]

Sure can, it's been a thing in fantasy before. The nighthob in Neverending Story rides one, and he's basically a goblin. He's got sort of a hanglider rig for it, but either that or sitting on its back makes sense if you fit the size & weight limits.

What are the size/weight limits?

[nyjastul69]

As a large creature, a dire bat has twice the capacity of a med sized creature. I don't think your numbers account for this.

[SangoProduction]

As a large creature, a dire bat has twice the capacity of a med sized creature. I don't think your numbers account for this.

I did. Standard 17 STR Light Carry Cap is 1/2 of what I put up there. (86 lbs)

[DrMotives]

It's a large biped with a 17 str, if it's the stock average MM dire bat. So the PH chapter 9, table 1 says 172 lbs is a light load for it. Most things can't fly with medium or heavier loads, so that's the number to stay under. Things that can fly with more weight have that called out as an ability.

[SangoProduction]

It's a large biped with a 17 str, if it's the stock average MM dire bat. So the PH chapter 9, table 1 says 172 lbs is a light load for it. Most things can't fly with medium or heavier loads, so that's the number to stay under. Things that can fly with more weight have that called out as an ability.

Thought so, thanks very much.

[Sagetim]

I think the rules for riding a flying creature require you to be under its light load (172 lbs), though I am unsure about that. Are there specific Ride skill rules regarding flying mounts? I don't see any in the PHB.

But, assuming you are light enough, then could you, if it was an animal companion?

On that note, are there feats to increase your effective druid level for animal companions?

Yes, especially if you have some means to keeping it friendly towards you. Charm Monster, Dominate Monster, Animal Companion, or Druid Teammate would all work for this purpose. You would have to train the animal to accept a rider, and I think the rules for that are either in the DMG or in the description of the handle animal skill. You'll probably want to fit it with an everful feedbag (or whatever it's called) from the magic item compendium so you don't have to keep it fed on exotic fare, some kind of magic harness to keep you from going tumbling off it when the bat does any kind of aerial maneuver, and probably a belt of strength to put around the bat's neck so that it can carry you and your gear.

You'll also want to keep any gear you wear particularly light, so things like psychoactive skin of ectoplasmic armor, which weighs 1 lb and has defense comparable to full plate, would help for keeping your weight down (compared to 50 lb for normal full plate, or 25 for mithral). And if you're going to use the bat for mounted combat, you would probabl want to limit your gear to things like a bag of holding, a lance, and a mithral shield or a ring of force shield.

If you just want it as a fancy flying mount, then getting it a belt of strength would help it to haul you, your gear, and your loot around.

[Twurps]

On that note, are there feats to increase your effective druid level for animal companions?

If you're multiclassing: Natural bond (CA) is what you're looking for. (+3 to effective druid level for animal companion, but it can't exceed character level.
Not a feat, but a 1 level dip in beastmaster will also net you 3 druid levels for animal companion.

[SangoProduction]

If you're multiclassing: Natural bond (CA) is what you're looking for. (+3 to effective druid level for animal companion, but it can't exceed character level.
Not a feat, but a 1 level dip in beastmaster will also net you 3 druid levels for animal companion.

Do note that the beast master will only give you an Animal Companion at it's level +3. It doesn't stack with any pre existing druid levels.

And depending on your interpretation, it might not even work if you've already got a higher level companion, as it doesn't yet give "additional" animal companions, as for the same abilities, it often has to be specifically called out that it stacks, such as with the Sneak attack: (assassin example) "If an assassin gets a sneak attack bonus from another source, the bonuses on damage stack." And indeed, the language within the class itself backs it up. The first "extra animal companion" is referred to as the second, not the third.

Of course, for a Beastmaster, that wouldn't be my personal interpretation, as the whole point is to have a ton of animal companions, but it's a perfectly legit way to interpret it.

[TheOneHawk]

If you're playing pathfinder, or your dm is open to porting pathfinder in, there's this.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-goblin/fire-bomber-alchemist-goblin

[SangoProduction]

If you're playing pathfinder, or your dm is open to porting pathfinder in, there's this.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-goblin/fire-bomber-alchemist-goblin

Unfortunately not. I'm not entirely sure what that was supposed to be for though.

[ericgrau]

Leadership is another simple way to get a special mount that flies such as a griffon as long as it has a cohort LA, but unfortunately dire bat is not one of those. It's probably not allowed to be a cohort because it lacks int and language, but if you can get past that social barrier and you have a nice DM then you could compare stats to other mounts to figure out a fair LA.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Unfortunately not. I'm not entirely sure what that was supposed to be for though.
Firebombing from the back of a flying mount, I'm guessing.

There is a feat that allows you to fly carrying a medium load, in Races of the Dragon, and a follow-up feat that allows you to fly with a heavy load. Reinforced Wings requires 13 strength, Heavyweight Wings requires 15 strength (and Reinforced Wings, of course). Your speed is still reduced as normal for carrying that much.

[SangoProduction]

Firebombing from the back of a flying mount, I'm guessing.

There is a feat that allows you to fly carrying a medium load, in Races of the Dragon, and a follow-up feat that allows you to fly with a heavy load. Reinforced Wings requires 13 strength, Heavyweight Wings requires 15 strength (and Reinforced Wings, of course). Your speed is still reduced as normal for carrying that much.

LOL! That sounds awesome. (Both the bombing and the winds) Unfortunately, neither are allowed in this campaign.

[Twurps]

Do note that the beast master will only give you an Animal Companion at it's level +3. It doesn't stack with any pre existing druid levels.

Levels in beastmaster explicitly stack with druid levels as per:

If a beastmaster already has an animal companion from another class, her beastmaster class levels stack with class levels from all other classes that grant an animal companion. For example, a 5th-level druid/2nd-level beastmaster would be treated as a 10th-level druid for the purpose of improving the statistics of her animal companion (and which alternative animal companions she could select).

[Kantolin]

In addition to what Twurps said (Which is correct), you may be thinking about the other three companions that beastmaster gets you.

The /first/ one does stack with druid levels, but all three of the ones after that are based entirely on beastmaster levels (and are summarily quite useless). This is why the suggestion was just a single level of beastmaster, to get the 'better one', and then get out of the class as the three after that are horribad.

(Just for clarity, heh)

[torrasque666]

Technically, unless as class calls out that it doesn't stack with other classes (as the extra companions feature does) it stacks due to the sidebar on animal companions from the PHB.
Class Level: The character’s druid level. The druid’s class levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to an animal companion (such as the ranger) such for the purpose of determining the companion’s abilities and the alternative lists available to the character.

[SangoProduction]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[atemu1234]

How much of a Strength boost are we looking at from being an Animal Companion?

[SangoProduction]

How much of a Strength boost are we looking at from being an Animal Companion?

likely +0, if I can move on to better mounts. But if I'm stuck with it, then I guess whatever boost you'd like.