Cavalier on horse, party face

[Eric Mason 37]

I have been working on a face character, and I can't really stand spell casting. I just like hitting things. However I am being bullied by the next GM that I am not allowed to be a tank with my new character.

So I've been playing around with the cavalier, focusing on being mounted, and using the ride by attack feat so that I'd just skirt combats, and get in the occasional hit. That way other characters can stand toe to toe and kill things, while I pick off periphery foes.

In terms of personality I see this guy as a kindly fellow who reacts to evil with sadness and pity. However he's nobody's fool, and will patiently point out where someone's lies don't hold water. So the focus will be on diplomacy and sense motive rather than bluffing and intimidation.

Human Cavalier, Order of the Sword

20 pts
Str 14 + 2 = 16
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 10
Cha 14

(or 15 pts
Str 14 + 2 = 16
Dex 12
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 10
Cha 13)

Traits:
- Patient Optimist (Follower of Erastil), +2 to diplomacy vs hostile and unfriendly creatures, can have a single retry
- Noble Born (House Medeyv, Kingmaker trait), +2 diplomacy vs fey, +1 will vs fey spells and supernatural abilities

Feats:
(Human)Mounted Combat
1 Ride by Attack

Planned Feats:
3 Power Attack
5 Skill Focus (Ride)
6 (Bonus Combat) Spirited Charge
7 Iron Will (the level 2 Order of Sword save bonus will also be in Will)
8 (Order of Sword Mounted Combat Oriented Bonus Feat)Trample
9 Improved Iron Will

Skills: (Order of Sword adds Knowledges Nobility and Religion, + 1/2 level to Sense Motive v.s. Bluff)
1 - Ride, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Handle Animal, Knowledge Nobility
2 - Ride, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Knowledge Religion, Linguistics (odds are we'll start encountering things that don't speak common)
3 - Ride, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Climb, Swim
4 - Ride, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Bluff, Intimidate
5 - Ride, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Knowledge Local, Linguistics
etc.

Horse Companion
Bonuses Combat Training, Light Armour Prof

Feats
1 Blind Fighting (so it can still move around well when blinded)
2 Power Attack
5 Iron Will
8 Improved Overrun
10 ?

Skills, Max Acrobatics so that it can jump obstacles or difficult ground that might prevent charging

Stick the level 4 ability increase into con for the extra hit points and fort save

Any glaring issues stand out to anyone? Are there any things that aren't clear in the rules that the GM will need to rule on that could affect how this character is built? (Keeping in mind that he'll try to screw me over.)

I've never done mounted combat before, so I'm looking forward to a new tactical challenge, nor have I ever had an animal companion. It will also be nice to have decent diplomacy and sense motive checks. I've rarely had the opportunity to use skills since even when I put skill points in something, other players have done so as well, rendering my abilities useless/redundant.

Thanks,

Eric

[Jiggy]

You're making a high-CHA cavalier?

Dump his INT for even more CHA and name him Sir Cadogan.

[Eric Mason 37]

Jiggy wrote:

You're making a high-CHA cavalier?

Dump his INT for even more CHA and name him Sir Cadogan.

I don't get the reference. Losing a skill points per level doesn't really compensate a flat +1 to charisma skills...

I just want to make a mounted combatant who does ride by attacks, and can act as the party face. Can you be more detailed on why dumping int is a good idea? And which skills I should be losing each level?

Thanks,

Eric

[Noah Fentz]

What do you mean you're not allowed to be a tank?

And here, I thought this game was supposed to be for fun.

Why not be a Summoner, then? CHA is vital, and your character won't be a tank, his eidolon will be.

:)

[Eric Mason 37]

That's what I was told. I was also told in the current campaign I wasn't allowed to have treasure because someone else self-gimped. So basically I'm not allowed to have any fun.

Unfortunately I honestly can't stand casting. I don't like reading spells, tracking rounds, or daily things. I might be able to put up with it for a little while, but campaigns take close to two years for us.

I was happy in the current game because I didn't have to track anything for my fighter. The cavalier will mean some tracking of uses per day stuff, but hopefully it won't be worse than the barbarian I used in the campaign before that.

I'm just hoping we won't get forced to play an evil character... My life is depressing enough that I just want to relax, be a hero, and bash in the occasional skull :(

Eric

[Jiggy]

Maybe try a rogue? You could take points away from STR for your CHA, using Weapon Finesse to hit and augmenting your damage with sneak attack.

A good-CHA rogue could also get into Use Magic Device and do back-up healing with a Wand of Cure Light Wounds or back-up artillery with a Wand of Magic Missile.

[Noah Fentz]

Eric Mason 37 wrote:

...

Unfortunately I honestly can't stand casting. I don't like reading spells, tracking rounds, or daily things. I might be able to put up with it for a little while, but campaigns take close to two years for us.
...

Eric

If you check out the spell progression of the Summoner, you'll see that there's not much going on in that department.

Just saying ...

[Dark_Mistress]

Just don't have your PC back his horse up to the NPC's when playing the party face.

[Vazt]

The one thing that comes to mind is which teamwork feat will you pick for Tactician? Being mounted, you have an opportunity to get into various positions to make uses of Precise Strike or paired opportunist, but it sounds like you are not likely to stay put for long (which should be fun). If the rest of the party is melee heavy, they could still benefit from these positioning feats and you could zip in and take advantage and zip out. Though, with Order of the Sword, it looks like you are less concerned with buffing them and more on buffing yourself, so you may try Coordinated Maneuvers. Assuming that your horse is an ally, you will both almost always be threatening the same target and both will get the +2 to combat maneuvers.