The Cavalier Prestige Class
This Class has been taken from various sources, including mostly the
Unearthed Arcana from 1st edition.
Copyright: John Ling. Feel free to use this as you see fit.
The Cavalier is a mounted Mystic warrior that has learned to harness his inner powers to aid him in his fight against evil. Cavaliers are Awe inspiring individuals and are well known for being at the vanguard of armies during dire need. In order to become a cavalier, a character needs to be in service to some deity, noble, order, or special cause. The Cavalier must always place honor, bravery, and personal deeds in the forefront of his or her activity, and must therefore adhere to the Code of Chivalry, as described below.
Weapons that deal out damage from a distance are not favored and call up the cavaliers personal bravery, so these are not used. The cavalier must pick his preferred weapon (Long Sword, Broad Sword, Etc.) when he takes 1st level, and this weapon cannot be changed at a later time.
Cavaliers may expect full hospitality - food, lodging, and whatever else is needed (within reason under circumstances) - from all other cavaliers or 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. To gain this prestige class, the wanna-be cavalier must find himself a cavalier to train with. He also needs this cavalier to train higher levels as a cavalier (see below)
Pre-requisites: Ride 8, Mounted Combat, Ride-by-attack, Spirited Charge, +6 Base attack.
Alignment: Any good.
Race: Human, Elf (gray or high)
Hit Die d10
Class skills (and the key ability for each) are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex).
Skill Points at each level: 4+ Int Modifier
| LEVEL | BASE ATTACK | W.O.C. ATTACK BONUSES | FORT SAVE | REF SAVE | WIL SAVE | SPECIAL |
| 1st | +1 | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Lance Expertise*, Weapon of Choice* |
| 2nd | +2 | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Aura of Courage* |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Leadership |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Awe* |
| 5th | +5 | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Special mount* |
| 6th | +6/+1 | +6/+1 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Challenge 1/day |
| 7th | +7/+2 | +7/+2 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Challenge 2/day |
| 8th | +8/+3 | +8/+3 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Challenge 3/day |
| 9th | +9/+4 | +9/+4 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Challenge 4/day |
| 10th | +10/+5 | +10/+5 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Challenge 5/day |
*must be trained by a cavalier of 2 levels higher to attain this skill. The cavalier must train with a cavalier of 2 levels higher than his own up to 5th level. He can gain all powers included with the level change not indicated by an asterisk on his own. I.E.: 4th level, he can gain hit point adjustment, and save adjustments. He cannot however use the Awe feat until he trains in town with a Cavalier of at least 5th level. When the cavalier attains 6th level, he no longer needs any extra training, as his current regime will suffice.
Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Cavalier is proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons and all armor and shields.
Aura of Courage (ex): At Second level a cavalier is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Allies within 10 feet of the cavalier gain a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. Granting morale bonus to allies is a supernatural ability.
Weapon of Choice(ex): At 1st level, the cavalier can use his weapon of choice to make extra attacks. Use the W.O.C Base Attack column in the chart above to see the bonuses for the extra attacks. He gets one extra attack per round for 1st through 5th level. 6th level to 10th level he gets 2 extra attacks a round. I.E.: a 6th level fighter gets +6/+1 A cavalier of 1st level gets an extra attack at +1 SO: +6/+1/+1. An 6th level fighter and 6th level Cavalier would get: +12/+2/+6/+1. A 10th level fighter and 10th level Cavalier would get: +20/+10/+10/+5. If the Cavalier is NOT using his chosen weapon he does NOT get the extra attacks.
Leadership (ex): At 3rd level, a cavalier gains the Leadership Feat. A cavalier's level is considered 4 higher for determining the number of followers and cohorts level.
Awe (sp): At 4th level, a cavalier gains the ability to awe humanoids. Once per day + Charisma modifiers, the cavalier, as a full turn action, make a speech to awe a number of humanoids equal to double his class level within 30 feet. I.E., 3rd level, he can awe 6 humanoids. Treat the awe effect as per the Suggestion spell with caster level equal to the cavaliers level. A concentration check is necessary to complete the speech if damage is taken during the speech. Those in the area of effect must be able to understand the cavalier to be affected. Awe cannot be used to voilate the Code of Chivilry
Special Mount (Ex): Upon or after reaching 5th-level, a cavalier can call an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve in the cavalier’s crusade. This mount is usually a heavy war-horse (for a Medium-size cavalier) or a warpony (for a Small cavalier).
Challenge (ex): Creatures stronger than CR4 may be challenged. The creature gets a will save vs. DC 10 + Bravery bonus (-10 DC if the character makes no attempt to role-play the encounter, -5 DC if he makes a feeble attempt to role-play, -1 per companion with the challenging character, -1 if it has suffered any damage, -1 for every 10% of hps lost, and -10 if the creature is a weak combatant). If the creature fails it will automatically seek combat with the character. They will take the best possible route to get into melee range of the cavalier.Code of Chivalry: Cavaliers must abide by the ancient code of chivalry. The five knightly virtues are as follows: faithfulness, loyalty, respect, honor and valor. Furthermore, the cavalier must show loyalty and faithfulness to his liege, perform any service asked, regard war as the flowering of chivalry, oppose and defeat enemies of the cause, show respect for his peers, show respect and appreciation for the opposite sex, and must always choose death before dishonor. A cavalier who loses his good alignment and fails to uphold the code of chivalry loses all cavalier abilities. As a result of the code and desire for battle, cavaliers will attack the most powerful opponent in battle first, following this order of preference:
1. Powerful monsters (dragons,
demons, giants, etc.) serving the enemy leaders, then the leaders themselves.
2. Opponent cavaliers of great renown, enemy flags
and standards
3. Opponent cavalry of noble and elite status.
4. Other opponent cavalry
5. Opponent elite footmen
6. Opponent camp and headquarters
7. Opponent melee troops
8. Levies or peasants.
The cavalier is not stupid, he will go after the most powerful on the list as best as possible. If the battlefield is full of the orc army, where the cavalier cannot readily get to the leader, he will continually press forward, cutting down as many troops as possible to get to the leader. He will continually taunt the enemy leader every round until he is able to attack him without intervention.
Cavalier's Armor: To the cavalier, his armor is as much a badge of station, as it is a means of protection. He will always seek out the best armor and finest armor he can own. In this function, appearance is as important as function and the armor will have engravings, inlays, and decoration will always be sought. Plate armor is the cavaliers first choice; other preferences ranking beneath that are (in order of availability) Plate Mail, Banded or Splint Mail, Chain mail, Scale Mail, and Ring Mail. Leather, Studded Leather, Hide, and Padded armor are the dress of thieves and peasants, and as such are beneath the Cavaliers station, such that he 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 or normal sort is available.
The Cavalier’s Mount
The cavalier's mount is different from a standard animal of its type in many ways. The standard mount for a Medium-size cavalier is a war-horse, and the standard mount for a Small cavalier is a warpony. A cavalier’s mount is a magical beast, not an animal. It is superior to a normal mount of its kind and has special powers, as shown below
| Level | Bonus HD | Natural Armor | Str Adj. | Int | Special |
| 1-3 | +2 | 5 | +1 | 6 | Improved Evasion, share spells, empathic link, share saving throws |
| 4-6 | +4 | 6 | +2 | 7 | |
| 7-9 | +6 | 8 | +3 | 8 | Command creature of its kind |
| 10 | +8 | 10 | +4 | 9 | Spell resistance |
Cavalier’s Level: The level of the cavalier. If the mount suffers a level drain, treat it as a mount of a lower-level cavalier.
Bonus HD: These are extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Remember that extra Hit Dice improve the mount's base attack and base save bonuses.
Natural Armor: The number listed here is an improvement to the mount's AC. It represents the preternatural toughness of a cavalier's mount.
Str Adj.: Add this figure to the mount's Strength score.
Int: The mount's Intelligence score.
Improved Evasion: If the mount is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails. Improved evasion is an extraordinary ability.
Share Spells: At the cavalier’s option, the cavalier may have any spell cast on him or herself also affect her mount. The mount must be within 5 feet. If the spell has a duration other than instantaneous, the spell stops affecting the mount if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the mount again even if the mount returns to the cavalier before the duration expires. Additionally, the cavalier may cast a spell with a target of "You" on the mount (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. The cavalier and the mount can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the mount's type.
Empathic Link: The cavalier has an empathic link with the mount out to a distance of up to one mile. The cavalier cannot see through the mount's eyes, but they can communicate telepathically. Even intelligent mounts see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible. This is a supernatural ability. Because of the empathic link between the mount and the cavalier, the cavalier has the same connection to an item or place that the mount does, just as a master and his familiar.
Share Saving Throws: The mount uses its own base save or the cavalier’s; whichever is higher.
Command: The mount's command ability is a spell-like ability that it can use at will against other creatures of its kind with fewer Hit Dice than it has itself. The mount can use this ability once per day per two levels of its cavalier, and the ability functions just like the spell command (for purposes of this spell, the mount can make itself be understood by any normal animal of its kind). Since this is a spell-like ability, the mount must make a Concentration check (DC 21) if it's being ridden at the time (as in combat). If the check fails, the ability does not work that time, but it still counts against the mount's daily uses.
Spell Resistance: The mount's spell resistance equals the cavalier’s level + 5.
