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If the Golarion campaign setting had chocobos to overcome stairs and dungeons, everybody would give the Cavaliers more love.
It does have chocobos: called "axebeaks" in the bonus bestiary! :)
Mature axe beaks stand 7 feet tall and weigh as
much as 500 pounds. Most live to be up to 50 years old.
Numerous species of axe beaks exist, their colors and
general build varying wildly from region to region. Dull
brown and gray breeds are most common, but bright
yellow, blue, black, and more exotic plumages have also
been documented.
Training an Axe Beak
An axe beak requires training before it will bear a rider.
Taming an axe beak requires 6 weeks of work and a DC 25
Handle Animal check, after which it can be taught tricks
as normal. Riding an axe beak requires an exotic saddle.
Axe beak eggs are worth 1,000 gp apiece on the open
market, while young are worth 1,500 gp each.
Carrying Capacity: A light load for an axe beak is up
to 200 pounds; a medium load, 201–400 pounds; and a
heavy load, 401–600 pounds.
Axe Beak Companions
Axe beak animal companions progress as follows:
Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 50 ft.; Attack
bite (1d6 + 1-1/2 Str); Ability Scores Str 10, Dex 19, Con 12,
Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 10; Special Qualities low-light vision.
4th Level Advancement: Size Large; AC +2 natural;
Attack bite (1d8 + 1-1/2 Str); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex –2,
Con +4; Special Attacks sudden charge.
Sudden Charge (Ex) When making a charge
attack, an axe beak makes a single bite attack.
If successful, it may also attempt to trip its
opponent as a free action without provoking
an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails,
the axe beak is not tripped in return.
What I want to know is, can a larger critter, say, with a 10' space, i.e. a horse, squeeze through a 5' doorway or corridor, as per the squeeze rules of 3.X?
If this is the case (and it's the way my GM has been running it), I'd say that Cav's are superior to fighters for most parties most days of the week. If not, he's still a great leader, but will be out-shined by your party's other heavy hitters (Bbn Raging, Pal Smiting, Ftr...well, Ftring) in the average adventure.
I play a gestalt Cav (Sword)|Pal in a one-on-one, and have been having a blast in and out of dungeons. Wilderness encounters vs. bruisers need to be scaled up a bit, but the GM is not having too much trouble making it fun for both of us.
Recently, my character sent his Mount to 'riding school' for a couple levels (there, it will gain the benefits of the Awaken spell) while he goes it alone (and is doing just fine without his Mount), until he gains a couple levels and Leadership, upon which occasion he'll gain his Mount as a Cohort instead of an Animal Companion.
Also, after being awakened, the Mount can still be ridden, granting the Cav his heinous Mounted Combat abilities, but it will also gain Class Levels, as per a Cohort. That way, even if my Cav can't ride, the mount can certainly still be of significant use. My GM has given me the option of advancing that awakened mount as a Savage Warrior. Should be pretty BA.
Sam why not use the squeeze rules of pathfinder since they are still there?
I'm playing a cavalier in Kingmaker right now and having a ball with the class. That said, Kingmaker is especially friendly to a mounted class, most APs are not. I like the skill mix and flavor of the class, the classic mounted knight for the most part.
Don't play one if you expect to outdamage everyone else, becuase you won't. They do ok, but can't keep up with fighters in melee. A cavalier's massive damage output is limited to a mounted charge on the target of their challenge so it's limited per day.
Nobody outdamages a fighter all day long.
Against their challenge?
Depends on the order- A TWF OOTShield will
A dragon cav won't but buffs the party almost as much as a bard (+5 to hit for allies)Cavs would be wise to take combat reflexes- paired opportunists and outflank generates a lot of free hits.
I'm fairly sure you just proved what I said. Thanks.
Don't play one if you expect to outdamage everyone else, becuase you won't. They do ok, but can't keep up with fighters in melee. A cavalier's massive damage output is limited to a mounted charge on the target of their challenge so it's limited per day.
Actually I was inferring that you CAN outdamage a fighter depending on your order.
Nor do you neccesarily need to be mounted.For pure DPR the OOTShield Cavalier (going TWF to double challange damage) will outdamage a fighter because his to hit+ wpn fcs (+6) is just below a fighter (wpn trn+gtr wpn fcs+duelist gloves=8)
But his static bonus ups his dpr over the fighter (+20 for challenge vs +10 for wpn trn, gtr spl, gloves)
Each order is different. Shield is the only one I've seen regularly outdamage a fighter (only vs the challenge target)
Order of the dragon is a force mutilplier.
Other than the OOTShield your statement is absolutely true.
Don't play one if you expect to outdamage everyone else, becuase you won't. They do ok, but can't keep up with fighters in melee. A cavalier's massive damage output is limited to a mounted charge on the target of their challenge so it's limited per day.Actually I was inferring that you CAN outdamage a fighter depending on your order.
Nor do you neccesarily need to be mounted.For pure DPR the OOTShield Cavalier (going TWF to double challange damage) will outdamage a fighter because his to hit+ wpn fcs (+6) is just below a fighter (wpn trn+gtr wpn fcs+duelist gloves=8)
But his static bonus ups his dpr over the fighter (+20 for challenge vs +10 for wpn trn, gtr spl, gloves)
Each order is different. Shield is the only one I've seen regularly outdamage a fighter (only vs the challenge target)
Order of the dragon is a force mutilplier.
Other than the OOTShield your statement is absolutely true.
Of course it is trivial to make it so the Shield cavalier does not get his bonus. If the enemy does not attack anyone else, he gets no bonus.
Abraham, I've looked through the PFSRD and the core book (combat and movement rules) and I just haven't found the squeeze rule, can you cite it?
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Abraham, I've looked through the PFSRD and the core book (combat and movement rules) and I just haven't found the squeeze rule, can you cite it?
If you just type 'squeeze' into the search box on the PRD, you'll find it :)
Here is the text though:
Squeezing: In some cases, you may have to squeeze into or through an area that isn't as wide as the space you take up. You can squeeze through or into a space that is at least half as wide as your normal space. Each move into or through a narrow space counts as if it were 2 squares, and while squeezed in a narrow space, you take a –4 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to AC.
When a Large creature (which normally takes up 4 squares) squeezes into a space that's 1 square wide, the creature's miniature figure occupies 2 squares, centered on the line between the 2 squares. For a bigger creature, center the creature likewise in the area it squeezes into.
A creature can squeeze past a creature while moving but it can't end its movement in an occupied square.
To squeeze through or into a space less than half your space's width, you must use the Escape Artist skill. You can't attack while using Escape Artist to squeeze through or into a narrow space, you take a –4 penalty to AC, and you lose any Dexterity bonus to AC.
Thanks Marc, I just went back through and noticed it, must've overlooked it. Doesn't come up too often, mainly moving my Cavalier's horse through doorways, but it's good to know where to find it. My GM must've known where the rule was. Thanks.
I kinda like the idea of playing a Goblin Cavalier riding a Giant Beetle...or possibly a Giant Cockroach or Dire Rat or some other type of giant vermin.
I've got a cavalier in the Kingmaker game I've been running. Her horse has been nicknamed Buttercup the Destroyer, and she's pretty devastating overall, even though she's constantly forgetting to use her teamwork feats.
Same here: The General in our Kingmaker campaign is a cavalier.
We have a Cavie in our KM campaign as well. Duke Nico and his faithful charger, Otto, are quite a force to reckoned with.
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I've got a half-orc cavalier in my on-going Rappan Athuk game. His mount doesn't get used all that much but he's fairly effective even when compared to the other undead-killing-machines (2 paladins, a barbarian, and a (favored enemy: undead) ranger).
He has only been around for one session, though, things may change.