Fighter Path: The Knight (Cavalier, Samurai...)

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The Man of the Moon
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Fighter Path: The Knight (Cavalier, Samurai...)

Post by The Man of the Moon » Sat Nov 29, 2014 9:41 am

With the feedbacks & brain storming contribution of: wrote: IndifferentPerson
Urch
Oros
Cavalier, knight, Samurai... This class was made by Gary Gygax in the Unearthed Arcana expansion for the First Edition... and I suggest it bassed on what it was.

The Cavalier class has become the fifth basic class, along with the original four basic classes Cleric, Fighter, Magic-User, and Thief. Generally, other classes are viewed as sub-classes of one of these five, having characteristics of the class but diverging from it in specific ways. The Cavalier class is the class of mounted warriors, knights who are a cut above the ordinary fighter both in combat ability and in social standing. They generally have very high codes of honor, called Chivalry in the occident, Bushido for the oriental variant.


Requirements:
base class: Fighter.
Lawful alignement (Regardless of alignment, the cavalier must always place honor, bravery, and personal deeds above other concerns)

Advantages & abilities:

+ Knights are immune to fear.

+ Ability to Inspire courage 1/day, the same as the purple dragon knight ability of the same name. This increases in uses every certain number of fighter levels.

+ Mind resistance: 90% chance to avoid a hostile mind effect. +2 savings against illusion.

+ Phisical excellence: Knights gets 12 hp per level.
They get additional +1 discipline by each 2 levels, as +1 to fortitude savings/each 5 levels.

Combat style:
+ Ride mastery: While fighting in a horse, they will get +2 to their hit and dmg, as +2 to all saving throws. With a lance, their dmg will be raised by a bonus equal to their cavalier level.

+ Chosen weapons:
On character creation, they choose a martial weapon from a menu. The weapons that are not traditionally knightly weapons (such as great axes, rapiers) are omitted. Katanas are also on the list (samurai). Said weapon is granted to the knight and cannot be dropped. This weapon gains strength with fighter levels the same as what you would get if you were a fighter (+1 enhancement / 5 levels)

+ Shield: They will get the double AC bonus from wearing a shield (+2 at level 5, +4 at level 10, +6 at level 15, +8 at level 20, +10 at level 25, +12 at level 30)

+ Heavy Armor: They will get the fighter bonus (+1 AC / 5 knight levels) to only heavy armors, while are the only one they train in their combat style.


Disadvantages:

The Cavalier, Knight, Samurai, can't select any other class. Keeping only his knightly class.

- Cannot use hostile magical spells / magical triggered hostile effects. But they can use healing potions and such.

- Loses ranged weapons use permanently: The cavalier will avoid weapons which deal out damage at a distance, as calling into question his honor.

- Loses light armour proficiency and cannot regain it, due to their adverse interests in wearing the apparel of commoners, as explained in the class description above.

- The cavalier will avoid the use of hostile magic items (he may use healing or boosting ones, but not damaging spells or defenses. (This in RP meanings, while anyway there are not many magic devices he may use as not being allowed to get umd or magic classes)

- The knight is bound to an oath that he can't break. (if he did, the path could be broken, losing all the advantages and maybe just becoming a standard fighter)

- As a part of his oath, a knight must:
- Fight in the front line.
- Chose the strongest enemies.
- Can't flee or retreat while another member of his group continued engaged or in danger. Only one all the other pcs were retreated, he may do it aswell, keeping the last defense of the group.


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A resource inspirated in the Unearthed Arcane. AD&D 1st Ed. wrote: AD&D Character Class: Cavalier
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Cavaliers must be in service to someone, usually a nobleman, but possibly a deity, order, or special cause. Krynn humans, Krynn Mountain Dwarfs, Dimernesti, Qualinesti, and Irda must be in service to a noble or royal house. However, they may at certain times apply to the order of the Knights of Solamnia, leaving the cavalier class and their liege and joining the order at no penalty to level.

Regardless of alignment, the cavalier must always place honor, bravery, and personal deeds above other concerns.

Usually, the character is of noble origin. Any cavalier rolling a social class below Lower Middle Class will be lower middle class, as peasants below that status need not apply.

Cavaliers of good alignment may function with negative hit points. Although they may not attack or parry, they remain conscious, may bandage wounds, quaff potions, or take other simple actions. The total number of negative hit points they may survive is equal to their total hit points at level one. Cavaliers also heal faster than others, gaining an additional d4 recovered hit points for each full week of complete rest.

As members and representatives of the upper classes, cavaliers have individual family coats of arms and armorial bearings. This device is worn on the shield to identify the cavalier during battle and in tournaments (because his head is usually covered). (In tournaments, a cavalier may appear as a "black knight" with his shield covered, with the permission of those running the tournament.) Such markings and identifiers may be covered while traveling, but must be revealed if an encounter occurs with any creature which might understand the significance thereof. At fourth level, the cavalier may place a pennon on his lance, with a matching flag to be held by his retainers to mark his territory. Loss of the flag (not the pennon) creates dishonor for the cavalier which can only be erased by recovery thereof.

Cavaliers will always receive full hospitality from other cavaliers of the same alignment, and from all gentle, noble, and royal households who are not enemies of the house of the cavalier or his allies. Such hospitality includes food, lodging, and reasonable provision under the circumstances. Obviously, they are equally obligated to show such hospitality to all other cavaliers of the same alignment, and to cavalier subclasses (paladin, samurai, knight of Solamnia).

Upon being sworn to knighthood (level 4 for the cavalier, in a formal ceremony by a knight at least 2 levels higher), he pledges himself to the code. Failure to follow the code thereafter (if specific commands of liege or order do not require the breach) may result in loss of cavalier status. Thereafter the character is a fighter, retaining only the benefits of his weapons of choice at the level at which he ceased to be a cavalier.

There are several aspects to the codes which are required of cavaliers. First, he must sustain the knightly virtues of Liberality, Honor, Good Faith, Glory, Unselfishness, Pride, Courtesy, and Bravery. The code may be viewed as containing these precepts:

Noble service cheerfully rendered.
Defense of any charge unto death.
Courage and enterprise in obedience to rule.
Respect for all peers and equals.
Honor to all above your station.
Obedience and respect from all beneath your station.
Scorn for those who are lowly and ignoble*.
Military prowess exercised in service to your lord.
Courtesy to all ladies (if the cavalier is male).
War is the flowering of chivalry.
Battle is the test of manhood.
Combat is glory.
Personal glory above all in battle.
Death to all who oppose the cause.
Death before dishonor.
*This includes knightly limitations on weapons and armor.
The code will be enforced within the game by penalties to experience; generally, violations of the code will result in limited or eliminated experience for the period during which the code is violated. This is apart from grade enforcement and intervention of superiors.

As a result of the code and the desire for battle, cavaliers cannot be controlled in battle situations. They will charge any enemy in sight, with this order of preference:

Powerful monsters (dragons, demons, giants) serving enemy leaders.
Enemy leaders.
Opponent cavaliers of great renown, and enemy flags and standards.
Opponent cavalry of noble or elite status.
Other opponent cavalry.
Opponent elite footmen.
Opponent camp and headquarters.
Opponent melee troops.
Levies or peasants.

Although all cavaliers must begin with good alignment, a cavalier may change his alignment to any other alignment at any time during the second and third levels without any penalty, provided the change is well-reasoned. Neutral and evil cavaliers lose the protection from fear aura (which protects others) and the ability to function at negative hit points. The numbers and types of followers they will attract is significantly altered, and they do not attract retainers. Evil cavaliers may freely ignore the obligation of hospitality, and may use poison. Evil cavaliers are known by their device throughout the land, and it is the obligation of all good cavaliers to hunt them down and destroy them.
Disclaimer: All what I write are simple opinions of a player and always with honest intention to contribute constructively and from respect, but with a poor knowledge of English.

Thank you

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