Cavalier (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Extras for the cavalier class.

Class Abilities

Challenge : The armor class penalty inherent to the cavalier's challenge ability is removed. A cavalier with an order ability that removes this penalty because of his order instead gains a +2 bonus to armor class against opponents other than the one they have challenged.

Cavalier Orders

These new cavalier orders are available.

Order of the Bulwark

The order of the bulwark advocates a defensive fighting style where the cavalier positions himself like a bastion, protecting his comrades.

Edicts: As a knight of the bulwark you must hold the line and stand fast while in formation and be the rear guard when retreating. In battle, you must strive to be like a strong castle, shielding your allies. Also, you may not strike a helpless foe, and get no attack bonus against flanked or prone opponents - tough you are still considered to be flanking them and prone opponents standing up still trigger attacks of opportunity from you.

Challenge: A cavalier of the order of the bulwark may challenge a number of targets equal to his level at once. You do not gain the usual benefits of a challenge, instead adding your Charisma modifier to damage rolls and armor class against any targets of your challenge. Attacks of opportunity you make against the target of your challenge do not count against your limitation on attacks of opportunity for the round.

Skills: Add Knowledge (Local) (Int) and Knowledge (Nobility) (Int) as class skills. Whenever an order of the bulwark cavalier uses one of these skills to identify or know details about a creature or it's typical tactics, he receives a bonus on the check equal to 1/2 his cavalier level (minimum +1).

Order Abilities: A cavalier belonging to the order of the bulwark gains the following abilities as he increases in level.

Toughness (Ex) : At 2nd level, you gain Toughness as a bonus feat. You gain this even if you already have (or later learn) the Toughness feat, allowing you to take this feat twice with full benefits each time.

Pinning Attack (Ex) : At 8th level, when the cavalier hits with an attack of opportunity provoked by movement, that movement is cancelled and any remaining movement is lost. If the target takes another move action in the same round, he can continue moving without suffering more attacks of opportunity from the cavalier.

Forest of Spears (Ex) : At 15th level, almost any attempt to move out of a space in the cavalier's reach provokes an attack of opportunity, even if it normally would not provoke such an attack. This applies to steps, use of Acrobatics, and even to teleportation. but specifically not to the retreat action. Pinning attack works in concert with forest of spears, but cannot prevent teleportation.

Order of the Fallen

The order of the fallen is not really an order at all, it is more of a name given to the mavericks, oddballs, and oath-breakers among cavaliers. A cavalier who fails in another order can always change to the order of the fallen without going through the usual trial period.

Edicts: A fallen cavalier must be self-reliant and cannot bind himself to service. His own agenda always comes first. An order of the fallen cavalier is proud of his accomplishments, taking responsibility for their own actions and needing to either carry a personal coat of arms or to have an easily identified public alias to which all his actions can be easily attributed - such as 'the black knight' or 'the sword of the people'.

Challenge: In a turn when an order of the fallen cavalier issues a challenge, he (or his mount) can take an additional move action. If he started his turn hidden, he can take two additional move actions. These can come either before or after other actions on the cavalier's turn.

Skills: Add Disguise (Cha) and Stealth (Dex) as class skills. In addition, whenever an order of the fallen cavalier uses Disguise to conceal his identity or meld with a crowd, he receives a bonus on the check equal to 1/2 his cavalier level (minimum +1).

Order Abilities: A cavalier belonging to the order of the fallen gains the following abilities as he increases in level.

Out of Nowhere (Ex) : At 2nd level, the fallen knight learns to appear seemingly out of nowhere. He suffers no armor check penalties on the Stealth skill, and can use his own Stealth bonus to conceal himself and his mount at no penalty.

Hit and Run (Ex) : At 8th level, when the target of his challenge is defeated-becoming either helpless or dead-a cavalier of the order of the fallen can take an immediate action to make a double move. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and can even pass trough opponents' spaces as long as it ends in an empty space and not adjacent to any enemy. If this move ends in a position where the cavalier can use Stealth to hide, he can do so without penalties for movement or for having attacked on his turn.

Objective Accomplished (Ex) : At 15th level, when a cavalier uses Hit and Run, all allies within 30 ft. of the cavalier can also do so.

Order of the Heart

Edicts: Cavaliers of the order of the heart are sworn defenders of their comrades, both physically and socially. They can never betray their comrades in arms or leave a man behind except when so ordered by a superior, and they must always guard the honor and glory of their group or company. They also care for the social life and well-being of their close friends and comrades, trying to keep comrades battle ready and motivated. Order of the hear cavaliers benefit from having a designated party leader.

Challenge: Whenever an order of the heart cavalier issues a challenge, he does not take an armor class penalty to attacks from others than his challenge target.

Skills: An order of the heart cavalier adds Knowledge (local) (Int) and Heal (Wis) to his list of class skills. Whenever an order of the heart cavalier uses the Heal skill on a member of his party or company (himself included) or Knowledge (local) to remember a fact about his company or companions or their ancestors, he receives a bonus on the check equal to 1/2 his cavalier level (minimum +1).

Order Abilities: A cavalier belonging to the order of the heart gains the following abilities as he increases in level.

Distracting Defense (Ex) : At 2nd level, a cavalier of the order of the heart provides a +2 Dodge bonus to his allies armor class against any attack from an enemy adjacent to the cavalier.

Move as One (Ex) : At 8th level the cavalier can organize an orderly move. As a standard action, the cavalier can cause any allies withing 30 ft. as well as allies he moves adjacent to during his own movement to move along as he moves, moving into any position adjacent to where he is at the end of his movement. Each ally decides whether to accept the offered move or not. This can affect as many allies as there are free spaces adjacent to the cavalier (or his mount, if he is mounted) at the end of his move.

Charge as One (Ex) : At 15th level, when the cavalier of the heart charges, adjacent allies may also charge as an immediate action. All allies using this charge get a +4 bonus to attack rolls (instead of the normal +2 bonus for a charge) and do not take any penalty to armor class for charging. Each ally chooses for himself who to charge, and may only charge if there is a suitable target available. The cavalier can use this ability once per combat.

Order of the Unicorn

This is not primarily a unicorn rider, rather the order of the unicorn strives to emulate the proud unicorn itself.

Edicts: A cavalier of the order of the unicorn must always strive to shine as an individual, to be at the forefront of every advance and to fulfill his personal goals, regardless of hindrances or competition. This includes doing everything possible to personally pursue and defeat the target of their challenge. He must also dress well, preserve face, and not be afraid to show himself off.

Challenge: An order of the unicorn cavalier and his mount does not provoke attacks of opportunity when making a Charge against the target of his challenge. This includes overrun attempts you make on the way to your target.

Skills: An order of the unicorn cavalier has Appraise (Int) and Survival (Wis) as class skills.

Order Abilities: A cavalier belonging to the order of the unicorn gains the following abilities as he increases in level.

Overbearing Charge (Ex) : At 2nd level, when the cavalier charges the target of his challenge, he (or his mount) may overrun creatures standing in the way as a free action. This ability also allows a charge even when creatures occupy the space from which the cavalier could finish his charge in. If a creature stands in a position where it prevents the cavalier from moving into position to attack the target of his challenge (if there is no empty space to attack from) and is overrun or chooses to let the cavalier move past, the cavalier may move that creature 5 ft. to make room. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If sufficient space is cleared for the cavalier to position himself for a charge attack, the charge works. If not, the cavalier stops in the last position along the path of the charge where there is room and the charge fails.

Shield of Thorns (Ex) : At 8th level, when a target of your challenge attacks a creature other than you, it takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls and provokes an attack of opportunity from you.

Pride and Purity (Ex) : At 15th level, when you or an ally withing 30 ft. fail a saving throw against a mind-affecting, poison, or disease effect, you can grant an additional saving throw against this effect. You can only do this once per combat. This is not an action.

Order of the Wing

Cavaliers of the order of the wing ride giant birds into battle. Given an adolescent giant bird to care for, the cavalier mist raise and care for the chick and eventually can ride it into the sky.

In the animal companion rules, the giant bird mount is called a roc, but it can be any type of giant predator bird.

Edicts: The bond between cavalier and bird is profound-the bird is in a very real way a foster-child. Mistreating the bird or or allowing it to be harmed unnecessarily breaks this bond. Fighting side-by-side or mounted does not.

Challenge:

Skills: Add Knowledge (Nature) (Int) and Perception (Wis) as class skills. In addition, whenever an order of the dragon cavalier uses Perception for visual perception tests during the day at a range of 100 ft. or greater, he receives a bonus on the check equal to 1/2 his cavalier level (minimum +1).

Order Abilities: A cavalier belonging to the order of the XXX gains the following abilities as he increases in level.

Raptor Chicken (Ex): At 2nd level, the order of the wing cavalier revives a Roc as an animal companion as a druid of his level, but it cannot be ridden. The order of the wing cavalier can use the expert trainer ability on all animal companions and mounts.

A Small cavalier can opt to have a bird animal companion instead of a roc. In this case, he can ride it as son as it becomes large enough.

Roc Mount (Ex): At 8th level, the roc gained at second levels matures and can be ridden in combat. While riding his roc mount, the cavalier can use his Ride skill bonus in place of the mount's Fly skill bonus, if desired. At his point cavalier of the order of the wing loses his regular mount, but instead receives a new bird animal companion as a druid of his cavalier level. This bird is in training to become a mount. If the cavalier's roc mount dies, the bird companions matures into a new roc in one week, and the cavalier acquires a new bird animal companion.

Call the Aerie (Sp): At 15th level, once per week, under the open sky, the order of the wing cavalier can call a swarm of birds. These take 1 to 6 minutes to arrive after the call is made and serve willingly, even as mounts for his allies. They are identical to his winged mount in statistics. The cavalier can call a number of birds equal to his Charisma bonus and they serve for a number of hours equal to his cavalier level.

External Links

• The Cavalier's Code: An Optimization Guide
• Way of the Samurai by Chengar Qordath - Includes an interesting guide to Eldrich Heritage feats for martial characters.