Cavaliers...Did UA have it right?

[Starfox]

Perhaps something like a "knight" template that could be applied to any class to give it leadership and social functions...

Sounds like a 5E background. Different rules, different tools.

 

[Umbran]

You are talking about the parts of the Pathfinder cavalier that are like the 4E warlord here, I presume?

I was specifically responding to this upthread:

And morale booster, some leadership/inspiring stuff, commander/strategist, diplomatic ability?

Which, honestly, is most of the 4e Warlord's shtick, stated generally.

 

[Umbran]

Perhaps something like a "knight" template that could be applied to any class to give it leadership and social functions...

Sounds like a 5E background. Different rules, different tools.

To some extent, yes. There's degrees to which this can be taken, varying from "mounted Fighter, with some small amount of extras for being a knight", which would be covered by a template or backgorund, to basically a 4e Warlord character who does mounted combat, which takes so much of its power from the shtick that it is pretty central to the whole class.

So, earlier, I said give me a paladin, and a fighter who can focus on mounted combat, and I'm fine. I'm okay with there being a warlord cognate that also can focus on mounted combat. I think the fighter who does that focus should end up better at outright personal fighting, but he warlord version be better working with a group of folks.

But it still remains that I would prefer to see those powers available somewhat more generically, as well as in whatever you're using as a cavalier.