[RPG] Where does a dragon steed get summoned from, and where is its hoard kept

class-featurednd-3.5efeatsmountpaladin

A paladin's special mount ability says, in part, that

Once per day, as a full-round action, a paladin may magically call her mount from the celestial realms in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the paladin’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the paladin and remains for 2 hours per paladin level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the paladin may release a particular mount from service.

So, poof, when the paladin wants her horsey, it's there. And when she doesn't, the horsey's off in the "celestial realms," doing what paladin mounts do when the paladins aren't around (e.g. complaining to each other about their riders, playing poker, hittin' da clubs). Sure. Whatever. Then the paladin takes the feat Dragon Steed (Draconomicon 105) and decides she'd rather have something a little less…

Damn, that's stupid-looking monster.

…let's just say self-satisfied than a dragonnel (Dr 151-2).

She wants a real dragon.

But the Draconomicon explains that

A paladin who wishes to be able to summon a dragon special mount must select the Dragon Steed feat….

A paladin must provide her [dragon] special mount with a suitable lair; even a loyal silver dragon mount won’t live in the stable with the other mounts. The Monster Manual describes what type of lair each kind of dragon prefers; any dragon denied the ability to build and reside in an appropriate lair will certainly rebel against its paladin.

The dragon must also be provided treasure to keep in its lair. A minimum hoard of 1,000 gp per Hit Die of the dragon is typical, with the exact makeup depending on the type and likes of the dragon.

So when a paladin picks a dragon dragon (not some goofball wannabe) for her feat Dragon Steed, how does this change the paladin's special mount ability?

  1. The paladin no longer summons her dragon steed from the "celestial realms," and she instead summons her dragon steed from a lair she makes for it on the Material Plane.
  2. The paladin summons her dragon steed from the "celestial realms," but when it's around it's all grumpy if the paladin hasn't made a lair for it.
  3. Something else.

No one in my campaign's taken this feat, but it's a possibility for one character. What's the best way to deal with the seemingly semi-contradictory text?

Best Answer

Well, if it is a dragon dragon (not some goofball wannabe), a powerful, intelligent being that doesn't tend to be friendly to humanoids and other pests, a more important factor than the amount of gold would be simply respect.

For a dragon to be feel treated with respect, providing a massive hoard and a comfy lair is a good start. If the dragon is treated with the proper deference, he might even overlook if the hoard is not quite up to his expectations (keyword: might). The dragon might even have goals compatible with the paladin's and take that into account.

So to answer the original question, yes, a dragon 'steed' can certainly be fussy and a fussy dragon can be deadly.

How to deal with it? Create a dragon NPC with a suitable personality and decide by roleplaying. If your paladin treats it like a horse bought with a bunch of gold pieces, he shouldn't survive for very long. If she does things right, she might get something much more valuable than a steed with a lot of hit points.

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