Bonus HD: Extra Hit Dice based on creature type, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the mount’s base attack and base save bonuses, with progressions based on creature type. Creatures originally of the animal type still gain HD appropriate to the animal type, regardless of being considered magical beasts. The mount gains additional skill points or feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.
Natural Armor: The number on the table is an improvement to the mount’s existing natural armor bonus.
Strength: Add this figure to the mount's Strength score.
Intelligence: Set the mount's Intelligence score to this value unless its Intelligence is naturally higher.
Empathic Link (Su): The desert crusader has an empathic link with his mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The crusader cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically. Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible. Because of this empathic link, the crusader has the same connection to an item or place that his mount does, just as with a master and his familiar.
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a mount takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.
Sublime Mount (Ex): The desert crusader's mount is trained to fight alongside martial adepts, allowing the crusader to use maneuvers more easily while on the saddle. If the mount charges an enemy, the crusader may initiate a standard action strike in place of a regular attack at the end of the charge, gaining the usual benefits and penalties of charging on a mount. This also allows initiating a standard action strike between movements when performing a Ride-By Attack.
In addition, while mounted upon his companion, the crusader may initiate full-round strikes that allow for a charge attack, causing his mount to charge instead. Any movement changes from the maneuver carry over to the mount (such as the flight from Searing Charge, the unrestricted movement of Bounding Assault, or the ability to ignore attacks of opportunity from Battle Leader's Charge), and both the crusader and his mount gain the bonuses and penalties from charging (if any). However, only the crusader gains the effects from the strike unrelated to movement (such as the damage bonus from Searing Charge or the damage reduction from Doom Charge; maneuvers that normally affect allies, like War Master's Charge, still do).
Share Stance and Boosts: While the desert crusader is within 5 ft of his mount, he may have his mount gain the abilities of the stance that he is utilizing. The stance must be on the following list to be shared this way:
Spoiler
Show
Desert Wind:
Flame's Blessing
Holocaust Cloak
Fiery Assault
Rising Phoenix
Devoted Spirit:
Martial Spirit
Thicket of Blades
Immortal Fortitude
Diamond Mind:
Stance of Clarity
Pearl of Black Doubt
Hearing the Air
Iron Heart:
Punishing Stance
Absolute Steel
Dancing Blade Form
Supreme Blade Parry
Setting Sun:
Step of the Wind
Giant Killing Style
Shifting Defenses
Ghostly Defense
Shadow Hand:
Child of Shadow
Assassin's Stance
Dance of the Spider
Step of the Dancing Moth
Balance on the Sky
Stone Dragon:
Stonefoot Stance
Crushing Weight of the Mountain
Roots of the Mountain
Giant's Stance
Strength of Stone
Tiger Claw:
Blood in the Water
Hunter's Sense
Leaping Dragon Stance
Wolverine Stance
Wolf Pack Tactics
White Raven:
Press the Advantage
In addition, while they are within 5 ft of each other, the crusader may choose to use various boosts, counters, and untyped maneuvers on his mount instead of himself. Some maneuvers are noted as "Shared with both," which means that both you and your mount are affected at the same time. The maneuvers must come from the following list to be shared this way:
Spoiler
Show
Desert Wind:
Burning Blade
Wind Stride
Zephyr Dance
Searing Blade
Leaping Flame - Shared with both.
Inferno Blade
Diamond Mind:
Quicksilver Motion
Diamond Defense
Iron Heart:
Wall of Blades
Iron Heart Surge
Lightning Recovery
Iron Heart Focus
Iron Heart Endurance
Manticore Parry
Setting Sun:
Counter Charge
Baffling Defense
Mirrored Pursuit
Stalking Shadow
Scorpion Parry
Fool's Strike
Shadow Hand:
Cloak of Deception - Shared with both.
Shadow Jaunt - Shared with both.
Shadow Stride - Shared with both.
Shadow Blink - Shared with both.
One With Shadow - Shared with both.
Stone Dragon:
Boulder Roll
Tiger Claw:
Sudden Leap
Dancing Mongoose
Raging Mongoose
Share Saving Throws: For each of its saving throws, the mount uses its own base save bonus or the crusader’s, whichever is higher. The mount applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the master might have.
Improved Speed (Ex): The mount's speed increases by 10 feet.
One Mind (Su): The crusader's connection with his mount deepens. From now on, the two of them can communicate telepathically any time as long as they are on the same plane, and the crusader can see and hear through the senses of his mount as a standard action. In addition, while the two of them are near each other, their tenacity and resolve are combined, granting both the crusader and his mount a +4 bonus to saves against compulsion and fear effects while they are within 30 ft of each other.
Devoted Ideal (Ex): The crusader's mount becomes a paragon of his highest ideals. If the crusader is evil, the mount gains the
Fiendish template. If the crusader is good, the mount gains the
Celestial template. If the crusader is lawful, the mount gains the Axiomatic template (Planar Handbook). If the crusader is chaotic, the mount gains the Anarchic template (Planar Handbook). Only one of these templates may be gained at a time, and if more than one is applicable, then the crusader chooses which one his mount has the first time this ability becomes available. If he would later gain a different devoted companion, he may choose a different template to grant to that companion.
One Body (Su): The crusader and his mount become bonded by ties of loyalty and camaraderie, each willing to give up his own life to save the other. Whenever the crusader and his mount are within 30 ft of each other and either one would take hit point damage, the other may willingly choose to give up their own hit points equal to up to half of the total damage dealt, reducing the original damage by the same amount. This willing hit point loss does not count as taking damage and cannot be reduced due to damage reduction or energy resistances.
In addition, if the crusader willingly gives up hit points for his mount this way, he gains a bonus to attack and damage against the one who originally dealt the damage based on the hit points the crusader lost. This bonus lasts for 1 minute. Likewise, if the mount willingly gives up hit points for the crusader, it gains the same bonus against the originator of the damage based on the amount the mount lost, lasting for 1 minute.
{table=head]
HP Lost|
Bonus
1-9|
+1
10-14|
+2
15-19|
+3
20-24|
+4
25-29|
+5
30+|
+6
[/table]
Improved Mettle (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Fortitude or Will saving throw for half or partial effect, a mount suffers no effect if it makes a successful saving throw and half or partial effect if the saving throw fails.
One Soul (Su): The crusader's soul and that of his mount's are inextricably linked, entwining their fighting spirits into a deadly force. They fight together perfectly, their spirits renewed at the sight of each other such that neither can die while the other lives. As long as the crusader is within 30 ft of his mount, neither the crusader nor his mount can die of hit point loss unless both of them have hit points below -9. If only one of them has hit points below -9, he remains alive for as long as the two of them remain within 30 ft of each other, and the other one does not go below -9 hit points.
If a creature has less than 0 HP, he still falls unconscious unless he has the Diehard feat or something similar. In addition, effects that would kill a creature regardless of hit point damage (such as Death effects, massive damage, Constitution damage, or negative levels) would still kill a crusader or his mount even if the two of them are within 30 ft of each other. This ability only prevents death by hit point loss.