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Build experiment #2 for halfling cavalier chedderball
Note: NOT a hard-core DPR min/max build (I want some skills and RP hooks; also, character unlikely to be played high level, so maximum oomph beyond Mounted Skirmisher at 14th is roughly zero priority)
Concept: maximum melee cheese per level; looking for feat suggestions at the suggested locations.
Braggart Knight #2
halfling 25pt
STR-14
DEX+15 (bump 4th)
CON:14
INT:10
WIS:12
CHA+16
Racial Archetype: Outrider
Traits: Berserker of the Society, Dangerously Curious
Local Affinity: Lastwall
01 barb1 [Mounted Fury][mount's move+10][rage:7r], Raging Vitality
02 fight1 [Dragoon:(Mounted Combat)(Skill Focus:Ride)]
03 cava1 [Gendarme][Ride by Attack][Challenge 1/day], Boon Companion
04 cava2 STR>14,[Order of the Cockatrice:(Dazzling Display)]
05 cava3 [Cavalier's Charge], Indomitable Mount
06 cava4 [Challenge 2/day][Expert Trainer]
07 cava5 [WT:Spears][Banner+1][Power Attack], Shatter Defenses
08 cava6 (this level is really boring; why not go shopping?)
09 cava7 [Challenge 3/day], Trick Riding
10 cava8 [Steal Glory][Challenge bonus damage +2][Spirited Charge]
11 cava9 Deadly Stroke
12 cav10 [Banner+2][Challenge 4/day]
13 cav11 [Challenge 4/day][Mighty Charge][Gendarme FEAT], FEAT (Dazing Assault?)
14 fight2 Mounted Skirmisher
15 barb2 [Quick Reflexes or Reckless Abandon], FEAT (Extra Rage?)
16 cav12
17 cav13 FEAT (Stunning Assault?), ...etc
Alignment: CN, but pretends to be LG (bluffs that he's a paladin to avoid will save magic); teller of tall-tales
Strengths: 10 feats & features by 4th, easy massive damage vs save-sucked foes at 7th
Weaknesses: tepid will save, swallow whole hors devours, limited rage rounds
Annoyance: waiting until 10th for "free" Spirited Charge
07 cava5 [WT:Spears][Banner+1][Power Attack], Shatter Defenses
08 cava6 (this level is really boring; why not go shopping?)
I thought Cavalier's get a bonus feat at 6th, not 5th...
I think your power attack needs to get pushed back to your 'boring' level.Edit.. nevermind.. I didntt realize Gendarme moved that much around
Don't forget Wheeling Charge
for the open feats: furious focus might be worth picking up somewhere (perhaps cornugon smash as well, since it synergizes quite nicely with shatter defenses on a cha-decent character, and doesn't eat a standard action doing nothing but flexing your biceps like dazzling display--you get the intimidate free as part of a power attack), and if you DO go for cornugon smash i'd say grab dreadful carnage for the 15th level feat (or earlier after some shuffling), since it lets you intimidate everyone within 30ft. (like dazzling display) for free when you drop someone.
for the rage power: i'd take reckless abandon over quick reflexes, since you dont have combat reflexes to really capitalize on lots of extra AoOs, and reckless abandon makes power attacking often more attractive and your AC is already likely stellar since you're mounted (no worries about heavy armor reducing your speed, so full plate+shield and lance is perfectly fine) and you can negate an attack for free*
* - try to get the bodyguard archetype for your mount (via the animal companion archetypes), since it can use In Harm's Way to eat an attack aimed at you--which you can then nullify with a ride check thanks to mounted combat (also possible to combine with crane style and a free hand for added hilarity)
for the gendarme feat: you could take improved bull rush--if you decide to take extra rage power (knockback) over the above feat suggestions, it pairs nicely with it--and send people flying even without the unhorse feat.
on weaponry: since you're running both cavalier and barbarian, definitely look at the furious and courageous enchants on your weapon, as it gets much more powerful when you rage and increases all morale bonuses active on you by half of the enhancement bonus (guess what your banner bonus and rage stat increases are?)
if you decide to grab cornugon smash: look into the Cruel (three guesses what statuses all this intimidating causes) and/or Ominous (less important, but helpful) enchants as well: they'll make you a debuffing machine on top of hitting things super-easily thanks to shatter defenses.
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also, note that the vital strike feat line is perfectly viable for charge-centric cavaliers, since their mount is the one doing the moving, they just get the charging benefits while they can challenge + [normal, improved, greater] vital strike + spirited charge + 2h lance and punch flaming holes in things within charging lanes (and the lance's reach). with rage tacked onto that you've got a scary mo'fo right there.
consider asking your GM if you can get a giant spider mount (it's in the animal companion list, so maybe you can get it later as an 'exotic mount') since at 4th level (when you'd want to get it) it hits medium size, so you can ride it and run on walls/ceilings and other crazy things. though you'd need something to bridge those first three levels mount-wise...
pardon this doublepost and the previous wall of text, i've editted it for slightly increased ease of reading.
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I thought Cavalier's get a bonus feat at 6th, not 5th...Gendarme feat progression is a little quicker.
Don't forget Wheeling ChargeOooo...shiny! Where to put....
Don't forget Wheeling ChargeDammit...must have all teh feats....
furious focus might be worth picking up somewhere, (and) grab dreadful carnage for the 15th level feat (or earlier after some shuffling), since it lets you intimidate everyone within 30ft. (like dazzling display) for free when you drop someone.They are attractive, but I'm guessing I'll not need FF much, since the character's schtick is to SOS opponents hard. (If they made a FF for the last attack, I'd be sold). Dreadful Carnage is highly situational (i.e., how often will we face multiple opponents that close together at that level? also don't like waiting for mega-HP monsters to drop before a bennie kicks in).
take reckless abandon over quick reflexes, since you dont have combat reflexes to really capitalize on lots of extra AoOsQuick Reflexes is most useful when you don't have Combat Reflexex (since you go from one to two AoO); that said, there aren't too many 5' reach opponents at that level, so Reckless is likely (if the cavalier levels weren't so damned good, barb2 would come a lot earlier)
you could take improved bull rush --if you decide to take extra rage power (knockback) over the above feat suggestions, it pairs nicely with it--and send people flying even without the unhorse feat.Aside from eating the small size penalty to this stuff, I'm not sure I'd be running into riders that often. So, very situational.
since you're running both cavalier and barbarian, definitely look at the furious and courageous enchants on your weaponSolid combo, though worried more about Enchantment/Illusion (Fears saves pretty good already).
vital strike feat lineSmall character unlikely to be Enlarged renders this less tempting. (Raw damage on hits generally isn't a problem on a charge.)
spider mount
Likely mounts are wolf > badger > flying.
Order of the cocatrice gets dazzling display for free, str and con from rage are also moral bonuses so benefit from couragious, same with banner.
for rage power, take ferrocious mount to give your mount +4 str, +6 con.
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I can have Dazzling Display, but I can't use it without Weapon Focus.
Will have to do some feat shuffling....(also must have Wheeling Charge)
One option is to never rage (negating necessity of Raging Vitality and Berserker of the Society) until cash for Furious weapons is in our pockets.
...are there any obscure traits which grant a bonus to attack with lances or while mounted?
bonus feats dont require prereqs to use. or else monks and rangers flat-out wouldnt work.
for some reason it cut off the end of the quoted post, but whatever:
They are attractive, but I'm guessing I'll not need FF much, since the character's schtick is to SOS opponents hard. (If they made a FF for the last attack, I'd be sold). Dreadful Carnage is highly situational (i.e., how often will we face multiple opponents that close together at that level? also don't like waiting for mega-HP monsters to drop before a bennie kicks in).
on dreadful carnage: 30ft. distance (6 squares any direction, slightly shorter on corners due to pathfinders 1/2/1/2 distances for diagonals) against melee opponents is a crazy long range (as they'll tend to bunch up trying to get to/actually getting to the squishies), and especially useful in areas that you'd be worried in as a cavalier, like smaller rooms and corridors--basically any time you're indoors.
you'd be surprised how often enemies are positioned close to one another (especially when tied up in melee with you and your other party members, or literally tied up due to black tentacles, web, various pits and walls or other helpful control spells from the party spellcaster to funnel them where you want them).you could take improved bull rush --if you decide to take extra rage power (knockback) over the above feat suggestions, it pairs nicely with it--and send people flying even without the unhorse feat.Aside from eating the small size penalty to this stuff, I'm not sure I'd be running into riders that...
perhaps i should have clarified: the imp. bull rush + knockback combo has nothing to do with riders at all, you can use it on anyone. it lets you replace any attack with a bull rush (knockback), and gives a bonus to it (improved bull rush), so you can knock people flying without having to take the unhorse feat. with reach, rage, and charge bonuses that bull rush will be pretty crazy.
