*Looks at archetype* Wow, that's weak. A free dirty trick sounds good but it's limited to a couple of very weak effects and a bird won't have the best CMB. Sharing the challenge is the useful part I guess. Some orders with useful challenges would be Eastern Star for defence, Flame or Green for offence. Flame seems most fun to me, YMMV.
Your bird will probably need weapon finesse and piranha strike, so make sure you raise its intelligence so it can take feats not on the animal companion list - either at 4th level when it gets an ability score increase, or at 1st if you play a human with Eye for Talent.
Is there anything in particular you wanted help with?
What environment are you liking to play in? If you're just playing at lower levels, you can do pretty nicely with a pair of hunting dogs with boon companion. Take tandem trip and share it with the doggos. I think you'd is a bit better than a bird.
Alternatively, the disciple of the pike from monster hunters handbook is probably a stronger choice for an unmounted cavalier.
There's a new archetype called Sister-Of-Battle or something like that that is a fantastic unmounted archetype.
What makes it a good archetype? What book is it in?
What makes it a good archetype? What book is it in?
Adventurer's Guide. It replaces Mount for a second Order. It's basically the Yojimbo archetype for Samurai on steroids.
That sounds very cool then. Adventurers guide is the new book right?
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It's called Sister-In-Arms.
What it do:
- You deal half Challenge damage because you suck.
- No mount, but you get Order of the Dragon and Order of the Lion both simultaneously. Choose the edict of either.
- Bodyguard as a bonus feat instead of cav's charge.
- Will save bonus vs. compulsion instead of expert trainer.
- And the same replacements for the other charge feats as the Constable archetype.
Its proper name is Sister-in-arms, and hasn't made it to Archives of Nethys or the pfsrd yet, as far as I can tell.
It changes:
Halfhearted Challenge: a Sister-in-arms only gains 1/2 their level to damage when against challenged enemies, rounded down.
Maiden's order: a Sister-in-arms gains all of both benefits of both the Orders of the Lion and Dragon, but only has to follow the edicts of one order, chosen at first level. Alters order and replaces mount.
Devoted Defender: At 3rd levelgains bodyguard as a bonus feat, instead of cavalier's charge.
Maiden's Loyalty: at 4th level, she gains a +2 bonus to will saves against effects that would compel her to attack her allies, increasing by +1 for evedy 4 levels beyond 4. Replaces expert trainer.
Dedicated commander: at 11th she can use Lion's call or strategy order abilities as a move instead of a standard. At 20th, she can use act as one, lion's call or strategy as a swift action. This reeplaces mighty charge and supreme charge.
There's a cool order in the new fey book that gives your cavalier a sneak attack progression. Birds make awesome flankers due to their mobility. 3 natural attacks are also nice to have. Since your cavalier would also appreciate natural attacks make him a tengu.
Get the bird a menacing AoMF. Pick up Precise strike with tactician. Outflank at level 5, accomplished Sneak Attacker at level 3. Make 3 Attacks with 3d6 bonus damage on each attack and a +4 to hit from flanking at level 3. Watch the world crumble...
We had a Cavalier in our Skull & Shackles group that used the Daring Champion archetype, which adds some Swashbuckler deeds in place of a mount. With Precise Strike and Challenge you add 2x your level to attacks (and that is before you use any active deeds) and become very deadly whenever you manage to full-attack your foes.
So if you want to explore the Orders that might be a nice option. If you want to play an armored knight not so much, as you'd rather use light armor and dexterity to damage stuff with that archetype.