Cavalier

Description: The Cavalier is the ultimate mounted warrior of civilized cultures, especially those of Middle Ages technology and outlook. In a campaign, he's the shining knight who leads his fellows on an eternal quest for truth, justice, and the elimination of evil. To the world at large, he's a mighty hero. To his friends and allies, he's a staunch friend, a tireless cheerleader, and often an overenthusiastic pain in the neck.

This is a good Warrior Kit for paladins to take. It can be argued that paladins look something like this already, but that isn't necessarily so: Only paladins of cultures resembling medieval Europe would look like this (a paladin of a Japanese-type culture, a paladin of a Polynesian-like culture, and a paladin of a culture resembling later Renaissance Europe would all be very different from the Cavalier). Therefore, a paladin who wants to look every inch the shining knight should take the Cavalier Warrior Kit.

The Cavalier kit resembles the Noble Warrior kit (q.v.) in that both are noblemen warriors, but the Noble Warrior is primarily interested in defending the rights and maintaining the status quo of his social class, while the Cavalier pursues loftier goals.

To be a cavalier, the character must be of any good alignment (chaotic good, neutral good, lawful good) and have at least the following minimum ability scores: Strength 15, Dexterity 15, Constitution 15, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 10.

Also, the character must belong to the noble social class in the campaign. It's up to the DM to determine whether this is possible. If his campaign uses a random die-roll to determine who's nobility and who isn't, then the character must first successfully roll to be noble in order to be a Cavalier. If it's more of a role-playing exercise in the campaign, then any character who takes the Cavalier Warrior Kit will be presumed to be of the nobility. (This doesn't mean that he has a lot of money; it's quite likely that he belongs to an impoverished noble family, one with a lot of honorable tradition but no money to speak of.)

Fighters and Paladins may be Cavaliers; Rangers may not. Only humans, elves, and half-elves may be Cavaliers.

Role: In his own and similar cultures, the Cavalier is a mighty hero who has the respect of the majority of the population (the criminal classes and evil characters excepted). He has the good-will of the people (reflected as bonuses to his reaction rolls), but the people also make many demands of him: When there's danger, when someone is in trouble, the people turn to the Cavalier for help. This character does not get much time for rest and relaxation.

Secondary Skills: If you're using the Secondary Skills rules, the Cavalier must take Groom.

Weapon Proficiencies: Required: Lance (any; player choice) and Sword (any; player choice). Recommended: All other Lances, all other Swords, all Horsemen's weapons, Dagger, Spear, Javelin.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus Proficiencies: Riding, (Land-based, horse), Etiquette. Recommended: Animal Handling, Animal Training, Dancing, Heraldry, (Priest, double slots unless Paladin) Musical Instrument, Reading/Writing, (Warrior) Blind-Fighting, Endurance.

Equipment: The Cavalier must start play with (i.e., spend his initial gold on) at least two weapons, including one lance and one sword, and must then buy the most expensive set of armor he can still afford. After those expenditures, whatever remains of his gold can be spent on items of his choice.

Special Benefits: The Cavalier enjoys many special benefits, including:

At 1st level, he gets a +1 to attack rolls with any lance for which he has proficiency, when using the lance from horseback. This goes up +1 every six experience levels (so he'll be +2 at 7th level, +3 at 13th, etc.).

At 3rd level, he gets a +1 to attack rolls with any one type of sword (his choice from among those he has proficiency with; most common are broad sword, long sword, bastard sword, and scimitar). This goes up +1 every six experience levels (so he'll be +2 at 9th level, +3 at 15th, etc.).

At 5th level, he gets a +1 to attack rolls with either horseman's mace, horseman's flail, or horseman's pick (his choice from among those he has proficiency with). This goes up +1 every six experience levels (so he'll be +2 at 11th level, +3 at 17th level, etc.).

These pluses to attack rolls do not add to damage, and don't allow the Cavalier to hit a monster that can only be hit by magical weapons.

The Cavalier is completely immune to the fear spell. Because he is so brave, he inspires others to courage, and so, while he is fighting, he actually radiates an emotion spell in a 10' radius. This emotion spell radiates courage (see the writeup for the 4th-level wizard spell emotion), but only to the extent that it negates fear; it does not bestow the berserk fury that the actual wizard spell provides.

The Cavalier is +4 to save vs. all magic which would affect his mind, such as the wizard spells charm person, friends, hypnotism, sleep, irritation, ray of enfeeblement, scare, and geas, and the clerical spells command, charm person or mammal, enthrall, cloak of bravery, and symbol.

The Cavalier starts play with a horse which he does not have to pay for. This will be either a heavy war horse, medium war horse, or light war horse (see the Monstrous Manual Volume One entry on Horses). The player may choose what sort of horse it is, subject to the DM's approval. It will automatically be a Charger (see the section on Horse Quality in the Dungeon Master Guide, page 36); the DM may roll for its personality traits according to those rules. If this horse dies, the Cavalier has to acquire himself another one through the usual campaign means (buy one, be given one for noble deeds, etc.), but will not be content with any horse which is not a war horse of Charger quality.

The Cavalier receives a +3 reaction from anyone of his own culture (except criminals and characters of evil alignment, from whom he receives a –3).

And finally, the Cavalier has the right to demand shelter. When he travels, he can demand shelter from anyone in his own nation who is of status lower than nobility. And most people of his own status or higher will be happy to offer him shelter when he is travelling.

Special Hindrances: For all these benefits, the Cavalier has some pretty hefty hindrances as well.

The Cavalier cannot attack an opponent at range if he can instead charge ahead and attack him in melee or jousting combat. Therefore, he cannot snipe on enemies with a bow or crossbow; he cannot use a polearm from behind a shield wall. He has to be on the front line, meeting his foes face-to-face. (A Cavalier could conceivably shoot an opponent with an arrow to stop that opponent from killing an innocent person; that doesn't constitute a violation of his code. But he couldn't shoot the enemy to protect a friend if his friend is fighting that enemy honorably . . . even if his friend is losing.)

In any combat, the Cavalier must attack the enemy who is the biggest and most powerful-looking. If he's held up by lesser troops, he must dispatch them as quickly as possible and then get to his "real" opponent.

He must always have the highest-quality armor he can afford. As he goes through his early experience levels, if he has the money, he'll constantly be selling his old armor and buying the next most protective set of armor. His goal is to have a set of full plate armor; the next step down from that is field plate, then plate mail, then bronze plate mail, then banded or splint, then chain, then scale or brigandine, then ring or studded. And to him, magic bonuses don't mean as much as the type of armor: He prefers a suit of ordinary field plate to a set of banded mail +5. The DM must rigorously enforce this limitation on the character if the player is inclined to ignore it.

The Cavalier must also follow the very strict Code of Chivalry. In most AD&D® game campaigns, his code includes these rules: He must cheerfully perform any noble service or quest asked of him; he must defend, to the death, any person or item placed in his charge; he must show courage and enterprise when obeying his rulers; he must show respect for all peers and equals; he must honor all those above his station (his social class); he must demand respect and obedience from those below his station; he must scorn those who are lowly and ignoble (he will not help the ill-mannered, the coarse, the crude; he will not use equipment which is badly-made or inferior; he will fight on foot before riding a nag; etc.); he must perform military service to his lord whenever asked; he must show courtesy to all ladies (if the Cavalier is male); he must regard war as the flowering of chivalry, and a noble enterprise; he must regard battle as the test of manhood, and combat as glory; he must achieve personal glory in battle; he must slay all those who oppose his cause; and he must choose death before dishonor.

If a Cavalier chooses not to follow this code, bad things happen. The first time he breaks his vows, the DM will warn the player that the Cavalier feels bad about violating his code. The second time he breaks his vows, the Cavalier loses all his special benefits until such time as he repents and undertakes a dangerous task to redeem himself. When performing this task, he must behave according to his code and his hindrances. Only when the task is successfully accomplished does he regain his benefits.

If the Cavalier breaks his vow a third time without repenting and undertaking that task, he has abandoned his Cavalier Warrior Kit. He permanently loses all the special benefits of the Kit. He no longer has to obey his knightly code. He receives a permanent –3 reaction adjustment from all members of his own culture (even those who do not know of his past will be put off by the air of treachery and faithlessness that now haunts the man). His horse, even if it is not the one he began play with, leaves him—either rides off into the sunset without him, or attacks him. He may never ride it again, even if he kills it trying to do so. See "Abandoning a Kit" later in this chapter.

Wealth Options: The Cavalier gets the standard 5d4x10 gp in starting gold.

Races: Of the demihuman races, only elves and half-elves may be Cavaliers.

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