WARRIOR-CAVALIER Class Description: In his or her own and similar cultures, the Cavalier is a mighty hero who has the respect of the majority of the population. He or she has the goodwill of the people, who may respect his or her dedication to lofty goals of heroism, to maintaining the social order, or to maintaining swift and certain justice to criminals and outlaws, depending on the Cavalier's alignment. A prospective Cavalier must either be from the upper class or must be sponsored by a noble family, and in their careers they must represent everything the ruling class stands for. In most cases, this includes the protection of the weak and defenseless (often including a certain degree of condescending reverence for women) and valor and honor in combat, and in almost all cases it also focuses upon upholding the rights of the ruling class to rule. In any event, society expects certain things of a Cavalier, though he or she may or may not actually live up to those ideals of chivalry and honor. In order to become a Cavalier, a character must be in service to some sort of noble ruler, order of knighthood, or other special cause. In short, a Cavalier is a tireless friend, a staunch cheerleader of the cause of honor and valor on the battlefield, and often an overenthusiastic pain in the neck to those who see things differently. Requirements: Cavaliers use the Paladin/Ranger advancement table and gain ten- sided hit dice, gaining 3 hit points per level thereafter. Cavaliers begin with 4 weapon and 3 non-weapon proficiency slots and gain a new slot in each every 3 levels. Cavaliers may be of any alignment, but only humans, aasimar, elves (other than wild elves), and half-elves may become Cavaliers, and this demanding class requires scores of at least 13 in Strength and Constitution and at least 10 in Intelligence, Dexterity, and Charisma. Weapons & Armor: A Cavalier can wear ring mail or any heavier type of armor, but cannot wear leather or hide armor (see Special Hindrances). A Cavalier can use shields of all types. A Cavalier's Weapons of Choice (see below) are as follows: Primary lance (all) Secondary sword (broad, bastard, or scimitar) Tertiary dagger/knife (any), flail (any), mace (any), pick (horseman's) Elven cavaliers may select short composite bow as a Tertiary Weapon of Choice. Only after all weapons listed here have been learned can a Cavalier become proficient in weapons of other types. Special Benefits: Cavaliers begin their careers essentially as esquires in the service of some higher lord or knightly order. Any Cavalier who reaches 5th level will be officially dubbed a knight of the order. A Cavalier of 9th level and above becomes a Knight Banneret, entitled to fly his or her battle flag in the service of the knighthood. Aura of Bravery: Cavaliers are completely immune to all forms of fear, and his or her bravery inspires all others in a 10' radius, granting a +2 on their saves vs. fear. A Cavalier also gains a +4 bonus to saving throws vs. enchantment/charm spells and effects and a +2 bonus to saving throws vs. illusion/phantasm spells and effects. Telepathic power scores are penalized by 2 when such powers are used against a Cavalier. This protection does not extend to others. Banner of Renown: When a Cavalier earns the title of Knight Banneret at 9th level, he or she must acquire a pennon (battle flag) emblazoned with his or her coat of arms, and he or she must fly that flag at all times in his or her travels. A Cavalier will sometimes fly this battle flag from his or her own lance, or he or she may use one of his or her Retainers (see below) as a bannerman and herald. A Cavalier of this level has earned a certain degree of repute, and unless he or she has suffered a humiliating defeat in view of witnesses a Cavalier's banner is an object of profound respect and can be quite intimidating to potential enemies. Any hostile beings (other than undead, mindless creatures, and extraplanar creatures) who see and recognize that banner must check morale before coming within 100 yards of the bearer, assuming that the person carrying it looks reasonable capable of defending him- or herself. In addition, all followers and allies of the Cavalier gain a +2 morale bonus as long as the banner is visible. Horsemanship: Cavaliers are expert horsemen and are trained in mounted combat. A Cavalier's mount can be coaxed to greater than normal speed without loss of endurance, gaining a +1 bonus to its MV rate for every three levels of the Cavalier (rounding up, maximum of +6), assuming that the animal is not encumbered. In addition, his or her mount will never panic from normal causes and also receives a +2 bonus to saves vs. fear. A Cavalier also gains a 5% chance per level of completely avoiding damage when thrown from a mount or when faced with trampling or stampeding animals (including exotic creatures such as elephants or dinosaurs), and in any event they will suffer no more than half damage in such situations. A Cavalier and his or her mount also make a very deadly and efficient fighting tandem, being very difficult to fight against. Any time a Cavalier is mounted, both the Cavalier and his or her mount gain one bonus hit point per level of the Cavalier due to their incredible skill at working together as an equestrian fighting machine. These hit points disappear if a Cavalier is dismounted, but any damage suffered by the Cavalier or his or her mount should be subtracted from these 'bonus' hit points before subtracting from their actual hit points. These 'bonus' hit points are automatically replenished at the beginning of every battle and need not be 'healed'. In addition, to gaining bonus hit points, a Cavalier of 5th level or higher gains a +1 Armor Class bonus when mounted, which applies to both the Cavalier and his or her mount. This bonus increases to +2 at 10th level. Finally, a Cavalier is an expert judge of horses and will never be satisfied with anything less than the finest quality horse to serve as his or her mount. Any horse that he or she personally selects will have a +2 bonus hit points per hit die (maximum of 8 hit points per die). Knight's Challenge: A knighted Cavalier of 5th level and above can issue a Knight's Challenge to any creature with at least as many hit dice or levels as the Cavalier (or any creature with 10 or more hit dice). The Cavalier must be able to speak to the recipient of the challenge in a language it can understand, and the recipient must be close enough to see the Cavalier (usually within 100 yards). If this is done, the Cavalier can demand that the creature come forth and fight, facing the Cavalier on the field of honor. The Cavalier and the recipient must then make 'opposed' Charisma (for the Cavalier) and Wisdom (for the recipient of the Knight's Challenge). If the Cavalier succeeds on this check by a larger margin (or succeeds and the recipient fails), the affected creature must immediately advance and engage the Cavalier in melee combat unless physically restrained by another creature (this will break the compulsion to attack, but will completely occupy both creatures for a full round). Creatures that are unwilling to fight can attempt a save vs. spell each round to break off the fight; failure indicates that they must keep battling. An affected creature can attempt to use missile weapons, spells, psionics, innate powers, and the like, but he or she must first of all close to melee range with the Cavalier. If both checks fail, if the recipient of the Knight's Challenge succeeds by a greater margin than the Cavalier, or if the recipient succeeds on its check while the Cavalier fails, then the Knight's Challenge is ignored. If the Cavalier rolls a natural 20 on his or her Charisma check, the Knight's Challenge automatically fails and in fact the Cavalier suffers a loss of confidence and retreats from the field in humiliated submission for 1d4 rounds. A Cavalier has a 5% chance per level over 5th that he or she will have the mental fortitude to overcome this shame and hold his or her place on the field of battle rather than retreating, despite having his or her challenge ridiculed and cast back in his or her teeth. A Cavalier gains a +1 bonus to his or her effective Charisma score for making a Knight's Challenge for every five levels of experience (rounding down). In addition, other modifiers may apply based on the particulars of the situation and the effort put into role-playing the Knight's Challenge by the player of the Cavalier (i.e., feeble attempts at issuing a challenge will incur significant penalties). Regardless of success or failure, a Knight's Challenge can only be issued to a particular creature once at a given experience level; thus, a Cavalier who challenges a creature once cannot challenge the same creature again until he or she has advanced a level. Knightly Onslaught: The charge of a mounted Cavalier is a fearsome thing to behold, and it can shatter the fighting spirit of even the bravest foes. Hence, whenever a Cavalier charges (usually shouting a battle cry) he or she should attempt a Charisma check with a +1 bonus for every three levels of experience (rounding up). If this check is successful, all sentient foes (save for undead and other fearless creatures or conjured/summoned creatures being forced to fight; animals are unaffected) within 30' of the Cavalier who have hit dice less than or equal to half the Cavalier's level must make an immediate morale check or be routed from the field of battle, fleeing for as long as the Cavalier is visible and for 1d10 rounds thereafter. In addition to this fearsome charge, a Cavalier of 5th level or above can cause fear in weaker creatures that he or she meets. The Cavalier must be in plain sight and must adopt a threatening pose with weapons at the ready, though he or she need not actually attack or even draw a weapon. All creatures with 1 hit die or less within 30' of the Cavalier must save vs. breath weapon (at -2 if the Cavalier is mounted) or flee from the Cavalier for as long as he or she pursues and for 1d10 rounds thereafter or else will surrender to the Cavalier and beg for their lives (depending on the circumstances). Any creature terrified by a Cavalier's Knightly Onslaught will seek to avoid any confrontation with the Cavalier for the rest of that day. If forced into combat or unable to flee at least 30' away from the Cavalier, the creature suffers a -2 penalty to initiative, attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. These penalties apply to a 1 HD or lower creature even if the save is successful. At 9th level, this ability improves to the point that a Cavalier's Knightly Onslaught can terrify creatures with up to 4 hit dice/levels. In addition, though creatures with 4+1 or greater hit dice/levels cannot be made to flee in panic they must still save or else suffer the above penalties if they are close to the Cavalier. Creatures with 4+1 or greater hit dice/levels who save suffer no ill effects. A Cavalier can choose when to use this ability, turning it on and off (as it were) at will. A creature that makes its saving throw vs. this power is immune to the fear effect for the duration of that encounter with the Cavalier but must save again if they meet the Cavalier again later and the fear power is again invoked. Note that this ability generally affects only humanoid creatures-- animals and most non-humanoid monsters cannot be affected. Noble Lineage: A Cavalier gains a +3 on reaction rolls from anyone of his or her own culture, and a +1 on reaction rolls from nobles of other cultures, who will recognize the Cavalier's lofty bearing. The Cavalier can also demand shelter for up to three days from anyone in his or her own nation who is not a member of the nobility. Members of the nobility will often volunteer to play host to a Cavalier, as well as up to two companions (including henchmen and Retainers) per level of the Cavalier. In addition to the social benefits of noble bloodlines (or sponsorship), all Cavaliers begin play with a warhorse and a suit of armor for free. The player of a Cavalier may choose from the following options for his or her character's armor and mount (one choice applies to both categories): Armor Horse Option A Plate Mail Light Warhorse Option B Partial Plate Medium Warhorse Option C Chain Mail Heavy Warhorse This initial suit of armor and horse will be of excellent quality, with armor often elaborately decorated with the family coat of arms and horses chosen from prize stock of the family. If either is lost, the Cavalier will suffer a degree of dishonor, losing his or her reaction bonus and noble privileges for 1d6 months. For this reason, many Cavaliers will return these family gifts to the family once they are financially able to purchase armor or a mount of their own, rather than risk losing these prized items and incurring the family's disfavor. A Cavalier with the temerity to even attempt to sell these family items loses their noble privileges permanently. Retainers: As soon as a Cavalier achieves full knighthood at 5th level, he or she attracts a 1st level Cavalier to serve as his or her squire. A Cavalier's squire is absolutely devoted to his or her service, maintaining his or her equipment in top condition, and accompanies him or her on all quests. In addition, at each level thereafter up to 9th level, when the Cavalier becomes a Banneret, he or she must acquire another 1st level Cavalier to serve him or her (under the supervision of his or her chief squire). These Retainers will serve for nothing more than care, upkeep, and training by their liege, though of course gifts are always accepted and appreciated. A Cavalier is held responsible for the actions of his or her Retainers and making sure that they uphold the standards of honor, bravery, and battle prowess expected from Cavaliers. It is important to note that appearances are very important to Cavaliers, and as such a Cavalier must bring along his or her full staff of Retainers until 9th level is reached; a Banneret has sufficient status all by him- or herself that the Retainers are not necessary. A Cavalier can still bring any or all of his or her followers along, of course, but it is not a requirement. Also, a Cavalier might be required by his or her Knight Commander to leave his or her Retainers at home. In addition to these Retainers, a Cavalier who has reached Banneret status can hire henchmen of an appropriate alignment, though they will avoid whenever possible acquiring henchmen who might reflect poorly on their family or their knightly order. Stronghold: Any knighted Cavalier gains the right from his or her liege lord to establish a fortress within the domain of that lord. If this is done, a Cavalier will begin to attract men-at-arms to serve under his or her banner. At the time the stronghold is established, the Cavalier immediately attracts 1d6 men-at-arms, and he or she gains an additional 1d6 men-at-arms per level thereafter. These soldiers will not demand wages or salary but must be fed, cared for, and rewarded as suitable for the conditions of their work. The precise nature of these men-at-arms will be determined by the DM, but when a sufficient body of soldiers has been attracted one or more officers will also arrive to help coordinate them. A Cavalier can also assign his or her Retainers to oversee them. Note that no men-at-arms will be attracted if the Cavalier does not build a fortress, and those that are slain are not replaced. A Cavalier can of course hire additional mercenaries to round out his or her military forces if he or she desires. Weapons of Choice: All Cavaliers begin with proficiency in (and prefer to make use of in their knightly careers) weapons from their proscribed list of Weapons of Choice, and their training in this direction makes them very facile in the use of these weapons. Each Cavalier begins with Narrow Group proficiency in his or her Primary weapons and must select one Secondary and one Tertiary Weapon of Choice from those listed under Weapons & Armor. The benefits gained with such weapons are as follows: - At 1st level, the Cavalier gains a +1 bonus with his or her Primary weapon, and this bonus is increased by one every five levels thereafter, to a maximum of +5 at 21st level. - At 3rd level, the Cavalier gains a +1 bonus with his or her Secondary weapon, and this bonus is increased by one every five levels thereafter, to a maximum of +4 at 18th level. - At 5th level, the Cavalier gains a +1 bonus to hit with his or her Tertiary weapon, and this bonus is increased by one every five levels thereafter, to a maximum of +3 at 15th level. When fighting on foot, this Weapon of Choice bonus may be applied to the Cavalier's attack rolls, damage rolls, or weapon speed factor (applied as a negative bonus), with the use of the bonus declared at the beginning of each round and applying to all actions taken with the weapon that round. The bonus may be applied in full to one of these categories or split among several of them. When attacking with a Weapon of Choice, the Cavalier gains multiple attacks as if he or she was two levels higher than his or her actual level. When using a lance while afoot, a Cavalier's Weapon of Choice bonus is halved (rounding up). When fighting while mounted, a Cavalier's Weapon of Choice bonus applies to all three of these factors. A Cavalier's Weapon of Choice damage bonus with lances should be added before doubling lance damage, and unlike other characters a Cavalier can add his or her Strength bonus to the damage inflicted by a lance charge. In addition, a Cavalier who is fighting astride a mount gains one extra attack every two melee rounds and can have a war-trained mount attack in the same round without interfering with his or her own attacks. Regardless of whether he or she is afoot or mounted, a Cavalier may add his or her Weapon of Choice bonus (for the weapon in hand) to his or her Armor Class when Parrying. If the Cavalier is mounted, this bonus applies to his or her mount as well. It is important to note that the benefits gained when using Weapons of Choice are gained automatically with level advancement and do not require the expenditure of weapon proficiency slots, save for initial proficiency in the weapons in question. Special Hindrances: Cavaliers gain a host of benefits, especially in the area of mounted combat, but they also suffer from a variety of restrictions. All Cavaliers must be of the proper social class, usually of noble or aristocratic origin. It is sometimes possible for middle class characters who show great promise or who receive special favor from the nobility to be sponsored into Cavalier status, though their road is a difficult one and they are expected to keep themselves up in a fashion befitting a member with noble patronage (i.e., they must conform to all normal Upper Class requirements). They are expected to live well and to never be satisfied with anything but the highest quality. As a result, for all purchases made after a character is initially created a Cavalier must pay an additional 10% over and above the base cost of goods, equipment, and services (including ongoing living expenses) per level of experience; hence, a 10th level Cavalier must pay 100% extra (i.e., 200% in total) of the normal cost for all purchases. This surcharge is not simply wasted, however, as it reflects purchase of higher quality items, often finely decorated or of exotic manufacture, reflecting a Cavalier's noble taste's and requirements, and can be sold at a higher than normal price as well. If a Cavalier is unable to spend this extra money because of a lack of funds, he or she can settle for lesser goods but will begin to lose his or her reaction penalty as others notice the Cavalier settling for shabby goods or getting a reputation as a penny-pincher. In order to become a Cavalier, a character must swear an oath of allegiance to a greater noble and/or to an order of knighthood. From time to time, a Cavalier will be asked to live up to that oath, such as mustering his or her Retainers and joining the king on the war march, providing hospitality to visiting knights and nobles, lending money to his or her liege in times of financial crisis, and so on. A Cavalier who balks at fulfilling these responsibilities will be greatly dishonored and may face severe repercussions. To a Cavalier, armor is as much a badge of station as it is a means of protection. Thus, a Cavalier will always seek to possess the very best and finest quality armor he or she can afford. In this way, appearance is as important as function, so engraving, inlaying, and decoration of armor will always be sought. Hence, a Cavalier's armor must be enhanced in this way as a Cavalier advances in level, such that it is worth at least 10% times the Cavalier's level over and above its normal listed price. Example: A 5th level Cavalier possesses a suit of field plate (normal price 2000 g.p.). He or she must spend at least 50% over the normal price (i.e., 1000 g.p.) embellishing and decorating his or her armor. When the Cavalier advances to 6th level, an additional 10% (200 g.p.) must be spent to 'keep up appearances' commensurate with the Cavalier's new level and station. The suit of armor received by a Cavalier as a result of his or her Noble Lineage is excluded from this rule, as it is considered to be already suitably embellished for any Cavalier of the family, in addition to its special status as a family heirloom. In addition to embellishing the armor he or she already possesses, a Cavalier will always seek to wear the heaviest and most imposing armor he or she can find. Thus, full plate armor is preferred over all other types, followed in order by field plate, plate mail, partial plate, double chain, brigandine, chain mail, scale mail, and ring mail. Note that level of enchantment of armor is irrelevant to this order of preference, so non-magical brigandine would be preferred by a Cavalier over chain mail +5. A Cavalier will never wear anything lighter than ring mail, preferring to go completely unarmored rather than wear the base armor of a knave. Besides these obligations of nobility, a Cavalier must be an exemplary figure of bravery and valor on the battlefield. A Cavalier will never attack an opponent at range if it is possible to ride forward and attack in melee or with a lance charge. They feel that weapons that deal out damage at a distance (including polearms and missile weapons) call into question a Cavalier's personal bravery and should be avoided whenever possible (though they do recognize the utility of siege engines in warfare). In addition, a Cavalier must always seek out and engage the most powerful-looking members of an enemy force whenever possible, in the following order of preference: 1. Powerful monsters (dragons, demons, giants, etc.) serving enemy leaders 2. Enemy leaders 3. Enemy Cavaliers 4. Enemy standard-bearers (or the standards or flags themselves, if left alone) 5. Noble or elite mounted troops 6. Other cavalry 7. Noble or elite footmen 8. Enemy campsites or headquarters areas 9. Enemy footmen 10. Levy or peasant infantry A Cavalier will charge immediately at full speed when the enemy is sighted (unless overruled by a higher-level Cavalier or the Cavalier's liege lord), regardless of army cohesion, intervening friendly troops, etc. Unlike other Warriors, a Cavalier cannot make use of any form of specialization. Finally, a Cavalier must also follow a code of chivalry, cheerfully performing any noble service or quest asked of him, defending--to the death, if need be-- any person or item placed in his or her charge, showing courage and enterprise when obeying his or her rulers. The Cavalier is also expected to be a pillar of the noble community, respecting all peers and equals, honoring all those above his or her station, demanding respect and obedience from those not of the nobility, and settling for nothing but high-quality goods and services. Cavaliers will often treat those of the lower class with disdain, and even scorn in the case of non-good Cavaliers. A Cavalier regards battle as the test of a true warrior and all combat as a chance for personal glory. The Cavalier must be ready to perform military service for his or her liege whenever asked, and must show courtesy to all of the opposite sex, save of course for those who are obviously enemies. If the Cavalier breaks his or her chivalric code once, he or she feels remorseful, but suffers no ill effects. If the code is broken twice, the Cavalier loses all special benefits other than attack bonuses until he or she repents and undertakes a dangerous quest to redeem his or her honor. When performing this task, the Cavalier must behave strictly according to his or her chivalric code. If the Cavalier breaks his or her code a third time, he or she permanently loses all special benefits besides attack bonuses. He or she is now disgraced, and need no longer obey his or her chivalric code, but now suffers a permanent -3 reaction penalty, as even those who do not know of his or her past will be put off by the air of treachery and faithlessness that now haunts the Cavalier. This penalty is doubled to -6 within the Cavalier's own culture or where his or her identity and reputation are known. A Cavalier always suffers a -3 reaction penalty with criminals, -2 with any lower-class character (who resent their snooty noble pretensions), and -1 with any character that is not of their own alignment. Bonus Proficiencies: Riding (Land-based) Required Proficiencies: Etiquette, Heraldry Preferred Proficiencies: Ancient History, Animal Handling, Animal Training (falcons or horses only), Armorer, Blacksmithing, Bureaucracy, Command, Dancing, Endurance, Law, Local History, Musical Instrument, Numeracy, Poetry, Public Speaking, Reading/Writing, Riding Specialization, Singing, Strategy, Tactics, Weaponsmithing Forbidden Proficiencies: any General Craft, Rural, or Wilderness proficiencies