Hi all
I've been thinking about playing a Cavalier for some time. More specifically a Cavalier of the Dragon, who focuses more on helping his friends in combat, than shining himself. I've been looking into archetypes and prestige classes - especially Battle Herald, as a combination with bard seemed like a good choice for such a character.
I weighed cons and pros and still couldn't quite get the character to perform as I wished. Then the Advanced Race Guide came out, and while browsing it I spotted the new halfling feats. And then this idea formed in my head: A Halfling Cavalier / Monk who fights defensively, buffs his allies with melee bonuses (bonii?), and which works as a bodyguard/tank for the other melee characters. All the while he'll also be great to have around outside of combat.
I really like what I've come up with, but I love how these boards are always able to point out erroneous assumptions and/or other possibilities for making great builds :)
So I present to you Smækker Bumlefod (Smacker Bumblefoot):
Male Halfling Cavalier Honorguard of the Dragon / Monk Master of Many Styles of the Sacred Mountain
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 9
20 point buy: Str 16 (-2), Dex 12 (+2), Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 7 (+2)
Traits: Helpful (Halflings of Golarion)
Other trait?
1st - Cavalier lvl 1 - Challenge 1/day (Sworn Defense), Exotic Mount, Order (Dragon), Tactician (Precise Strike, 1/day, 3 rounds)
HP 13 (1d10 + 2 Con + 1 Favored Class)
BaB: +1
Feats: Catious Fighter, Precise Strike*
Saves: +4, +2, +1
Mount: Wolf (Ejnar)
Aid Another: +4
2nd - Monk lvl 1 - Unarmed Strike* (1d4), Stunning Fist*, AC & CMD Bonus (+1), Fuse Style, Bonus Feat
HP 20 (1d10 + 1d8 + 4 Con + 1 Favored Class)
BaB: +1
Feats: Unarmed Strike* (1d4), Stunning Fist*, Crane Style*
Saves: +6, +4, +3
3rd - Monk lvl 2 - Bonus Feat, Iron Monk (+1 natural AC, Toughness*)
HP 30 (1d10 + 2d8 + 6 Con + 1 Favored Class + 3 Toughness)
BaB: +2
Feats: Blundering Defense, Toughness*, Crane Wing*
Saves: +7, +5, +4
Skills: Acrobatics (3 ranks)
AC with Breast Plate and Fighting Defensively: 26 (10 Base + 1 Natural + 1 Size + 2 Dex + 6 Armor + 6 Dodge)
4th - Cavalier lvl 2 - Order Ability (Aid Allies: +5)
Str: +1
HP 40 (2d10 + 2d8 + 8 Con + 2 Favored Class + 4 Toughness)
BaB: +3
Saves: +8, +5, +4
5th - Cavalier lvl 3 - Intercept (+6 AC)
HP 50 (3d10 + 2d8 + 10 Con + 3 Favored Class + 5 Toughness)
BaB: +4
Feats: Combat Expertise, Bodyguard*
Saves: +8, +6, +5
6th - Cavalier lvl 4 - Challenge 2/day
HP 60 (4d10 + 2d8 + 12 Con + 4 Favored Class + 6 Toughness)
BaB: +5
Saves: +9, +6, +5
Mount: Boar (Trøffel)
7th - Cavalier lvl 5 - Banner (+2 against fear, +1 to hit when charging), Tactician (Precise Strike, 2/day, 5 rounds)
HP 70 (5d10 + 2d8 + 14 Con + 5 Favored Class + 7 Toughness)
BaB: +6 / +1
Feats: Swift Aid (Swift Aid Another: +4, for AC: +5)
Saves: +9, +6, +5
8th - Cavalier lvl 6 - Bonus Feat
Str: +1
HP 80 (6d10 + 2d8 + 16 Con + 6 Favored Class + 8 Toughness)
BaB: +7 / +2
Feats: Combat Reflexes*
Saves: +10, +6, +5
9th - Cavalier lvl 7 - Challenge 3/day
HP 90 (7d10 + 2d8 + 18 Con + 7 Favored Class + 9 Toughness)
BaB: +8 / +3
Feats: Dodge
Saves: +10, +6, +5
10th - Cavalier lvl 8 - Order Ability (Aid Allies: +6, [Swift Aid Another: +5, for AC: +6]), Order Ability (Strategy), Intercept (+7 AC)
HP 100 (8d10 + 2d8 + 20 Con + 8 Favored Class + 10 Toughness)
BaB: +9 / +4
Saves: +11, +6, +5
11th - Cavalier lvl 9 - Greater Tactician (Swift Action, Outflank/Precise Strike, 2/day, 7 rounds)
HP 110 (9d10 + 2d8 + 22 Con + 9 Favored Class + 11 Toughness)
BaB: +10 / +5
Feats: Crane Riposte, Outflank*
Saves: +11, +7, +6
12th - Cavalier lvl 10 - Challenge 4/day, Banner (+3 against fear, +2 to hit when charging), Greater Tactician (Swift Action, Outflank/Precise Strike, 3/day, 8 rounds)
Str: +1
HP 120 (10d10 + 2d8 + 24 Con + 10 Favored Class + 12 Toughness)
BaB: +11 / +6 / +1
Saves: +12, +7, +6
Skills: Handle Animals (12), Ride (12), Perception (12), Acrobatics (6), Diplomacy (8), Climb (3), Knowledge (History 5, Religion 9), Profession (Soldier 1), Survival (1), Swim (3)
13th - Cavalier lvl 11 - Warding Charge
HP 130 (11d10 + 2d8 + 26 Con + 11 Favored Class + 13 Toughness)
BaB: +12 / +7 / +2
Feats: Gang Up
Saves: +11, +7, +6
14th - Cavalier lvl 12 - Bonus Feat, Defensive Challenge
HP 140 (12d10 + 2d8 + 28 Con + 12 Favored Class + 14 Toughness)
BaB: +13 / +8 / +3
Feats: Team Up*
Saves: +13, +8, +7
Lvl 1
Challenge 1/day (Sworn Defense): +1 Dmg on melee attacks, all adjacent allies receive +1 circumstance bonus on Attack rolls, one ally get +1 dodge bonus to AC (Smækker gets -1, -3 against anyone else than the target)
Tactician (Precise Strike, 1/day, 3 rounds)
Aid Another: +4
Lvl 3
Blundering Defense: +3 luck bonus to AC and CMD to adjacent allies.
Lvl 4
Aid Allies (+5)
When fighting a challenged foe and the wolf moves to flank, he will provide the following bonuses each round:
1st ally (flanking): +4 to AC, +3 to hit
2nd ally: +3 to AC, +1 to hit
Lvl 5
Intercept (1/round, +6 AC)
Lvl 6
Challenge 2/day (Sworn Defense): +4 Dmg on melee attacks, all adjacent allies receive +2 circumstance bonus on Attack rolls, one ally get +1 dodge bonus to AC (Smækker gets -1, -3 against anyone else than the target)
When fighting a challenged foe and the boar moves to flank, he will provide the following bonuses each round:
1st ally (flanking): +4 to AC (Intercept 1/round for +6 more), +4 to hit
2nd ally: +3 to AC (Intercept 1/round for +6 more), +2 to hit
Lvl 7
Banner (all allies within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge)
Tactician (Precise Strike, 2/day, 5 rounds)
Swift Aid (Swift Aid Another: +4, for AC: +5)
When fighting a challenged foe and the boar moves to flank, he will provide the following bonuses each round:
1st ally (flanking): +4 to AC (Intercept 1/round for +6 more), +8 to hit (swift action)
2nd ally: +3 to AC (Intercept 1/round for +6 more), +2 to hit
Lvl 8
Tactician (Precise Strike, 2/day, 6 rounds)
Intercept (3/round, +6 AC)
When fighting a challenged foe and the boar moves to flank, he will provide the following bonuses each round:
1st ally (flanking): +4 to AC (Intercept 3/round for +6 more), +8 to hit (swift action)
2nd ally: +3 to AC (Intercept 3/round for +4 more), +2 to hit
Lvl 9
Challenge 3/day (Sworn Defense): +7 Dmg on melee attacks, all adjacent allies receive +2 circumstance bonus on Attack rolls, one ally get +1 dodge bonus to AC (Smækker gets -1, -3 against anyone else than the target)
Lvl 10
Challenge 3/day (Sworn Defense): +8 Dmg on melee attacks, all adjacent allies receive +3 circumstance bonus on Attack rolls, one ally get +1 dodge bonus to AC (Smækker gets -1, -3 against anyone else than the target)
Tactician (Precise Strike, 2/day, 7 rounds)
Aid Allies (+6, AC: +7)
Swift Aid Another (+5, AC: +6)
Strategy (Standard action, all allies within 30 feet, once per combat, grant either: a +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round, a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls for 1 round, or the ability to move up to their speed as an immediate action once)
Intercept (3/round, +7 AC)
When fighting a challenged foe and the boar moves to flank, he will provide the following bonuses each round:
1st ally (flanking): +4 to AC (Intercept 3/round for +7 more), +9 to hit (swift action)
2nd ally: +3 to AC (Intercept 3/round for +7 more), +3 to hit
Lvl 11
Greater Tactician (Swift Action, Outflank/Precise Strike, 2/day, 7 rounds)
Lvl 12
Challenge 4/day (Sworn Defense): +10 Dmg on melee attacks, all adjacent allies receive +3 on Attack rolls, one ally get +1 dodge bonus to AC (Smækker gets -1, -3 against anyone else than the target)
Banner (all allies within 60 feet receive a +3 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge)
Greater Tactician (Swift Action, Outflank/Precise Strike, 3/day, 8 rounds)
When fighting a challenged foe and Smækker has activated Greater Tactician (Outflank) [the boar moves to flank], he will provide the following bonuses each round:
1st ally (flanking): +4 to AC (Intercept 3/round for +7 more), +12 to hit (swift action)
2nd ally: +3 to AC (Intercept 3/round for +7 more), +3 to hit
Lvl 13
Warding Charge (Whenever the challenged target makes an attack against the ward, the honor guard can move up to his speed and make a single melee attack against the challenged target as an immediate action)
Lvl 14
Challenge 4/day (Sworn Defense): +12 Dmg on melee attacks, all adjacent allies receive +4 on Attack rolls, one ally get +1 dodge bonus to AC (Smækker gets -1, -3 against anyone else than the target)
Defensive Challenge (when the challenged target is threatened by the cavalier, it takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls against anyone other than the cavalier)
Greater Tactician (Swift Action, Outflank/Precise Strike, 3/day, 9 rounds)
Team Up (can Aid Another as a move action: +6, AC: +7)
When fighting a challenged foe and Smækker has activated Greater Tactician (Outflank) [the boar moves to flank], he will provide the following bonuses each round:
1st ally (flanking): +4 to AC (Intercept 3/round for +7 more), +14 to hit (move action)
2nd ally: +3 to AC (Intercept 3/round for +7 more), +9 to hit (swift action)
Oh - and at the first possible chance he gets, he'll get a Menacing Amulet of Mighty Fists, thereby increasing his flanking bonus for adjacent allies by +2.
I'm thinking the battle formation for single (medium) enemies will be like this:
.
.
xxx
AEA
xSx
Where A is an ally, E is the enemy and S is Smacker.
He'll probably be able to afford the amulet around lvl 6, giving him this buff-potential:
1st ally (flanking): +4 to AC (Intercept 1/round for +6 more), +6 to hit
2nd ally: +3 to AC (Intercept 1/round for +6 more), +4 to hit.
I know he'll lack the versatility and all-around usefullness of the bard - and especially the bard spells. But his melee-buffs are probably better than anyone other buffs in the game, I woudl think - at least late in the game:
At lvl 14, when fighting a challenged foe and Smækker has activated Greater Tactician (Outflank) [the boar moves to flank], he will provide the following bonuses each round:
1st ally (flanking): +4 to AC (Intercept 3/round for +7 more), +16 to hit (move action).
2nd ally: +3 to AC (Intercept 3/round for +7 more), +11 to hit (swift action).
Oh, and what I really lika about this build is, that there's still room for a bard - since what a bard'll bring to the table buff-wise, should stack with most of what I can do.
And what is even better, is that this build makes a perfect partner for an out-of-the-box rogue! The rogues problem is staying power and getting a high enough to-hit-bonus. This build will help with staying power (because of Intercept) and will provide a huge to-hit-bonus.
If you intend to fight defensively and get the most out of that Blundering Defense, you might want to fit in the Crane Style feat. And a mere 3 points in Acrobatics will give you another point of AC.
Check out the spoilers :)