Which variety of little folk make the best cavalier / paladin?

[Blastoguy]

Gnome, Halfling, or Wayang? Lets compare, shall we?

Gnome: Bonuses to con and cha, paladins are smiling. Skill bonuses are nice, especially when perception is involved. You'll pretty much always want to trade out defensive training and hatred unless you plan on fighting a lot of giants/etc. for 20 levels. Penalty to strength hurts. Spell like abilities are situational but useful.

Halfling: Bonuses to dex and cha are nice, bonus to all saves, even higher bonus against fear effects (be sure to swap out fearless for an alternate racial trait if you're a paladin). Solid bonuses to skills, the +2 to perception is especially delicious, and if you take the outrider alternate racial trait you can swap out climb and acrobatics for ride and handle animal. Again, a penalty to strength stings.

Wayang: Bonus to dex and int, which is ok I guess, could be better, but it's not what Wayangs get that's important, it's what they don't lose; namely, str. Perception bonus is nice but it's for all practical purposes +1 due to the racial penalty on wisdom. Like the gnome, spell like abilities are situational but useful, pass without trace being especially attractive for someone with a mount.

Overall I'd say... they're pretty much dead even. Comes down to slight advantages depending on build. Maybe I'm missing something here but I think it's hard to go wrong as long as you're small, for either class.

[MasterMinMaxer]

I'd give halfling the edge.They will have more AC,better saves,and skill bonuses that would help with the huge armor check penalties.I love them especially for TWF builds.

[waiph]

i like Gnome's bonus to Con. Wear heavy armor, and especialy as a cavaler, you don't have the same issues with ride checks, so dex is less of an issue.

[Darigaaz the Igniter]

If going archery the Halfling is better.

If going SMITELANCECHARGE the Gnome is nicer since it'll be in melee more.

Wayang I can't comment on.

[Bart Vervaet]

I am playing a halfling cavalier (gendarme) in kingmaker atm. The double (or triple with spirited charge) damage with a lance easily compensates for the small size and lower str. Wolf mount with dodge and mobility combined with the very high ride check (halfling outrider) means that untill now only one or two opponents have managed to succesfully hit him. Because of the high mobility the slightly lower hp compared to gnomes don't really matter that hard.

for a melee paladin it is a trade-off: either go gnome for more hp or halfling for the insane saves

I am not really familiar with wayang so can't really comment on that

[blackbloodtroll]

Goblin, they have built in bonuses to ride.

[DrDeth]

What the heck is a wayang?

[Argus The Slayer]

As you mentioned, Halfing has Outrider. Along with a DEX bonus that means great Ride checks.

The one that nobody mentioned is the Halfling Paladin Favored Class bonus to Lay On Hands. Combine that with the Fey Foundling feat and you have a very serious swift action heal: +3 to each die of LoH. Combine those with the resiliency of Hero's Defiance (Immediate action 1st level Paladin spell) and a Halfling's CHA and ST bonuses and you have a small charging machine that is very difficult to drop.

[nate lange]

i can't believe i'm going to say this, but gnome... only for a tank though- a gnome pally makes a pretty solid tank (bonus to con for hp, to cha for smite/LoH/saves/etc, and size bonus to AC...), you just have to figure out how to get things to attack you instead of stepping over you =P

[GnomePaladin]

I feel if I reply its going to be biased.

I wonder why.

[psionichamster]

Gnome Paladin all the way.

Stupid high Ac, HP, and all round awesome paladin stuff more than makes up for the reduced damage output.

SmiteLance(Spirited)Charge is quite the viable attack, especially with ride by attack.

[blackbloodtroll]

Alternate Tiefling, small Div-Spawn. +2dex +2cha -2int.

[The black raven]

Wayang is worse than Halfling and Gnome for a Paladin because they lack the +2 to CHA (which is THE Uber-ability for any Paladin build).

[Blake Duffey]

DrDeth wrote:

What the heck is a wayang?

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/races-of-the-dragon-empires/wayang

[David knott 242]

The halfling paladin in our party strikes terror into our foes whenever he charges across the battlefield on his war dog. I would be stunned if I found out that some other Small race could do even better.