AD&D 1E Revised and Rebalanced Cavalier for 1e AD&D

The Cavalier was clearly a bit overpowered, but I never hated it. I felt it was a really cool idea that wasn’t quite executed well. But, I also disliked the published attempts to revise it more than I hated the original. The Cavalier had two main problems, which was that it was almost entirely (but not quite) a strictly better fighter, and like the Barbarian it shared a write up which if taken literally was not conducive to group play. While it did buff the Paladin into an uber-class that was less of a worry for me at the time because Specialization had made the Fighter into an S tier class that almost required the Paladin to get a buff. When I revised the thief, I wasn’t intending to revise any other class. But I ended up revising Assassin because someone asked how the changes would impact that class, and then Barbarian came up in the discussion, and that brought up the idea of revising the Ranger, but I’ve now realized I can’t revise the Ranger without first revising the Cavalier.

And I’m going to revise the Cavalier in a bit of an unexpected direction, as I’m now looking at changing Cavalier and Ranger as being classes you go into when all your ability scores are pretty good, to classes that you can go into without having any great ability scores but will reward you for being across the board pretty OK score and still have a great end game that will compete with the end games of players who rolled one or more early 18’s. This lets me avoid the problem of having to alter the way 1e AD&D handles ability scores, which would be too profound of a rewrite for these purposes in that I’m not actually trying to recreate 3e (which is where you end up if you fix, revise, and simplify almost everything).

I’m not at all sure if I like the whole rigidly defined list of followers thing, and I vastly prefer followers to be established by the logical course of roleplay, but it is a very 1e AD&D thing, so I retained at least the core of it.

This is a much narrower write up than I would do for a 3e style class, which would have a lot less cultural baggage and a lot more flexibility with the same concept. That isn’t very 1e in style though, and so one may presume that for non-lawful types with non-aristocratic backgrounds there exists classes like Gladiator and Berserker that offer similar benefits but with slightly different flavor and mechanics.

Revised Cavalier
Cavalier is a subclass of fighter and so makes attacks and saves as a fighter, but unlike the common fighter a cavalier has been trained by birth in the fighting arts by the best of teachers and so begins with certain advantages and additional abilities. However, these studies prevent the Cavalier from being specialized in a weapon as a fighter, and come at the cost of a somewhat slowed rate of level advancement as well as stringent rules governing their behavior. For it is ultimately the oaths and honor of a cavalier from which they draw their tremendous strength and resolve, whether through self-discipline or supernatural empowerment.

The character class of cavalier has no prime requisite, and as a result cavaliers do not gain XP bonuses for superior abilities. However, a cavalier must have minimum scores of 13 in Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, and score of at least 11 in Intelligence. A cavalier character must be of lawful alignment (LG, LN, or LE). A cavalier that departs from the lawful alignment is disgraced and thereafter may only advance in level as a thief or thief subclass.

In order to become a cavalier, a character must be in service to at least one deity, noble, or militant order. The DM will determine if and how this requirement can be met within the limits of the campaign, and if it is properly met by the cavalier character. The cavalier must always place honor, bravery, and glorious deeds in the service of advancing the cause and status of their liege (and themselves) in the forefront of his or her activity, and must adhere stringently to a code of chivalrous behavior. Cavalier characters are only drawn from the aristocratic social class, and usually of noble or aristocratic birth. Only those characters of Upper-Class social status may enter into the cavalier class, for only these characters have the background to be schooled and trained from the time they can walk in the martial career that is chosen for them. (Of course, this does not preclude adoption into such families or orders if the player desires such a background and can justify it, but such adoption must be from infancy or the time of their earliest memories at the latest.)

All cavaliers are sponsored by cavalier of greater rank and status and begin first as a retainer in some other knight's service (a 0th level horseman), then a progressing to a 0th-level Lancer, and finally 1st-level Armiger of the cavalier class. The 0th-level Horseman starts with -1500 XP and has 1d4 initial hit points plus their bonus for high constitution. The Horseman becomes a Lancer at -500 XP and gains another 1d4 hit points, and finally an additional d4 hit points upon eventually reaching 0 XP and becoming a full cavalier.

The DM must decide if the player character cavalier is to join the campaign as a 0th level horseman or a 1st level cavalier. If the former, some special reason why the character has been separated from his knight master must be invented, and care must be taken that this reason is not such that it would incur so much disgrace upon the young squire as to end their career as a cavalier on the spot. It is not recommended that an NPC cavalier be invented to journey with the PC for this purpose, so as to not take away fame, glory and rewards from the other players; however, should a suitable candidate of rank within the PC party be available and it is agreeable to all parties that they take on a squire this is a fine solution.

Humans, high elves, and half-elves may become cavaliers, but elves have their own special rules, chivalrous code and mores and so will be treated separately. Players must decide for half-elven characters which of the two traditions that they follow at the time of character creation and may not change.

Mounted Combat
Cavaliers of any level (including 0th level horseman and lancers) employing any weapon they are proficient with while mounted gain a +1 bonus “to hit”. This in addition to any the usual bonuses available to any character for being mounted. All Cavaliers from 0th level begin with the Riding NWP and automatically become specialized in it as they progress, gaining a further instance of the Riding NWP at 5th level and again every 5 levels thereafter (10th, 15th 20th, etc.).

Weapons of Choice
Certain weapons – referred to as the weapons of choice - are preferred by the cavalier over others as a sign of their station. These weapons are of three categories, and as such a cavalier must have proficiency in one weapon from each category before learning other weapons. These weapons are:

Category 1) A lance (whether light, medium or heavy) or glaive is required to be one of the 3 weapon proficiencies of a 1st-level Armiger.
Category 2) A sword (either long, broad, bastard, falchion or short) or else a scimitar.
Category 3) The side arm of a mounted warrior, either a horseman's mace, horseman's flail, horseman's military pick or war hammer.

Cavaliers gain bonuses with their weapons of choice as they advance in level.

At 1st level, the cavalier is +1 "to hit" with any weapon of category 1 with which they are proficient and attack with such weapons at a rate of 3/2 rounds.
At 3rd level, the cavalier is +1 "to hit" with any weapon of category 2 with which they are proficient and attack with such weapons at a rate of 3/2 rounds.
At 5th level, the cavalier is +1 "to hit" with any weapon of category 3 with which they are proficient and attack with such weapons at a rate of 3/2 rounds.
At 7th level, the cavalier advances to be +2 "to hit" with any weapon of category 1 with which they are proficient and attack with such weapons twice per round.
At 9th level, the cavalier is +2 "to hit" with any weapon of category 2 with which they are proficient and make two attacks per round with such weapons.
At 11th level, the cavalier is +2 "to hit" with any weapon of category 3 with which they are proficient and make two attacks per round with such weapons.
At 13th level, the cavalier is +3 "to hit" with any weapon of category 1 with which they are proficient and attack with such weapons at the rate of 5/2 rounds.

These are the maximum attainable bonuses. They do stack with the cavalier’s general proficiency when mounted, however they are bonuses “to hit” only and do not add any additional damage.

Outside of the above, cavaliers use the same table as rangers for determining additional attacks per round (i.e., 1st-7th: 1/1 round, 8th-14th: 3/2 rounds, 15th and up 2/1 round).

As they advance in level, cavaliers may become proficient in further weapons of the same sort or else the javelin, composite bow, spear, or dagger according to the military traditions of his order. However, cavaliers will eschew any weapon which they associate with commoners or ruffians, the exact list of which will depend on the norms of the cavalier’s society (as determined by the GM) but will certainly include crossbows, and likely include knives, staves, axes, slings, bardiches, footman’s weapons and in most cases the sorts of polearms derived originally from common farm implements (military forks, war scythes, fauchards, voulges, etc.). Weapons intended to be used by surprise like the blowgun, garrote or sap are considered wholly dishonorable, and beneath their dignity and outside the norms of chivalry and may not even be resorted to in extremis.

Cavaliers use weapons that they are not proficient in at a -3 penalty, and suffer a further -1 penalty on attacks when making pummeling attacks or using any sort of improvise weapon (chair, rock, stick, etc.) owing to the shame and disgust they feel having been reduced to such means. While a Cavalier may learn proficiencies associated with grappling, they may never take weapon or NWP’s associated with other forms of unarmed combat or which give advantages when using such mean and crude weapons (such as Weapon Contriver, Grenadier, Pugilist, etc.).

Cavaliers Table #.1
*Note that even though 3d4 is used to determine hit points at 1st level, this count as but a single HD and so the Constitution bonus applies only once.

275,000 experience points is required for each level beyond the 13th.

Zero level horseman have but a single weapon proficiency and single non-weapon proficiency (other than their Riding bonus proficiency). Zero level lancers gain a second weapon proficiency and non-weapon proficiency. At first level, a Cavalier has their full three weapon proficiencies – which must be one each from each of the three categories of weapons of choice. Cavaliers gain additional weapon proficiencies every two levels, and additional non-weapon proficiencies every three levels. Some cavaliers may have additional bonus NWPs as described under their special abilities.

Other Special Abilities of the Cavalier
Leadership: Cavaliers gain a +1 bonus on all Leadership NWP checks per level of the cavalier with respect to leading other cavaliers, fighters, and other fighter subclasses. This applies whether they make skilled or unskilled checks, though of course the usual risks of using a NWP unskilled still apply.

Noble Education: Upon obtaining 1st level, a Cavalier receives 1 bonus NWP per point of intelligence they have above 11. These NWP must be chosen from the General list and must be appropriately noble pursuits suitable to the dignity of a cavalier, who is expected to lead and govern and not to perform common labor. Examples of NWP that are probably suitable include: Animal Handler (if used with noble animals such as hounds, falcons, hunting cats and the like), Animal Trainer, Appraiser, Architect, Artist, Carouser, Cartographer, Dancer, Diplomat, Etiquette, Gourmand, Guide, Heraldry, Historian, Lawyer, Libertine, Navigator, Overseer, Religion, Scribe, Mariner, Singer, Signaling, Steward, Swimmer, or Weather Sense.

Noble Bearing: Cavaliers receive a +15% reaction check bonus with respect to anyone that is aware of and respects their station, provided that they present themselves in the dignified manner expected of the station. A converse penalty of -15% applies to revolutionaries, most criminals, slaad, and anyone else who has a deep grievance against the established order.

Parrying: Cavalier parry as fighters but with a further +1 bonus.

Self-Improvement: The unwavering discipline of a cavalier allows them to continue to improve their ability scores broadly. When a cavalier attains 1st level, roll a D% for each of Strength, Dexterity, and Contribution scores and annotate each score accordingly. Other than possible exceptional strength, this percentage score has no notable effect on play and they continue to use the main number for all purposes. However, for each level obtained after the 1st, consult the table below and add the result of the rolled dice as a percentile to each ability in turn. When this percentage score exceeds 100, increase the cavalier’s ability score by 1, and carry over the remainder. This may continue up to the maximum for their race (irrespective of gender).

Cavalier Self-Improvement Table #.2

Dauntless: Cavalier are so determined of purpose that they are treated as 3HD higher for the purposes of resisting any spell or power whose effects are limited according to HD (such as sleep or a dragon’s fear aura) and may add their level as a cavalier as a bonus to saving throws versus any mental attack form to which an adjustment for high wisdom would apply (i.e. beguiling, charming, fear, hypnosis, hold person, illusion, possession, domination, suggestion, telepathic attack, etc.). Further, even if so enthralled, so great is their strength of will that if they are commanded to go against their chivalrous code, such as to bear a false witness or to betray their liege, they are entitled to a renewed saving throw to break free each round. Good aligned cavaliers are further entitled to such a saving throw even if the mental control merely requires them to passively observe or allow harm to being done to the weak and innocent.

Hard to Kill: Cavaliers are able to will their dying bodies to function when at negative hit point totals. Until their hit points reaches the negative of the hit points they possessed at first level, a cavalier does not automatically become unconscious or die. Instead, if they can make a saving throw versus death magic, they remain able to take actions – albeit in great agony. When in this state they may move at only half normal speed, suffer a reduction of 4 to strength and dexterity, and may only attack as a 1st level fighter. If struck and damaged again and not outright killed, they must make another save to remain conscious. Alternatively, they may summon the last reserves of their strength and function with their full capabilities for a single round, but at the end of this action they automatically die.

The Code of Chivalry
Chivalry is a code of conduct (or a closely related set of codes) shared by all cavaliers and many lawful creatures of a martial bearing. The full details of such a code and a full explanation of it could fill books and it may be presumed that within the fantasy milieu of the game it in fact does. As such, the brief outline of herein should not be taken as the fullness of the thing, or the whole letter of the law, as if the code was a short list of axioms that had not worked out the full expression of how one should behave after great thought and consideration. Rather, this should be taken as a guide only as to how cavaliers are generally expected to behave sufficiently long as to be helpful, but short enough a player ought to be able to absorb the idea of the thing.

Before discussion it is worth noting that such codes may be anachronistic and alien to the real world modern society. What constitutes honorable behavior under Chivalry may seem strange or dishonorable especially in a society that values individualism and a lack of pretention. This document makes no attempt to judge the code here outline, or to judge the criticisms that might be brought against it as a guide to good morals. Charitably consider then the value of attempting to understand alien mindsets and cultures, and charitably forgive this author if upon consideration you still find them despicable.

First, like almost all lawful codes of conduct, Chivalry arranges the world according to a hierarchy of loyalties. When two loyalties come into conflict, and the code demands two contradictory actions, the higher loyalty must win. Thus, if the code demands that the cavalier not retreat from battle, but the cavalier’s liege-lord commands that the cavalier retreat, the personal glory of the cavalier to stay and try to overcome his enemies or failing to die a noble and glorious death must lose out to his vow of obedience to his liege. For cavaliers of LG or LE alignment, a higher duty than even to the liege lord exists – toward benevolence or malevolence respectively – such that a liege who orders some action antithetical to weal or woe as whole must reluctantly disobey. It is within this context that one must weigh simplistic statements that a cavalier must never do this or that. This is not to say that such moments of conflict are inherently without shame and dishonor, for a rightly arranged society tries to avoid them, but rather that the code is not inherently contradictory and will have rules for adjudicating what right behavior looks like and which will absolve the cavalier in the judgement of others if they follow them rigorously and bravely. Of course, in a very large percentage of these cases, the correct course of action is generally judged to be one that almost certainly results in death, for taking the easy choice, the choice lacking in valor, is almost certainly dishonorable.

Secondly, Chivalry divides all persons into one of three categories (of which there are probably many sub-categories we won’t detail). First, those with prowess of arms who are capable of and often have as a duty to give battle. Secondly, the hapless and the weak, to whom those with prowess have a duty to defend (and often command) and who in return are to show appreciation and deference as the honorable attitude to their defenders. And thirdly, the dishonorable which is made up of criminals and those who, though they had prowess and should have used it honorably, nonetheless acted in a shameful manner. It is very important to note that for the most part, the code of chivalry only requires the highest standards of chivalrous conduct towards honorable persons. A Cavalier shows the important virtue of magnanimity by displaying chivalrous conduct towards someone or something that doesn’t deserve it but is not always required to do so.

At all times, a cavalier is expected to uphold the following values:

Loyalty
Valor
Nobility
Dignity
Prowess
Magnanimity
Piety

Loyalty: Loyalty to persons that they are sworn to and to the idea that they are to uphold is the highest virtue. The cavalier is to be at all times aware of the duties that they owe to others as their liege, lord, spouse, kindred, friend, commoner to whom they owe protection or an enemy to whom they owe battle and to be zealous in upholding their duty. Good aligned cavaliers are expected to sincerely show love to their superiors, and evil aligned ones sincere fear and deference. They are to be scrupulous about giving to others what they deserve. Their word and vows are expected to be unbreakable, and so not rashly given, but nonetheless fulfilled when made. They are to cheerfully go about their duties without complaint, and obey all proper commands made to them.
Valor: The cavalier is expected to never shirk in their duty, and to give no thought to hardship, discomfort, suffering or death if such risks be necessary to fulfill what is required of them. They may not shirk from battle out of fear of their own safety, nor may they retreat even from certain death unless a higher duty demands it. They must be in the vanguard of the attack, and if retreat is necessary (as it never is in the eyes of the cavalier) then they must hold the rear guard. They must prioritize the most dangerous foe present in the battle and charge it directly in pursuit of close battle, only selecting a less glorious foe if a higher ranking cavalier has engaged already claimed the fight for themselves.
Nobility: The cavalier is expected at all times to defend those weaker than himself. Whether good or evil, a cavalier must intervene if he sees someone receiving treatment that he does not believe they deserve. Underlings must be given their just rewards, wages and just punishments. Cavaliers of different alignments and societies may differ on just what these are, but they do agree on the general principle. Society as a whole, and the cavalier’s society in particular depends upon not only the cavalier’s own duties being upheld, but also the duties others have to each other. The cavalier may not necessarily be called to immediate deadly violence, and circumstances will dictate different wise course of action, but he or she may not stand idle.
Dignity: The cavalier is expected at all times to uphold the standards of his station and social class. He is to eschew all physical labor and all mercantile pursuits. He may well oversee and supervise servants delegated to such tasks, but he must never himself pursue common occupations save in the gravest extremity or under direct command of his lord or liege. As such, the cavalier may not take any craft NWP except those pertaining to artistic pursuits – and even these must not be pursued for monetary gain. A cavalier may take up singing, dancing, or other aesthetic pursuits, but he may not perform for public audiences or monetary gain. At all times a cavalier must avoid a common appearance. He may not dress as a commoner, nor wear the armor and accruements of a commoner. It would be better to go naked and maintain dignity than wear rags. A cavalier must take care that his armor and weapons in particular are of the finest make and appearance. It is not enough that the armor be of good quality, but it must display its quality. Thus, plate armor is preferred even to magical mail, and padded jacks, gambesons, leather armor, ringed armor and even brigandine are never to be worn alone in public but for private training purposes only. Plate armor is always the cavalier's first choice; other preferences ranking beneath that are (in order of desirability) plate mail, banded or splint mail, chain mail, and scale mail. He is to show curtesy at all times, even when his commitment to truth requires him being insulting, the insults must be of a dignified sort. In general, that one might die is never cause enough to abandon one’s dignity. The only justification for very temporarily abandoning ones dignity is that they might fail in their duty. For example, a cavalier tasked by their lord to defend a particular spot would not engage in construction of fortifications through manual labor, unless no servants were available or it was very clear that insufficient servants were available to complete essential work in time for battle. Only then could the cavalier temporarily set aside his dignity. A cavalier would never dream of adopting the appearance of a commoner, though a good one might endure the shame if it was the only way possible to save the life of a child and no other recourse would do. A cavalier may not tolerate a deliberate insult to his own dignity or the dignity of his lord or spouse. However, it is quite within the dignity of a cavalier to aura farm (to use the modern phrase) and gather glory for themselves and their lord, and they will not consider it immodest if such opportunities present themselves.
Prowess: A cavalier may not display weakness. They may not grumble or complain. They must hide their own pain and suffering from others, especially from underlings. They must claim at least to be always ready for more. It is not for the cavalier to say “enough”, but rather they must wait for others to graciously give them an excuse. They may not let themselves be sidelined by injury beyond what is minimally necessary to get back on their feet, unless restrained by their lord’s command or similar duty.
Magnanimity: A cavalier is expected to be generous to a fault. Whatever is his own beyond what he needs to fulfill his duties and to maintain his dignity, he is expected to give away. He is to grant hospitality to any creature that has not displayed treacherous intent, and to grant the right of parlay even to known enemies. When in doubt, he is expected to treat any sentient being as if it may be chivalrous. Only demonic creatures or similar creatures of known universal treachery are exempt from such benefit of the doubt (note that an evil cavalier will certainly classify Eldarin and other inhabitants of the plane of good chaos as certainly treacherous). A good cavalier is expected to be far more merciful to others than he would ever expect for himself. Cavaliers are expected to not take advantage of an enemy’s misfortune, especially an enemy that has so far followed the norms of chivalry. If an enemy were to have a weapon break, or to slip on poor ground, or otherwise suffer some accident which might become a calamity on the battlefield, he is to wait until the enemy has recovered. He is expected to offer fair fight. If the enemy has no missile weapon or does not attempt to employ one, he ought not to employ missile weapons against them. He may not attack a chivalrous opponent from the rear. If challenged to single combat by a chivalrous opponent, they must accept. If a chivalrous opponent surrenders or pleads for mercy, so long as it is possible he is to offer such clemency and parole as his duty allows – and if he cannot he must admit this rather than dealing treacherously.
Piety: The cavalier is expected to show proper deference to higher powers through ritual and through emulation of the moral demands of his religion to a heroic degree. For example, they are generally expected to be honest at all times, though a lawful evil cavalier may be expected to only honor the letter of his word and is not considered to have shamed himself if he deceives through cunningly spoken truths. A lawful good cavalier is generally expected to be merciful, while a lawful evil one must avenge all wrongs (as he sees them) with sufficient panache and cruelty as to inspire terror in any lawbreakers. The details of the piety will depend on the particular cavalier and the faith they are most associated with.

As previously suggested, a cavalier is not necessarily penalized if conflicting duties leave them with no perfect choice. But a cavalier that takes the easy out and sacrifices his values suffers from dishonor and guilt and they then earn but half experience until they can perform some glorious act such as defeating an honorable foe (a dragon, giant, enemy leader, or the like) in close combat or some other suitably valiant act. A cavalier that acquires too much dishonor from shirking of duty or pusillanimous behavior, and is always making up excuses for not following the code, should be punished by loss of the benefits of his Noble Bearing and Dauntless special abilities until such time as he may atone through glorious deeds. This may require seeking out a religious advisor and confession, and acceptance of a quest the difficulty of which should depend on the level of the cavalier and the severity of their transgressions of the code.

Loss of Cavalier Status
A cavalier that ceases to be lawful, pursues a different class, or fails in their greatest duty – such as betraying their lord – can no longer gain levels as a cavalier. Their dishonor is permanent and the loss irrevocable. They retain all their martial prowess and skill at arms, including the bonuses of weapons of choice, and access to all weapon and non-weapon proficiencies that they hitherto gained. However, they lose access to Noble Bearing, Hard to Kill and Dauntless class abilities (and course, all further cavalier self-improvement as well, since they no longer gain levels in the class). To their potential advantage, they no longer are restricted in what weapon or non-weapon proficiencies they take, for they are now out of the code of chivalry. Likewise, they no longer suffer the -1 penalty to hit when making pummeling attacks or using any sort of improvise weapon. However, they retain their -3 penalty when using any weapon they are not proficient in.

If they have been dishonored, they may pursue another class of their choosing. If they have entered another class, they may continue to pursue it. If they have ceased to be lawful, they may only pursue thief or thief subclass (thief, assassin, bounty hunter, monk, etc.). A disgraced and fallen Cavalier that remains lawful, but having failed the code of Chivalry utterly, may continue their martial career, but if so their XP total is reduced to that of a fighter at the midway point of their current level. They may progress in level as the same rate as a Fighters with the usual hit point requirements and improve hit points, to hit bonuses, and saves as they level, as well as gaining new proficiencies at the usual frequency, but gain none of the special benefits of the Fighter class as they are not truly Fighters at all.

A single exception exists. If the cavalier ceases to meet the minimum ability scores qualifications of the class through infirmity (whether disease or injury) or old age, they may honorably retire from the profession provided at the time they were without dishonor and had upheld the standards of their class. They are then free to pursue whatever class or profession they still qualify for without dishonor, and retain access to all of their cavalier class abilities, and may even freely use them without penalty once their new profession exceeds in level their cavalier ability. Such characters must still maintain their alignment, but are no longer required to fulfill all the requirements of chivalry, most notably being exempt from the requirements of dignity. Of course, many such characters still retain their bearing and dignity out of self-respect or habit, but they gain no dishonor if they cannot maintain the rigor of their former profession.

Cavalier Followers
Cavaliers have special requirements on the types of followers, henchmen, and retainers they may have.

Unlike other characters, cavaliers begin to attract followers at relatively low level. These troops are men-at-arms. Their numbers and type are determined as follows:

At 4th level: 1-4 men-at-arms
At 5th level: 2-8 men-at-arms
At 6th level: 3-12 men-at-arms
At 7th level: 6-24 men-at-arms
At 8th level: 12-48 men-at-arms
At 9th level: 24-96 men-at-arms
At 10th level: 48-192 men-at-arms

The number ranges given above are followed on a per-level basis, and are not cumulative. If the dice roll for followers gained at a new level is equal to or lower than the number of followers a cavalier currently
has, then no new followers are gained at that level.

Example: A roll of 1d4 at 4th level indicates that the cavalier attracts 3 followers. When the cavalier attains 5th level, 2d4 are rolled, and if the result is 2 or 3, then no new followers are gained (assuming that the original followers are still in the cavalier’s service).

Whenever a number of new followers is gained, roll percentile dice and refer to the following table to determine how they are equipped:

01-25 Light cavalry in ring mail and shield, each with 3 javelins, long sword, and hand axe.
26-50 Heavy infantry in scale mail, with pole arm of choice and club.
51-65 Heavy infantry in splint mail with morning star and hand axe.
66-75 Heavy infantry in leather armor with pike and short sword.
76-85 Crossbowmen in chain mail with heavy crossbow and short sword.
86-90 Crossbowmen in chain mail with light crossbow and military fork.
91-95 Medium Cavalry in banded mail and shield with lance and horseman’s mace;
96-00 Medium Cavalry in ring mail with composite short bow, long sword and horseman’s flail.

The followers will be of a race and alignment suited to serving the cavalier. The cavalier must go to a locale where such men-at-arms are located in order to attract these followers. Those followers lost are not replaced except by troops gained at higher levels. A cavalier’s followers serve him out of pious zeal and naïve admiration, and so will not demand wages or salary, but must be fed, cared for, their equipment maintained, housed suitably, and rewards offered as suitable for the conditions. This will cost not less than 75% of the normal wages of such troops, though of course gifts and largess will not be turned away.

For every group of 20 troops which serve a cavalier, there will be a sergeant who behaves as a third 3rd level fighter, with heavy horse and plate mail and shield and armed variously with suitable weapons (lance, sword or axe or morningstar, bow or crossbow, dagger). For every 60 troops there will be a 6th-level fighter captain, having at least 16 strength, with heavy horse, plate mail and shield, and armed variously with suitable weapons, and an additional 3rd level lieutenant equipped the same as a sergeant. These troops have the normal chances of possessing magical equipment (See Appendix P). These gains will be made as the total men-at-arms in the cavalier’s service reach appropriate level. These leaders will not be replaced if slain, although the cavalier may recruit mercenaries or henchmen to take their place.

A cavalier may have as many henchmen as indicated by the Charisma Table. Cavaliers will not accept henchmen whose alignment does not closely correspond to their own.

As soon as a cavalier reaches 4th level (Knight Errant), the dignity of the cavalier requires they must acquire at least one cavalier henchmen retainer, which may be up to 2nd level of ability. Upon becoming a Knight (6th level), an Esquire (level 3) must be added to the staff, or if the former retainer has attained this rank a new lower level cavalier may be retained. Upon becoming a Grand Knight (7th level), a herald and a guard for the horses must be added, each of which must be either 0th level cavaliers or a mounted men-at-arms. At 8th level, the Bannerette must bring at least an additional mounted man-arms to his staff of retainers to serve a bearer. All retainers will serve for nothing more than care, upkeep, and training, as applicable and thus maintenance and upkeep will be but 75% of the usual costs.

As a Chevalier (9th level), the cavalier may willingly travel with or without his group of retainers. At lower levels, the master of a cavalier can require the cavalier to travel without retainers. A cavalier is responsible for the actions of his or her followers and retainers and is required to ensure that others of the cavalier class live up to the standards of the class.

Revised Paladin
Paladins are a fighter sub-class, but unlike normal fighters, all paladins must begin as lawful good in alignment and always remain lawful good or absolutely lose all of the special powers which are given to them. As clerics are servants of the gods, so Paladins are appointed or destined by the powers of law and weal to represent them as inspiring figures bearing some image or likeness of the deity themselves and often to fulfil some special purpose or quest. In these duties they must be unwavering, for in defect of character will reflect poorly on the deity themselves. They have both fighting abilities and at higher levels limited spell powers. To become a paladin a character must be human, have a strength of not less than 12, a minimum intelligence of 9, a wisdom of 13 or more, a minimum constitution of 9, and not less than 17 charisma.

It is possible also for a Paladin to be as well a Cavalier, having the full powers and abilities of that class as well as their own so long as they also uphold the code of chivalry of that class – for it is not inimical to the powers of lawful good and in combination greater glory and power accrues to their champion and vassal. This decision must be made at the time of character creation and is irrevocable. Characters of this sort have the class Paladin-Cavalier, and must meet the requirements of a Cavalier, namely to be of Upper Class upbringing and education (if it not also birth) and also as 13 or higher in Strength (rather than 12), a score of at least 11 in Intelligence (rather than 9), a Constitution of at least 13 (rather than 9), and a 13 in Dexterity as well in addition to the usual required scores for Wisdom and Charisma – for such honored champions the gods are selective indeed. While there are great advantages to the dual path of Paladin-Cavalier, the choice is not a light one for greater XP is required for the dual path than for either path alone, and only the strictest conduct will allow one to walk the narrow path required.

If a Paladin - but not a Paladin-Cavalier - has both strength and wisdom in excess of 15, he or she gains the benefit of adding 10% to the XP awarded by the DM.

Law and good deeds are the meat and drink of paladins, and they must delight in both. If they ever knowingly perform an act which is chaotic in nature, they must seek a high level (7th or above) cleric of lawful good alignment, confess their sin, and do penance as prescribed by the cleric. Until such time they only earn but half XP. The same penance applies if the paladin ever finds that unknowingly they have been false or disloyal because of some trickery they were victim to, or finds they are compelled by some magical compulsion to act against their will and perform some wickedness.

If a paladin should ever knowingly and willingly perform on evil act, he or she loses the status of paladinhood immediately and irrevocably. All benefits are then lost, and no deed or magic can restore the character to paladinhood. The god which had so ennobled them cannot risk again the loss of face with one who has once proved false, and indeed the paladin ought to be grateful that the forces of weal prize mercy and compassion and that they are not blasted from existence for the affront and betrayal. Paladins, being wise and self-aware and often learned and in subtle communion with the divine powers, should likely know beforehand whether a particular act they are contemplating has the taint of evil on it, and when it doubt should consult the GM before acting as to the requirements of the class and how their liege judges weal and woe in such situations.

PALADINS TABLE

Paladins and Paladin-Cavaliers begin with 3 weapon proficiencies at 1st level, but Paladin-Cavaliers must abide by the strictures of the Cavalier class in how they are allocated. They gain new weapon proficiencies every 2 levels. Paladins have a -2 penalty to use weapons they are not proficient in; Paladin-Cavaliers have a -3 penalty.

Paladins and Paladin-Cavaliers begin with 3 non-weapon proficiencies and likewise gain new ones every three levels. Either may (and unlike ordinary Cavaliers) select NWPs from the general, fighter, or cleric lists. Paladin-Cavaliers must abide by the restriction to not take NWPs of a vulgar sort (as they see it).

Note that Paladin’s have the same advancement in attacks per level as fighters, while Paladin-Cavaliers advance in attacks per level at the slower rate of Cavaliers (though they do have the weapon of choice abilities to compensate). Neither Paladins nor Paladin-Cavaliers may specialize in weapon use as a fighter does.

Paladins require 300,000 XP per level for each level above 11th. Paladin-Cavaliers require 350,000 XP per level for each additional level above the 11th.

Both Paladins and Paladin-Cavaliers gain 3 h.p. per level after the 10th level.

Paladin Special Abilities
1) Detect evil at up to 60' distance, as a cleric of their level, once per day per level of the Paladin. This is not a spell and may not be disrupted and need not be cast, but it does require a degree of concentration to employ preventing the Paladin from focusing on anything else that also requires concentration, and like the spell is directional, so the Paladin must turn and face in the correct direction in order to employ the supernatural senses he is blessed with.

2) Once per day per level of the Paladin, they may call upon holy powers to smite evil foes. This grants the Paladin a +2 bonus to hit and damage for all attacks that round against creatures which are wholly evil in nature – undead, creatures of the infernal planes, evil dragons, evil clerics and their cultists, champions of evil and so forth. Despite their alignment, the average bandit or brigand is not so wholly ruined, though the cruelest and callous killers among them and the members of races who are wholly devoted servitors to evil deities such as the Sahuagin, Drow, and Gnolls may qualify at the DM’s discretion.

3) A +2 bonus on all saving throws.

4) So holy is their body that disease finds it difficult to find purchase within it. They have reduced chance of contracting a disease equal to 10% + their level as a Paladin. This chance is double for diseases of a magical and evil nature (such as mummy rot or lycanthropy). Additionally, if they do contract a normal disease, they have a -3 adjustment to severity, and if the disease allows a saving throw they have a +4 bonus on such rolls (stacking on top of their usual +2 bonus on all saving throws). Further, diseases of a magical natural progress slower than normal, requiring 150% of the usual time.

Examples: A 1st level paladin is fighting a group of diseased rats that have plagued an orphanage and receives two bites. The usual 16% chance of contracting a disease is reduced by 11% to but 5%, and even then the Paladin may resist the disease with a saving throw vs. poison at +6 on the throw.

An 8th level paladin is fighting a pack of werewolves, and though he vanquishes them suffers the loss of 50% of his hit points. Normally there is a 100% chance of contracting the cursed ailment, but as this is a disease of an evil nature the chance is reduced by 36% (10% + 8% multiplied by 2) to 64%. The wary Paladin, unsure whether he has been infected, consumes belladonna as a preventive and cleanses himself just to be certain.

A 20th level paladin is face to face with Demogorgon, and is struck by his tentacle attack. He has a 60% chance of not being affected, and if he is it will take 9 rounds (rather than the usual 6) before the worst affects come to pass.

5) A Paladin may heal by laying their hands on man or beast and praying, restoring up to 2 hit points per level the paladin has attained in this manner. This feat may be performed but once a day, and may be performed on themselves in extremis (though they would of course prefer to find someone else to bestow their mercy on).

6) Likewise, the ability to curse disease by touch as the spell as a cleric of their level plus four. (Thus an 8th level Paladin has the ability to cure lycanthropy.) This feat may be performed but once per week per five levels the Paladin has attained (thus twice a week at 5th level, three times a week at 10th level, and so forth). It is not exclusive with the laying on of hands.

7) Most powerfully of all, the continual emanation of protection from evil in a 1” radius around the paladin.

Furthermore, additional powers are obtained as the Paladin increase in level:

8) At 7th level, the paladin gains the power to turn undead as a cleric 2 levels lower (thus a 3rd level paladin turns as a 1st level cleric, a 4th level paladin turns as a 2nd level cleric, and so on).

9) At 4th level, or at any time thereafter, the paladin is allocated by their deity a mighty steed, which they may call upon or which the deity will reveal the location some short journey away where the creature may be found. At the least this will be an intelligent heavy warhorse of 5+5 HD, having at least 5 h.p. on the die (roll 1d4+4), an AC of 7(+2) with an effective DEX of 17, and the speed of a medium warhorse (18”). It will share with the Paladin their bonus to saving throws and resistance to disease. In addition to bearing a rider, and being trained for battle, such a steed will be able to learn not less than 24 additional tricks and skills through training, and will do so with ease being of closer to human intelligence than it is to a mere beast. Other steeds of similar stature may appear according to the particular nature of the deity, as chosen by the GM, but they will certainly be equally worthy to the deity’s vassal. However, but one such creature will be allocated every ten years, for such prize steeds are not regarded as cheap even by deities and they will not give a replacement if one is lost until the end of the period.

10) At 9th level of experience Paladin’s gain the ability to cast clerical spells. However, this is more a result of their piety and miraculous power rather than true spellcraft, and as such they may not employ scrolls of cleric spells or other magic items which are limited to clerics only.

11) “Holy Avenger” swords are of great puissance in the hands of the champion’s for which they are intended. Among other things, if the Paladin unsheathes such a weapon and holds it, it projects an aura of power in a 1” radius which acts as a dispel magic against any magic inimical to the Paladin or those he protects at a caster level the same as the Paladin’s level.

Paladin Conduct
As part of their requirement to scrupulously adhere to the highest standards of law and good, Paladins must adhere to the following minimum conduct:

1) They may never retain more than 10 magic items for their own use. These may never exceed 1 magical armor, 1 magical shield, 4 magical weapons (bows or other missile weapons and their ammunition count as but one weapon), and any 4 other magical items. Excess items must be sold, given to retainers as rewards for good service, donated to their liege or order, etc.

2) They will never retain any wealth more than is necessary to support themselves frugally and modestly. Any wealth beyond what is necessary for the tithe, the upkeep of their retainers, hirelings, and servants, and the maintenance of such modest castle as may be required of them to protect such land as is entrusted to them must be given away to their liege or their order.

3) An immediate tithe of 10% of their income of any source, must be given to the religious institution that they serve to be put to some charitable purpose (and not to a player character).

4) Paladins will have henchmen only of lawful good alignment and no other. They will form close association and alliance only with characters of good alignment. They may keep company with non-evil neutrals, but only for the purpose of a single quest or expedition, and only if some obviously good purpose is pursued and those neutrals swear not to engage in acts of evil during their association. This must not be honored in the breach, and it is a violation of their moral duty to look the other way or feign ignorance and stupidity and tolerate unjust or lawless acts against the innocent. If the terms of such an association cannot be held to, it ought not to be formed. Still, it must be remembered at all times that Paladins are of a militant order, and are not naïve or unaware of the expediencies of war and further Paladin’s are well aware that not every person is capable of reaching yet to the high calling they undertake. While this stricture is binding, neither should it be lightly invoked for the most trivial of offences by an ally.

5) Paladins will at all times seek to pledge their service to lawful good personages of the highest rank, meekly seeking service over ruling. They count it great honor to be allied with other high ranking lawful good characters, particularly clerics and other fighter types. A paladin will only accept a role as ruler if appointed to it by the command of their liege, or if it is clear that they are in fact the highest ranking lawful good personage of the land, there is universal demand they ascend to the role, and no better candidate is available.

Paladins normally lead the solitary life of knights errant, and do not normally attract a body of men-at-arms into service. However, note that Paladin-Cavaliers will do so.

Fallen Paladin
A Paladin that ceases to be lawful or good, or pursues a different class, or willfully commits acts of evil can no longer gain levels as a Paladin. A Paladin-Cavalier likewise must adhere to the same strictures other Cavaliers, and if they fail to do so likewise lose they status as Paladins. In such case lose access to all the special abilities of a paladin, while Paladin-Cavaliers also lose suffer all the same lost abilities as fallen Cavaliers.

It is possible that the player of a Paladin-Cavalier may argue that though they have committed acts of evil which disqualified them from the profession of Paladin, but which did not disqualify them utterly as Cavaliers. Before accepting such an argument as valid, consider that virtually any act which disqualified them as a Paladin also constituted an act of disloyalty and betrayal to their and a failure of their highest duty, which is surely therefore also an act

If they have been dishonored, they may pursue another class of their choosing. If they have entered another class, they may continue to pursue it. If they have ceased to be lawful or good, they may only pursue thief or thief subclass (thief, assassin, bounty hunter, monk, etc.). A disgraced and fallen Paladin that remains lawful or good, may continue their martial career, but if so their XP total is reduced to that of a fighter at the midway point of their current level. They may progress in level as the same rate as a Fighters with the usual hit point requirements and improve hit points, to hit bonuses, and saves as they level, as well as gaining new proficiencies at the usual frequency, but gain none of the special benefits of the Fighter class as they are not truly Fighters at all.

A single exception exists. If the Paladin ceases to meet the minimum ability scores qualifications of the class through infirmity (whether disease or injury) or old age, they may honorably retire from the profession provided at the time they were without dishonor and had upheld the standards of their class. They are then free to pursue whatever class or profession they still qualify for without dishonor, and retain access to all of their paladin class abilities, and may even freely use them without penalty once their new profession exceeds in level their paladin ability. Such characters must still maintain their lawful good alignment and still meet the standards of Paladin behavior, but if Paladin-Cavaliers are no longer required to fulfill all the requirements of chivalry, most notably being exempt from the requirements of dignity. Of course, many such characters still retain their bearing and dignity out of self-respect or habit.

Reserved for Elven Cavaliers

Celebrim said:

Revised Cavalier
[...]

The character class of cavalier has no prime requisite, and as a result cavaliers do not gain XP bonuses for superior abilities. However, a cavalier must have minimum scores of 13 in Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, and score of at least 11 in Intelligence. A cavalier character must be of lawful alignment (LG, LN, or LE). A cavalier that departs from the lawful alignment is disgraced and thereafter may only advance in level as a thief or thief subclass.

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Thief???

Surely you mean Fighter here.

Celebrim said:

All cavaliers are sponsored by cavalier of greater rank and status and begin first as a retainer in some other knight's service (a 0th level horseman), then a progressing to a 0th-level Lancer, and finally 1st-level Armiger of the cavalier class. The 0th-level Horseman starts with -1500 XP and has 1d4 initial hit points plus their bonus for high constitution. The Horseman becomes a Lancer at -500 XP and gains another 1d4 hit points, and finally an additional d4 hit points upon eventually reaching 0 XP and becoming a full cavalier.

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I really wish they'd done a 0th-level write-up like this for all classes.

Celebrim said:

[xp advancement table]

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Like that you made them d10 hit dice rather than d12.

Celebrim said:

Loss of Cavalier Status
A cavalier that ceases to be lawful, pursues a different class, or fails in their greatest duty – such as betraying their lord – can no longer gain levels as a cavalier. Their dishonor is permanent and the loss irrevocable. They retain all their martial prowess and skill at arms, including the bonuses of weapons of choice, and access to all weapon and non-weapon proficiencies that they hitherto gained. However, they lose access to Noble Bearing, Hard to Kill and Dauntless class abilities (and course, cavalier self-improvement as well, since they no longer gain levels in the class). If they have been dishonored, they may pursue another class of their choosing. If they have entered another class, they may continue to pursue it. If they have ceased to be lawful, they may only pursue thief or thief subclass (thief, assassin, bounty hunter, monk, etc.)

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Again, why Thief? They'd more naturally fall back to being Fighters, as that's where their martial training would lead them.

Lanefan said:

Thief???

Surely you mean Fighter here.

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No, I know what I mean.

Like that you made them d10 hit dice rather than d12.

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I'm hardly the first person to think of that.

Again, why Thief? They'd more naturally fall back to being Fighters, as that's where their martial training would lead them.

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Honestly, I would like to add to the write up a complicated little description of how in some cases you could continue as a fighter but not for the cases you are complaining about. In the case of loss of status by change of alignment, I do intend that radical shift in attitude to correspond to a radical shift in approach to life. You go from someone who would never prefer to stab something in the back, to someone who always would.

Some actual discussion of the choices, or "Why is this class not superior to the fighter?"

a) Weapon Specialization: We could almost full stop here. Compared to a weapon specialized fighter they are giving up +3 damage per attack, and they don't get a +3 bonus to hit until 7th level and that only with their primary mounted weapons. They never get more than a +4 bonus to hit, and again only with their primary mounted weapons when mounted. They have slight advantages over a specialized fighter in attacks per round with mounted weapons at certain levels, but are behind at other levels. They don't ever have an end game better than the fighter.

b) Slowed Weapon Progression: Like the ranger they are limited to three starting weapon proficiency slots and get better at using weapons (other than their chosen weapons) slower than the Fighter does. And if they aren't proficient at all they get an additional penalty no other fighter subclass does.

c) Zero level start: While the rules allow a DM to let a player start as a 1st level cavalier if they wish, they don't require it and empower the DM to force any prospective cavalier to start with d4 hit points and 1500 XP behind every other class. This gets them almost as slow of a start as a barbarian. By the time you are 1st level, the fighter almost 2nd level. This is meant to pacify DMs that still think the class is too powerful as written.

d) Slower leveling progression: It's a sure sign that the person has not thought about AD&D balance seriously that they compare levels to levels. If class A at 9th level is more powerful than class B at 9th level, in AD&D this says nothing about balance. The questions are "At a given amount of XP, which class is more powerful". I've altered the progression so that Cavalier lags fighter in HD for most of their career and certainly in the end game. Generally speaking, you will be a weaker combatant than a fighter with worse saves, lower hit points, worse THAC0, etc. You make up for that only when mounted, where you are indeed a beast but not so much better that a comparable XP fighter with a lance (much less a lance specialization) couldn't beat you. You are never really outshining a fighter as a warrior.

e) Chivalry: I've tried to write this up in a way that is hugely constraining without it being anti-social and reduced a little bit the "gotcha" factor of arguments with the GM over what was honorable. The original write up made it seem like all cavaliers had Wisdom 6 rather than sincere scruples of a recognizably heroic nature. The important thing is that you can't play this class in pawn stance. You are forced to inhabit the ideology and make concessions to it or else you are going to be just a bad fighter.

So yes, you get some tremendously powerful and impactful abilities. But it's not obvious that this class is better than a fighter. Dauntless in particular is incredibly powerful and eventually you will be almost immune to mental control, but you are giving up a lot for that.

The real reason to play the class is if you have a lot of 14s and 15s in your physical attributes, in regular AD&D you are always going to suck in combat. However, with this class by name level if you make it that far, those 14's and 15's will have turned into 16's or maybe even 17's and you will not suck nearly as much. Plus there is a nice little frontloaded benefit for playing the class if you have decent intelligence but perhaps not good enough to build a M-U. For some ability score arrays this is a better choice than a fighter. But if you rolled 18 strength to start, you probably would be just straight up better off taking fighter.

Problems with the Write Up:

1) As @Lanefan has noticed, I haven't actually described how to continue as a fighter if you lose the subclass. I probably should as that will be generally useful for other class write ups. It happened in part because I suddenly realized that the rules were really vague about what happened in that case and writing it up exactly would be more convoluted than the original rules make it sound despite being a "normal" 1e AD&D mechanic.

2) I make a lot of reference to NWPs that are in my head but not presented. For example, the interaction between Cavalier and their steeds in terms of appraising them has actually got hidden as a general ability available to people with the right NWPs and not something the Cavalier actually lost.

3) As written up, Dauntless makes Wisdom a real dump stat for the Cavalier, which is funny but not really the intention. I have considered several alternatives such as capping the Dauntless benefit at +4 or halfing the benefit so that it's only 1/2 your Cavelier level. The important thing is that it isn't as front loaded as the original write up. But I'm not exactly sure where to go with it.

4) The write up is vague on what happens to non-cavaliers below 0 hit points. This is somewhat intended as the rules vary, but how powerful "Hard to Kill" actually is will depend on the rules used at different tables. I'm still on the fence about their Martyr action. I'm not sure if it should be immediate death or just they immediately lapse unconscious. I'm equally unsure about what the best saving throw to stay conscious should be. I could see an argument for using a SSS check, a CON check, or a different saving throw.

5) I would expect some fan of the class to say, "Look what you've done to my boy!" I admit if anything the class is on the weak side now, though it is probably more powerful than most non-specialized fighters. I think I need to tone down the XP requirements after 8th level just a tad. (UPDATE: Did that.)

Forgive my ignorance, but I grew up on AD&D 2e, and never really got into 1e; how does weapon specialization in 1e compare to 2e?

I remember in 2e, specialization gave you +1/+2 and an extra attack every 2 rounds (from 1/1 to 3/2, or 3/2 to 2/1); you could also get mastery at higher levels to go to +3/+3.

TwoSix said:

Forgive my ignorance, but I grew up on AD&D 2e, and never really got into 1e; how does weapon specialization in 1e compare to 2e?

I remember in 2e, specialization gave you +1/+2 and an extra attack every 2 rounds (from 1/1 to 3/2, or 3/2 to 2/1); you could also get mastery at higher levels to go to +3/+3.

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1e AD&D specialization works basically the same way except you can get the full mastery at first level by "double specialization". It's a no brainer to specialize in a weapon and triple your damage output at 1st level. Say you would normally hit 35% of the time for 4.5 damage hit, or 1.575 damage per round. Orcs are not afraid. Now you hit 1.5 times a round, 50% of the time for 7.5 damage per hit, or 5.625 damage per round. Orcs are slaughtered.

As Celebrim said. Plus in 1E if you have a 3/2 or 5/2 attack rate you get the extra attack in odd-numbered rounds, whereas in 2E they changed that to even-numbered rounds for some reason.