Pathfinder Cavalier Help Needed

[Dante Leos]

So in a game I am currently playing I am playing as a Cavalier (Beast Rider Archetype). And there are a number of things that I need assistance with.

1. Does the Animal Companion Base Statistics table apply to any new mount that you acquire? Or is that only for a standard Cavalier?

2. Also, which mounts are available as mounts? It is not to specific in this regard, and as such I am confused.

3. Lastly, of the mounts available, which ones are efficient? I want efficiency, but I also want to not be too cheesy with a mount, such as having like a phoenix or something. Things such as Pegasi I am fine with, and I want to keep it as close to a traditional mount as possible, I would still like any suggestions though as I will consider any mount.

On another note, at this point I am considering multiclassing into Paladin, and want to know if anyone has suggestions on this regard such as archetypes or classes better suited for multiclassing with Cavalier.

Sorry about the somewhat long winded post.

[grarrrg]

1. Does the Animal Companion Base Statistics table apply to any new mount that you acquire? Or is that only for a standard Cavalier?

If the Mount is acquired as part of your "Mount" class feature, then it uses the Animal Companion table.
If you just go out and buy a horse, or use Handle Animal to train something wild, or whatever, it is stuck with it's normal stats.


2. Also, which mounts are available as mounts? It is not to specific in this regard, and as such I am confused.

??
Read the "Mount" class feature. And, since you said Beast Rider archetype, read that class feature.

Cavalier
"A Medium cavalier can select a camel or a horse. A Small cavalier can select a pony or wolf, but can also select a boar or a dog if he is at least 4th level."

Beast Rider (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/cavalier/archetypes/paizo---cavalier-archetypes/beast-rider)
"Small-sized beast riders can choose a pony or wolf mount at 1st level. At 4th level, a Small beast rider can also choose an allosaurus, ankylosaurus, arsinoitherium, aurochs, bison, boar, brachiosaurus, elephant, glyptodon, hippopotamus, mastodon, megaloceros, riding dog, giant snapping turtle, triceratops, or tyrannosaurus. At 7th level, he can also choose a dinosaur (deinonychus or velociraptor).

Medium beast riders can choose a camel or horse mount at 1st level. At 4th level, a Medium beast rider can also choose an allosaurus, ankylosaurus, arsinoitherium, aurochs, bison, brachiosaurus, elephant, glyptodon, hippopotamus, lion, mastodon, megaloceros, giant snapping turtle, tiger, triceratops, or tyrannosaurus as his mount."

These are the animals you can have as mounts by way of your class feature.
Anything else is entirely subject to DM approval.


On another note, at this point I am considering multiclassing into Paladin, and want to know if anyone has suggestions on this regard such as archetypes or classes better suited for multiclassing with Cavalier.

Most Paladin/Cavalier multi-classes are almost always better off going straight Paladin instead.

[Dante Leos]

Thanks for the help, but one thing needs to be specified, the part of the mount feature I was confused about was this, "In addition, a 7th-level or higher Medium beast rider can select any creature whose natural size is Large or Huge, provided that creature is normally available as a Medium-sized animal companion at 7th level (like a bear)."

I am not certain what this statement means by "normally available." Does it just mean that you can use the mounts of a small character and make them large enough to be rideable to a medium cavalier or something else?

Also, the main purpose of the dip in cavalier is that I REALLY want the third level ability to be immune to disease, as our dm is using "corruption" and it is nearly impossible to save against if hit by it at our level, and then you get a few saves once you have it, but afterwards we have not found a way to shake it off. In fact one of our pc's have been hit by it, and is now seemingly unable to get rid of it, and has been locked in a cell as that's the only course of action we had as he is now a walking plague and is now chaotic evil. Because of this I desperately need something that will at least make us far less vulnerable to this plague, as how are we supposed to do anything when we can turn chaotic evil from a few bad saves after getting hit by a corrupted weapon?

[grarrrg]

"In addition, a 7th-level or higher Medium beast rider can select any creature whose natural size is Large or Huge, provided that creature is normally available as a Medium-sized animal companion at 7th level (like a bear)."

I am not certain what this statement means by "normally available." Does it just mean that you can use the mounts of a small character and make them large enough to be rideable to a medium cavalier or something else?

Go to the Animal Companions (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/animal-companions) page

Scroll down to the giant table that lists every possible animal companion.
Look for a Companion that would be Medium Sized at level 7.

A Bear is Small, until level 4, when it becomes Medium. So at level 7 it is Medium, and valid for Beast Rider. Beast Rider bumps it up to Large and gives it an extra +STR -DEX +CON.

An Antelope starts Small, and never gains a size increase. It is NOT valid for Beast Rider, because it would be Small at level 7.

A Brachiosaurus starts Medium, and grows to Large at level 7. It is NOT valid for Beast Rider, because it is Large at level 7.


Also, the main purpose of the dip in PALADIN is that I REALLY want the third level ability to be immune to disease

In that case, see if your DM will allow Paladin levels to stack with Cavalier for the sake of the Beast Rider mount, then take at least 5 levels of Paladin.
Alternately, the Boon Companion feat will make up 4 levels of non-Cavalier for purposes of your mount progression.
Other Alternately, see if you can just whole hog swap Cavalier levels for Paladin levels. You'll lose the cooler 'beast mount', but probably be overall better off.

[Dante Leos]

Thanks. Also I am thinking of pulling out on beast rider and just going main cavalier as the dm will probably let me switch as I still have a horse anyways, and I can use magic or just find a new mount to improve my base one and also be able to get horse master. Also, I am pondering taking the Empyreal Knight Paladin variant but many say its a trap unless fixed, but my DM should be reasonable in this regard to changes to the class features, such as having it with Divine Grace and having a much more limited form of lay on hands whilst having its class features. Thoughts?

[grarrrg]

Empyreal Knight is mainly considered weak because you lose quite a bit up front, and it doesn't really pay off until the higher levels.
At level 20, it's fairly balanced. At around, say, level 6 it's much worse than 'normal' Paladin.