What level should this be? (3.5)

[Dann]

I'm playing a gish in a campaign and he is focused on mounted combat. Unfortunately, I've run into the problem that mounts don't really scale very well and my horses keep dying. The DM is open to home-brew a spell to make my own scaling warhorse, and I wanted to see what level people think this spell should be. Obviously I took the Phantom Steed as its starting point. Please note the ability called share spells is not the same as an animal companion/familiar.

Phantom Warhorse
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: ?
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: One quasi-real, horselike creature
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell conjures up a heavy warhorse that will faithfully serve the caster or single target he designates at the time of casting. The warhorse becomes more powerful as the caster grows in strength, gaining 1 HD and 1 NA per 2 CL and abilities as shown below:

Caster Level
1 - Share spells: A caster may cast spells that have a range of personal on his warhorse. The warhorse does not gain spells that affect the caster, but must be targeted individually.

5 - + 10' mv (untyped)

9 - Evasion

13 - Once per day, the caster may dismiss and then resummon his warhorse (each takes a standard action). The duration continues to expire even while the warhorse is dismissed.

[Zelkon]

I'm playing a gish in a campaign and he is focused on mounted combat. Unfortunately, I've run into the problem that mounts don't really scale very well and my horses keep dying. The DM is open to home-brew a spell to make my own scaling warhorse, and I wanted to see what level people think this spell should be. Obviously I took the Phantom Steed as its starting point. Please note the ability called share spells is not the same as an animal companion/familiar.

Phantom Warhorse
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: ?
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: One quasi-real, horselike creature
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell conjures up a heavy warhorse that will faithfully serve the caster or single target he designates at the time of casting. The warhorse becomes more powerful as the caster grows in strength, gaining 1 HD and 1 NA per 2 CL and abilities as shown below:

Caster Level
1 - Share spells: A caster may cast spells that have a range of personal on his warhorse. The warhorse does not gain spells that affect the caster, but must be targeted individually.

5 - + 10' mv (untyped)

9 - Evasion

13 - Once per day, the caster may dismiss and then resummon his warhorse (each takes a standard action). The duration continues to expire even while the warhorse is dismissed.

3rd at most, probably 2nd.

[Xaotiq1]

Yeah, 3rd level looks good.

Does your character not have the Summon Monster tree on their spell list? If not, find a way to do that. No need to brew anything new, and the third level version gets you a flying mount! Whee!

Also, have you talked about either the Wild Cohort feat or a way to get an animal companion instead of a familiar??

[Dann]

I did look at Wild Cohort, and it was the best of all the options I looked at, but it didn't quite do what I wanted. As far as summon monster, yes he has wizard casting and could use it, but who wants to use a full round action summoning a mount, and then another action climbing on it at the beginning of every combat?

Thanks for the feedback, I was aiming for 3rd so apparently I did OK.

[Xaotiq1]

Oh, also, what about trading in the ability to summon a familiar for an animal companion??