Cavalier

Ability Requirements: Strength 12, Intelligence 9, Dexterity 12, Constitution 9
Prime Requisites: None
Races Allowed: Human, Elf, Half-elf
Alignments Allowed: Any Lawful
Automatic Proficiencies: Land-based-Riding, Etiquette, Heraldry

 

The cavalier is an elite warrior in service to some deity, noble, order, or special cause. Akin to the "Knights of Olde", the cavalier must always place honor, bravery, and personal deeds in the forefront of his or her activity, and must adhere to a code of chivalry (described below). A cavalier character must be of proper social class, and is usually of noble or aristocratic origin.

Humans, elves, and half-elves may become cavaliers. However, members of the latter two races must be of gray, dark, or high elf stock (or, for half-elves, descended from such stock) and unless they are from or sponsored by a noble house.

The cavalier attacks and makes saving throws as a fighter, but gains additional abilities with certain weapons and modifiers to certain saving throws.

Special Abilities

Weapons & Armor

Cavaliers are not limited in which weapons they can use, but certain weapons are preferred over others, such that a cavalier will seek proficiency in these weapons before learning other weapons.

The lance is the preferred weapon of the cavalier, and proficiency with it is required at the first level. The cavalier has a divided bonus to to hit and to damage equal to the character’s level of experience when using a lance while mounted. At first level, +1 to hit, at second level, +1 to hit and +1 to damage, at 3rd level, +2 to hit and +1 to damage, at 4th level, +2 to hit and +2 to damage, etc. See the Cavalier Experience Levels table for details. When the cavalier is dismounted and using a lance, damage is + 1. A heavy lance used while dismounted is treated as an awl pike, with respect to all specifications except length, weight, and speed factor. A medium or light lance used while dismounted is treated as a spear.

The second proficiency chosen at first level must be in one of the long sword, broad sword, bastard sword, or two-handed sword.

The third proficiency must be in one of the swords listed above, or the short sword, horseman’s mace, horseman’s flail, horseman’s military pick, dagger or scimitar.

Elven and half-elven cavaliers may choose a short composite bow as their 3rd proficiency.

Only after these weapons have been mastered may the cavalier become proficient in the use of other types. Weapons that deal out damage at a distance (including pole arms and missile weapons) call into question the cavalier’s personal bravery, and as such are avoided by all except the most powerful of cavaliers. The cavalier may use these questionable weapons at normal non-proficiency penalties, but their use may violate the character’s chivalric code.

After gaining another proficiency slot, the cavalier can choose to specialize in a weapon, but it must be from the list above.

To the cavalier, armor is a much as badge of station as it is a means of protection. Thus, a cavalier character will always seek to possess the very best and finest-quality armor the cavalier is able to own. In this endeavor, appearance is as important as function, so engraving, inlaying, and decoration of the armor will always be sought. Plate armor is the cavalier’s first choice; other preferences ranking beneath that are (in order of desirability) plate mail, banded or splint mail, chain mail, scale mail, and ring mail. Leather, studded leather, and padded armor are the dress of thieves and peasants, and as such are beneath the cavalier’s station, such that the cavalier will not wear these armor types. This list of preferences applies even in the case of magical armor, so that chain mail + 2 will not be worn if banded or splint mail of normal sort is available.

Horsemanship

All cavaliers are virtually born and bred to the saddle. As such, all cavaliers have Land-based Riding as an automatic proficiency.

Mounted combat and horsemanship are special provinces of the cavalier class. A human cavalier makes all attacks from horseback as if the character were 1 level higher. This increase applies only to horses, mounts usable as steeds by cavaliers at higher level, and those mounts approved by the DM.

A cavalier is 85% unlikely to be thrown from the saddle, and 85% unlikely to be injured if his or her mount falls. This chance is increased by 1% for each level above the first.

As a cavalier increases in level, he or she improves still further in horsemanship, and in the handling of other creatures as mounts. Horsemanship abilities increase as follows:

At 4th level, a female elven cavalier (and only a female elf) may handle and ride a unicorn as a steed.

At 7th level the cavalier can handle and ride a pegasus as a steed.

At 9th level, the cavalier can handle and ride a hippogriff as a steed.

At 11th level, the cavalier can handle and ride a griffon or a similar creature (DM’s judgment) as a steed.

The cavalier’s mount will be friendly to and will accept the cavalier as long as it is properly treated. Of course, creatures of good alignment will not allow any of the evil sort to come near in these cases, and vice versa.

A cavalier’s knowledge of horses (and, at higher levels, other mounts) allows the cavalier to estimate the relative worth of a steed. A cavalier can examine any mount and determine if it has low worth (one-third or fewer of the maximum possible hit points for the creature), average worth, or high worth (two-thirds or better of the maximum possible hit points). Any steed selected by a cavalier will have + 2 hit points per hit die (up to the maximum hit points available).

Other

A cavalier makes all saving throws as a fighter. Such characters are, however, immune to fear (magical or otherwise) of any sort. Cavaliers of good alignment radiate a semi-protection from fear aura in a 10 foot radius, so that all allied creatures within the radius gain a +4 to their saving throws vs. fear. In addition, magical or magic-like phenomena which affect the mind are 90% unlikely to have any effect on the cavalier. This includes powers such as beguiling, charm, domination, hold, hypnosis, magic jar possession, sleep, suggestion, and the psionic mind blast. This 90% immunity is in addition to any saving throw for the cavalier, if applicable. Cavaliers also save at +2 versus all forms of illusion spells.

As a member of the social upper classes, the cavalier has a coat of arms and armorial bearing. This bearing is the device worn upon the cavalier’s shield to identify himself on the battlefield and in tournament. (In tournament, the shield may be covered with dark hide to keep the user’s identity unknown, hence a “black knight.”) The armorial bearing may be kept covered while traveling, but is always revealed when an encounter occurs with creatures that might understand the import of such a device. In addition, at 4th level the cavalier may fly a pennon on his or her lance on the battlefield.

Finally, cavaliers may expect full hospitality, food, lodging, and whatever else is needed (within reason under the circumstances) from all other cavaliers of the same alignment. Such hospitality is likewise due from all gentle, noble, and royal households according to their relationships between various political divisions which might be concerned.

Cavaliers are able to function at negative hit point totals, unlike members of other classes. The number of negative hit points the cavalier can function at is determined by the cavalier’s hit points at 1st level (4-13). When a negative number of hit points is reached, the cavalier does not become unconscious, but cannot further attack and must rest, bind wounds, and seek further healing. Cavaliers heal as other characters, but those of good alignment gain an additional 1 points for each full day of normal healing (once they are above the "Physical" threshold of hit points).

Restrictions

Code of Conduct

The cavalier must follow a code of conduct and ethics, akin to chivalry. Upon being sworn to knighthood (by a cavalier of at least 2 levels higher, in a ceremony as simple as a dubbing with the sword or a full ritual of fasting, vigil, sacred vows, and celebration), the cavalier must pledge himself or herself to this code. Failure to sustain the oath is not sufficient reason to revoke knighthood, unless the order or liege lord of the cavalier specifically demands such. In the latter case, the cavalier becomes a mere fighter, though weapon specialization is not gained and the privilege of weapons of choice is retained. A cavalier must serve someone or some cause, normally a deity, greater noble, order of knighthood, or the like. The cavalier must seek to sustain the virtues and the code of chivalry. The knightly virtues are these:

The chivalric code (for Good Cavaliers) may be summed up as follows.

Note that even evil cavaliers are bound by a similar code, but in their cases the code will stress obedience to those above and scorn for those below, and won't stress cheerfulness and courtesy as much.

As a result of the code and desire for glory, cavaliers cannot be easily controlled in battle situations. Once battle ensues, they are 50% likely to charge any enemy in sight, with the following order of preference:

  1. Powerful monsters (dragons, demons, giants, etc.) serving enemy leaders, then the leaders themselves.
  2. Opponent cavaliers of great renown, enemy flags and standards.
  3. Opponent cavalry of noble or elite status
  4. Other opponent cavalry
  5. Opponent elite footmen
  6. Opponent melee troops
  7. Levies or peasants
  8. Opponent camp and headquarters

The cavalier’s charge will be made at full speed, regardless of army cohesion, intervening friendly troops, or other such considerations.

Evil cavaliers may use poison, and are free to ignore the obligation of hospitality. The device of an evil cavalier is made known throughout the land, and good cavaliers are duty bound to hunt down and destroy those cavaliers of evil alignment. Finally, evil and neutral cavaliers have limitations on the types of followers they can attract.

Social Class

Only those characters of Upper Class social status may immediately enter into the cavalier class. Those of lower social standing are generally excluded from becoming cavaliers, but certain members of lower social classes may be so honored.

Such a character (one who is not from the upper class) must be sponsored by a higher authority of greater status, and begins first as a 0-level Horseman (a retainer for a Knight), then a 0-level Lancer, and finally becomes a 1st-level Armiger of the cavalier class. The 0-level Horseman starts at -1500 experience points and has ld4 + 1 initial hit points. The Horseman becomes a Lancer at -500 experience points and gains another d4 roll for cumulative hit points. The Lancer becomes a 1st-level cavalier at 0 experience points, and gains another d4 in hit points. In contrast, a character whose social standing qualifies him or her for immediate entrance into the cavalier class begins as a 1st-level Armiger with ld10 + 3 hit points. The character’s hit-point bonus for high constitution (if applicable) is first received at either Horseman or Armiger level, and is then applied to each additional hit die from second level on as normal. The special abilities of the cavalier class are only gained when the character attains Armiger status.

Cavalier Experience Levels

Cavalier
Level		XPHit Dice
(d10)		 Bonus
to Hit
with Lance		Bonus
Damage
with Lance
0(-1500 -- -501)d4+1----
0(-500 -- -1)2d4+1----
101 +1--
22,5002 +1+1
35,0003 +2+1
410,0004 +2+2
522,5005 +3+2
643,7506 +3+3
787,5007 +4+3
8156,2508 +4+4
9312,5009 +5+4
10625,00010 +5+5
11937,50010+3 +6+5
121,250,00010+6 +6+6
131,562,50010+9 +7+6
141,875,00010+12+7+7
152,187,50010+15+8+7
162,500,00010+18+8+8
172,812,50010+21+9+8
183,125,00010+24+9+9
193,437,50010+27+10+9
203,750,00010+30+10+10