Knight Errant (Cavalier/Bard)

The knight errant is a wandering knight who enjoys the sights and sounds of foreign places. Less dedicated to being a champion on the battlefield and more to refining his skills and strengthening his friendships, the knight errant is nonetheless committed to his order and honor. As he gains levels, his abilities as a bard, diplomat, and figurehead come to the fore. Where other cavaliers might solve all their problems by blindly charging their foes, the knight errant can use his knowledge of the world and its inhabitants to convince others to join his cause, rallying mobs or armies to serve his order at his side, all with a cocky arrogance befitting the far-striding champion.

Primary Class: Cavalier.

Secondary Class: Bard.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d10.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: Knight errants may select three bard skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal cavalier class skills, one of which must be Perform. The knight errant gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Knight errants are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with light shields.

Bardic Performance: A knight errant gains the bardic performance ability. A knight errant counts his archetype level as his bard level for the purpose of determining the effects of his bardic performance abilities. This is exactly like the bard ability of the same name.

Fascinate (Su): At 1st level, a knight errant gains the fascinate bardic performance ability in place of tactician.

Inspire Courage (Su): At 1st level, a knight errant gains the inspire courage bardic performance ability also in place of tactician. This ability grants a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. These bonuses increase to +2 at 5th level, and an additional +1 every six levels thereafter to a maximum of +4 at 17th level.

Inspire Competence (Su): At 3rd level, a knight errant gains the inspire competence bardic performance ability in place of cavalier’s charge. This ability grants any ally within 30 feet and able to see and hear the knight errant a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as they continue to hear his performance. This bonus increases by +1 every four levels thereafter to a maximum of +6 at 19th level.

Gather Crowd (Ex): At 6th level, a knight errant gains the skill to drawing an audience to his performances in place of his 6th level bonus feat. If in a settlement or populated area, a knight errant can shout, sing, or otherwise make himself noticed in order to attract an audience to his impromptu stage. The size of the crowd is typically equal to 1/2 the knight errant’s level × the knight errant’s Perform check result, but may also depend on the local population. The crowd gathers over the next 1d10 rounds. If the bard fails to engage the crowd (such as by performing, kissing babies, trying to use fascinate, and so on), it disperses over the next 1d10 rounds.

Inspire Greatness (Su): At 9th level, a knight errant gains the inspire greatness bardic performance ability in place of greater tactician.

Boastful Song (Su): At 12th level, a knight errant gains the ability to perform a boastful song as a free action upon declaring his challenge in place of his 12th level bonus feat. The target of his challenge must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the knight errant’s level + the knight errant’s Charisma modifier) or enter a rage, as the spell, for as long as the knight errant performs. This is an enchantment (compulsion), mind affecting, language-dependent ability and relies on audible components.

Righteous Cause (Ex): At 18th level, a knight errant gain the ability to lift a crowd's emotions and turn them toward a common purpose in place of his 18th level bonus feat. He must first use gather crowd and then fascinate them, as the performance abilities. Once this is achieved, he may then use righteous cause. Any fascinated creature must make a Will saves (DC 10 + 1/2 the knight errant’s level + the knight errant’s Charisma modifier) to avoid the effect. If a creature fails it is affected by a mass suggestion and a plausible idea becomes implanted into its mind which lingers with them for one full day. This ability is typically employed to spark a rebellion, overthrow a king, build a beneficial structure such as an orphanage, or donate money to a cause.

World Traveler (Ex): A knight errant gains a bonus equal to 1/2 his archetype level on Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), and Linguistics checks in place of mount.

Versatile Performance: At 3rd level, a knight errant may select the bard’s versatile performance in place of master tactician, and additional performances are selected at 10th and 17th level.

Mount: At 4th level, the knight errant gains the service of a loyal and trusty steed to carry him into battle in place of expert trainer. This mount functions as a druid’s animal companion, but use has an equivalent druid level equal to his knight errant level –3 for purpose of determining the strength of the mount.

Banner: At 5th level, a knight errant’s banner grants a +2 morale bonus on Diplomacy skill checks and on saving throws against fear instead, and an additional +1 bonus every five levels thereafter to a maximum of +4 at 20th level. The knight errant loses the normal +1 morale bonus on attack rolls when making a charge as part of this ability.

Jack-of-all-Trades (Ex): At 11th level, a knight errant may select the bard’s jack-of-all-trades in place of mighty charge. At 17th level, the knight errant considers all skills to be class skills. At 20th level, the knight errant can take 10 on any skill check, even if it is not normally allowed to do so.

Sporting Challenge (Ex): At 12th level, a knight errant uses his pride, sportsmanship, and multifaceted competence to challenge others outside of the battlefield in place of demanding challenge. Whenever a knight errant declares a challenge, he challenges the target to a friendly competition, such as racing, arm wrestling, debate, or performance. The knight errant gains a bonus on all checks made as a part of this competition equal to his level, but receives the normal –2 penalty to his AC while using a sporting challenge. His order's challenge effect is not invoked.

Supreme Hubris (Ex): At 20th level, whenever a knight errant uses his boastful song, all enemies within 30 feet are affected. The knight errant gains all bonuses granted by his order challenge, as well as his challenges bonus on damage against all enemies who become enraged. He also receives the challenge penalty to his AC against all enemies while this ability is in effect. This ability replaces supreme charge.

Orders: The following orders complement the knight errant multiclass archetype: Order of the Lion, Order of the Shield, and Order of the Sword.

Special: The knight errant qualifies for the Extra Performance.

Table: Knight Errant