UC: Honor Guard cavalier archetype

[Dumb Paladin]

I'm slightly confused on how this archetype 'modifies' the cavalier challenge ability.

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."

Later: "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."

Honor Guard's Sworn Defense ability states: "At 1st level, whenever an honor guard issues a challenge, he can select one ally as his ward for the duration of the challenge. Whenever the honor guard is adjacent to his ward, he takes a –1 penalty to Armor Class, and the ward receives a +1 dodge bonus to AC. "

It seems like you still take the -2 penalty to AC when you issue a challenge, except when adjacent to your ward, in which case it drops to a -1 penalty to AC.

But do you still deal the extra melee damage equal to your cavalier level?

[Remco Sommeling]

As I understand it the challenge ability is not changed, so you get the bonus on damage and a -2 AC to targets other than your challenged foe.

The Honor Guard's sworn defense adds to that, it allows you to select a ward which gives you an additional -1 penalty to AC, or -3 against attackers other than your challenged foe.

[Dumb Paladin]

Wow, that's an even worse interpretation than I'd read into it ... but I guess I'll add it to the list.

Any other input?

[InsaneFox]

Dumb Paladin wrote:

Wow, that's an even worse interpretation than I'd read into it ... but I guess I'll add it to the list.

Any other input?

Makes for a handy cohort as a spellcaster. Though there are better.

[Julix]

What about making your mount your ward? Mine has lost two mounts before, he'd promise this one he'll try his best to keep it safe (and has since learned mounted combat to deliver) - worth a -1 AC to save the squishy mount?

[Sir Terramor the Blue Knight]

Sir Terramor here is both an Honor Guard and a Strategist. It's an awesome and fun support character. At his level he can add +5 to an adjacent ally's AC up to 3 times per round. The party monk or wizard love it!

[Murdock Mudeater]

Dumb Paladin wrote:

Wow, that's an even worse interpretation than I'd read into it ... but I guess I'll add it to the list.

Any other input?

Remco has it right. That said, the further -1 AC is listed as something the Honor Guard "CAN" impose on themseleves during a challenge. Furthermore, it only applies while they remain adjacent to their protected ward. So if you really needed that AC back in the challenge, you could just step away from your ward and it would stop giving you that -1 AC and giving the ward that +1 dodge AC.

[Murdock Mudeater]

One thing about the Challenge ability is that it doesn't require multiple opponents. So if the party is against, a *fearsome* minotaur for example, the penalty to AC against enemies not the target of the challenge has no real effect. So you are just getting a damage bonus at no penalty.