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NeoSeraphi
2011-06-01, 05:00 PM
The Cavalier

http://i684.photobucket.com/albums/vv208/mejserr29/fantasy%20man/Clodoveo_by_GENZOMAN.jpg

"When God created the horse, he said to the magnificent creature: I have made thee as no other. All the treasures of the earth shall lie between thy eyes. Thou shalt cast thy enemies between thy hooves, but thou shalt carry my friends upon they back. Thy saddle shall be the seat of prayers to me. And thou fly without any wings, and conquer without any sword." ~ The Koran

The cavalier is a knight who has a special, trusted bond with the animal he rides. As he gets stronger along with his mount, the two of them only grow closer, until their bond is so strong that miles, oceans, even planes cannot truly separate them.

Abilities: The cavalier is, first and foremost, a warrior. He is able to fight with either powerful melee attacks or well-placed arrows from the back of his mount, though his ranged options are limited as most bows are too unwieldy to use on horseback. Even if a cavalier is a melee fighter, however, he should not neglect his Dexterity stat, as that is necessary for him to make his Ride checks. Constitution is also very important for the cavalier in close quarters.

Alignment: The cavalier can be of any alignment. Lawful cavaliers tend to be more in line with the traditional medieval knight, using their strength and superior mobility to protect the innocent, while chaotic cavaliers enjoy the freedom that one can only feel from an exhilarating race across the landscape. Good and evil cavaliers exist in equal quantities.


HD: d10

Class Skills: The cavalier receives Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Nature), Martial Lore, Profession, Ride, Spot, Survival and Swim as class skills.

Skill Points Per Level: 2 + Int modifier

{table]Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Maneuvers Known | Maneuvers Readied | Stances Known
1 | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Special Mount, Knight's Training | 3 | 3 | 1
2 | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Mounted Combat, Focused Rider +2 | 4 | 3 | 1
3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Lance Focus (Minor), Ride-By Attack | 5 | 3 | 1
4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | | 5 | 4 | 2
5 | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Improved Mounted Combat (Counter) | 6 | 4 | 2
6 | +6 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Spirited Charge, Focused Rider +4 | 6 | 4 | 2
7 | +7 | +5 | +2 | +2 | | 7 | 4 | 2
8 | +8 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Lance Focus (Moderate) | 7 | 4 | 2
9 | +9 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Trample | 8 | 4 | 2
10 | +10 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Improved Mounted Combat (Combined Counter) Focused Rider +6 | 8 | 5 | 3
11 | +11 | +7 | +3 | +3 | | 9 | 5 | 3
12 | +12 | +8 | +4 | +4 | Cavalry Charger | 9 | 5 | 3
13 | +13 | +8 | +4 | +4 | Lance Focus (Major) | 10 | 5 | 3
14 | +14 | +9 | +4 | +4 | Focused Rider +8 | 10 | 5 | 3
15 | +15 | +9 | +5 | +5 | Improved Mounted Combat (Trample) | 11 | 6 | 3
16 | +16 | +10 | +5 | +5 | Two Souls as One | 11 | 6 | 4
17 | +17 | +10 | +5 | +5 | | 12 | 6 | 4
18 | +18 | +11 | +6 | +6 | Lance Focus (Greater), Focused Rider +10 | 12 | 6 | 4
19 | +19 | +11 | +6 | +6 | | 13 | 6 | 4
20 | +20 | +12 | +6 | +6 | Improved Mounted Combat (Full Combined Counter), United We Stand | 13 | 7 | 4 [/table]

Class Features:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Cavaliers are proficient with all simple weapons, plus all light and one-handed martial weapons, the shortbow and the lance. Cavaliers are too dedicated to waste time learning weapons they can't wield when they are mounted. The cavalier is proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor. He is not proficient with any shield listed in the Player's Handbook, however, he is proficient with the Rider's Shield (Races of Stone).

Special Mount : The cavalier may begin play with an animal companion who he has bonded with during the training it took to get him to 1st level. This animal must be one size category larger than the cavalier and can be chosen from the table below (The DM should be consulted about possible 1st level choices for cavaliers smaller than Small and larger than Medium)

The cavalier may select stronger mounts as his level increases, but he must apply a Level Adjustment to his effective cavalier level when determining the bonuses his mount receives from this class feature. (He may not select an animal if its Level Adjustment would cause his effective cavalier level to drop below 1)

If the mount dies, the cavalier must wait 10 days before he may befriend another animal and declare it his mount. During these ten days, the cavalier receives a -1 morale penalty on all actions, with an additional -1 per five class levels, to a maximum of -5 at 20th level. The penalty increases because the longer the cavalier has known his mount, the more painful it is to see it go.


{table]Animal | Level Adjustment
Light Warhorse | -
Heavy Warhorse | -
Warpony | -
Riding Dog | -
Monitor Lizard | -
Mule | -
Dire Badger | -
Bison | -3
Bear, black | -3
Boar | -3
Lion | -3
Tiger | -6
Rhinoceros | -6
Bear, brown | -6
Dire Lion | -6
Dire Boar | -6
Dire Wolf | -6
Dire Bear | -12
Dire Tiger | -15[/table]


If you wish to get a different animal, you should talk it over with your DM. A mount acquired by the cavalier must be an animal who is exactly one size category larger than the cavalier. This animal must be quadripedal.

The animal improves as the cavalier's effective level increases, as shown below:

{table]Level | Bonus HD | Natural Armor Bonus | Str Adjustment | Speed Adjustment | Special
1st-2nd | +0 | +0 | +0 | +10 ft | Trained for War, Empathic Link, Share Spells
3rd-5th | +2 | +2 | +2 | +20 ft | Evasion
6th-8th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +30 ft | Multiattack
9th-11th | +6 | +6 | +6 | +40 ft | Incredible Charge
12th-14th | +8 | +8 | +8 | +50 ft | Improved Evasion
15th-17th | +10 | +10 | +10 | +60 ft | Bonus Feat
18th-20th | +12 | +12 | +12 | +70 ft | Horse of War[/table]

Bonus HD: The mount gains this number listed as bonus hit dice. Roll the corresponding number of d8s and add the animal's Constitution modifier to them. The animal has good Fort and Ref saves, and has 3/4 BAB progression. The animal receives feats and skill points for gaining HD as usual, but it does not gain bonus ability score points at every 4th HD as normal.

Trained for War: The mount gains the Warbeast template from the Monster Manual II if it is not already applied (Such as the warhorse or warpony).

Empathic Link: The cavalier has a link with his mount of up to one mile. He can see through the mount's eyes by concentrating, but cannot communicate with the mount telepathically.

Share Spells: The cavalier may have any spell that affects him also affect his mount. The mount can only be affected in this way if the spell is cast on the cavalier while riding his mount. If the cavalier should dismount or be knocked off for any amount of time, the mount immediately loses all spell effects it was sharing. Otherwise, they end when they end for the cavalier.

Evasion: The mount gains the Evasion ability, as the rogue ability of the same name, though the mount may use the ability while wearing banded armor.

Multiattack: The mount gains Multiattack as a bonus feat. If it has less than three natural attacks, it instead gains the Improved Natural Attack feat for one of its natural weapons. If the mount has the Improved Natural Attack feat, or would later take it, its natural weapons are treated as one size category larger anyway.

Incredible Charge: The mount has the ability to deliver a devastating charge attack. It may only do this while mounted by the cavalier it is linked to, and only if the cavalier makes a successful Handle Animal or Ride check DC 25. If the check succeeds, the mount reduces its AC to 0 and charges. The overwhelming speed of the charge allows the mount to add a bonus to its attack roll equal to its original AC, and half of this bonus to its rider's attack roll. (These amounts replace the normal +2 bonus from charging). If the mount hits, its attack deals double damage and grants it an automatic Trip attempt as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the mount already has an automatic Trip ability, such as the Dire Wolf, it is treated as one Size category larger for this Trip check. Using this ability drains the mount of its energy, and after doing so, it becomes exhausted.

Improved Evasion: The mount gains improved evasion, as the rogue, except that the mount may use improved evasion while wearing banded armor.

Bonus Feat: The mount gains a bonus feat. It may choose any feat that it meets the prerequisites for.

Horse of War: The mount is the ultimate animal of destruction. When teamed up with the cavalier, they are unstoppable. The mount gains the benefits of the Spirited Charge feat of the cavalier, and always deals double damage with its natural weapons on a charge. (Triple if using the Incredible Charge ability). The mount gains DR 15/Epic and any Ride checks attempted by anyone other than the cavalier it is linked to automatically fail and the rider is thrown off the horse.


Knight's Training: The cavalier is not that different from the paladin. His training, though less religious, is just as harsh. The cavalier may take levels of paladin and cavalier without facing the normal multiclassing restriction of the paladin, though he still needs to be lawful good to do so. The cavalier's levels stack with the paladins for determining the bonus damage done by the paladin's smite evil class feature, and the paladin's levels stack with the cavalier's levels for determining the bonuses of the cavalier's special mount. A character with the Knight's Training class feature is incapable of using the paladin's conjuration [calling] effect to summon a Special Mount from the paladin class.

Additionally, whether the cavalier has actual paladin levels or not, he is treated as having the paladin's spell list as part of his class. He does not ever actually gain the ability to cast these spells, but he may use scrolls or wands from the paladin spell list without needing to make Use Magic Device checks. He may not cast any spells from scrolls or wands that oppose his alignment.

Maneuvers: The cavalier is able to employ martial maneuvers. He learns, readies, and recovers maneuvers as a warblade of his level. The disciplines available to the cavalier are the White Raven, Iron Heart, and Twin Spirit disciplines. (The Twin Spirit discipline is a homebrewed discipline which can be found here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40991. All credit goes to the creator, The_Demented_One)

The cavalier treats his mount as one of his allies for the purposes of all stances and maneuvers from the White Raven discipline.

Bonus Feats: Starting at level 2, the cavalier learns a small number of bonus feats that are relevant to his position as a mounted combatant. At level 2, he gains Mounted Combat as a bonus feat. At level 3, he gains Ride-By Attack. At level 6, he gains Spirited Charge. At level 9, he gains Trample. At level 12, he gains Cavalry Charger. He need not meet the prerequisites for any of these feats.

Focused Rider: A cavalier is an unquestioned master of mounted combat. He receives no penalty for attempting Ride checks without an appropriate saddle, and also receives a +2 bonus on all Ride checks he makes. This bonus improves by +2 at 6th level and every 4 levels after, to a maximum of +10 at level 18.

Lance Focus: The lance is a symbol of a jouster, much as a greataxe is a symbol of a barbarian, a longsword is a symbol of a paladin, and a rapier is a symbol of a rogue or swashbuckler. The cavalier's dedicated training gives him several bonuses when using the lance.

At level 3, the cavalier receives a +2 bonus on all damage rolls when using a lance while mounted. This bonus damage is doubled on a charge.

At level 8, the cavalier uses his momentum on a charge to deliver telling blows that pierce all forms of protection. He treats his first attack with a lance at the end of the charge as a melee touch attack. (If he is able to perform multiple attacks at the end of a charge, this bonus only applies to the first attack)

At level 13, the cavalier is able to deliver a Devastating Charge 1/day. He receives a +5 bonus on the attack roll (this stacks with whatever bonus he receives from his charge) and deals quadruple damage with his lance. He may only make a single attack during such a charge, even if he has the ability to make multiple attacks. This bonus replaces the triple damage bonus from the Spirited Charge feat. If the cavalier's mount was delivering an Incredible Charge during the cavalier's Devastating Charge, and successfully knocks its target prone, the cavalier receives an extra attack with his lance as a free action against the prone opponent. This attack does not receives bonuses from charging and deals normal damage.

At level 18, the cavalier's proficiency with a lance has risen to mastery. As long as the cavalier is attacking from the back of his mount, his lance deals damage as if it were two size categories larger (to a maximum of Colossal). This new base damage is tripled as normal from the Spirited Charge feat.

Improved Mounted Combat: As the cavalier advances in level, he is able to turn his mount's protection from the Mounted Combat feat into an advantage.

At 5th level, if the cavalier successfully negates damage to his mount by using the Mounted Combat feat, he may spend an immediate action to receive a melee attack against the attacker, if the attacker is within reach. This is not treated as an attack of opportunity, but cannot be used if the cavalier has no immediate action to expend.

At 10th level, if the cavalier successfully negates damage to his mount by using the Mounted Combat feat, he may spend an immediate action to receive a melee attack against the attacker, provided he is within reach. His mount also receives a free melee attack with its primary natural weapon.

At 15th level, if the mount damages the attacker by way of its Combined Counter attack, it may make a Trip attempt as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it succeeds in knocking its opponent prone, it may make a single melee attack against the prone opponent.

At 20th level, the cavalier and mount may both make full attacks when using the Combined Counter class feature. If the mount successfully damages the attacker, it receives its free trip attempt as usual, but it waits until both the cavalier and the mount have finished their full attack actions.

Two Souls as One: The cavalier, by level 16, has grown very close to his trusted steed. His Empathic Link now applies from any distance, as long as he and his mount are on the same plane. Additionally, once per day as a full round action, the cavalier may call the mount and it will teleport to him, no matter how far away it is, as long as it is on the same plane. This is a conjuration [calling] effect with a spell level equal to 1/3 of the cavalier's class level. The cavalier's caster level is equal to his class level.

United We Stand: The cavalier and his mount are of one mind. They cooperate as if they had lived together for years, and they have. The mount is no longer able to die of old age, though it still accrues aging penalties and bonuses as normal. From the back of his special mount, the cavalier receives a +5 bonus on all attack and damage rolls. The mount receives the same bonuses as long as the cavalier is riding it. Additionally, as long as the cavalier is riding the mount, both of them have the ability to breathe underwater indefinitely. The mount gains a swim and fly speed equal to its adjusted land speed (its base land speed plus the bonus from the Special Mount class feature). Its fly speed has a maneuverability of perfect. The cavalier may, at his option, have any stance that he is in affect his mount as well, and the cavalier receives the benefits of the mount's evasion or improved evasion abilities. Finally, the mount gains the pounce ability if it doesn't already have it. (All of these benefits only apply when the cavalier is riding the mount)



Alternate Class Feature: The Mounted Comet Striker
Some cavaliers do not focus on the teamwork tactics of the White Raven, nor the military toughness that is Iron Heart. Instead, they focus on the speed and power of a horse's charge.

A cavalier who takes the Mounted Comet Striker alternate class feature is able to use the momentum of a charge to deal severe damage and also gain better control of his horse's movements.

At the end of a mounted charge, the cavalier's first attack deals an additional 1d8 points of damage, and he and his mount receive a +1 dodge bonus to their respective ACs for the remainder of the round. The extra damage is not multiplied for any reason, such as if the cavalier is wielding a lance or if he has the Spirited Charge feat. In addition to the bonus to his AC, the cavalier also receives a +1 bonus to all Ride checks he makes with his Mounted Combat feat until the beginning of the next round. (However, he still takes the -2 penalty to his AC for charging, resulting in a net AC gain of -1)

At 3rd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the cavalier's Mounted Comet Strike ability deals an additional +1d8 points of damage and grants him and his mount an additional +1 AC and bonus to his Ride checks for the Mounted Combat feat, to a maximum of +6d8 damage and +6 AC/Ride at 19th level.

A cavalier who takes this alternate class feature does not gain the ability to initiate maneuvers.

Cipher Stars
2011-06-01, 09:56 PM
I'm not much of a mounts person but this sounds like something I'd use rather then the Paladin for mounts, and some other paladin remix that doesn't use mounts. (Paladins should be more about divine guidance through a plate armor clad warrior then a mount.)

Mayhem
2011-06-02, 08:21 AM
I love it, great job :smallsmile:. I've been aching for a good rider class for years. I'm going to link this on my recruitment thread to use in my upcoming game session if that's ok with you.

One thing about the mount: How about when choosing a new mount( for whatever reason) you need to spend a week with the new animal to make the bond? Perhaps instead of a wekk it could be a number of days based on your level, to represent training and forging the bond etc.

Solaris
2011-06-02, 12:00 PM
No dinosaurs?

Perhaps a feat (or feat chain) to allow magical beasts, fey, outsiders, undead, or aberrations?

NeoSeraphi
2011-06-03, 10:27 AM
No dinosaurs?

Perhaps a feat (or feat chain) to allow magical beasts, fey, outsiders, undead, or aberrations?

You can't attack from the back of an animal larger than large because your weapon doesn't reach that high. It destroys the idea of the class.

I can see Magical Beasts, it might be fun to have a chimera as a mount, but definitely not undead. Bonding with something that is mindless doesn't seem likely, and the intelligent undead can't be trusted.

Riding an outsider? (Sorry, but when people say outsiders I get images of bipedal angels, devils, eladrins, inevitables, demons and elementals). I wasn't aware there were even that many Large or Medium sized quadripedal outsiders.

Most fey are medium aren't they? That might work for halfling and gnome cavaliers...

As for aberrations, the bonding problem comes up again. Though drow sometimes use aberrations as mounts, the idea of an aberration, a twisted, insane creature, able to bond to this extreme with a normal mind doesn't strike me as appropriate.

NeoSeraphi
2011-06-03, 10:30 AM
I love it, great job :smallsmile:. I've been aching for a good rider class for years. I'm going to link this on my recruitment thread to use in my upcoming game session if that's ok with you.

One thing about the mount: How about when choosing a new mount( for whatever reason) you need to spend a week with the new animal to make the bond? Perhaps instead of a wekk it could be a number of days based on your level, to represent training and forging the bond etc.

Most definitely! The more the merrier. Encourage your players to PEACH, if you don't mind. I'm still new to this homebrewing thing.

I decided to leave the bonding thing (since that's a roleplay aspect) up to the DM and his players to talk about. I mean, the penalty for a mount dying is already steeper than for a paladin, but I don't want the mechanic to throw off a game's flow. If someone wants to use a cavalier in a dungeon crawl they should be able to, without slowing the game down. While in a normal game, yes, the theme of the class would encourage the cavalier to roleplay an appropriate amount of mourning and then bond with a similar creature to fill the void or maybe as a way of moving on. But I trust the DM to take up that role.

Draken
2011-06-03, 11:19 AM
You can't attack from the back of an animal larger than large because your weapon doesn't reach that high. It destroys the idea of the class.

I can see Magical Beasts, it might be fun to have a chimera as a mount, but definitely not undead. Bonding with something that is mindless doesn't seem likely, and the intelligent undead can't be trusted.

Riding an outsider? (Sorry, but when people say outsiders I get images of bipedal angels, devils, eladrins, inevitables, demons and elementals). I wasn't aware there were even that many Large or Medium sized quadripedal outsiders.

Most fey are medium aren't they? That might work for halfling and gnome cavaliers...

As for aberrations, the bonding problem comes up again. Though drow sometimes use aberrations as mounts, the idea of an aberration, a twisted, insane creature, able to bond to this extreme with a normal mind doesn't strike me as appropriate.

While the bolded part would make sense (for the majority of creatures, but not all of them) when you fight without reach weapons, there is no such rule. Also, the rhino and dire bear are huge. Bring out the dinosaurs. I mean, check MM III, the Battletitan is a riding dinosaur.

For outsider mounts... Nightmares, Howlers, Hellcats, Hellhounds (advanced ones for medium riders). Couple others.

Aberrations are not all insane or evil, some are animalistic, most are simply weird. There are scant few animalistic undead, however.

Your list is terribly lacking in Flying (dire bat... I think dire eagles are large), swimming (SHARKS!).

Other than those, looks like a fun class.

NeoSeraphi
2011-06-03, 11:37 AM
While the bolded part would make sense (for the majority of creatures, but not all of them) when you fight without reach weapons, there is no such rule. Also, the rhino and dire bear are huge. Bring out the dinosaurs. I mean, check MM III, the Battletitan is a riding dinosaur.

For outsider mounts... Nightmares, Howlers, Hellcats, Hellhounds (advanced ones for medium riders). Couple others.

Aberrations are not all insane or evil, some are animalistic, most are simply weird. There are scant few animalistic undead, however.

Your list is terribly lacking in Flying (dire bat... I think dire eagles are large), swimming (SHARKS!).

Other than those, looks like a fun class.

Just double-checked the Monster Manual. The dire bear and rhino are both Large.

You're not supposed to fly or swim in this class. It's a mounted combat class. It's not a druid. The idea isn't versatility, it's compatibility. If you want to use my class in an aquatic campaign, you can talk with your DM and create your own list (probably borrowing from the druid) to make an aquatic list.

The reason that I am mainly opposed to non-animal mounts is because non-animal mounts have alignments other than neutral, and they are not as easy to control with Handle Animal checks.

But I guess I can go ahead and look at it...

NeoSeraphi
2011-06-03, 11:47 AM
Extraordinary Mount
Prerequisites: Special Mount class feature, character level 6th
Benefit: If you are able to befriend an intelligent being with whom you share a language, you may use that creature as your mount.

The creature may not be of the dragon, giant, humanoid, monstrous humanoid, undead, or construct subtype. It may not have a flight, burrow, or swim speed, and must have a base land speed. It must have an Intelligence score. It must be of a Size category no more or less than exactly one greater than your own. It must not walk on its hind legs, but move as a horse would with all feet firmly on the ground. Its alignment must be exactly the same as yours. This feat allows you to make Diplomacy checks in place of Handle Animal checks with this mount if it has an Intelligence score that is no higher than 11. If you have 5 or more ranks in Diplomacy, you gain a +2 synergy bonus on Ride checks with this mount. (You do not receive a +2 synergy bonus on Ride checks made with a non-animal from having 5 ranks in the Handle Animal skill).

Your new mount gains abilities normally from the Special Mount class feature, though it does not gain the Warbeast template. To calculate your effective cavalier level, subtract 3 from your cavalier level for every 3 HD the mount has beyond 1. (-3 for a creature with 4 HD, -6 for a creature with 7 HD, etc).

If your alignment ever permanently shifts away from your mount's alignment, it will abandon you. In all ways, including the morale penalty to all actions, this is treated as your mount dying.

NeoSeraphi
2011-08-16, 06:59 PM
About to playtest this class for the first time. Bumping to get any last minute suggestions.