D&D 5E Bear Riders, Griffon Cavalry, etc.

[Tony Vargas]

The question is: how? How to do it in a reasonably balanced way?

There are a number of possibilities:

• The creature could just provide enhanced movement, at the price of taking up more space. It never attacks or gets hit, is perfectly loyal, it's upkeep is hand-waved, is only affected by stuff to the exact extent the PC's ability to move is, etc.
  Not satisfying, mechanically, but the DM could always narrate more, and it works for 'nothing special' (in context) mounts, like horses in most campaigns, but it could be extended to more fantastic mounts, where their use is very common, or integral to the DM's story for a time.
• It's an NPC. Like having an NPC ally along, the DM controls it, /generally/ using its actions like a good mount (moving where the PC directs &c). Generally.
• It's a 'reward,' like a horse is regular gear, your Griffon or whatever is similar, but superior, making you 'just better' than the next guy with a horse in the same way as a magic item. Works for the old-school handling of flying mounts, for instance (they were a clear advantage, but they were difficult to acquire, maintain, and manage).
• It's a 'reward,' with 'buy-in,' the way magic items take up a slot or using a weapon well requires a proficiency, you have to invest something - like a feat or other build choice - to avail yourself of a special mount. By default, for instance, everyone could use horses, but it might take special training to use a warhorse - that's the feat. If you find a better mount, cool, you can use that. Or you might have the right to a special mount: If you're a 'Dragon Rider' (campaign specific background), instead of a horse, you also know how ride a skittish hollow-boned winged lizard (no, of course you don't get a real dragon, shame on you for even thinking that). If you're a Bear Rider (campaign-specific Barbarian sub-class), instead of a horse, at a certain level you get to ride a grizzly bear (assuming the bear cub you get when taking the sub-class survives long enough) that rages with you.
• It's a limited-use class ability (or a feat poaching same). This addresses the power issue the way D&D likes to, with a daily limit. You can summon your special mount a certain number of times, for a certain number of rounds, or whatever. Since it's magically conjured or gated or whatever, it doesn't bog the game down when you don't need it or kick anyone in the vtude because 'it's not realistic for a bear act like that' (or whatever). Since it's mechanically like a spell, it can be more powerful than an always-available mount.

 

[Dausuul]

I fleshed out my idea above into a Beast Lord prestige class.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpgdownloads.php?do=file&fileid=5344

Still in dire need of playtesting to see if my white-room calculations hold up in real life, but it covers a wide variety of creatures. You can even have a swarm companion if you like.

 

[Dualazi]

Well, first it would help to decide whether we’re talking about mounts or animal companions, since they’re very different beasts. Most of the discussion so far is around companions though so we’ll start there.

If you want the companion to be an option early and scale into late with the same animal, you’re really going to have to create a system like 4e did where you have generic ‘bear’ template that progresses as you do. Short of swapping out animals as you level Pokémon-style it’s never going to be balanced otherwise, as others have pointed out.

If you’re okay with it being imbalanced, then this is one of those situations where I’d say the GM needs to make ramifications of the choice felt. How do they get this creature? How much to it cost to maintain? What areas are off-limits/inaccessible to the creature? How do civilized folk react to it? Your war elephant isn’t going to fit in the halls of that fortress, so it becomes a question of being situationally overpowered.

Additionally, unless the player themselves has an easy way to revive/recruit a new animal, then similar to the old ranger, the creature will be an additional resource drain on the party, particularly in regards to healing spells since they don’t have HD to spend like a PC does. This only gets worse as time goes on, since while the hypothetical bear ally can hit high CR targets, it’s really going to have issues against breath weapons and save effects.

For my money, I’d make it a feat and homebrew up some basic templates to try and keep power reasonable early and make it not obsolete late. It might also give the player some customization options for the beast as well.

As far as mounts go, it’s mostly a question of mobility, which can alternating between being a non-factor or more disruptive than the higher DPR. All of the above in-world ramifications apply, and ultimately aside from being given a mount that can perpetually fly, it’s the more manageable of the two, and already has the mounted combat feat tailored for it. Unless you’re giving your mounts attacks, then whether it’s a horse or bear is of little consequence.

 

[SkidAce]

There are a number of possibilities:
...

It's an NPC. Like having an NPC ally along, the DM controls it, /generally/ using its actions like a good mount (moving where the PC directs &c). Generally.
...

I use this one. Simpler and reduces confusion.

 

[Bitbrain]

Reply to the Opening Post.

Well, I'm not a DM, but if I were, then I would permit the players access to non-horse mount/companions with the following rule: Regardless of how you obtain it (purchase, find steed, etc.), its Challenge rating must be equal to or less than 1/4th the specific player's current level.