A Leaders Mount [Archive] - Wizards Community

A Leaders Mount [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Talinna
07-02-05, 03:22 PM Please when you read this don't tell me that I should go strait Paladin, the character is already a 3rd lvl Cleric and must retain that to keep some other niffty items/abilites (plus it gives me my back story and there is already attachment to the character)

Ok, now for the story and question.....
Spot is going to be a 10 level cleric 10 level fighter specalizing in leadership and mounted combat in an upcoming epic campagin. He will have the dragon cohert feat allowing him to have a dragon around (I'm thinking to ride into battle on?). Now I'll be honest, I haven't really looked into the mechanics of using a dragon for a mount under the cohert&leadership feats but this character will have both and I know it would either have to be a dragon of less than young adult or have polly to be able to travel with me most places. Spot as I forgot to mention is half-dragon himself (brass, making him CN) for personality reasons I'm looking at either having a brass or bronze cohert...

Once I figure out if all of that will work I need to come up with a story as to how and why my dragon friend is with me and would even consider letting me a half-breed ride on his back. Now I know that metalic dragons aren't as vein as cromatic but they still have a high level of pride which is making it hard for me to find a good starting point and theory behind why this dragon is traveling as my cohert and not the other way around. Aastrainan is Spot's deity and the epic mission is to keep the lord of the undeed from reaching actual devine power.... being a cleric I can find good reasons for wanting to do this mission, but again I need reason for a dragon to be willing to come along on this mission.

and yes I'd sort of planned for this character to take over as leader of the party as the rest of the group tends to play less dominate characters.

Does anybody have suggestions as how to bring in this mount or maybe as to something else that a half-dragon could use for a good mount?
The_Yellow_Dart_Swinger
07-02-05, 04:13 PM Well, if your starting at level 20, you might have a problem being able to ride a dragon. Since you will be medium size and a dragon only has to be large to be able to ride it. Bronze large size at juvenile and Brass reach at young adult. So a Juvenile brass dragon would be within the leadership parameter with an ECL of 17, but it isn't large enough to ride.

But when you go up another age catagory, it doesn't list any level adjustment, just HD. Which seems weird to me since by the way they have it listed a young adult brass dragon would have a lower ECL than a juvenile brass dragon.

With the leadership feat I think dragons only serve someone who is close to alignment. Bronze are lawful good, so that is a no go. A very young gold dragon is large size and is only an ECL of I think 16 or so, but again is lawful good. A Brass can work alignment wise since they are CG, but may not be big enough to ride. Coppers are CG, but again it comes to the fact that the level adjustment is not listed for any size above young and they happen to be large at young adult.

My suggestion is talk to your DM.

Or you can use an alternate mount. Since your only medium size most mounts are open to you. I would take your local monster manual out for a spin and see what else it has to offer in the way of mounts. Also remember that you may be able to increase a creatures hit dice to give it the appropriate power that it should be.
Talinna
07-09-05, 03:59 PM Looked at the mechanics a little this last week (very little time to do so)
and with the dragon cohert feat I can have a dragon with an ECL 20 (because it is considered droped 3 to make it 17 with the feat)

Which if I did the math right (using the dragons as players section in the Drac.) I should be able to travel with a young adult bronze dragon.... making the dragon ride able, which is a plus, and it would also leave the dragon able to be a paladin which would help with the story line aspect a bit.

Now that just leaves me with the question of what feat would make a Cleric worthy (in a bronze dragons eyes that is a paladin) to ride on the dragon's back into battle (I figure the dragon will have to be in a human form most of the time).

I'm thinking about the dragon being sent on this mission with me as a sort of lesson to learn how to 'stop and think' before acting against a foe. Since dragons mature at a slower rate than most races/species it would be like having a 14 or 15 year old along (lots of work and training to do) and as my character is supposed to be going for the "big leader" type of roll I would thus be charged with keeping this young dragon from getting itself and the party into too much trouble while in route to achiving our goals.

Does any of this sound good? Any suggestions?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Talinna 07-02-05, 03:22 PM	Please when you read this don't tell me that I should go strait Paladin, the character is already a 3rd lvl Cleric and must retain that to keep some other niffty items/abilites (plus it gives me my back story and there is already attachment to the character) Ok, now for the story and question..... Spot is going to be a 10 level cleric 10 level fighter specalizing in leadership and mounted combat in an upcoming epic campagin. He will have the dragon cohert feat allowing him to have a dragon around (I'm thinking to ride into battle on?). Now I'll be honest, I haven't really looked into the mechanics of using a dragon for a mount under the cohert&leadership feats but this character will have both and I know it would either have to be a dragon of less than young adult or have polly to be able to travel with me most places. Spot as I forgot to mention is half-dragon himself (brass, making him CN) for personality reasons I'm looking at either having a brass or bronze cohert... Once I figure out if all of that will work I need to come up with a story as to how and why my dragon friend is with me and would even consider letting me a half-breed ride on his back. Now I know that metalic dragons aren't as vein as cromatic but they still have a high level of pride which is making it hard for me to find a good starting point and theory behind why this dragon is traveling as my cohert and not the other way around. Aastrainan is Spot's deity and the epic mission is to keep the lord of the undeed from reaching actual devine power.... being a cleric I can find good reasons for wanting to do this mission, but again I need reason for a dragon to be willing to come along on this mission. and yes I'd sort of planned for this character to take over as leader of the party as the rest of the group tends to play less dominate characters. Does anybody have suggestions as how to bring in this mount or maybe as to something else that a half-dragon could use for a good mount?
The_Yellow_Dart_Swinger 07-02-05, 04:13 PM	Well, if your starting at level 20, you might have a problem being able to ride a dragon. Since you will be medium size and a dragon only has to be large to be able to ride it. Bronze large size at juvenile and Brass reach at young adult. So a Juvenile brass dragon would be within the leadership parameter with an ECL of 17, but it isn't large enough to ride. But when you go up another age catagory, it doesn't list any level adjustment, just HD. Which seems weird to me since by the way they have it listed a young adult brass dragon would have a lower ECL than a juvenile brass dragon. With the leadership feat I think dragons only serve someone who is close to alignment. Bronze are lawful good, so that is a no go. A very young gold dragon is large size and is only an ECL of I think 16 or so, but again is lawful good. A Brass can work alignment wise since they are CG, but may not be big enough to ride. Coppers are CG, but again it comes to the fact that the level adjustment is not listed for any size above young and they happen to be large at young adult. My suggestion is talk to your DM. Or you can use an alternate mount. Since your only medium size most mounts are open to you. I would take your local monster manual out for a spin and see what else it has to offer in the way of mounts. Also remember that you may be able to increase a creatures hit dice to give it the appropriate power that it should be.
Talinna 07-09-05, 03:59 PM	Looked at the mechanics a little this last week (very little time to do so) and with the dragon cohert feat I can have a dragon with an ECL 20 (because it is considered droped 3 to make it 17 with the feat) Which if I did the math right (using the dragons as players section in the Drac.) I should be able to travel with a young adult bronze dragon.... making the dragon ride able, which is a plus, and it would also leave the dragon able to be a paladin which would help with the story line aspect a bit. Now that just leaves me with the question of what feat would make a Cleric worthy (in a bronze dragons eyes that is a paladin) to ride on the dragon's back into battle (I figure the dragon will have to be in a human form most of the time). I'm thinking about the dragon being sent on this mission with me as a sort of lesson to learn how to 'stop and think' before acting against a foe. Since dragons mature at a slower rate than most races/species it would be like having a 14 or 15 year old along (lots of work and training to do) and as my character is supposed to be going for the "big leader" type of roll I would thus be charged with keeping this young dragon from getting itself and the party into too much trouble while in route to achiving our goals. Does any of this sound good? Any suggestions?