Find Steed – Second Level Paladin Spell

So I popped in at the end of a one-shot that a friend was DMing and as they were finishing up one of the players in my Slaves of Troustar campaign asking me a weird out of the blue question.

“Hey I’m probably gonna level up soon to level 5 and I can get this Find Steed spell. It looks pretty cool and its says that the DM could allow all kinds of creatures and I was thinking cool. I really like to have a [I honestly can’t remember because it was a ridiculously overpowered creature.]”

I’m on a horse! No, I can’ fly!

I was ill-prepared for this out of the blue question and just said that I would have to take a look.

It turns out that Find Steed (D&D 5e Player’s Handbook p240) is a 2nd level conjuration that summons a spirit-like creature that bonds with its caster. The creature is intelligent and understands the commands of its master.

The steed is essentially a mount D&D 5e Player’s Handbook p198, 155-157, 181-182) that you can use in combat and on the trail. The creature has all the features of a mount but must have at least 6 intelligence.

Difference Between a Mount and Find Steed Creature

Unlike the basic mount, the steed and mount can can fight as one. Does that mean that the payer has their attack moves as well as the attack moves of their steed?

To me, it appears that considering the creatures intelligence, it could be considered independent and intelligent and would roll it’s own initiative if the creature is not mounted in battle. Because the creature was conjured by the paladin it is fair to say that the creature can be controlled by the player.

So, for example, your paladin could charge his warhorse into battle using Trampling Charge (D&D 5e Monster Manual p340) as an attack from the warhorse and then the Paladin would carry out their attack.

If the paladin mounts the creature in combat. AC of the Paladin and creature is not combined. The DM decides where the attack goes – on the paladin or the steed.

Choosing a Steed

For my campaign, steeds generally come from the basic list provided in the Player’s Handbook on page 240 of Find Steed: warhorse, pony, camel, elk or mastiff.

It would seem a little odd for a massive half-orc fighter to be riding a Mastiff into battle.  I think the type of mount needs to depend on the size and weight of the character.

My human paladin in this game, would then need to choose from large beasts. Other beasts could be an option for the paladin but the beasts also need to keep their challenge rating under 1/2(100xp).  So for example, the player could create a creature out of the basic form of a creature like a Giant Goat and call it a War Ox.

Of course, this limits the choice to non-flying creatures – don’t get me started on flying in D&D, ugh!

I also think that a creature summoned by the paladin should be relevant to their experience. They are not going to summon an emu into battle if they have not seen one before.

Finally, steeds are for riding. I think it is unfair to summon a steed you couldn’t possibly ride in a cramped dungeon just to give you a little edge.

How to Deal With an Over Powered Conjuring In-Game

Just tell the paladin that their skill and purity to the cause was not yet suitable enough for them to summon such an exotic creature. With time and dedication they may be able to call forth such a creature but in the meantime, here’s a three-legged donkey names Rufus.

Hey! I found yer steed!

~Yagisanatode


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Half Elf Water Monk – Slaves of Troustar Character Back Story

This is an example back story for the D&D 5e campaign, Slaves of Troustar.Lint to Slaves of Troustar Contents Page
Return to Pregame

You in the World

You embark from Mia Partis heading northeast aboard a small open deck merchant vessel to the mighty centre of culture, Ac Rumb. A lifetime in the Monastery of O has filled you with the refreshing clarity that an only absolute devotion to the element of water can provide. This devotion to the mysteries of O, arduous training in it its secret arts and long hours of contemplation, have prepared you well for a life in the order but not a life in the world. The final step in your novitiate is to embark and explore the world. Is there are secret mission you must undertake or were you sent merely to experience the world and return when the water calls you? Or was there another reason…?

Your small monastery rests on one of the tiny delta islands that make up the river town of Mia Partis. Your monastery’s island is known by the locals as Reg A’sm. Loosely translated from the old tongue this means, shuddering eruption. It was thought, that centuries ago when the first pilgrims of the order of O appeared in Mia Partis and used their powerful ki energy on the waters of the delta to erupt forth the island causing the lands to convulse and shudder.

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Pregame for Slaves of Troustar

003 PregameLint to Slaves of Troustar Contents Page

Previous Post:

Pregame Introduction

Slaves of Troustar sets each player out on their own path. Each starting player discovers a poster inviting them to travel to Ac Rumb and join a party for adventure, fame and fortune.

Top Secret Note: When players first meet they will know nothing of each other and barely be able to tell what their companions look like let alone their race, class and background. This means that there can be no game Zero for the players and the Dungeon Master.

Instead, preparation for the game starts with a short correspondence between players and the DM. I recommend that after you receive a reply from the initial invitation you take some time and take a look at the map and history to place characters in the world.

The invitation

Before the game, players are sent an invitation. The invitation contains a poster that their character finds and some further details on character creation.

Try an get the invitations sent out at least a week before you start your game. This will give you some time to prepare some of the characters backgrounds. Also make sure you get your players to respond to your invitation ASAP.

Invitation to Slaves of Troustar

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Setup for Slaves of Troustar

 002 – SetupLint to Slaves of Troustar Contents Page

 

Click here for 001 Story

Now that the scene has been set for the start of this campaign, we can dive into the setup.

What You Need To Play

This is a 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons campaign and requires:

  • The Players Handbook 5e
  • The Monster Manual 5e
The Monster Manual 5e
The Monster Manual 5e
The Player's Handbook 5e
The Player’s Handbook 5e

 

 

 

 

Most of the other maps, encounter material, artwork, NPC stats, and history can be found on this website.

Maps and artwork can be used digitally or printed as the Dungeon Master (DM) sees fit.

A copy of the Dungeon Master’s Guide would also be beneficial, but not essential.

Resources for Slaves of Troustar can be found on the campaign’s index page, searhed through or browsed using the categories:

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Warlock – Three Times I Found Mask of Many Faces Useful

Warlock – Eldritch Invocations – Mask of Many Faces(Disguise Self)


At first, I really didn’t think that non-combat spells were all that useful compared to the immediate need of a combat spell, particularly in what was turning out to be mostly a dungeon crawl. However, I wanted to stay true to my character so upon reaching second level my half-elf Warlock, Sagan Bra’el acquired the mastery of Mask of Many Faces.

In the D&D Player’s Handbook 5e p.107, Warlocks at level two begin to learn fragments of forbidden knowledge know as Eldritch Invocations. At this level you uncover two invocations and at higher levels you get more. Most invocations are available unless they have a prerequisite. For example, at level one,my character Sagan learnt the cantrip Eldritch Blast (p237). Eldritch Blast is a prerequisite for the Eldritch Invocation, Agonizing Blast (p110) which allows the Warlock to add its Charisma modifier to the damage it deals.

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Re’ Stam No’e Gnud – The Origin of the Name

A region map of Re Stam Noe Gnud for the DnD 5e Campaign Slaves of Troustar

Re’ Stam No’e Gnud: Part 1Lint to Slaves of Troustar Contents Page

 

The World for the Dungeons and Dragons 5e Campaign: Slaves of Troustar

See what I did there? The very height of cleverness, I know, but I was having a slow brain day and I kinda like how it turned out.

For the remote humanoid cat-people known as the Purrs who reside in a distant valley of the Forgotten Territories, Purrusa – the great cat herder – created the giant sand box know to the rest of the world as Re’ Stam No’e Gnud. These people believe that this world was created for them to find dark crevices to fit in, knock carefully placed objects off and to generally feels a blissful sense of apathy towards. The remoteness of the Purrs has lead them to believe that they are the only cognizant creatures in the realm even when the occasional adventurer makes their way to these far reaches they often ignore the person, unless of course this adventurer is in their comfy spot. Then there is blood…a lot of blood.

The Origin of the Name

But for the rest of the world we are concerned about, how did such a long and convoluted name come about?

Well, committee of course.

Some fifty years past, a fragile peace was forged between the Human empire of Vesluvia, the Elf empire of Alastia and the Dwarf Kingdom of Todimn. Each empire had a name for the world and after months of bickering and threats Lord Vecevious, Patrician of the Vesluvian Empire calmly interjected, suggesting that all names for the world be forged into one and that a public draw be made to determine which name would determine its order.

Krom's Pass - A centre point for Vesluvia, Alastia and Todimn

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Of Prodding, Procrastination and Noncompliance

“So let me go down and take a look. I have this cool ability call Mask of Many Faces (a glorified Disguise Self, but for Warlocks) that I can cast at will and it lasts for about an hour. I reckon I can have a bit of a look around and case out the joint. You know, see what we might be up against.” I manage to get this out among the competing ideas of this massive party of seven. I’m starting to learn when there pauses are in this particular group and figure out what words to say to get them motivated to do a task – which is good because my charisma is supposed to be the shiz. So now, here I am and they have all stopped talking and are all staring at me waiting for me to explain.

A cat sauntering away from an explosion.
This is pretty much the result of our past encounters. Only, that fireball is fuelled by other party members.

Bugger, I don’t really know what to say. I often don’t get this far. Imagine if house cats could play Dungeons and Dragons. Come on, look deep. Think about their behaviour. That’s it. There you go, that’s us. We are far from a cohesive group of players. First, our characters are pretty diverse and the sheer number of chaotic good/neutral in our groups suggest that these lone wolf-kittens would much prefer to go it alone.
Okay, here goes, “Look, I will be extra careful and I certainly won’t engage.”
“If you start attacking something in there, I’m just going to leave you there to rot. I’m sick of people not following to plan and thinking they can take on any battle only to realise that they are, once again dead,” Our gruff dwarven cleric mutters, with no small amount of out of character irritance in her voice.
I empathise with her, I really do. We have a problem. Our party really finds it difficult to comprehend the concept of reconnaissance. You know, having a sneaky peak of the baddies, or maybe testing their strength a little before withdrawing (without having used a spell slot) to come up with a solid plan.
For some of our party, they blame our utter inability to follow instruction, which is hilariously ironic considering we are all teachers. And this is quite true, but I think there are a few other things at play here too and they all result in one thing – boredom.

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The Post You Will Never Read

So, I think it is pretty safe to say that no one really reads the first blog of a webpage. Okay, to be perfectly honest, for those of who you managed to drunkenly find the ass-end of a Google search and make your way to this deep dark section of the web, you really are a traveller, a hero of epic proportion charting the very reaches of society…or you are just lost.

Well, no one said life in fantasy land would be all candied unicorn turds and scantily clad gnomes. It takes hard work I tells ya! Hard work! And you of all people should know that to seduce a hag, always make sure you gift her with a new set of dentures – metaphorically speaking.

Confused? Me too.

So what have I been up to since last you saw me, you ask. Well, that’s a bit of a creepy question, champ, considering that you don’t even know me, but bugger it, this dwarfish grog is going down a treat, so I am happy to indulge.

First, I finally had a captive audience to learn and play Dungeons and Dragons with. No, I didn’t take the usual route of forcing my wife to pop out sufficient progeny and then painstakingly program them to love geeky shizzle (yep, the first izzle reference. *self five*) before they can finally be useful enough to play – or daddy is gonna get very cranky.

Much too sloppy, far too slow and way too prone to error and possible accidental deaths.

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