Mount-less cavalier


Advice


I'd really love to play a cavalier, but I don't know if a mount could be that effective, dragging round a horse in a big city where it will be set. :P Is there any archetype with no mount, or any other suggestions for this?

Many thanks!!!


You could always play the Samurai. You still get the mount but pretty much all the other mounted abilities are replaced with less specialized martial powers.


Honor guard downplays the mount. Hunt master replaces it with a dog or bird pet. Halfling cav can bring his dog around a city pretty well.


Just kill your mount.


Battle Herald maybe.
Cavalier/Bard Prestige Class.
Take Standard Bearer archetype for the Cavalier levels and Arcane Duellist for Bard.


They REALLY need to introduce a Cavalier "Inspiring Commander" archetype that has it's mount (and possibly banner) ability replaced with a more ally/teamwork-based tactical approach (like the D&D 3.5's Marshal and it's aura based abilities). Sort of like a foot-based general inspiring his troops (only instead of troops it's his adventuring companions).

Silver Crusade

There's an archetype for samurai from the Dragon Empires Primer, called a Sword Saint. It trades in a samurai's Mount and Banner abilities for Iajutsu. You could re-skin it if japanese isn't an appropriate milieu.

SRD link to Sword Saint

Scarab Sages

There's just one problem with the Sword Saint: It sucks.

Wonderful idea, awful execution.

There is another possibility not yet mentioned: The Musketeer, who gets a gun instead of a mount - it's illegal in Organized Play, however, if that's what you're doing.


Berselius wrote:
They REALLY need to introduce a Cavalier "Inspiring Commander" archetype that has it's mount (and possibly banner) ability replaced with a more ally/teamwork-based tactical approach (like the D&D 3.5's Marshal and it's aura based abilities). Sort of like a foot-based general inspiring his troops (only instead of troops it's his adventuring companions).

That is exactly what the Battle Herald ist, just as a prestige class... the bards IC is an aura of sorts... he gets commandos... Yeah. The BH is your best bet right now.

d20pfsrd-battle-herald


MightyK wrote:
Berselius wrote:
They REALLY need to introduce a Cavalier "Inspiring Commander" archetype that has it's mount (and possibly banner) ability replaced with a more ally/teamwork-based tactical approach (like the D&D 3.5's Marshal and it's aura based abilities). Sort of like a foot-based general inspiring his troops (only instead of troops it's his adventuring companions).

That is exactly what the Battle Herald ist, just as a prestige class... the bards IC is an aura of sorts... he gets commandos... Yeah. The BH is your best bet right now.

d20pfsrd-battle-herald

This is exactly what the Inspiring Commander archetype, by Rite Publishing, is.


What exactly do you like about the cavalier that you want to keep and what don't you like about the mount?

Scarab Sages

Being a fan of chrono trigger, I am a fan of grippli cavaliers. Medium mounts can go anywhere your party goes.

Shadow Lodge

Berselius wrote:
They REALLY need to introduce a Cavalier "Inspiring Commander" archetype that has it's mount (and possibly banner) ability replaced with a more ally/teamwork-based tactical approach (like the D&D 3.5's Marshal and it's aura based abilities). Sort of like a foot-based general inspiring his troops (only instead of troops it's his adventuring companions).

Or paladins who take Weapon Bond instead if the horse. (Being next to a paladin *is* like getting free stuff from a 3rd edition Marshal because you have to factor all the turns you're still in the action due to not blowing your saves as a result of being under his aura.)


A horse is probably the easiest animal to drag around in a city next to a dog. None of the problems of a druids wolf scarring children and pets.
It can't really go indoors but tying it up outside should not be to bad outside the shady part of town and even there your mount is capable of self defense. Get creative with the outdoors only restriction. Baddies try to escape through the back door won't expect a face full of angry horse hooves or a fully plated pony blocking the alleyway exit.

Hopefully your city adventure won't be limited to indoors and the severs below. You can take full advantage of your mount in other areas such as town squares, docks, parks, court yards etc.

Even if you can't ride indoors you can still bring the horse inside larger buildings. It's still a good flanking buddy and while not the most dangerous animal companion it's not bad.

Sovereign Court

Yeah playing a small race with a mount is probably the easiest way. Or like people mentioned play a samurai.

If I were playing in an exploration campaign like Kingmaker, I probably would keep the mount.

Silver Crusade

The huntmaster archtype is a good choice if you don't want a mount. I will recomend you go with dwarf ,or human. The dwarf due to there favored class bonus. Human due to human onlyfeet, and human race trait.

Dwarf : favored class bonus +1/2 to chalange damage. As a huntmaster you share this damage with your animal companion.
Human : Eye for Talent race trait adds +2 to and ability score for your animal companion. Hunmaster feet (human only) gives you a +1 to your animal companion.


If this is a home game and 3rd party material the Genius Archetype by rogue genius games will work. They all trade a set suite of abilities from any class for one of the arhcetypes. The cavalier can trade his mount and mount related abilities for any of them. The martial ones would likely be most useful for a cavalier, but it would ofcourse depend on the character.


Quote:
There's an archetype for samurai from the Dragon Empires Primer, called a Sword Saint. It trades in a samurai's Mount and Banner abilities for Iajutsu.

Good idea but I'm looking for a western-style Cavalier without Mount or Banner abilities.

Quote:
You could re-skin it if Japanese isn't an appropriate milieu.

Ah, yeah, problem with that. My GM is big on material being official pathfinder rules and not using "third party" stuff. With I could go with another GM but there's so few of them where I live.

Quote:
There's just one problem with the Sword Saint: It sucks. Wonderful idea, awful execution.

There's also that yes.

Quote:
There is another possibility not yet mentioned: The Musketeer, who gets a gun instead of a mount - it's illegal in Organized Play, however, if that's what you're doing.

A nice idea but again, I'm looking for a sword wielding, shield bearing, Cavalier that can inspire troops instead of run over enemies with his mount. The gun part is a problem.

Quote:
That is exactly what the Battle Herald ist, just as a prestige class... the bards IC is an aura of sorts... he gets commandos... Yeah. The BH is your best bet right now.

Again, not what I'm looking for. I'm not talking about a prestige class that combines Cavalier and Bard. I'm talking about the need for a Cavalier archetype that acts like a D&D 3.5 Marshal in return for giving up it's mounted (and/or banner) abilities.

Quote:
This is exactly what the Inspiring Commander archetype, by Rite Publishing, is.

And if I could use that, believe me, I WOULD. Again, I'm stuck finding something via official Pathfinder core rules and not third party.

Quote:
What exactly do you like about the cavalier that you want to keep and what don't you like about the mount?

There's alot about the Cavalier I don't like. The mount can be a pain in the ass (especially when you go dungeon delving) and the banner abilities only does so much to inspire your comrades. What I'm looking for is a sort of Battle Captain (aka a Cavalier with an Aura of Command abilities that gives bonuses to his comrades). Unfortunately, it appears I'm out of luck completely on this department.

Quote:
Or paladins who take Weapon Bond instead if the horse.

Only I don't want my PC to BE A PALADIN.


I've always felt that samurai should have given up the mount feature for something else (and something that's good mind you, an animal companion is a pretty powerful class feature).


Berselius wrote:
There's alot about the Cavalier I don't like. The mount can be a pain in the ass (especially when you go dungeon delving) and the banner abilities only does so much to inspire your comrades. What I'm looking for is a sort of Battle Captain (aka a Cavalier with an Aura of Command abilities that gives bonuses to his comrades). Unfortunately, it appears I'm out of luck completely on this department.

I'd actually go bard if I were you. Bards can be made into decent martials and they certainly have a lot of abilities to give bonuses to comrades and speak their mind. Mithral breastplate and sword of mercy/enforcer and other tricks can help to give them a combat edge. Ranger has the freebooter archetype which is kind of meh imo, but does give bonuses to allies when it can. There is a cleric archetype called Evangelist that can use bardic performance. Barbarian has powers that buff allies, but none I'm particular fond of(though rite publishing does have a tactical archetype for it). There's always magical buffing and divine casters always come with armor, and summoner is definitely a buffer(Mithral light shield/buckler has 0 ASF). Alchemist is a weird option, but infusions can be thrown around and they can definitely wear armor, wield swords and shields, and do some crazy control or melee.

3.5 had a few options(Martial Adept with White Raven and the marshal class in particular). Pathfinder has a few, but most of the ones I know are 3rd party or just not so hot.


Well, while I can't say that it actually does what you are looking for, Berselius, the Huntsmaster archetype does trade away the mount and banner capabilities to be more like a ranger (for both some bonuses both in and out of battle eventually).

The real appeal of the archetype to me is the fact that your animal companion also gets in on the bonuses of your challenge. This is perfect for bird ACs, since they have three natural attacks, but they are somewhat lackluster when it comes to actual damage. With three natural attacks, all at full BAB and with your cavalier level as bonus damage, their full attacks can be as deadly as your own if you are using a two handed style. Plus, they can fly and they have great speed, so it is even easier for them to get their attacks off than you do.

And it is not like you would have too much trouble taking a bird around with you. Sure, it is rather large (about the same size as a halfling), but it is not like you really hear people telling the wizard to leave their raven outside or anything.

Sczarni

The Emissary archetype is also more focused on being effective with or without your mount, so you still get the upside of mounted combat without being so dependant on the mount that leaving it outside the dungeon is a major handicap.

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