Dude, pimp my unicorn

[jiriku]

I've got a pony!

So, for an upcoming game, I will be playing an exalted succubus with a vow of poverty, moving into the fiend of possession class after completing the succubus monster class. At 10th level I am planning to take Leadership and acquire a unicorn as a cohort ("I want a pony NOW!").


For this campaign:

• All Level Adjustments are halved, rounded down.
• Houserules on the VoP allow me to take any feat in my VoP bonus feat slots (which is how I'm getting Leadership at 10th)

The unicorn's maximum ECL will be my ECL-2. The DM will probably be pretty liberal about letting me choose how it advances. So, playground, how can I pimp my unicorn? I want it to be useful in some way during the game.

[Starbuck_II]

So, for an upcoming game, I am planning to play an exalted succubus with a vow of poverty. Houserules on the VoP allow me to take any feat in my VoP bonus feat slots, and at 10th level I am planning to take leadership and acquire a unicorn as a cohort ("I want a pony NOW!").

The unicorn's ECL will be my ECL-2. So, playground, how can I pimp my unicorn? I want it to be useful in some way during the game.

So ECL 8 Unicorn?
Wait... unicorns are ECL 8. So... you can only switch feats/equipment.

[jiriku]

Oh my. Forgot to include extensive house rulage. Editing OP now.

The unicorn will be ECL 6, and thus has room for some class levels or advancement hit dice.

[Kurald Galain]

at 10th level I am planning to take leadership and acquire a unicorn as a cohort ("I want a pony NOW!").

Chaaarlie...

Chaaaaarlieeee...

[Crossblade]

Question:

How does a sex demon friending a magical creature that will only let female virgins ride it, work?

[jiriku]

I actually was considering Vow of Chastity (she'd be the ultimate tease), but meh, I only have so many feat slots and the benefits of that Vow are pretty underwhelming.

So, instead, I took it in a different direction and took Nymph's Kiss, so she has, erm, a recommendation from her nymph girlfriend? Unicorns get along great with fey. And I'm still tossing around taking Talya's vow of nudity feat. It just ruins the succubus' natural talent for disguise and infiltration....

My initial thought was to steampunk up the unicorn. I can totally see it in a Victorian-style leather harness, with some kind of technomagical device on its horn, wearing a monocle. But my DM's head is already pretty close to exploding, so maybe I better not do that.

[OracleofWuffing]

And I'm still tossing around taking Talya's vow of nudity feat. It just ruins the succubus' natural talent for disguise and infiltration....

Well, I don't know about that, taking that feat will probably distract people from looking at your face better than any disguise...

[Tiki Snakes]

Question:

How does a sex demon friending a magical creature that will only let female virgins ride it, work?

Kurald actually secretly gave the answer.

Chaaarlie...

Chaaaaarlieeee...

You just pester the unicorn relentlessly till it gives up and does whatever dubious stuff you tell it to, whatever your existing track record.

[awesomessake]

My initial thought was to steampunk up the unicorn. I can totally see it in a Victorian-style leather harness, with some kind of technomagical device on its horn, wearing a monocle. But my DM's head is already pretty close to exploding, so maybe I better not do that.

You sir, have given me a new idea for a motivator. Also:

Spoiler

Show

[sciencepanda]

Have it look something like this:

Spoiler

Show

[jiriku]

Can't see the picture.

Does anyone have optimization advice? I was thinking of having it advance as a crusader or paladin. As a crusader, it could help me out with various White Raven maneuvers, while a pally unicorn with a set of wands strapped to its horns could handle healing and some minor buffing (we don't have any casters in our party). Plus, either of those classes offers armor proficiency, so if one of the other PCs pays for it, it could wear some shiny mithril barding and look extra awesome (and probably live longer).

[Dusk Eclipse]

Can't see the picture.

Does anyone have optimization advice? I was thinking of having it advance as a crusader or paladin. As a crusader, it could help me out with various White Raven maneuvers, while a pally unicorn with a set of wands strapped to its horns could handle healing and some minor buffing (we don't have any casters in our party). Plus, either of those classes offers armor proficiency, so if one of the other PCs pays for it, it could wear some shiny mithril barding and look extra awesome (and probably live longer).

Either you meant crusader with White raven or you are thinking on Warblade not crusader,

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

You can get it way sooner, provided your DM cooperates. Take Wild Cohort, there are no prerequisites so you can have it as early as 1st level.

Grab Exalted Companion (BoED), which allows you to get a Unicorn at 7th level (Level -6), you can take that as early as 2nd level. Technically a Wild Cohort is not an Animal Companion, but they're mechanically similar enough that a nice DM will let this work. Wild Cohort delays that to 10th level, though still at (Level -6), but not to worry.

Take Natural Bond (CV) which gives you (Level +3), available as soon as you get Wild Cohort. Since you can apply your own bonuses and penalties in the most favorable order, and due to the text vs table in the Druid's Animal Companion class feature description, that Unicorn will become 4th level (Level -3) with that feat figured in. Wild Cohort will still delay that to 7th level, but you get a Unicorn at 7th level! Plus it automatically gets all kinds of extra HD and other benefits.

[NineThePuma]

Fix'd

Courtesy of your local Kobolds. It's also awesome

[WarKitty]

Courtesy of your local Kobolds. It's also awesome

403 error.

[sciencepanda]

Sorry about that. Here is the image I had posted before:

Spoiler

Show

[grarrrg]

Seriously guys? Both of those pictures are of pegasi. The original poster wants Unicorns, the horse with the horn on its head? You know the ones.

Spoiler

Show

Whoops, wrong one...
Ah, here's an armored unicorn:

Spoiler

Show

Okay, maybe this is harder than it looks...

[NineThePuma]

Snrrrrrrrk.

Dire Rhino Mount.

[Tetrasodium]

so many fail pictures of unicorns :P

Armored Unicorn! (clearly post-fight)

Spoiler

Show

half warforged unicorn

Spoiler

Show

Baby Unicorn

Spoiler

Show

Unicorn saying "Really?..." with its eyes

Spoiler

Show

Genuine real life half unicorn!

Spoiler

Show

If D&D can manage half giants and half dragons, it can fit half unicorn kitties

Mecha unicorn

Spoiler

Show

My brain likes to think this is a halloween costume "manicorn"

Spoiler

Show

[Keld Denar]

Dude, you have 2 free levels? Grab 2 levels of Totemist. Have your Unicorn bind Unicorn Horn to her Totem Chakra.

Spoiler

Show

Yo dawg, I heard you like Unicorns, so we bound Unicorn Horns to your Unicorn so you can gore while you gore.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

More like...

Spoiler

Show

As for your character, I just realized a fatal flaw: You intend to go into Fiend of Possession. A Unicorn projects a Magic Circle against Evil, which affects a 10 ft. radius emanation from every side of its space ("Area: 10-ft.-radius emanation from touched creature"). This will automatically stop your character from possessing anything within that area, and since it's a Supernatural effect spell resistance won't even apply. In fact, since your character is extraplanar with the evil subtype, you wouldn't even be able to approach within ten feet of the Unicorn.

If you can get it to work despite that, the Unicorn should definitely take VoP as well. I'm pretty sure that if you go the Wild Cohort route its bonus HD from that wouldn't count against its ECL for Leadership, since they're granted by your own ability and added on top of anything else it already had. The bonus HD can be counted after Leadership considerations, as per adding bonuses and penalties in the most beneficial order. Therefore, it can be your Wild Cohort and your Leadership Cohort simultaneously, and get class levels in addition to its bonus HD. I would probably go with Crusader levels for it, though being CG it could take Warlock and Enlightened Spirit (CM). That would eventually grant it flight, along with a host of other useful abilities. Its Eldritch Blast could shoot out of its horn!

[ffone]

Half rounded down, eh? In other ways, if you want to play a LA +0 race, grab a random LA +1 template.

I remember a campaign like that - 'free LA up to +2', so naturally everyone hit it on the nose. Mineral warrior catfolk? Why not!

[Coidzor]

...Unicorns with unicorns for unicorns?

[mobdrazhar]

Half rounded down, eh? In other ways, if you want to play a LA +0 race, grab a random LA +1 template.

I remember a campaign like that - 'free LA up to +2', so naturally everyone hit it on the nose. Mineral warrior catfolk? Why not!

but half of 0 is still 0... not a negative decimal

[jiriku]

You can get it way sooner, provided your DM cooperates.

No spare feat slots. I have a full deck with Sacred Vow, VoP, Nymph's Kiss, Mindsight, Improved Succubus Powers (a homebrew feat that gives the 3.5 succy access to the SLAs of the 3.0 succy), and Exalted Succubus (another homebrew that replaces the evil-aligned SLAs and powers with equivalent good-aligned ones).

However...Wild Cohort+Exalted Cohort+Natural Bond could be a useful tactic at higher levels, where the Vow is giving me a lot of bonus feats that I don't really know what to do with. And if the unicorn takes crusader, the bonus HD from WC would give it quick access to higher-level maneuvers.

As for your character, I just realized a fatal flaw: You intend to go into Fiend of Possession. A Unicorn projects a Magic Circle against Evil.

It's not quite that bad. The field only stops summoned evil creatures, and won't eject me from anything I've possessed. It will, however, prevent me from exercising control. Bummer that. Hafta be careful.

In a way, this can be a useful tool, because if anyone is reluctant to bargain with me because I'm a succubus, I can suggest we do the negotiating next to the unicorn. Obviously I must be trustworthy if a unicorn follows me, and clearly the magic circle will prevent any attempt at manipulation, won't it? The poor saps will overlook the fact that I have an outrageous Bluff score and a mind shield.

If you can get it to work despite that, the Unicorn should definitely take VoP as well.

Nice. I hadn't thought of that.

Half rounded down, eh? In other ways, if you want to play a LA +0 race, grab a random LA +1 template.

I remember a campaign like that - 'free LA up to +2', so naturally everyone hit it on the nose. Mineral warrior catfolk? Why not!

Exactly. But this isn't going to be a very competitive game, so people are mostly just playing whatever character idea interests them most. I've had this succubus idea rattling around in my head for almost a year, although the inspiration for the unicorn cohort is new.

Dude, you have 2 free levels? Grab 2 levels of Totemist. Have your Unicorn bind Unicorn Horn to her Totem Chakra.

My incarnum-fu is non-existent. How well will totemist contribute on a creature that's got 4 monster hit dice, a +2 LA, and is two levels behind the PCs in the group? Is totemist compatible with VoP if the unicorn takes VoP?

[Keld Denar]

I was mostly joking, simply because binding Unicorn Horn to your Totem Chakra gives you a gore attack, which is technically redundant with the unicorn's existing gore attack. I just wanted to make a "Yo Dawg" joke.

In further review, however, Incarnate levels wouldn't be bad. Meldshaping actually blends with VoP remarkably well. Normally your chakra binds are fighting with your magic items for control of your body slots. With VoP, you have no items, so ALL of your body slots are free for chakra binding. If your horsy took Airstep Sandles bound to her "Feet" Chakra, she'd gain a perfect fly speed of up to 30', 40' with Improved Soulmeld Capacity, or when her total HD exceed 12. Unfortunately, her Feet Chakra is open until Incantate 4, and she'll only have 2 levels. Melding it would still allow her to fly, but she'd have to end each move on solid ground, making it only really viable for avoiding rough terrain. Hmmmm, what are some good Crown binds? That is the only bind she'd have open. I see Enigma Helm for protection from all Divinations (including True Seeing, I'd guess), and Soulspark Familiar for a neato little friend to hang out with her and keep her company. They are pretty crappy combatants, but neat if you want someone for your horsey friend to talk to when you are out doing "human" things. Lots of soulmelds do cool things when not bound though, like Fellmist Robes, which would give her like, 20% miss chance vs ranged attacks with 2 essentia invested. Thats not half bad, IMO.

[Project_Mayhem]

Aquatic unicorn :D

Spoiler

Show

Image failed. It was a narwhale.

Naaarrrrrwhhale

Nnnnnnnnnaaaarrrrrrrwwwwhhhhhhaaaalllleee

[NineThePuma]

Tripod'd.

I like succubi ideas. This one is utterly hilarious.

... You wouldn't happen to remember where that homebrew was from, would you?

[Lysander]

How about giving it magical horseshoes? Horseshoes of Speed will improve it's move speed by 30, or Horseshoes of the Zephyr will allow it to run over water and travel without leaving tracks.

Technically a unicorn isn't an animal or a horse, it's a magical beast and by RAW can't necessarily use these, but it's horse-like enough I'd hope your DM won't get strict on you.

[jiriku]

Tripod'd.

I like succubi ideas. This one is utterly hilarious.

... You wouldn't happen to remember where that homebrew was from, would you?

Which homebrew? If you mean the 9-level succubus monster class or the Improved Succubus Powers and Exalted Succubus feats, I wrote them. I can post them here if you'd like to have a look.



---------------------------------------------------------------------
So, If I start at ECL10 with an ECL8 unicorn, after halving the LA the unicorn will have 4 magical beast hit dice, a +2 LA, and 2 levels of crusader. It will have IL 4, so it can choose 2nd-level maneuvers right off the bat.

By ECL12 I'll have two feat slots open up, and I can take Wild Cohort + Exalted Companion, but will that actually help? I'll have only 9 HD at that point, and if Wild Cohort gives me a companion as a druid of level -3, and Exalted Companion advances the unicorn as if I'm a druid of level -6, that means my effective druid level is actually 0, and the unicorn receives no benefit. If that's correct, I'd be better off deferring these feats until I'm much higher level, say, ECL 18 when I'll also get two feats, and would advance the unicorn companion with an effective druid level of 6. Am I right?