shadowderp
First Post
I am interested in critiques of this fun cavalier idea I an toying with. The idea is to use a small race (halfling or gnome) and instead of using a beast as a mount, my main fighting tactic will be to immediately try to climb on top of a large enemy and use them as a mount until I've killed them and moved on to the next one. Obviously this will require some coordination with the GM since I doubt the cavalier and mounted combat stuff was designed with an actively hostile mount in mind, but I don't think it's gaming breaking, and it would be pretty fun. Assuming the GM allows me to apply class features and feats relating to mounted combat while I'm riding an enemy, it would look like this:
Here's the starting point, assuming a stout halfling and standard 27 point buy:
STR: 12 (for athletics checks for mounting enemies)
DEX: 15
CON: 15
INT: 8
WIS: 13 (for ranger multiclass)
CHA: 8
+2 dex +1 con
Prof: athletics and animal handling
Two shortswords. For purely aesthetic reasons I would make this two ice picks so I could use them to climb things, but the stats would be identical to shortswords.
First 4 levels fighter, take resilient feat at level 4 and put it in DEX to even it out and give proficiency on DEX saves. Of which I will need a lot. I now have the first cavalier feature, which is advantage on saving throws for falling off my mount (DC 10) which I will presumably have to make every turn in combat, but I have a +6 DEX save at this point, and advantage, so my chance of falling off is only 4% each turn at level 4. I take the 2-weapon fighting style so I can stab things with my bonus action with my second shortsword.
Fighter 3 also gives me nwavering mark, which forces my mount to focus only on me, or take a lot of OA damage.
I assume the GM won't allow me to do this in heavy armor, so I will take light armor, and my AC is 16 at this point.
Next two levels I put in ranger, for the purpose of getting a second fighting style, as well as hunter's mark. Since I am hitting many times per turn, hunter's mark is going to stack up damage quickly, and I might as well have something to concentrate on. My CON saves are pretty good at this point, so concentration should not be a major issue. I take stealth proficiency (sneak up on an enemy, maybe advantage on the check to try to climb them?) and the defense fighting style for +1 AC, since a lot of things will be trying to hit me.
Back to fighter levels now. I take Dual Wielder at fighter 6 for another +1 AC, bring me to 18.
Fighter 7 is interesting:
At 7th level, if you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack, you can roll 1d8 as a reaction if you're wielding a melee weapon or a shield. Roll the die, and 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. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest
Since I'm riding the creature, this would mean that if my allies get into melee with that creature, I can use this feature to protect them, I think. Sweet.
At fighter 8 I have some options. Mounted Combatant is a bit odd with a hostile mount, and chances are I will be fully focused on killing my mount, so I don't think there's any reason to take this. Defensive duelist is a nice option for some extra AC. For now I think I just take +2 DEX, since it adds a lot of utility: +1 AC, + chance to hit, + damage on finesse weapon, +9 on dex saves, which means it is literally impossible to knock me off even without advantage unless the GM ups the threshold for the save. Which would be fair, at this point.
At Fighter 10 I get hold the line:
Hold the Line
At 10th level, 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.
Since I am within 5 feet of my mount, if it attempts to move at all, I get a free OA and it stops moving. So it's locked in place until it knocks me off (good luck).
At Fighter 12 I take Defensive Duelist for extra AC when avoiding attacks.
At 14 I take +2 CON.
Fighter 15:
Ferocious Charger
Starting at 15th level, if you move at least 10 feet in a straight line right before attacking a creature and you hit it with the attack, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.
So I can try to knock over enemies before mounting them (DC 14). Presumably that would give advantage on the mounting step? To be negotiated.
Fighter 16: +2 CON to max it out.
Fighter 18:
Vigilant Defender
Starting at 18th level, 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.
Anyone near my mount is going to EAT IT.
By not taking the last two fighter levels I give up an extra attack, but I think hunter's mark stacking up on my bonus attacks with my offhand weapon will more than make up for it, and kick in way sooner.
Final Stats: Fighter 18/Ranger 2
Initiative 5
HP 220
Speed 25
AC 19
Prof 6
STR: 12/Save 7
DEX: 20/Save 11
CON: 20/Save 11
INT: 8/Save -1
WIS: 13/Save 1
CHA 8/Save -1
+11 to hit with shortswords for 1d6+5, 3 attacks + bonus attack per turn. With hunter's mark running, that's up to 8d6+20 per turn without action surge. With advantage, since I'm mounting the enemy I'm targeting, and I will get at least one crit 19% of the time. With action surge, it's another 3 attacks, for a total of 14d6+35, with a 30% crit chance. He's also a capable tank and fighter even when not mounting an enemy, and would be fairly strong at every stage of progression since most of the critical features are taken pretty early.
I could also consider Fighter 17/Ranger 2/Barbarian 1 for unarmored defense if it is ruled that this is too acrobatics-heavy to be done while wearing armor, and forgo the last cavalier feature.
Comments and critiques? Would you allow this as a GM? Any suggestions for improvements?
Here's the starting point, assuming a stout halfling and standard 27 point buy:
STR: 12 (for athletics checks for mounting enemies)
DEX: 15
CON: 15
INT: 8
WIS: 13 (for ranger multiclass)
CHA: 8
+2 dex +1 con
Prof: athletics and animal handling
Two shortswords. For purely aesthetic reasons I would make this two ice picks so I could use them to climb things, but the stats would be identical to shortswords.
First 4 levels fighter, take resilient feat at level 4 and put it in DEX to even it out and give proficiency on DEX saves. Of which I will need a lot. I now have the first cavalier feature, which is advantage on saving throws for falling off my mount (DC 10) which I will presumably have to make every turn in combat, but I have a +6 DEX save at this point, and advantage, so my chance of falling off is only 4% each turn at level 4. I take the 2-weapon fighting style so I can stab things with my bonus action with my second shortsword.
Fighter 3 also gives me nwavering mark, which forces my mount to focus only on me, or take a lot of OA damage.
I assume the GM won't allow me to do this in heavy armor, so I will take light armor, and my AC is 16 at this point.
Next two levels I put in ranger, for the purpose of getting a second fighting style, as well as hunter's mark. Since I am hitting many times per turn, hunter's mark is going to stack up damage quickly, and I might as well have something to concentrate on. My CON saves are pretty good at this point, so concentration should not be a major issue. I take stealth proficiency (sneak up on an enemy, maybe advantage on the check to try to climb them?) and the defense fighting style for +1 AC, since a lot of things will be trying to hit me.
Back to fighter levels now. I take Dual Wielder at fighter 6 for another +1 AC, bring me to 18.
Fighter 7 is interesting:
At 7th level, if you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack, you can roll 1d8 as a reaction if you're wielding a melee weapon or a shield. Roll the die, and 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. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest
Since I'm riding the creature, this would mean that if my allies get into melee with that creature, I can use this feature to protect them, I think. Sweet.
At fighter 8 I have some options. Mounted Combatant is a bit odd with a hostile mount, and chances are I will be fully focused on killing my mount, so I don't think there's any reason to take this. Defensive duelist is a nice option for some extra AC. For now I think I just take +2 DEX, since it adds a lot of utility: +1 AC, + chance to hit, + damage on finesse weapon, +9 on dex saves, which means it is literally impossible to knock me off even without advantage unless the GM ups the threshold for the save. Which would be fair, at this point.
At Fighter 10 I get hold the line:
Hold the Line
At 10th level, 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.
Since I am within 5 feet of my mount, if it attempts to move at all, I get a free OA and it stops moving. So it's locked in place until it knocks me off (good luck).
At Fighter 12 I take Defensive Duelist for extra AC when avoiding attacks.
At 14 I take +2 CON.
Fighter 15:
Ferocious Charger
Starting at 15th level, if you move at least 10 feet in a straight line right before attacking a creature and you hit it with the attack, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.
So I can try to knock over enemies before mounting them (DC 14). Presumably that would give advantage on the mounting step? To be negotiated.
Fighter 16: +2 CON to max it out.
Fighter 18:
Vigilant Defender
Starting at 18th level, 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.
Anyone near my mount is going to EAT IT.
By not taking the last two fighter levels I give up an extra attack, but I think hunter's mark stacking up on my bonus attacks with my offhand weapon will more than make up for it, and kick in way sooner.
Final Stats: Fighter 18/Ranger 2
Initiative 5
HP 220
Speed 25
AC 19
Prof 6
STR: 12/Save 7
DEX: 20/Save 11
CON: 20/Save 11
INT: 8/Save -1
WIS: 13/Save 1
CHA 8/Save -1
+11 to hit with shortswords for 1d6+5, 3 attacks + bonus attack per turn. With hunter's mark running, that's up to 8d6+20 per turn without action surge. With advantage, since I'm mounting the enemy I'm targeting, and I will get at least one crit 19% of the time. With action surge, it's another 3 attacks, for a total of 14d6+35, with a 30% crit chance. He's also a capable tank and fighter even when not mounting an enemy, and would be fairly strong at every stage of progression since most of the critical features are taken pretty early.
I could also consider Fighter 17/Ranger 2/Barbarian 1 for unarmored defense if it is ruled that this is too acrobatics-heavy to be done while wearing armor, and forgo the last cavalier feature.
Comments and critiques? Would you allow this as a GM? Any suggestions for improvements?
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