Wow... It's like talking into a brick wall that thinks you agree with it.
This is not the first time that you've made me wish there was an ignore function on this board.
Do you object to my assesment of the conversation, or quoting monty python?
Personally, I find the poor quality of your posting to be objectionable.
RAW it works. RAI it works. According to your "martial arts common sense" house rule, it doesn't work. Have you looked near the top of the page recently? This board is
Brilliant Gameologists Forum > Min/Max > Min/Max It!. It's a bit biased towards RAW.
It's like if I were to say that Titanic creatures (or monstrous spiders) don't work in D&D, because according to common sense as a DM and a student of biology, they
shouldn't be able to even support their own weight...
and if I were to then assert that the way I apply my knowledge of real life to the game is the way the game works normally.
Don't confuse
the game that you DM with
the standard rules that we're talking about.
To summarize:
To continue with the thread's original purpose (not quote pyramids or kung-fu pandas), I'd like to note that the OP's Incarnate can easily turn the party into a cavalry group. Well, he requires a little help if you want them to be Warbeasts. He certainly can't beat
Elbis the King of Roc in backstory animal-rearing, but he can do a surprising amount of good with very little investment.
12 Cha
5 ranks
Riding Bracers with 1 essentia invested (+6 insight to Ride/Handle Animal)
Animal Trainer's Kit (50gp, +2 circumstance to Handle Animal)
Automatically succeeds at rearing 9HD animals while taking 10. Give the party some Smilodon mounts*.
If the other party members are willing to each take 1 rank of Handle Animal and Aid Another on the check to apply the template, the Incarnate can automatically succeed on turning them into Warbeasts, too.
*I realize they may not be the best mounts available, but they are
totally metal.**
**Polar Bears with Starmetal [Complete Arcane] full plate are also acceptable.