Chevalier (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

A chevalier is a noble born warrior. Many cavaliers have noble blood, but the chevalier is form a rich, influential family of high pedigree. Never having had to squire for an order or having to fight for scraps to survive, the chevalier is used to comforts and luxury. Chevaliers see themselves as bearers of destiny, and do not throw themselves into the fight with the same abandon as regular cavaliers.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype.

Prestige Class: Chavalier from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige.

Build Class: Cavalier.

The chevalier is a cavalier with money and connections.

Role: A chevalier is almost always the leader of any group he joins, having name, money, and contacts. In combat he proudly directs others and strikes with the force of a hurricane for the sake of glory and valor.

Alignment: Any. A chevalier is always keen to appear responsible, just, magnanimous, and self-assured, but for some this is just a facade.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The chevalier's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The chevalier has all the class features of the cavalier, except as follows:

Affluent (Ex)

At each level, a chavalier gains a stipend worth a number of gold pieces equal to 750 multiplied by his class level. (He gains 750 gp at 1st level, an additional 1,500 gp at 2nd level, and so on.)

This replaces order. Notice that a chevalier might well join an order as a social activity, but being independently wealthy he does not rely on the order, can afford to ignore the edicts, and does not work hard enough to get the benefits.

Prestigious Influence (Ex)

At 2nd level, a chavalier can use his influence to receive special treatment, favors, and other services. He effectively has a pool of virtual gold pieces equal to 150 gp plus 10 gp per class level to spend on services and non-material goods. This pool replenishes at the beginning of every week.

Services and nonmaterial goods available to a chavalier include:

• Pay for lodgings, stabling, taxes, and tolls.
• Improve his lifestyle quality.
• Hire entertainers, messengers, mounts, servants, transport, workers, and so on.
• Obtain invitations to exclusive events, or entry into privileged locations.
• Spread rumors or start a whispering campaign.
• Purchase spellcasting services.
• Employ an expert hireling to make a skill check with a check bonus of +10 plus his class level (50 gp).

A chavalier cannot permanently gain goods or wealth from this ability; boons attainable from this ability are generally only available in settlements of 5,000 people or more. The exact benefits available in a location are subject to GM discretion. This replaces the order ability gained at level 2.

Aristocratic Erudition (Ex)

At 3rd level, a chavalier gains a bonus equal to 1/3 his class level on Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks. This ability also reduces the DCs of Diplomacy and Knowledge (local) checks others make to gather publicly known information about the chavalier by the same amount. This replaces cavalier's charge.

Servitor (Ex)

At 4th level, a chavalier gains a faithful NPC servitor of the same level as a cohort granted by the Leadership feat. This servitor can only have levels in NPC classes and comes equipped with gear appropriate for a character 1 level lower than the servitor's actual level. A chevalier's servitor tends to be an expert or warrior. The servitor does not follow the chavalier as would a cohort or follower, but instead can run various errands for his master while the chavalier is adventuring, such as delivering messages or maintaining the scion's manor in his stead. A chevalier's servitor tends to be an expert or warrior. This replaces expert trainer.

Regional Expertise (Ex)

At 5th level, and again at 11th and 15th level, a chavalier gains a bonus feat from one of the lists below, depending on where he is from. These feats must be taken from the same list at each level (except for feats under the “general” category, which can be taken by nobles from any region). A chavalier need not meet the prerequisites for these feats. At their discretion, GMs may add other feats to these regions or create lists for other regions. This replaces the bonus feats gained at level 6, 12, and 18

The Dwarf Fastness: Deepsight, Fortified Armor Training, Hammer The Gap, Skill Focus (Knowledge [engineering]) Weapon Focus (any axe or hammer).

Land of the Fallen Dragon Kings: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (dueling sword), Flanking Foil, Step Up, Weapon Focus (dueling sword).

The Empire of Devils: Careful Speaker, Enforcer, Intimidating Prowess, Skill Focus (Knowledge [planes]).

The Land of the Ten-Thousand Gods: Improved Unarmed Strike, Skill Focus (Perform [dance]), Voice of the Sibyl, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike).

The Elven Forest Kingdom: Agile Maneuvers, Breadth of Experience, Skill Focus (Knowledge [nature]), Weapon Focus (longbow).

The Shadow Kingdom: Blind-Fight, Diehard, Shadow Strike, Stealthy.

The Kingdom of Pharaohs: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (khopesh), Self-Sufficient, Skill Focus (Knowledge [history]), Weapon Focus (khopesh).

The Satrapy of the Desert: Animal Affinity, Quick Draw, Skill Focus (Appraise), Weapon Focus (scimitar).

The River Nations: Improved Dirty Trick, Improved Steal, Ironguts, Skill Focus (Knowledge [local]).

The Fallen Empire: Dazzling Display, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (falcata), Skill Focus (Bluff ), Weapon Focus (falcata).

The Gothic Kingdoms: Combat Reflexes, Focused Discipline, Skill Focus (Knowledge [nobility]), Stoic.

General: Acrobatic, Additional Traits, Alertness, Antagonize, Athletic, Cosmopolitan, Deceitful, Deft Hands, Fleet, Improved Initiative, Persuasive, Prodigy, Rhetorical Flourish, Run, Scholar.

Leadership (Ex)

At 7th level, the chavalier gains Leadership as a bonus feat. This replaces the order ability gained at level 8.

Greater Leadership (Ex)

At 13th level, a chavalier can recruit a cohort up to one level lower than himself and doubles the number of followers. At 19th level, he can recruit a cohort of the same level as himself and quadruples the number of followers. This replaces mighty charge and the order ability gained at level 15.

Peerless Patrician (Ex)

At 20th level, once per round a chavalier can roll twice on any Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (nobility), or Sense Motive check and take the better roll. Once per day, instead of rolling one of these skill checks, he can assume the roll resulted in a natural 20. This replaces supreme charge.

Table: Chevalier

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Affluent, challenge 1/day, mount, tactician
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Prestigious influence
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Aristocratic erudition (+1)
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Challenge 2/day, servitor
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Banner, regional expertise
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Aristocratic erudition +2
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2	Challenge 3/day
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2	Leadership
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3	Aristocratic erudition +3, greater tactician
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	Challenge 4/day
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+3	Regional expertise
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+4	Demanding challenge
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+4	Challenge 5/day, greater leadership
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+4	Greater banner
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+5	Aristocratic erudition +5, regional expertise
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+5	Challenge 6/day
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5	Master tactician
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6	Aristocratic erudition +6
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Challenge 7/day, greater leadership
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Peerless patrician

Variant: Tribune

Not all military traditions put the greatest honor on mounted troops; noble warriors from such cultures naturally fight on foot and are known as tribunes. They replace the mount ability with armor training.

Armor Training (Ex)

Starting at 4th level, a chevalier learns to be more maneuverable while wearing armor. Whenever he is wearing armor, he reduces the armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor by 1. Every five levels thereafter (9th, 14th), these bonuses increase by +1 each time, to a maximum –3 reduction of the armor check penalty and a +3 increase of the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed.

In addition, a chevalier can also move at his normal speed while wearing medium armor. At 9th level, a chevalier can move at his normal speed while wearing heavy armor.

This replaces the ability mount cavaliers get at 1st level.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Class Skills
• Order (all abilities)
• Cavalier's Charge
• Bonus Feats (all)
• Mighty Charge
• Supreme Charge