Cavalier/Samurai Orders
Description Source:
Advanced Player's Guide
At 1st level, a cavalier must pledge himself to a specific order. The order grants the cavalier a number of bonuses, class skills, and special abilities. In addition, each order includes a number of edicts that the cavalier must follow. If he violates any of these edicts, he loses the benefits from his order's challenge ability for 24 hours. The violation of an edict is subject to GM interpretation.
A cavalier cannot change his order without undertaking a lengthy process to dedicate himself to a new cause. When this choice is made, he immediately loses all of the benefits from his old order. He must then follow the edicts of his new order for one entire level without gaining any benefits from that order. Once accomplished, he gains all of the bonuses from his new order. Note that the names of these orders might vary depending upon the campaign setting or GM's preference.
Description Source:
Ultimate Combat
The following orders can be chosen by both samurai and cavaliers, although the former are far more likely to do so. Samurai can also select any of the cavalier orders presented in the
Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide.
Order of the Beast (ACG)Source Advanced Class Guide pg. 90
A cavalier who belongs to this order serves nature in all its forms. These cavaliers believe that animals make the most loyal companions, and keep close to woodland creatures.
Edicts: An order of the beast cavalier must strive to protect nature—including animals and magical beasts— from the encroachment of civilization and from those that seek to harm it. He can slay enraged animals and magical beasts only when attempts to calm or pacify them fail.
Challenge: Whenever an order of the beast cavalier issues a challenge, his mount gains a +1 circumstance bonus on melee attack rolls against the target of his challenge whenever the cavalier is threatening the target. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 cavalier levels.
Skills: An order of the beast cavalier adds Knowledge (nature) and Survival to his list of class skills. When the cavalier uses Survival to follow tracks, he gains a bonus on the check equal to 1/2 his cavalier level (minimum +1).
Order Abilities: An order of the beast cavalier gains the following abilities as he increases in level.
Wild Empathy (Ex): At 2nd level, the cavalier can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions as the druid ability of the same name. The cavalier uses his level as his effective druid level when using this ability.
Wild Mount Shape (Su): At 8th level, an order of the beast cavalier gains the ability to turn his mount into a different Medium or Large animal and back again once per day. His options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions as beast shape II, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per cavalier level, or until the cavalier chooses to change his mount back. Changing the mount's form (to a different animal or back to normal) requires the cavalier to touch his mount as a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an animal the cavalier is familiar with. The mount does not change size, but does receive the bonuses (not the penalty) presented in beast shape II for the Large animal.
The cavalier can use this ability an additional time per day at 10th level and every 4 levels thereafter (to a maximum of four times per day at 18th level).
At 15th level, the cavalier can use wild mount shape to change his mount into a Medium or Large dragon. When taking this form, the cavalier's wild mount shape now functions as form of the dragon I, except as above.
Ferocious Charge (Ex): At 15th level, the cavalier is the embodiment of nature's fury. When the cavalier charges a creature, he can attempt an Intimidate check to demoralize his enemy as a free action. If he succeeds, the target is frightened.
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