[PF] Cavalier Optimization

[AgitoBlues]

Got a question for you guys.

I am a compulsive munchkin (from a trauma I got from playing Saturday Morning Heresy earlier in my life), playing a Goblin Cavalier in a Pathfinder game.

Now I just hit lvl7, gotta get myself a new feat, and surprise surprise, my GM allowed me to take Leadership.

I was thinking to get myself a Goblin Druid 6 as a cohort, the plan is he would wild-shape into a medium flying creature and then we go gattai into a aerial charging monstrosity.

How would this work mechanical? Does the wild-shaped druid still benefit from my Mounted Combat feat? Do we act as one entity, or do we still have separate action slot in a round, ie: Flying Druid casts spells, and the Cavalier rain arrow death from his back.

Anyone have any clue?

Cavalier Optimization thread I guess? For some reason there isn't any half way decent guide for the class.

[Keneth]

For some reason there isn't any half way decent guide for the class.

That would be because it's not a halfway decent class. :smalltongue:

[Snowbluff]

That would be because it's not a halfway decent class. :smalltongue:

I concur. I would say play a paladin, instead.

As for your mount questions, any creature should work for a mount. If the Druid is a size larger than you, it should count.

[stack]

There is a guide here (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uuAB8SfE5ssZLYwa1LuQQ4haz1tD1q28Iyl8XAdMNxY/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1). Been awhile since I read it, so I can't comment on it.

As for rules interactions with a PC mount...good luck. The normal mounted combat rules are fuzzy enough as it is. It will pretty much just be whatever your DM says.

[AgitoBlues]

That would be because it's not a halfway decent class. :smalltongue:

Really? Even with the 'Smite Everything' class ability?

x3 damage via spirited charge + lance is pretty sick to me.

[Deathkeeper]

Really? Even with the 'Smite Everything' class ability?

x3 damage via spirited charge + lance is pretty sick to me.

It is, but usually you can't charge more than once or twice per combat. Although with Fly-By attack...

[Snowbluff]

Really? Even with the 'Smite Everything' class ability?

x3 damage via spirited charge + lance is pretty sick to me.

If it had the other benefits, maybe. You should have no problem slaying things with mounted charges without Smite/Challenge.

[Keneth]

Really? Even with the 'Smite Everything' class ability?

I might be slightly biased in my opinion because we have a standing rule at our table that smite works on everything as long as they oppose your code or goals. I never liked the whole smite evil/good/law/chaos/chickens distinction.

But even in a vanilla game, it doesn't make the cavalier any more decent.

[Coidzor]

How would this work mechanical? Does the wild-shaped druid still benefit from my Mounted Combat feat? Do we act as one entity, or do we still have separate action slot in a round, ie: Flying Druid casts spells, and the Cavalier rain arrow death from his back.

Mounted combat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/mounted-combat-combat---final) feat would apply, yes as your character is mounted upon the cohort.

They act as two separate entities because they're two separate characters with their own sets of actions. Usually best for one to hold until the other's initiative count so that they can better coordinate. The druid can fly around and cast spells and the cavalier can rain down arrows, yeah, but it seems a waste to use cavalier in this instance, since they're not exactly the best archers by my understanding and you seem to be wasting the mount entirely by using a cohort instead.

[illyrus]

Even if you didn't use the cohort as a mount having a druid in the party could be a big benefit. Druid can use call animal (with some +CL traits/effects) and wartrain mount to capture and temp train almost any animal mount you could want at any time. Cavalier can quickly train them to prevent the spell from needing to be cast every day. Have your goblin with his small lance initiate charges on the back of a Roc etc. Basically any animal in the book can be yours as a mount within a few hours and replacing a dead one is trivial. Between the two of you you could easily have a trained zoo of animals all with the "defend" command given for the low low price of 0 gold.

Also nothing stopping you from using the druid's animal companion as a backup mount either.

[grarrrg]

Now I just hit lvl7...

I was thinking to get myself a Goblin Druid 6 as a cohort

Other than the whole "Cohort must be at least 2 levels lower than you" I see nothing wrong with this.