Seeking Human Cavalier Build Advice

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I've joined an AD&D game beginning next month, and I've received the basic building blocks to build my character for it from the DM. I didn't get into D&D until around 3.0 and 3.5 editions, so I have no real idea of how to get this character sheet written up, especially since I only have the Player's Handbook to work with, and the information for the class I've selected is Unearthed Arcana. The DM rolled all the Attributes and listed all the magic items I have, which I will provide here:

Character: Cavalier (I'm going to come up with a name for him later)
Race: Human
Basic Concept: Renown Captain & Mercenary Commander
Class & Level: 10th level Cavalier
HP: 95
STR 18(91)
INT 16
WIS 18
DEX 18
CON 18
CHA 18
COM 15*
PER 18**

*(Comeliness, a homebrew attribute the DM created, representing physical attractiveness as opposed to Charisma, which represents confidence and charm.)
**(Perception, another homebrew attribute, representing observantness and awareness, mostly being used by the DM rather than ourselves to measure whether we spot something.)

Magic Items
+3 Vorpal Blade
+3 Plate Armor
+3 Lg Shield
Ring of Protection (+2)
Necklace of Adaption
Bag of Holding (XL)

I'm free to select any amount of mundane gear, money being no object, as long as it is not magical, so I'm not sure what I should buy apart from the obvious like a horse to ride and barding to protect it.

So...I kind of need a crash course in how to complete the character sheet after penciling this information into the sheet. Any grognards out there feel like helping a n00b out? Thank you in advance for any advice you might have. :smallsmile:

[Particle_Man]

With those stats have you considered the paladin? If you are using Unearthed Arcana it is a subclass of Cavalier. You have to be a superduper LG good guy though.

Anyhow, your saving throws are on a table in the DMG. You might ask the DM what they are.

Your "to hit" is based on a table in the DMG. A very nice DM might give you info on that but some like to keep that info to themselves.

I don't know if Comeliness is actually a house rule as it is detailed in the UA but maybe your DM houserules it differently from the book.

You might check to see if your DM uses the optional psionics rules. If so there is a small chance you might get some extra abilities (and extra vulnerabilities).

With that kind of INT, you may have learned some languages by level 10. Talk to your DM.

Also, with that CHR you could have a lot of loyal henchmen and that could fit since you are a mercenary commander. Again, talk to your DM.

If you ever get bored with this character you don't have to retire him. You could dual-class as pretty much anything except a magic-user. Then again, you don't have to.

Some DMs use the weapons table that lists bonuses and penalties to hit vs. various armour types. If so, you could write those down somewhere with your favoured weapons, to save time. Again, ask your DM.

I guess the main thing you have to worry about is that there is a very definite code about Cavaliers detailling who you must attack and in what order. This might lead to a dead character despite those high stats. Just a warning.

[Thrudd]

Holy crap, those stats are insane. You can literally be anything. Sure you don't want to be a monk?

The Cavalier has a ton of special rules, you really need to look at Unearthed Arcana. There are many implications and assumptions for the setting that go along with having the cavalier class as described in the book, so you'll need to ask the DM if all the rules in there even apply to you or his game, and if not which ones do and don't. The cavalier is a knight that obeys particular rules of chivalry and follows a strict code of conduct in the service of a deity or a noble or some other organization. So you need to know from the DM exactly who or what it is that you might serve. You are going to have a small army of men-at-arms at your command, in addition to the normal henchmen you can attract, some of whom will/must be lower level cavaliers.

There's really too much to write up quickly, to cover everything you need to know about this class. You should do a search, you can probably find someone that has posted the rules. This page seems to have most of the rules, though references some changes particular to a specific campaign - http://www.mjyoung.net/dungeon/char/clas008.html

In 1e AD&D you don't really "build" much - you've already done it once you've picked your race and class. The main choices you have to make are what weapons from your list of allowed weapons you have proficiency in. For cavalier, also which of those weapons are your "weapons of choice" that you get extra bonuses to-hit with at certain levels. At level 10 you'll have a total of seven weapons you are proficient with. Since you've been given a vorpal sword, you'd probably want to pick whatever type of sword that is (I think they are generally long swords) as your sword of choice for extra to-hit bonus.

[MeeposFire]

Funny enough in 1e AD&D most of what you are used to having on the character sheet (save values, attack values, etc) are not typically on your character sheet.

Since you can have anything non-magical perhaps get yourself a castle and design it fully equpied with an army and whatnot. Get your tax base going (that is important stuff in 1e!).

Those stats are beyond crazy. Stick with cavalier for awhile and then consider dual class into something else like cleric later on. Also unless you do not want to deal with the restrictions I also recommend going cavalier (paladin) since you got it going and it is an upgrade in 1e UA.

[Drumbum42]

So, I recently played a Cavalier with my 1st Edition group. I was really excited to play a Cavalier, so I did a bunch of research to figure out how to use all these rules, because the rules for Cavalier in UA are insane. And TSR agreed, so they re-worked the class fairly soon after UA was released.

And here is the rework: (Dragon Magazine 148, just the Cavalier section)
https://whitestar.drumbum42.com:2471/owncloud/index.php/s/5tkOaYkFvCrl5pJ
It fixes LOTS of problems with the class. Including:
Being required to charge blindly into battle, and unable to retreat. (Being "cavalier")
That stat "buff" where you just GET extra STR, CON, and DEX when leveling.
Those weird weapon rules.

I'm not going to lie, it's an overall nerf. BUT, it was really fun to play. Charging into battle and lancing the big guy for extra damage was pretty fun. The Cavalier, as written in UA, is over-powered by a fair amount. This makes the class more balanced and easier to play. (Though accepting the Dragon Mag is up to the DM!)

As for advice, starting at level 10 is odd, but you get some cool stuff. Such as you can ride a "mythical" mount, like a Pegasus or Hippogriff and get nice weapon bonuses. It is also fun to be a member of some Knight Order/Brotherhood. Adds good Role Play value.

[Kyrell1978]

I've joined an AD&D game beginning next month, and I've received the basic building blocks to build my character for it from the DM. I didn't get into D&D until around 3.0 and 3.5 editions, so I have no real idea of how to get this character sheet written up, especially since I only have the Player's Handbook to work with, and the information for the class I've selected is Unearthed Arcana. The DM rolled all the Attributes and listed all the magic items I have, which I will provide here:

Character: Cavalier (I'm going to come up with a name for him later)
Race: Human
Basic Concept: Renown Captain & Mercenary Commander
Class & Level: 10th level Cavalier
HP: 95
STR 18(91)
INT 16
WIS 18
DEX 18
CON 18
CHA 18
COM 15*
PER 18**

*(Comeliness, a homebrew attribute the DM created, representing physical attractiveness as opposed to Charisma, which represents confidence and charm.)
**(Perception, another homebrew attribute, representing observantness and awareness, mostly being used by the DM rather than ourselves to measure whether we spot something.)

Magic Items
+3 Vorpal Blade
+3 Plate Armor
+3 Lg Shield
Ring of Protection (+2)
Necklace of Adaption
Bag of Holding (XL)

I'm free to select any amount of mundane gear, money being no object, as long as it is not magical, so I'm not sure what I should buy apart from the obvious like a horse to ride and barding to protect it.

So...I kind of need a crash course in how to complete the character sheet after penciling this information into the sheet. Any grognards out there feel like helping a n00b out? Thank you in advance for any advice you might have. :smallsmile:

Wow! (Comeliness is actually an old optional stat also. Just FYI) Here's a link to a simple character sheet (character generator actually but hey whatever). https://thedarkforum.000webhostapp.com/adnd/adnd.html You really just need to fill out all the blank spots.

[Thrudd]

I can only guess from the level and these stats that this is going to be a god-fighting game of some sort. Conquer the hells and the abyss, something like that.

[Particle_Man]

“A Cavalier in Hell”

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Holy crap, those stats are insane. You can literally be anything. Sure you don't want to be a monk?
The monk is the ONE thing the DM banned. The catch is that he wrote up the stats and stuff for each PC, and let us pick which one we wanted from what was available. There are 5 "main character" types (including me) who start at "name level" (i.e. 10th) and each of us has a "sidekick" or "friend" PC of a slightly lower level played by another person, for a grand total of 10 or so players.

The group is made up of:

The Cavalier and the Tinker Gnome
The Wizard and the Kender
The Ranger and the Ogre
The Friar and the Paladin
The Bard and the Bard's Agent

The Tinker Gnome is being played by the GM's wife, and she's kind of my aide-de-camp.

So when I picked Cavalier, I signed on to be the Cavalier, so I'm not going to be able to change my class. And besides, since I took the Cavalier, I get to be the party's leader (we've been hired to escort a ludicrously valuable shipment of crystals to the drow capital city)! :smallcool:

I'll have to ask the DM if my mount can be something besides a horse, though I imagine flying won't be as useful once we get underground.

[Lord Torath]

The monk is the ONE thing the DM banned. The catch is that he wrote up the stats and stuff for each PC, and let us pick which one we wanted from what was available. There are 5 "main character" types (including me) who start at "name level" (i.e. 10th) and each of us has a "sidekick" or "friend" PC of a slightly lower level played by another person, for a grand total of 10 or so players.

The group is made up of:

The Cavalier and the Tinker Gnome
The Wizard and the Kender
The Ranger and the Ogre
The Friar and the Paladin
The Bard and the Bard's Agent

The Tinker Gnome is being played by the GM's wife, and she's kind of my aide-de-camp.

So when I picked Cavalier, I signed on to be the Cavalier, so I'm not going to be able to change my class. And besides, since I took the Cavalier, I get to be the party's leader (we've been hired to escort a ludicrously valuable shipment of crystals to the drow capital city)! :smallcool:

I'll have to ask the DM if my mount can be something besides a horse, though I imagine flying won't be as useful once we get underground.See if you can get a Rhino!

[Thrudd]

The monk is the ONE thing the DM banned. The catch is that he wrote up the stats and stuff for each PC, and let us pick which one we wanted from what was available. There are 5 "main character" types (including me) who start at "name level" (i.e. 10th) and each of us has a "sidekick" or "friend" PC of a slightly lower level played by another person, for a grand total of 10 or so players.

The group is made up of:

The Cavalier and the Tinker Gnome
The Wizard and the Kender
The Ranger and the Ogre
The Friar and the Paladin
The Bard and the Bard's Agent

The Tinker Gnome is being played by the GM's wife, and she's kind of my aide-de-camp.

So when I picked Cavalier, I signed on to be the Cavalier, so I'm not going to be able to change my class. And besides, since I took the Cavalier, I get to be the party's leader (we've been hired to escort a ludicrously valuable shipment of crystals to the drow capital city)! :smallcool:

I'll have to ask the DM if my mount can be something besides a horse, though I imagine flying won't be as useful once we get underground.

It's weird you would be given the cavalier to choose from, but no information about the class from which to build your character. Have you found out if it is the UA version, or the Dragon Mag version, or a homebrew? I suppose that any mundane weapons you choose are going to be irrelevant next to the vorpal sword anyway - but as a cavalier the primary weapon of your profession is the lance - in UA you do +1 dmg per character level on lance attacks delivered from horseback. You will definitely need a mount and a lance. In UA, cavaliers are able to pick out the best horses, so their mounts get extra HP. It will be questionable whether you can even bring your horse underground.
I can't imagine any other mundane gear will be meaningful, unless you want to have some emergency rations and your basic adventuring tools stowed away in the bag of holding. If you can have literally anything with price no object, maybe you want to have a ship docked somewhere, a keep (you'd probably have that), some siege engines. But the DM may not intend for any of that stuff to be relevant.

Do you actually have a character sheet, with spaces to fill in, or are you making your own?
The old AD&D sheets I remember had a spot for your saving throws, and also a to-hit chart to fill in that goes from AC 10 to 0, although in your case you might want to go all the way to -10. Both of those charts are in the DMG. You've got your ability scores, of course, with spaces to write any modifiers that come from them, your HP and AC, and spaces to write your equipment.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Yes, I do have a physical character sheet to fill out.

And my GM has confirmed we will be using the fixed cavalier Drumbum42 linked earlier.