Can a Paladin's Mount be a Dire Bat

[Shocksrivers]

I am making a Gnome Paladin villain, and someone in an earlier thread suggested for her to ride a Dire Badger. I can't really find any rules for what animal a paladin can take, but CR 2 seems normal. Now, a Dire Bat has that CR, but it seems powerful to be allowed a flying mount...

[daremetoidareyo]

Do it! It sounds awesome.

[OgresAreCute]

The DMG has rules (well, more like guidelines) for this. General rule is (highest possible mount CR) = (effective paladin level) - 3 OR (highest possible mount CR) = (effective paladin level) - 4 for a flying mount. By those guidelines the gnome could grab a dire bat at level 6 paladin.

You can find the rules with examples on page 204 onward in the DMG.

[torrasque666]

Page 204 has advice about this for DMs, about allowing mounts other than the Warhorses. Basically, the mounts CR shouldn't be more than Paladin-3, Paladin-4 if it can fly. Basically, the game doesn't expect unrestricted flight before about level 5 or 6. Seeing as a Dire Bat is CR 2, they shouldn't be available as a mount before level 6, but honestly letting them get it at level 5 when the rest get it (fly​ spell, most winged races can't fly indefinitely until level 5, etc) isn't that bad either.

[Shocksrivers]

Thanks all!

[Ramza00]

Blackguard has Fiendish Servant. Champions of Ruin has a feat Improved Fiendish Servant which adds Dire Bat to your list of possible servants.

Also adds ape, black bear, boar, crocodile, dire badger, dire bat, dire weasel, heavy warhorse, leopard, monitor lizard, constrictor snake, large viper snake, wolverine.

Honestly though a traditional paladin can have at level 7 a giant owl, level 6 a hippogriff. A dire bat has worse stats than a hippogriff in pretty much everything.

[Calthropstu]

Wouldn't a dire bat just be a greatclub?

[Warchon]

*ahem*
Depending on the level you're starting the campaign at, you might even be able to find him a higher dire flyer, sire.






I'll show myself out.