Knight build & mount options

[bigbaddragon]

Hi all,
I decided to play a knight and I'm tempted to try out mounted combat but being completely new to mounted combat thing I need a few (or more ... probably more) hints from you.

Q1: Can you recommend me some good mounts and the ways to obtain them (preferably something that a sane DM would allow say from levels 6 through 10)?

Q2: Can you recommend me some ways to max my mounted charge damage output (I plan on using knight's ability to make a lot of people attack only me and then run around the battlefield charging every round)?

Q3: In PHB1 there are pictures of heavy lance and light lance but there is only one description and it mentions only lance (not light or heavy). So is there any difference at all?

Q4: Is there some exotic equipment that would be particulary useful for mounted combatants and/or their mounts?

Q5: Any other nonDropMountedCombat suggestion you can think of?

Campaign setting is Eberron and almost all of the books are allowed except ToB.

Char's race is human, and stats are: str 16, dex 12, con 14, int 13, wis 8, cha 16. Int is 13 because I'm also shooting at tripping build with reach weapon (this is for moments I cannot use mount or when the fight is indoors). I'll be able to pull this off because due to Dm's generosity we get some bonus feats.
I'm also thinking about taking one level of marshal to improve my trip and PrCing into Soldier of Light (Deities & Demigods) for two levels in order to get turn undead (and thus qualify for divine feats) and divine grace.

I would also ask you to name your sources for anything you suggest and, by doing so, make my life easier.

Thanks in advance B-).

[cupkeyk]

1. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a

Get a wild cohort. I assume that you will be small so get a dire hawk from Races of the Wild. The feat will progress your mount so it can get improved flight(MM) and air heritage(Planar Handbook).

2. Shock trooper works on a mounted charge. Power Attack on a mounted lance is your bab six times. Yummy.

3. None, it's a remnant of the old 3.0 system when there is no distinction for small and medium sized weapons.

4. None that I ca think of from the top of my head... exotic military saddle?

5. Don't be human since you can't atke a large mount into most dungeons: Strongheart halfling (PGtF) FTW. Or look up Dragon 317, for the grunwaar small fey -2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Wis, +2 Cha, Darkvision, +2 hide, move silently, sleight of hand, +1d3 claw atacks, disguise self 1/day LA +0. augments your Knights challenge with a cha boost, you lose some wis but your will saves are your best saves anyway. But then since you are prolly short on feats, strongheart halflings are still the best. Get knockdown from Deities and Demigods (or Faiths and pantheons, I don't recall specifically) so you can trip whenever you hit an opponent for more than 15 damage (which is all the time)

Don't PRC since knight's challenge DC is based on your knight levels.

[....]

Find a way to shrink your mount?

[bigbaddragon]

Thanks cupkeyk, that was really useful. The only problem is that I'll have to stick with human because of the reasons I'm too lazy to explain. I found magebred template in Eberron books which looks nice as an addition to wild cohort.

And don't worry about PrCing, it will only be for two levels assuming I go for PrC at all.

[cupkeyk]

Then a dire bat is your better bet. Or instead of Wild Cohort, take a druid of a Lawful Neutral alignment as a cohort with Leadership at level 9, managing with a horse at lower levels. The Druid can turn into a horse, a dire bat or Dire badger(burrow), or a Medium Shark(swim) for all possible movement types. You are just at the risk of gettinga cohort that is more powerful than you. So you may want to look for the Wild shaping variant Ranger, who will not steal the show from you.

[bigbaddragon]

I did some searching through MM and I'm thinking about pegasus or griffon but I lean towards pegasus because of his ability to understand common and detect evil at will.

Can anyone think of a way to improve him further (a template maybe, or equipment?). Also if you have a better proposal for a mount (preferably flying and non-dragon) feel free to make a suggestion.

[The White Knight]

Actually, a Griffon can understand Common as well. Any creature with 3+ intelligence (whereas the Griffon has 5) can understand one language, assumed to be Common unless noted otherwise. In fact, upon further inspection, the Griffon entry even explicitly mentions the understanding of Common.

Here it comes down to a choice between Pounce and Detect Evil, essentially. At lower levels, swooping into melee on your Griffon, tearing into your opponent with a lance while your Griffon pounces can output a rather effective amount of damage (bearing in mind that a diving mount deals double normal damage on an attack, and I'm pretty sure Pounce can work in conjunction with this).

[Kizara]

You say "core only" yet you are using a phb2 class?

Perhaps you should define what 'core' means to you.

Also, look at Cavalier in the complete warrior, all your charging needs. Also, Leap Attack in the Cadventurer.

[Neon Knight]

Multi classing means his Knight's Challenge save DCs aren't improving.

Plus, he could only take it at level 9 and 10. (He said he wanted a build for levels 6-10.)

[bigbaddragon]

You say "core only" yet you are using a phb2 class?

I believe you misread something in my firs post because I said that almost all the books are allowed except Tome of Battle. I even mentioned that I'm considering taking one level of Marshal (Miniatures Handbook) and PrCing into Soldier of Light (Deities & Demigods).

Also, look at Cavalier in the complete warrior, all your charging needs. Also, Leap Attack in the Cadventurer.

I've considered that already but I probably won't take it because I want to cut down PrCing and multiclassing to minimum (reason for two level dip in Soldier of Light is to get divine grace and to qualify for divine feats) but thanks anyway.


The White Knight: What would you take in my place? Griffon is clearly stronger and more durable combatant but pegasus is much faster and both of them would look good with Warbeast template from MM2 (+3 str, +3 con, +2 wis, +1HD, +10 ft speed)

[The White Knight]

They both have their advantages, I suppose. I usually find an 80ft. fly speed to be about as much as I need, though. Additionally, I simply find Griffons to be a huckuva lot cooler than Pegasi. Lion/eagles? How much more bad-ass does it get?

Seriously though, it's up to you. If you want a beastlier mount who can not only assist you in damage output but also soak up a few more hits, take the Griffon. If you want mobility, take the Pegasus. My preference is for the former.

[bigbaddragon]

Well, thanks to you I'm leaning towards griffon now. With warbeast I can get him 90 ft fly speed which should be enough I suppose.

The thing is I want to utilize a trick Person_Man taught me a while ago: use Test of Mettle to draw attention to myself and then charge-hit as hard as you can-get away as far as possible without ending Test of Mettle effect (it has a range of 100 ft) and thus make people chase you around the battlefield.

(Speaking of Person_Man, considering that he is one of the rare people here that like mounted combat, I'm surprised he didn't show up on this thread yet. I was kinda hoping for advice from him.)

One more question: I could bet on my life there was exotic shield that allowed you to apply its shield bonus to your mount's AC too. Does anyone knows which book is this in?

[ClericofPhwarrr]

The Wild Cohort is more for a normal animal (it has specific ones to choose from, and warhorse isn't even one of them! I extended the list to heavy warhorse for my Knight player, though, it's perfectly reasonable.) than a magical beast like a griffon. That said, Leadership should give you a griffon if your DM rules that Wild Cohort won't.

Here's hoping that Person_Man is able to help; his advice has always proven useful to me.

[bigbaddragon]

That said, Leadership should give you a griffon if your DM rules that Wild Cohort won't.

I guess I'll have to bribe my DM somehow or ask him to homebrew something for me (like that damned horse abomination that killed my char in Mournlands)

[Kizara]

I believe you misread something in my firs post because I said that almost all the books are allowed except Tome of Battle. I even mentioned that I'm considering taking one level of Marshal (Miniatures Handbook) and PrCing into Soldier of Light (Deities & Demigods).



I've considered that already but I probably won't take it because I want to cut down PrCing and multiclassing to minimum (reason for two level dip in Soldier of Light is to get divine grace and to qualify for divine feats) but thanks anyway.

Confusing threads FTL.

[ForzaFiori]

One more question: I could bet on my life there was exotic shield that allowed you to apply its shield bonus to your mount's AC too. Does anyone knows which book is this in?

Rider's Shield-75gp, +2 AC -2 Armor check, 15% spell fail, 15 pounds.
This high-quality exotic heavy wooden shield is longer and heavier than other shields. If you have the Exotic Shield Proficiency (rider's shield) feat and use a rider's shield, you and your mount gain the benefits of the shields AC bonus

Races of Stone pg 158

[cupkeyk]

Isn't there a feat like Devoted Knight or something that lets you stack paladin levels and knight levels for a mount and knight's challenge progression?

Would it be totally be broken to home brew one?

[Fax Celestis]

Rider's Shield-75gp, +2 AC -2 Armor check, 15% spell fail, 15 pounds.
This high-quality exotic heavy wooden shield is longer and heavier than other shields. If you have the Exotic Shield Proficiency (rider's shield) feat and use a rider's shield, you and your mount gain the benefits of the shields AC bonus

Races of Stone pg 158

Forget the Rider's Shield. Get your hands on Quickspur's Ally from Weapons of Legacy.

[bigbaddragon]

Forget the Rider's Shield. Get your hands on Quickspur's Ally from Weapons of Legacy.

The thing is that I planned to take a few divine feats and one of them would be Divine Shield from CW that adds my charisma bonus to shield bonus.
Since I don't have WoL could you tell me what is this item you mentioned and what are its properties?