Hi all! I am looking for feedback on balance and other recommendations for directions for the subclass (including very different ones) to realize this vision of a working cavalier. Please, let me know your thoughts!
Beyond this, the title of this post more or less explains this project, so let me begin with my motivation.
So, I wanted to play a horse lord type fighter for awhile now, and at first blush I was excited about the cavalier if just for its flavor. The character was to be inspired by the dothraki in Game of Thrones, but with a more mercenary, honorific code kind of vibe. So, to accommodate the idea of doing mounted archery, acrobatics tricks the character needed to be a dex fighter wearing leather armor. Alas, the cavalier fell apart for me, and instead the character was a battlemaster who took the mounted combatant feet and acrobatics as well as animal handling skills.
But, I was also dissatisfied with that. So, I turned back to the cavalier and saw more of what I understand to be design flaws. First, there is really not much in it that says 'horse master'. You get a modified charger feat that works on horseback, you have a hard time falling off, and you mount/dismount with less movement speed. This is really unsatisfying, especially with the really rich abilities coming through for subclasses like the psi-warrior and rune knight.
So, I made a number of changes. I gave the cavalier their own dice, Èlite Dice, which power some of their abilites. I also gave them the ability to add their die to their animal handling checks, and their mount can eventually give the help action. I also gave them an always usable ability that is a slightly nerfed 'psi-strike.' To keep the subclass from being unfairly front-loaded I removed the fall-off-the-horse abilities. I also switched the locations of the Warding Maneuver and the Ferocious Charger abilities, while altering the later. This is because Warding Maneuver is a very powerful defensive ability that makes sense as a level 15 ability, while moving Ferocious Charger earlier can make the character feel more dynamic in battle.
Rather than every ability being situational (charge, waiting for an enemy attack, waiting for an enemy move, etc.) there are now options that can be used in every situation, and some that let you force advantage (the added help action) without making your mount a nerfed beast companion.
I made sure to try to lean toward underpowered rather than overpowered, and tied many of the abilities to the finite resource of the Èlite Dice. In the end, a high level character should have the same number of Èlite Dice as the charges for the vanilla cavalier's abilities, while there are also now out of combat options. This means a player will have to make meaningful choices about how and when to expend them. The character also gets one more ability at level one than battle master, though several through the course of leveling up are dependent on having a mount, so this seemed reasonable.
The subclass is copied below.
Bonus Proficiency
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, History, Insight, Performance, or Persuasion. Alternatively, you learn one language of your choice.
Knightly Èlite
As a result of an esteemed education, you are a member of the èlite. When you choose this subclass at 3rd level, you gain special dice that fuel some of your cavalier abilities called èlite dice.
Èlite Dice. You have a number of èlite dice equal to twice your proficiency modifier. They are d6s. An èlite die is expended when you use it. You can use only one ability that modifies an attack and expends an èlite die per attack. You regain all of your expended èlite dice when you finish a long rest.
At 5th level your èlite dice become d8s, at 11th level they become d10s, and at 17th level, d12s.
Ride or Die
Starting at 3rd level, your mastery as a rider becomes apparent. It only takes only 5 movement to mount or dismount a creature.
Also, you gain the ability to expend one of your èlite dice in the following way.
Steed Master: When you make an animal handling check you can expend an èlite die. Roll said die, and add the result to your animal handling check. You may do so once you have rolled the initial check, but before you know the results.
Stalwart Warrior
At 3rd level your stalwart skill is evident. As a result you can launch a brutal sortie and menace your foes, foiling their attacks and punishing them for harming others. You gain the following uses of your èlite dice.
Stalwart Sortie: Once on each of your turns, immediately after you hit a target within 30 feet of you with an attack and deal damage to it with a weapon, you can expend one èlite die, rolling it and dealing damage of the same kind as the attack made to the target equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency modifier.
Stalwart Mark: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend an èlite die to mark the creature until the end of your next turn. This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or you die, or if someone else marks the creature.
While it is within 5 feet of you, a creature marked by you has disadvantage on any attack roll that doesn’t target you.
In addition, if a creature marked by you deals damage to anyone other than you, you can make a special melee weapon attack against the marked creature as a bonus action on your next turn. You roll your expended èlite die and add it to the attack roll, and if it hits, the attack’s weapon deals extra damage to the target equal to half your fighter level.
Roughrider Èlite
At 7th level, you learn to charge decisively into the fray, knocking down your enemies in the process. Your ability to form bonds and train your mounts develops as well, and you can therefore call upon your mount to aid you in and out of battle. You gain the following ways to use your èlite dice.
Ferocious Charger: Once per turn, if you move at least 10 ft. and in a straight line right before attacking a huge or smaller creature using your Stalwart Sortie ability or Stalwart Mark ability that creature must succeed on a STR saving throw or be knocked prone. This ability can be used whether you are mounted or not.
Noble Steed: While mounted on a willing creature you control, you may use a bonus action to give your a mount a command. As a result, your mount may take the help action, rather than only the dodge, dash, or disengage actions, as its action until the end of its next turn. You may use this ability once per short or long rest, unless you expend an èlite die to do so again.
Hold the Line
At 10th level, you become a master of locking down your enemies. Creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they move 5 feet or more while within your reach, and if you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the target’s speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the current turn.
Warding Maneuver
If you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack, you can expend and roll one of your èlite dice as a reaction if you’re wielding a melee weapon or a shield. Add the number rolled to the target’s AC against that attack. If the attack still hits, the target has resistance against the attack’s damage.
Vigilant Defender
Starting at 18th level, you respond to danger with extraordinary vigilance. In combat, you get a special reaction that you can take once on every creature’s turn, except your turn. You can use this special reaction only to make an opportunity attack, and you can’t use it on the same turn that you take your normal reaction.
Hi all! I am looking for feedback on balance and other recommendations for directions for the subclass (including very different ones) to realize this vision of a working cavalier. Please, let me know your thoughts!
Beyond this, the title of this post more or less explains this project, so let me begin with my motivation.
So, I wanted to play a horse lord type fighter for awhile now, and at first blush I was excited about the cavalier if just for its flavor. The character was to be inspired by the dothraki in Game of Thrones, but with a more mercenary, honorific code kind of vibe. So, to accommodate the idea of doing mounted archery, acrobatics tricks the character needed to be a dex fighter wearing leather armor. Alas, the cavalier fell apart for me, and instead the character was a battlemaster who took the mounted combatant feet and acrobatics as well as animal handling skills.
But, I was also dissatisfied with that. So, I turned back to the cavalier and saw more of what I understand to be design flaws. First, there is really not much in it that says 'horse master'. You get a modified charger feat that works on horseback, you have a hard time falling off, and you mount/dismount with less movement speed. This is really unsatisfying, especially with the really rich abilities coming through for subclasses like the psi-warrior and rune knight.
So, I made a number of changes. I gave the cavalier their own dice, Èlite Dice, which power some of their abilites. I also gave them the ability to add their die to their animal handling checks, and their mount can eventually give the help action. I also gave them an always usable ability that is a slightly nerfed 'psi-strike.' To keep the subclass from being unfairly front-loaded I removed the fall-off-the-horse abilities. I also switched the locations of the Warding Maneuver and the Ferocious Charger abilities, while altering the later. This is because Warding Maneuver is a very powerful defensive ability that makes sense as a level 15 ability, while moving Ferocious Charger earlier can make the character feel more dynamic in battle.
Rather than every ability being situational (charge, waiting for an enemy attack, waiting for an enemy move, etc.) there are now options that can be used in every situation, and some that let you force advantage (the added help action) without making your mount a nerfed beast companion.
I made sure to try to lean toward underpowered rather than overpowered, and tied many of the abilities to the finite resource of the Èlite Dice. In the end, a high level character should have the same number of Èlite Dice as the charges for the vanilla cavalier's abilities, while there are also now out of combat options. This means a player will have to make meaningful choices about how and when to expend them. The character also gets one more ability at level one than battle master, though several through the course of leveling up are dependent on having a mount, so this seemed reasonable.
The subclass is copied below.
Bonus Proficiency
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, History, Insight, Performance, or Persuasion. Alternatively, you learn one language of your choice.
Knightly Èlite
As a result of an esteemed education, you are a member of the èlite. When you choose this subclass at 3rd level, you gain special dice that fuel some of your cavalier abilities called èlite dice.
Èlite Dice. You have a number of èlite dice equal to twice your proficiency modifier. They are d6s. An èlite die is expended when you use it. You can use only one ability that modifies an attack and expends an èlite die per attack. You regain all of your expended èlite dice when you finish a long rest.
At 5th level your èlite dice become d8s, at 11th level they become d10s, and at 17th level, d12s.
Ride or Die
Starting at 3rd level, your mastery as a rider becomes apparent. It only takes only 5 movement to mount or dismount a creature.
Also, you gain the ability to expend one of your èlite dice in the following way.
Steed Master: When you make an animal handling check you can expend an èlite die. Roll said die, and add the result to your animal handling check. You may do so once you have rolled the initial check, but before you know the results.
Stalwart Warrior
At 3rd level your stalwart skill is evident. As a result you can launch a brutal sortie and menace your foes, foiling their attacks and punishing them for harming others. You gain the following uses of your èlite dice.
Stalwart Sortie: Once on each of your turns, immediately after you hit a target within 30 feet of you with an attack and deal damage to it with a weapon, you can expend one èlite die, rolling it and dealing damage of the same kind as the attack made to the target equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency modifier.
Stalwart Mark: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend an èlite die to mark the creature until the end of your next turn. This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or you die, or if someone else marks the creature.
While it is within 5 feet of you, a creature marked by you has disadvantage on any attack roll that doesn’t target you.
In addition, if a creature marked by you deals damage to anyone other than you, you can make a special melee weapon attack against the marked creature as a bonus action on your next turn. You roll your expended èlite die and add it to the attack roll, and if it hits, the attack’s weapon deals extra damage to the target equal to half your fighter level.
Roughrider Èlite
At 7th level, you learn to charge decisively into the fray, knocking down your enemies in the process. Your ability to form bonds and train your mounts develops as well, and you can therefore call upon your mount to aid you in and out of battle. You gain the following ways to use your èlite dice.
Ferocious Charger: Once per turn, if you move at least 10 ft. and in a straight line right before attacking a huge or smaller creature using your Stalwart Sortie ability or Stalwart Mark ability that creature must succeed on a STR saving throw or be knocked prone. This ability can be used whether you are mounted or not.
Noble Steed: While mounted on a willing creature you control, you may use a bonus action to give your a mount a command. As a result, your mount may take the help action, rather than only the dodge, dash, or disengage actions, as its action until the end of its next turn. You may use this ability once per short or long rest, unless you expend an èlite die to do so again.
Hold the Line
At 10th level, you become a master of locking down your enemies. Creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they move 5 feet or more while within your reach, and if you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the target’s speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the current turn.
Warding Maneuver
If you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack, you can expend and roll one of your èlite dice as a reaction if you’re wielding a melee weapon or a shield. Add the number rolled to the target’s AC against that attack. If the attack still hits, the target has resistance against the attack’s damage.
Vigilant Defender
Starting at 18th level, you respond to danger with extraordinary vigilance. In combat, you get a special reaction that you can take once on every creature’s turn, except your turn. You can use this special reaction only to make an opportunity attack, and you can’t use it on the same turn that you take your normal reaction.
bump.