The Cavalier's Code: An Optimization Guide


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LoneKnave wrote:

I actually thought the swift action movement in the surprise round and the immediate intimidate also weren't that bad.

The final ability sucks though.

Eh, it's okay if you're unmounted but I'm not really a fan. PArticulalry since you need to roll 11 on the die anyway so it's not reliable.

Daunting success is even worse. First you have to confirm the crit. Then you have to make the intimidate check and hope people are withitn 15 feet. And you can only do it once. Soooooooo, meh. There's a feat you can get off the Power Attack/Furious Focus line that lets you get everyone in a bigger range after straight up killing a guy.


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Tark when I finish this level 6 build...I want you to add it without editing whats already there. Fill in the blanks if you like but I need this. I had way too much fun making this dude.

Daring Cavaliers rock:
Unnamed Bad Ass Hero
Half-Elf Daring Champion 6
CG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +7; Senses Perception +7
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Defense
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AC 19, touch 17, flat-footed 13 ( +2 Armor, +5 Dex, +1 Dodge, +1 Deflection)
hp 55 (6d10+18)
Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +6
+2 to Saves vs Death effects, Fear effects and Mind affecting
Defensive Abilities
--------------------
Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 Glorious Tian Xia Steel Folded One Thousand Times +13/+8 (1d8+6 18-20x2) or +11/+6 (1d8+10 18-20x2)
Challenge, Precise Strike + 1 Panache Spent, Power Attack +11/+6 (1d8+28 18-20x2)
Ranged What are you, a COWARD?!
--------------------
Statistics
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Str 13, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 13
Base Atk +6/+1; CMB +6; CMD 22
Feats Weapon Focus(Katana), EWP(Katana), Slashing Grace(Katana), Power Attack
Traits Reincarnated, Deathtouched
Skills Perception +6, Intimidate +8, Climb +8, Diplomacy +6
Languages Common
Other Gear Belt of Incredible Dex +2, Leather Armor, Cloak of Resistance +2/Banner, Ring of Protection +1, Ring of Sustenance, Wand of Cure Light Wounds because you're a squishy mofo, 500 gold remaining
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Special Abilities
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Champion’s Finesse (Ex): At 1st level, a daring champion gains the benefits of the Weapon Finesse feat with light or one-handed piercing melee weapons, and he can use Charisma in place of Intelligence for the purpose of combat feats prerequisites. A daring champion also counts as having the Weapon Finesse feat for the purpose of meeting feat requirements.
Challenge (Ex): Three times per day, a cavalier can challenge a foe to combat. As a swift action, the cavalier chooses one target within sight to challenge. The cavalier's melee attacks deal extra damage whenever the attacks are made against the target of his challenge. This extra damage is equal to the cavalier's level. A cavalier of the order of the flame becomes ever more emboldened with each glorious victory. As an immediate action after reducing the target of his challenge to 0 hit points or fewer, the cavalier can elect to issue a glorious challenge to an opponent within 15 feet.
Glorious Challenge (Ex): A glorious challenge does not count against the cavalier's number of challenges per day, but otherwise acts like a cavalier's challenge class feature. When he issues a glorious challenge, the cavalier takes a –2 penalty to AC for the duration of the glorious challenge (this penalty stacks with the usual –2 AC penalty against opponents other than the target of the cavalier's challenge). The cavalier gains a morale bonus on melee damage rolls against the target of his glorious challenge equal to 2 × the number of consecutive glorious challenges he has issued thus far. As long as he continues to defeat targets of his glorious challenges and there are more opponents in range, the cavalier can continue to issue glorious challenges indefinitely, with the penalty to AC and the bonus on damage rolls increasing with each subsequent foe. For example, a 5th-level cavalier that has just issued his third glorious challenge after defeating the original target of his challenge takes a –6 penalty to AC (–8 against creatures other than the target of his glorious challenge) and gains a +11 bonus on melee damage rolls (a +5 bonus from his base challenge ability plus a +6 morale bonus for three consecutive glorious challenges).
Order of the Flame(Ex)
Tactician (Ex): At 1st level, a cavalier receives a teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. As a standard action, the cavalier can grant this feat to all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear him. Allies retain the use of this bonus feat for 3 rounds plus 1 round for every two levels the cavalier possesses. Allies do not need to meet the prerequisites of these bonus feats.
Foolhardy Rush(Ex): At 2nd level, the cavalier can charge across the battlefield at a moment's notice. Whenever the cavalier attempts an initiative check, as long as he rolls an 11 or higher on the die, he can move up to his base speed as an immediate action and he is not considered flat-footed. If the cavalier takes an action to move during his next turn, he subtracts the number of feet moved during the initiative check from his total movement.
Nimble (Ex): At 3rd level, a daring champion gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC when wearing light or no armor and carrying no more than a light load. Anything that causes the daring champion to lose his Dexterity bonus to AC also causes him to lose this dodge bonus.
Panache and Deeds (Ex): At 4th level, a daring champion gains the swashbuckler’s panache class feature, along with the following swashbuckler deeds: dodging panache, opportune parry and riposte, precise strike, and swashbuckler initiative.


Doing a potential 56 damage on a full attack at level 6. A crit on either of them kills a CR6 monster.

Yep. We've got DPR covered.


There's a ton of useful Oracle Mysteries if you want the dip to take Divine Protection.

- Battle Mystery that grants Weapon Focus.
- Ancestor Mystery that grants +2 to any d20 roll as a move action, useable CHA times a day.
- Metal Mystery that grants full movement on Medium Armor (!!!)
- Metal Mystery that increases movement speed by 10 ft.
- Solar Mystery that grants Dodge.


Taking War Sight from the Battle mystery is useful too. Rerolling Initiative and taking the better result is great on its own, and it also increases the chance of getting Foolhardy Rush to 75%.

It might also be worth taking Dual Cursed and using Misfortune any round you're not using a Swift Action. The most painless combination is probably Lame + Dance of the Blades (Metal mystery) which cancel each other out, and Legalistic. If you're a Lawful character it can be played straight, otherwise just don't make promises you can't keep.


Yeah, but you are already going to have sky high Initiative due to Dex focus.


Champion of the Flame seems to have fairly poor synergy with Daring Champion, especially considering how swift-action starved you're going to be with just the base Swashbuckler features. Spending all of your swift/immediates on Glorious Challenge means you're not getting that much out of the Swashbuckler side, Opportune Parry and Riposte in particular.

Something like Order of the Cockatrice seems like it might work a little better, especially since without a mount you'll likely get a little more mileage out of the Challenge feature than you would otherwise.


I'm considering playing a Daring Champion myself and I think the Order of Scales is the best option.


Order of the Cockatrice has a better Challenge bonus and good synergy for a Shatter Defenses build.

Order of Vengeance is similar but more defensive... although it works like a charm in a Buckler + Falcata build.


Just letting people know I updated the guide recently with the ACG stuff.


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a few tips:
feat for a mount:
dragon style (wasting a feat for improved unarmed strike) will allow almost all the time charges, especially with lunge.
you ignore the area and your allies - opening many lanes.

1-4 cool dip is thug&scout archetype.
1 dip, with blades of mercy trait and enforcer will allow you to fear-lock your foe. you attack and he runs, and redo.
with skill focus and a nice charisma your intimidate is auto win Vs non fear immune foes. i use it with a spring attacking charger cavalier.
when i can charge - i do and kill.
when i cant, i spring attack with a great sword and foe runs, than i redo until foe is dead. if it aint fear immune i end combat with full HP.
2 level dip offer rogue talent, that can add -2 to opponent to hit.
3 level dip offer sicken with the shaken or fear.
4 level dip offer +2d6 to damage and a flat footed foe when you charge.
with boon companion mount stay a full one.

also, the ton of class skills aint bad.
UMD, acrobatics and more.

Sovereign Court

666bender wrote:

a few tips:

feat for a mount:
dragon style (wasting a feat for improved unarmed strike) will allow almost all the time charges, especially with lunge.
you ignore the area and your allies - opening many lanes.

That is an amazing strategy! I might use that on my gnomish or halfling cavalier if I ever make one!


note that per bard 'you are your own ally' rulings, order of the dragon is a great deal more useful since your 'spend action -> allies do X' abilities also affect you (and your horse, etc).


Yap.
Dragon, sword and beast are my facorites.
Beast for ac buff.
Sword for will saves, free feat and super charge.
Dragon for a cavalier that seek 50/50 chaeging and sub role.
Dragon is super tank able, mine had con 18, dex and the str was only 13...
He would not be ignored cause the +7 he gave allies prevented attacks.


Has anyone looked into 3PP materials? Specifically I am thinking of the Order of the Griffon to get a griffon mount. It also has it's own advancement table so it is probably worthy of a mention in a similar vein to Sable Company Marine for Rangers.


Grrr looks like the mainpage for this disappeared sometime ago. Looking to correct that asap.


What are your thoughts on the Ghost Rider archetype, TarkXT?


can a daring champion take the "ronin" order?


Ventnor wrote:
What are your thoughts on the Ghost Rider archetype, TarkXT?

Great for a number of reasons but sad I can't luring cavalier with it.

I think it's best for those particularly lethal games where gm's have a terrible love of killing mounts/minions.


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Serph90 wrote:
can a daring champion take the "ronin" order?

Yes. Cavaliers can take samurai orders and vice versa though there's rarely a good reason to.


I don't know if you still update this guide, but I thought I'd point you towards a rule you might have missed:

Instead of taking the listed benefit at 4th or 7th level, you can instead choose to increase the companion's Dexterity and Constitution by 2.

This solves the troubles facing small cavalier reaching 7th level - i.e. their wolf mount growing to a cumbersome large size.


TarkXT wrote:
LoneKnave wrote:

I actually thought the swift action movement in the surprise round and the immediate intimidate also weren't that bad.

The final ability sucks though.

Eh, it's okay if you're unmounted but I'm not really a fan. PArticulalry since you need to roll 11 on the die anyway so it's not reliable.

Daunting success is even worse. First you have to confirm the crit. Then you have to make the intimidate check and hope people are withitn 15 feet. And you can only do it once. Soooooooo, meh. There's a feat you can get off the Power Attack/Furious Focus line that lets you get everyone in a bigger range after straight up killing a guy.

Dat Glorious challenge though. I feel like it makes up for the rest of the unfortunateness.

I'm actually building a TWF cavalier right now.

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