Post/Author/DateTime	Post
WarriorElf240 07-24-05, 12:44 PM	Now, pardon my idiocy, and bear in mind that I haven't been able to get my hands on a Monster Manual - so I'm relying on you good people of the world to help me. Call me sad, but even after three long years of pouring over my PHB and DMG, I still haven't got into a regular group. At our summer house, sometimes a few neighbors and I will get a game going, but I never really get to develope my character all that much. However, a few home friends and I are about to start a group - so thats no longer my issue. My question is this: Can a druid have a heavy warhorse, unicorn, pegasi, or any other type of animal companion/mount like that? The PHB only offers light horse or pony in terms of equine companions. Then in the DMG, it offers unicorn, celestial warhorse, pegasus to Paladin's, but I would rather have a druid than a paladin for this particular character, and darn it, I would like to know if she could have something other than a light horse as an equine animal companion. If you could help me out here, I'd appreciate it. Thank you :D
MT-296 "Dagger" 07-24-05, 12:58 PM	I don't see why not. If you can have a Dire Bear. Why not a War Horse?
Archangel_James 07-24-05, 01:03 PM	Unicorns and Pegasi aren't animals at all. They're magical beasts. I was able to convince a DM once to let me play a druid with a pegasus, and it was a lot of fun, but game fell appart shortly after. (Not due to the pegasus, but to the DM also allowing a half-ogre/half-dragon in a level 1 campaign. We took over the town, and ransacked the "Magic Item Shop." Then the other players took over the world with an army of kobolds and I flew away on my pegasus to a new land, free of unwatchful DMs.) A pegasus does make a good companion, but it's not an animal. Also, unicorns traditionally only trust virgin women. I'm not sure if that's the kind of thing you want to roleplay.
WarriorElf240 07-24-05, 01:28 PM	Yes, my charrie is an elven druid (the books state that unicorns and pegasi usually trust elven women, and sure, she can be an innocent little elfy xD) - so, can my charrie have a magical/animal companion?
Colmarr 07-24-05, 10:14 PM	As for the warhorse, I myself have wondered over that in the past. The best answer I have come up with is that the druid animal companions are wild animals that the druid has befriended, and there's no such thing as a wild warhorse. As a DM, I (house rule and) allow a druid's horse companion to be upgraded to a warhorse if it is taught the Combat Riding purpose per the Handle Animal rules. Neither unicorns nor pegasi are available per the standard rules as druid animal companions. Druid companions are always of the Animal type, which is why they aren't available - both are magical beasts. However, both are available as cohorts if the DM approves (and the PC takes) the Leadership feat. Unicorns have an LA of +4, so are 8th level cohorts. Pegasi have an LA of +2 and are therefore 6th level cohorts.
20goingon1232 07-25-05, 11:04 PM	Yes, my charrie is an elven druid (the books state that unicorns and pegasi usually trust elven women, and sure, she can be an innocent little elfy xD) - so, can my charrie have a magical/animal companion? Not as an animal companion. As a cohort, that would be fine. Please note that the Druid's ANIMAL companion still has as a base creature an animal. You cannot use non-animals of any descripton here, not magical beasts, not abberations, not outsiders. Just animals. So, the horses are fine. The pegasus and the unicorn is not. There are rumours of a feat that allows you to use magical beasts as animal companions, though. And I am not sure if it has been errata'd but has anyone looked at the Spider Eater in the MM? 4HD magical beast with NO LEVEL ADJUSTMENT. It flies better than any magical beast of that size (large) has any right to be (good maneuverability), has a continuous magical effect (freedom of movement), is stronger than any other flying creature of its size (21 Str) and has 2 relatively damaging attacks. Best of all, it is described in the MM as being trainable as per pegasus, griffons, hippogrifs, etc. That is so a cohort for any of my characters that takes Leadership as a feat (as my DMs are leery of allowing normal humanoid cohorts, but mount cohorts are fine).
Red_Ninja 07-27-05, 10:01 AM	as far as... As for the warhorse, I myself have wondered over that in the past. The best answer I have come up with is that the druid animal companions are wild animals that the druid has befriended, and there's no such thing as a wild warhorse. ...don't call it a war horse, call it a "wild stallion" and give it the stats of a war horse... as far as unicorns, pegasia, griffons, etc...since these are "wild" they are suitable, but as more powerful and (at least somewhat) intelligent- the magical beasts are a DM call, as long as you don't abuse them, or the priveledge of having them... they should be fine and good for roleplaying...