TL:DR help me build a Vermin Tamer Cavalier\Scout Rogue built around charging on his flying Giant Beetle.
Because I think this silly pun name is funny I've decided to make this Cav\Rogue guy. I didn't think it would be much of anything except a silly character to play and RP, but once I got down to actually making it, it seems like you could actually do something cool with a Cav\Scout Rogue built around charging. Because its kind of a silly character I want to make him a Vermin Tamer Cav as well, make him a small size race and take the Giant Beetle for a flying mount at lvl 1. I've never built a mounted character before, nor one built around charging and, generally speaking, I don't multiclass that often so I don't know what the best cadence for taking which class at which level would be, so I am looking for advice.
If you're following PFS rules then the horse master feat still works for a vermin tamer cav. If not then you'll need the boon companion feat, and you're more or less limited to rogue 4. You probably want to take 4 cavalier levels first so that you qualify for one of those feats ASAP, then rogue levels, then back to cavalier if you're using boon companion.
The basic mounted combat feats are mounted combat, ride-by attack and spirited charge. You want them all. Trick riding and some others like mounted skirmisher are icing on the cake, not essential. Power attack if you're a lancer, piranha strike if you're trying something heavily dex-based are also going to be wanted.
The giant beetle is the second-worst flying mount I've seen BTW. 20' fly (poor) is slow and also bad at hovering in place.
If you're following PFS rules then the horse master feat still works for a vermin tamer cav. If not then you'll need the boon companion feat, and you're more or less limited to rogue 4. You probably want to take 4 cavalier levels first so that you qualify for one of those feats ASAP, then rogue levels, then back to cavalier if you're using boon companion.
The basic mounted combat feats are mounted combat, ride-by attack and spirited charge. You want them all. Trick riding and some others like mounted skirmisher are icing on the cake, not essential. Power attack if you're a lancer, piranha strike if you're trying something heavily dex-based are also going to be wanted.
The giant beetle is the second-worst flying mount I've seen BTW. 20' fly (poor) is slow and also bad at hovering in place.
Thanks! This is great info. I know its not a good mount but, again, silly character, not super worried about stuff like that.
Ok, here is a somewhat left-field idea...
At level 1, take Combat Expertise as your regular Feat and Pack Flanking as your Teamwork Feat from Tactician. If you use Tactician to give your mount Pack Flanking on turn 1 of combat (when you don't have the drop on your foes) you will always have flanking when you charge in riding it. Take the Order of the Blossom.
At Level 2, the Order gives you Sneak Attack at 1d6.
At Level 3 you can take Accomplished Sneak Attacker for +1d6 to sneak attacks. You now have the sneak attack of a 3rd level rogue as a pure Cavalier- and always get sneak attack when charging a level before a pure Scout would get it! (In fact you don't even need to charge as long as you are mounted, but with the flanking bonus you now have +6 to hit when you do).
This is a fun idea I think I'll use it. Thanks!
Will he have an arch enemy? A Hellknight named Sir Veillance?