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 Star
Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 37
Cavaliers who join the order of the star dedicate themselves to the protection and service of a faith and its members. Cavaliers belonging to this order tend to follow many of the tenets and guides of the religion that they serve. When a cavalier joins this order, he should select a single religion to serve.
Edicts: The cavalier must strive to protect the faith and all those who follow its teachings, from priest to common man. He must adhere to the strictures of the faith, promote its cause whenever possible, and serve the agents of the divine.
Challenge: Whenever an order of the star cavalier issues a challenge, he receives a +1 morale bonus on all his saving throws as long as he is threatening the target of his challenge. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the cavalier possesses.
Skills: An order of the star cavalier adds Heal (Wis) and Knowledge (religion) (Int) to his list of class skills. An order of the star cavalier can make Knowledge (religion) skill checks untrained. If he has ranks in the skill, he receives a bonus on the check equal to 1/2 his cavalier level (minimum +1) as long as the check involves his chosen faith.
Order Abilities: An order of the star cavalier gains the following abilities as he increases in level.
Calling (Ex): At 2nd level, the cavalier can make a short prayer as a standard action, filling him with confidence in his abilities. At any point in the next minute, he can receive a competence bonus on an ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check equal to his Charisma modifier. He must declare that he is using this bonus before the roll is made. He can use this ability up to four times per day, once for each type of check or roll. In addition, the cavalier adds 1/2 his cavalier level to any levels of paladin or cleric he might possess for the purposes of determining the effects of channel energy or lay on hands.
For the Faith (Ex): At 8th level, the cavalier can call upon his faith to bolster himself in combat. As a free action, the cavalier can call out the name of his deity, granting him a morale bonus on attack rolls equal to his Charisma modifier for 1 round. In addition, any allies within 30 feet that share his faith also receive half this bonus (minimum +1). The cavalier can use this ability once per day, plus one additional time per day at 12th level and every four levels thereafter.
Retribution (Ex): At 15th level, the cavalier can take retribution on those who dare to strike an agent of his faith. Whenever an enemy makes a successful melee attack against the cavalier or an adjacent ally devoted to the same faith as the cavalier, the enemy provokes an attack of opportunity from the cavalier. The cavalier receives a +2 morale bonus on the attack of opportunity. If the attack made by the enemy was a critical hit, the cavalier may treat the enemy as the target of his challenge for the attack of opportunity. The cavalier can use this ability once per round.
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