Devoted Tracker + Natural Bond and class levels

[EoNhOeKnOwS]

So lets say my special mount that is also my animal companion has a large amount of extra HD and its int is 8+

Can I trade some of those gained HD into class levels?

For the sake of argument lets say it's a very smart wolf that has a pearl of speech

Thanks!

[Fouredged Sword]

Not as far as I read. The HD gained are the racial HD of the creature type. The class feature specified in the animal companion section of the SRD specifically talks about a D8 HD and the other characteristics of an animal HD. Oddly it does not specify that the HD are racial HD, but it sure seems like that is the attempt.

Specifically you get this
"Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Remember that extra Hit Dice improve the animal companion’s base attack and base save bonuses. An animal companion’s base attack bonus is the same as that of a druid of a level equal to the animal’s HD. An animal companion has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). An animal companion gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice."

[Dagroth]

So lets say my special mount that is also my animal companion has a large amount of extra HD and its int is 8+

Can I trade some of those gained HD into class levels?

For the sake of argument lets say it's a very smart wolf that has a pearl of speech

Thanks!

Now if you make it your cohort (by Leadership), then you can give it class levels.

You should also get a caster level and make it your familiar, too. :smallbiggrin:

[Fouredged Sword]

You need Arcane Hirophant to make it your familiar as well. I have seen that done in a gestalt game (we houseruled you can take duel progression PRC's but only get one progression of your choice.)

[MisterKaws]

You can, but only the Special Mount portion of it, and it's not a 1:1 conversion. And it requires DM approval.

Basically, you ditch all Special Mount features and use the ECL-3(4 for flying mounts) rule to advance it, and then apply the Animal Companion modifiers, because Druids were already too good to get intelligent companions with class advancement. You usually don't want to have a non-multiclassed Druid with a pet Druid.

Which will also most likely have a pet druid.

[EoNhOeKnOwS]

Ohhh, great, thanks!

I'm pretty feat starved, I have devoted tracker, natural bond and holy mount.

I guess the fact that it states "gains extra d8" clears that, even for the paladin's special mount.

Do you need a lot of extra feats to make the animal companion/special mount a cohort? like .. can you assign your cohort as your animal companion+special mount?

[Twurps]

didn't you just ask this question a few days ago? (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?515018-Paladin-special-mount-gaining-class-levels)
Leadership (And DM approval) is all you need to have a mount as a cohort (and thus gaining class levels) DMG p199/200 can tell you all about it.

If you're feat-starved: Perhaps you can elaborate a bit on the build you have in mind so we can help you with that?