One of my players is a Beast Rider. He recently joined the campaign, and we've been reviewing the rules for beasts as vehicles. (Stay on Target, starting at p.80.)

It states that a beast "vehicle" does not gain a system strain threshold, and any call for that results in regular strain. So far, all of the creatures listed are Rival level with no Strain value of their own. Based on RAW, rivals can still voluntarily suffer strain, but it would go against their wound threshold. This could be pretty harmful for some creatures, particularly the Varactyl, which suffers 2 every time it uses its "Glider" ability.

I am considering a few options.

1. The first is to stick with RAW and simply count on the high Wound Threshold of creatures to get them through. This will probably be the case for creatures introduced in the game, such as the Varactyl he encountered and managed to calm.
2. Assign a small Strain Threshold of 1 or 2 plus Willpower. For the beasts listed on SoT, this will result in a threshold of 2 to 4, which is in line with Swoops and Speeder Bikes. This would probably be the case with a creature that the Beast Rider has been working with for a time. It would essentially upgrade the beast to Nemesis once it becomes an established "character"
3. Another option only affects one maneuver. Considering that creatures generally spring into action, I would not apply Strain to the Punch It maneuver, allowing the beast to go from standstill to full speed in one maneuver without penalty.

My other concern is balance. In regular troop combat, this guy can be a real killer. Against other vehicles, beasts have a disadvantage. Most of it can be balanced through environment. There are places a creature simply cannot go. In the last adventure, he had to go underground, but I made it that there was an opening in the final chamber, so he had his beast in the final confrontation.

I really like the variety that this Specialization adds. I encouraged the player to make this choice when he said he was considering it. It makes me think more about what creatures might be around, which adds to the description I can use for a setting.

One more beast question. I have yet to pick up Nexus of Power, but I have the Creatures adversary deck. The card for Gualar lists it as a minion, but when I import on OggDude's Chargen, it's a Rival. How is it listed in the book?

Good point about the beast rider options, the missing strain really hurts for double pilot actions UNLESS you have high-g maneuvers to take the strain yourself … at the other hand a rancor rider get his strain for his mount already and a lot of creatures like the varactyl have tons of wt. The mentioned rancor goes on top of that easier down to the stun quality than those rivals, so there is at least that advantage.

Personally I would keep it as it is and take it as one of the limitations of the beasts. IIRC damage control does not work on them anyway, so getting a system strain value would be mostly pointless anyway. Do stimpacks work on those mounts, they do right? And you can apply talents like bodyguard on them too …

Glad I ran this by the group. It hadn't occurred to me that giving it a few points of strain makes it easy to stun. It did occur to me that stimpacks can be used on beasts to remove wounds taken this way. I guess it also makes it more important to not push a mount too hard in combat. Makes sense. Thanks.

Suns of Fortune is a great book for beasts too if someone in your group doesn't yet have it.

Glad I ran this by the group. It hadn't occurred to me that giving it a few points of strain makes it easy to stun. It did occur to me that stimpacks can be used on beasts to remove wounds taken this way. I guess it also makes it more important to not push a mount too hard in combat. Makes sense. Thanks.

You get as well this way that trope of riding your horse to death as the double maneuvers go directly to wounds till your mount just dies.

That's where Hermit/Pathfinder/Beast Rider with the Heal/Harm force power is amazing. I think I worked out its a bare minimum of 270xp to form a bond with your mount, then the Force Power and Beast Rider on top it's a 500xp minimum character, really better in the 6-700 range... but you can suffer half the wounds they suffer, and heal them when required