Monster Rider (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Level	Monster
4	Blink dog
5	Worg
6	Giant eagle
6	Pegasus
7	Giant vulture
7	Hell hound
7	Howler
8	Giant owl
8	Griffon
8	Shadow mastiff
8	Unicorn
9	Leucrotta
9	Manticore
10	Dragonne
10	Wyvern
11	Ahuizotl
11	Drider
13	Kirin
14	Shedu
16	Dragon horse
16	Garuda
16	Sleipnir

The monster rider forges an alliance with a monster to serve him as a mount in battle.

Classes

This archetype is available to cavaliers, druids, paladins, and rangers. A druid monster rider must choose an animal companion for his nature's bond class feature. A paladin monster rider must chose a steed for his divine bond ability. A ranger monster rider must choose an animal companion for his hunter's bond class feature.

Optionally, a character that qualifies for this archetype can take it upon finding a monster suitable as a steed. Otherwise, game masters are encouraged to work with the player and arrange a suitable mount as the character advances in level, possibly as a special side quest.

Class Abilities

Monster Steed

Monster riders have the normal divine bond, hunter's bond, or mount ability and can use that ability normally. He can still learn the Leadership feat normally.

When the character meets and befriends a monster suitable to serve as a steed, and is of sufficient level to be served by such a steed, he gains the creature as follower. This works like monster cohort option on the Leadership feat. Each creature has a level when it becomes available to serve as a steed. For each level beyond this, the steed gains one level as a fighter.

This replaces the divine bond, hunter's bond, mount, or nature's bond ability.