Paladin mounts for protection / tanking?

Question

My paladin just hit level 5, and in addition to endless Zone of Truth callbacks and learning the heartbreaking truth about Moonbeam, I'm pumped about summoning my first mount. My character is a tank and very devoted to protecting his three caster friends, including the Protection fighting style.

This makes me think that rather than being up on a high horse, I'd like a mount that's agile and relatively low to the ground, to improve my ability to tackle enemies and throw myself in front of friends. I'd also trade this off for other traits that make the mount especially good for protection. Are there any plausible mounts that are good at this?

My DM will accept nonstandard and uncommon mount animals, as long as they're not plainly OP (no flying, firebreathing, etc).

Answer 1

Out of the options provided by the "Find Steed" spell, the highest CR is the warhorse with a CR of 1/2. Using this restriction, which should help in maintaining a balance with the intended power of the spell, I would recommend the worg (MM 341).

Where the warhorse has 19 HP and an AC of 11 (as written; presumably your steed doesn't come with plate barding), the worg has 26 HP and an AC of 13. This makes it significantly better at being a tank, if that was what you meant by a mount being good for protection. The worg does have 10 fewer feet of movement, but makes up for it with the addition of darkvision. As for the ability of the warhorse to knock targets prone, the bite of the worg can also knock creatures prone, without needing to move 20ft in a straight line first. The warhorse has one more to its hit and damage rolls, but I think that's a small enough difference to not be a huge deal (especially with the worg's higher HP compensating).

A worg also works, flavour-wise, with your idea of something lower to the ground than a horse. Though the modifiers are the same, the worg is technically more agile as well (dex 13 compared to dex 12). The alignment is I admit a poor fit but if your DM is willing to work with you for unusual mounts perhaps he/she will work with you to find a solution there as well. I hope this helped!