On Alternative Mounts for the Find Steed Spell Posted by Stelio
20
APR 2015
Spell He went overloading on testing and coding and his name was ( Stelio Stelio))
The spell description for find steed gives a sample list of creatures that can be summoned (warhorse, pony, camel, elk, mastiff) and states that a DM may offer additional choices. This article offers guidelines for allowing mounts to your players, along with a list of specific creatures from published rules that could be a good fit.
Find steed is
a 2nd-level spell that is only available to paladins (from 5th level upwards, when they gain access to 2nd-level spells). There are no feats that allow a character from another class to pick up a 2nd-level spell from the paladin list (Magic Initiate gives two cantrips and one 1st-level spell only). For specificity, the first part of the spell description is: Player's Handbook Handbook page 240 wrote: You summon a spirit that assumes the form of an unusually intellige nt, strong, and loyal steed, creating a long-lasting bond with it. Appearing in an unoccupied space spac e within range, the steed takes on a form that you choose, such as a warhorse, a pony, a camel, an elk, or a mastiff. (Your DM might allow other animals to be summoned as steeds.) The steed has the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of its normal type. Additionally, if your steed has an Intelligence of 5 or less, its Intelligence becomes 6, and it gains the ability to understand one language of your choice that you speak.
Here's a quick summary of some key characteristics of those creatures: Creature Camel Elk Mastiff Pony Warhorse
CR Size Type AL Speed STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA MM 1/8 Large Beast U 50 16 8 14 2 8 5 320 1/4 Large Beast U 50 16 10 12 2 10 6 322 1/8 Medium Beast U 40 13 14 12 3 12 7 332 1/8 Medium Beast U 40 15 10 13 2 11 7 335 1/2 Large Beast U 60 18 12 13 2 12 7 340
Basic 14 18 35 41 48 MM = page reference in the Monster Manual; Manual; Basic = page reference in the DM's Basic Rules We also know that: Player's Handbook (D&D 5e) 5e) p198 / Player's Basic Rules Rules p76 wrote: A willing creature that is at least one size larger than you and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount...
Two features to take note of then and use as guidelines: guidelines: The mount must be at least one size category larger than the rider. The spell can summon a creature with a maximum CR of 1/2 (a reasonable limit for game balance).
Large Creatures
Suitable as mounts for Medium characters (most playable races).
Creature Axe Beak Camel Draft Horse Elk Giant Bat Giant Goat Giant Lizard
CR 1/4 1/8 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4
Size Large Large Large Large Large Large Large
Type Beast Beast Beast Beast Beast Beast Beast
AL Speed STR DEX CON INT U 50 14 12 12 2 U 50 16 8 14 2 U 40 18 10 12 2 U 50 16 10 12 2 U 10 (fly 60) 15 16 11 2 U 40 17 11 12 3 U 30 (climb 30) 15 12 13 2
Giant Sea Horse Riding Horse Warhorse Warhorse Skeleton Worg
1/2 1/4 1/2 1/2 1/2
Large Beast U Large Beast U Large Beast U Large Undead LE Large Monstrosity NE
0 (swim 40) 60 60 60 50
12 16 18 18 16
15 10 12 12 13
11 12 13 15 13
2 2 2 2 7
WIS CHA MM Basic 10 5 317 11 8 5 320 14 11 7 321 17 10 6 322 18 12 6 323 23 12 6 326 25 10 5 326 26 12 5 328 27 11 7 336 42 12 7 340 48 8 5 273 11 8 341 51 The axe beak is used as a mount in other game editions. It is best suited to grasslands. Camels are ideal in deserts such as Ylaruam, the Sind Desert, and Nithia. The elk is a great thematic fit with the Oath of the Ancients. Giant bats are used by mounts by various races in Mystara (for example, see: VPA #32in Dragon 185). Also a good creature stat block to use for skinwings (since the pteranodon is a Medium creature). "A giant lizard can be ridden or used as a draft animal. Lizardfolk also keep them as pets, and subterranean giant lizards are used as mounts and pack animals by drow, duergar, and other Underdark dwellers." -MM Of the giant sea horse, the MM says, "Aquatic elves train them as mounts." The warhorse skeleton is a particularly thematic choice for an oathbreaker paladin. Worgs of course are common mounts for humanoids. Other creatures: Constrictor snakes and crocodiles aren't reasonable to mount. A giant owl is mainly feathery fluff: difficult to saddle, and it would ruin its aerodynamic capabilities.
Medium Creatures
Suitable as mounts for Small characters (such as gnomes and halflings). Creature Ambush Drake Blink Dog Boar Deer Giant Badger Giant Crab Giant Wasp Giant Weasel Giant Wolf Spider Goat Hyena Mastiff Mule Panther Pony Pteranodon Reef Shark Rust Monster Vulture Wolf
CR 1/2 1/4 1/4 0 1/4 1/8 1/2 1/8 1/4 0 0 1/8 1/8 1/4 1/8 1/4 1/2 1/2 0 1/4
Size Type AL Speed STR DEX CON Medium Dragon U 30 13 15 14 Medium Fey LG 40 12 17 12 Medium Beast U 40 13 11 12 Medium Beast U 50 11 16 11 Medium Beast U 30 (burrow 10) 13 10 15 Medium Beast U 30 (swim 30) 13 15 11 Medium Beast U 10 (fly 50) 10 14 10 Medium Beast U 40 11 16 10 Medium Beast U 40 (climb 40) 12 16 13 Medium Beast U 40 12 10 11 Medium Beast U 50 11 13 12 Medium Beast U 40 13 14 12 Medium Beast U 40 14 10 13 Medium Beast U 50 (climb 40) 14 15 10 Medium Beast U 40 15 10 13 Medium Beast U 10 (fly 60) 12 15 10 Medium Beast U 0 (swim 40) 14 13 13 Medium Monstrosity U 40 13 12 13 Medium Beast U 10 (fly 50) 7 10 13 Medium Beast U 40 12 15 12
INT WIS CHA MM Basic 4 11 6 10 13 11 318 12 2 9 5 319 13 2 14 5 321 16 2 12 5 323 23 1 9 3 324 24 1 10 3 329 29 4 12 5 329 29 3 12 4 330 29 2 10 5 330 30
2 3 2 3 2 2 1 2 2 3
12 12 10 14 11 9 10 13 12 12
5 7 5 7 7 5 4 6 4 6
331 332 333 333 335 80 336 262 339 341
33 35 37 39 41 41 42 48 50
The ambush drake appears as a creature in Hoard of the Dragon Queen set in theForgotten Realms; you can find the stat block in the free PDF DDEN1. This is a landbased draconic creature that would make an interesting mount option. Blink dogs are fae creatures and so would make good mounts for woodland creatures, tying in with the Oath of the Ancients. Their ability to teleport makes then a novel choice. Boar and deer are also thematic for the Oath of the Ancients. Note that the a giant badger could not realistically burrow with a rider on its back. Giant crabs are a great choice for a character from the coast, an island, or from under the sea. Giant weasels are used by some humanoids (for example, see B10) and could act as mounts. A pteranodon can be used for a small skinwing. Note the use of (Large) giant bats above as alternatives to represent full-sized skinwings. A rust monster would be an amazing mount against a conventionally armed foe! And they're a reasonable choice too; the MM says, "If they are well treated and well fed, they can also become friendly companions or pets." A wolf is a particularly apt mount for a goblin paladin. Other creatures: I don't see apes or black bears making reasonable mounts. Similarly, it would be improbable to saddle up a giant frog or giant poisonous snake.
Small Creatures
Suitable as mounts for Tiny characters (if you are using house rules for pixie or sprite player characters, for example). Creature Blood Hawk Eagle Giant Centipede Giant Fire Beetle Giant Rat Jackal CHA 5 7 3 3 4 6
CR 1/8 0 1/4 0 1/8 0
Size Small Small Small Small Small Small
Type AL Speed STR DEX CON INT WIS Beast U 10 (fly 60) 6 14 10 3 14 Beast U 10 (fly 60) 6 15 10 2 14 Beast U 30 (climb 30) 5 14 12 1 7 Beast U 30 8 10 12 1 7 Beast U 30 7 15 11 2 10 Beast U 40 8 15 11 3 12
MM Basic 319 13 322 17 323 23 325 25 327 27 331 33
Other creatures: it wouldn't be practical to mount a baboon or an octopus.
Mounts for Large Characters
It turns out that there are no Huge or Gargantuan creatures with a CR of 0.5 or less. It's not until you get to a CR of 2 that larger mounts become available. Here are the lowest-CR examples: Huge: Giant Elk (CR 2), Ankylosaurus (CR 3), Killer Whale (CR 3), Elephant (CR 4)... Gargantuan: Roc (CR 11), Purple Worm (CR 15), Dragon Turtle (CR 17), Ancient Brass/White Dragon (CR 20)... So any Large race that you make available as a player character option (such as an ogre or troll; both options in GAZ10) cannot practically use the find steed spell if they are paladins.
Mounts with a Higher CR
Other notable traditional fantasy mounts that are beyond the CR limit include: Medium: Dragon Wyrmlings (CR 1+) Large: Dire Wolf (CR 1), Giant Eagle (CR 1), Giant Spider (CR 1), Hippogriff (CR 1),
Griffon (CR 2), Hunter Shark (CR 2), Pegasus (CR 2), Polar Bear (CR 2), Saber-Toothed Tiger (CR 2), Nightmare (CR 3), Winter Wolf (CR 3), Unicorn (CR 5), Wyvern (CR 6), Young Dragons (CR 6+) Huge: Triceratops (CR 5), Mammoth (CR 6), Adult Dragons (CR 13+)
