------------------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES
------------------------------
Challenge 1/day (Ex) Once 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. The cavalier can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every three levels beyond 1st, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
Challenging a foe requires much of the cavalier’s concentration. The cavalier takes a –2 penalty to his Armor Class, except against attacks made by the target of his challenge.
The challenge remains in effect until the target is dead or unconscious or until the combat ends. Each cavalier’s challenge also includes another effect which is listed in the section describing the cavalier’s order.
Order Challenge Whenever an order of the shield cavalier issues a challenge, he receives a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made against the target of his challenge if the target makes an attack against a target other than the cavalier. This bonus lasts for 1 minute. The bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the cavalier possesses.
Natural Mount A charger counts as having the Mounted Combat feat only for the purpose of meeting feat prerequisites, and substitutes the Acrobatics skill for any Ride skill prerequisites when acquiring feats that have Mounted Combat as a prerequisite. Because of his equine form, a charger can wield a lance one-handed as if mounted and deals double damage with a lance while charging. A charger can never gain the benefit of the Mounted Combat feat (or other similar feats or effects, such as Trick Riding) if ridden by another creature.
This ability replaces mount.
Order of the Shield At 1st level, a cavalier must pledge himself to a specific order. The order grants the cavalier a number of bonuses, class skills, and special abilities. In addition, each order includes a number of edicts that the cavalier must follow. If he violates any of these edicts, he loses the benefits from his order’s challenge ability for 24 hours. The violation of an edict is subject to GM interpretation. A cavalier cannot change his order without undertaking a lengthy process to dedicate himself to a new cause. When this choice is made, he immediately loses all of the benefits from his old order. He must then follow the edicts of his new order for one entire level without gaining any benefits from that order. Once accomplished, he gains all of the bonuses from his new order. Note that the names of these orders might vary depending upon the campaign setting or GM’s preference.
Cavaliers who join the order of the shield devote their lives to protecting the common folk, from the simple farmer to the honest craftsman. These cavaliers stand before the tide, protecting the innocent from roving marauders and hungry monsters.
Edicts: The cavalier must protect the lives and prosperity of the common folk, shielding them from the deprivations of those who would seek to cause them harm or exploit them. He must give charity when it is warranted and aid when needed. He must take no action that would cause harm or hardship to those who cannot defend themselves.
Quadruped Centaurs have four legs
Undersized Weapons Despite being a large creature, a centaur has a normal-size upper body and wields weapons of one size category lower than normal (Medium for most centaurs)
