How would you make a 10th-level knight?

[Mars Ultor]

If you were creating a story-book version of a 10th-level knight using the Fighter class, not a Paladin, and not the Knight class, how would you do it? Prestige classes if you like, Cavalier or whatever, that's up to you.

Assume an Intelligence modifier of +1 and human, that's 52 skill points to spend. Each skill rank costs one, ignore cross-class limitations.

I'm thinking Ride, Handle Animal (for horses and falconry), Knowledge: Nobility and Royalty, and some knowledge of History, and Architecture and Engineering (how castles are built and can be defended or put under siege). A few ranks in Diplomacy so he can visit the royal court and exchange pleasantries and make friends. Those are my thoughts, you can go any direction you like.

He's got 11 feats (or less if you choose a Prestige Class), likely a variety of Mounted Combat feats and Leadership so he can have a squire, but it's your choice. You can choose any feats you like from any official D&D 3.0 or 3.5 source that's not setting specific, although Forgotten Realms feats are okay.

If you absolutely need to multiclass (PHB core classes only), just adjust the skill points and feats as necessary. No alternate class features or hocus-pocus allowed.

Also, at 10th level his heavy warhorse is already a liability in that it has fewer Hit Points than he does. Is there a feat that would allow him to have a tougher warhorse or something else? Is there a feat that duplicates an Animal Companion. Can you use the Leadership feat to get higher-powered warhorse as a cohort?

[TotallyNotEvil]

Without Paladin, Cavalier, while not exactly sterling in general, is at least very good at executing exactly this kind of concept.

A very interesting lineup that I'd go if at all possible for in a mounted combat build is Monstrous Mount.

You could take the Bodyguard Archetype for your mount, and take Bodyguard as a feat for both you and the mount. Both the archetype and the feat help it a lot.

@edit: Ah, Cavalier as in a PrC, not the base class? My bad.

You could still do the Monstrous Mount (or just a much better horse) with Nature Soul -> Animal Ally. Boon Companion can help.

Should be able to fit the usual Mounted Combat stuff pretty easily with a fighter.

Or just Wild Cohort yourself a better horse, that's easy.

[liquidformat]

First off you will want wild cohort (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) as one of your first level feats and pickup a magebred heavy horse and add warbeast template to it. Now your mount is settled!

Now I would take Zhentarim Soldier only put 2-5 points diplomacy, 5 in bluff, and pump intimidate; your three main skills should be handle animal, intimidate, and ride. I would also take Dreadful Wrath at level 1 as your human bonus and mounted combat as your last feat at level 1, ride by attack (lvl 2), natural bond (lvl 3), spirited charge (lvl 2), skill trick Never Outnumbered (lvl5), Imperious Command(lvl6), open (lvl 6), open(lvl 8), Leadership(lvl 9).

From there maybe look at legendary Tactician(DCS) or Warmast(SaS) while they are basically the same class they do have slight entry requirements and functionality differences.

[Telonius]

Definitely Leadership. You'll want a squire to carry all your stuff, maybe some attendants, followers, minstrels, the occasional court magician, things like that. One rank in UMD. Profession (Siege Engineer). Definitely a couple ranks in Knowledge (Nature). Maybe Perform (coconuts).

[Mars Ultor]

Pathfinder stuff

TotallyNotEvil, we're playing 3.5, not Pathfinder. Thanks anyway.

[ShurikVch]

Dragon #310 have the "Knight" variant of Fighter class

Knight Protector PrC (Complete Warrior) from the 3rd-level CF, may* get additional 5' step from every successful attack via Cleave or Great Cleave (both are prerequisites)
*RAW is unclear

If you will take Leadership anyway, then check the Warmaster PrC (Sword and Fist) - AFAIR, it's the only class which gives you a castle as a class feature

[Kuulvheysoon]

Noting says that your cohort and followers form Leadership need to be humanoid. Nab an awakened horse as your cohort and load it up with something silly, like Crusader levels. Get that charging synergy going.

EDIT: If restricted to Core only, you could have a barbarian horse. It'd be amusing, if nothing else, and that d12 HD would make it beefy as heck.

[Mars Ultor]

First off you will want wild cohort (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) as one of your first level feats and pickup a magebred heavy horse and add warbeast template to it. Now your mount is settled!

Now I would take Zhentarim Soldier only put 2-5 points diplomacy, 5 in bluff, and pump intimidate; your three main skills should be handle animal, intimidate, and ride. I would also take Dreadful Wrath at level 1 as your human bonus and mounted combat as your last feat at level 1, ride by attack (lvl 2), natural bond (lvl 3), spirited charge (lvl 2), skill trick Never Outnumbered (lvl5), Imperious Command(lvl6), open (lvl 6), open(lvl 8), Leadership(lvl 9).

From there maybe look at legendary Tactician(DCS) or Warmast(SaS) while they are basically the same class they do have slight entry requirements and functionality differences.

Is Wild Cohort from a book? I saw the link, but I don't know the source. I'll take a look at Zhentarim Soldier, but the other stuff is Eberron or Dragonlance, I can't use it. Thanks.

[Thurbane]

Wild Cohort is online only: it never appeared in a book, only in that linked article.

[vasilidor]

mounted combat, ride by attack, spirited charge, dire charge, weapon focus and weapon specialization lance, then stuff to make the horse not die.

[Particle_Man]

Would Purple Dragon Knight be an ok prestige class or is it banned because it has the word “knight” in it?

[liquidformat]

Is Wild Cohort from a book? I saw the link, but I don't know the source. I'll take a look at Zhentarim Soldier, but the other stuff is Eberron or Dragonlance, I can't use it. Thanks.

warbeast is from MMII actually and Warmast is actually from Sword and Fist I just mistyped though that does make it 3.0 material...

[Mars Ultor]

Would Purple Dragon Knight be an ok prestige class or is it banned because it has the word “knight” in it?

Purple Dragon Knight is good. The Knight class itself isn't available, Prestige Classes and such are fine.

[Mars Ultor]

warbeast is from MMII actually and Warmast is actually from Sword and Fist I just mistyped though that does make it 3.0 material...

Warmaster is great, thanks for the suggestion.

[mattie_p]

As frequently happens when somebody presents a challenge or thought problem like this (How do I make an "X" without taking levels in "X"?), I recommend consulting the Zinc Saucier Archive (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?370235-Zinc-Saucier-XXVIII-Chivalry-is-not-dead!/page2). Builds start at post 44.