Order of the Claymore
Cavaliers belonging to the order of the claymore are sworn to be the strongest warriors they can possibly be. Some of these cavaliers do this to best serve some patron or worthy cause, but many simply seek strength for strength’s sake.
Edicts: The cavalier must prove his strength and worthiness at every opportunity, letting no insult or challenge to his abilities stand. If necessary, he must travel far and wide in search of appropriate challenges to his combat aptitude. If he encounters a foe seemingly more powerful than himself, he must attempt to best them unless such action would be obviously suicidal.
Challenge: Whenever an order of the claymore cavalier issues a challenge, he gains a +1 bonus on Intimidate checks against the target of his challenge. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the cavalier possesses.
Skills: An order of the claymore cavalier adds Perform and Survival to his list of class skills. When an order of the claymore cavalier succeeds on a Survival check to gain a bonus on Fortitude saves against severe weather, the bonus gained doubles.
Order Abilities: A cavalier belonging to the order of the claymore gains the following abilities as he increases in level.
Mighty Blade
At 2nd level, the cavalier deals double damage on a mounted charge with a greatsword as if it were a lance, or triple damage if using the Spirited Charge feat.
Punching Above Your Weight
At 8th level, when the cavalier challenges a creature with a CR of at least 2 higher than his character level, he treats his cavalier level as if it were equal to the target’s CR for the purpose of determining the bonus damage dealt by his challenge.
Sweeping Charge
At 15th level, when the cavalier makes a mounted charge while wielding a greatsword, he may attack multiple creatures that are all threatened by the cavalier; each creature targeted must be adjacent to at least one other creature targeted. He makes one attack roll with a -2 penalty for each target and applies it to the armor class of all targets; determine which targets are hit and roll damage separately for each target struck.
Order of Cold Iron
A cavalier who joins this order swears to guard the world against supernatural threats, with a special focus on demons from the Abyss. They swear to hold their own lives to no value in their service, as their fiendish foes are the most ravenous and bloodthirsty in the multiverse.
Edicts: The cavalier must seek out and purify any source of demonic corruption. He must protect the common folk from demons and those who serve them, at the cost of his own life if necessary.
Challenge: Whenever an order of cold iron cavalier issues a challenge, he gains a +1 bonus on saving throws against the spells and spell-like abilities of his target. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the cavalier possesses.
Skills: An order of cold iron cavalier adds Knowledge (Planes) and Perception to his list of class skills. Whenever an order of cold iron cavalier uses Knowledge (Planes) to identify the traits of an outsider with both the chaos and evil subtypes, he gains a bonus on the check equal to ½ his cavalier level.
Order Abilities: A cavalier belonging to the order of cold iron gains the following abilities as he increases in level.
Iron Hooves
At 2nd level, the cavalier may treat his mount's natural weapons as cold iron for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction.
Cold Iron Smite
At 8th level, when the cavalier using a cold iron weapon scores a critical hit on an enemy whose damage reduction is bypassed by cold iron, that enemy’s damage reduction is reduced to 0 for 1 round against all attacks.
Banishing Strike
At 15th level, the cavalier can make a single melee attack against an extraplanar creature as a standard action. If the attack hits and deals damage, the target must make a Will save (DC = 10 + ½ the damage dealt) or be sent back to its home plane, as the dismissal spell. The cavalier can use this ability once per combat.
Order of the Scorpion
The mysterious order of the scorpion swears its cavaliers to watch over and protect the various ancient temples, crypts, and other sacred sites that lay half-buried in the desert sands. These devoted warriors stop at nothing to track down and punish the perpetrators of any crimes against his guarded location.
Edicts: The cavalier must guard and ward not only his chosen site, but any ancient location of significance either religious or ancestral. He must respect his own ancestors and those of anyone he deems worthy of respect.
Challenge: Whenever an order of the scorpion cavalier issues a challenge, he gains a +1 bonus on trip and disarm CMB checks against the target of his challenge. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the cavalier possesses.
Skills: An order of the scorpion cavalier adds Perception and Survival to his list of class skills. When an order of the scorpion makes a Survival check to track while in desert terrain, he gains a bonus on this check equal to ½ his cavalier level.
Order Abilities: A cavalier belonging to the order of the scorpion gains the following abilities as he increases in level.
Scorpion Tail
At 2nd level, the cavalier gains proficiency in whips, and may make any combat maneuver with a whip as the attack for a mounted charge, gaining a +2 bonus on the CMB check for charging.
Scorpion Sting
At 8th level, when the cavalier successfully uses a whip to trip or disarm a foe that he threatens, he may make an attack against that foe with another weapon he is wielding as a swift action.
Scorpion Devotion
At 15th level, the cavalier may fight on beyond the normal reaches of death. As long as he is acting in defense of his edicts, he may stay conscious and not be staggered at 0 or fewer hit points, nor does he die when he reaches negative hit points equal to his Constitution score. Once he would normally be dead from hit point damage, however, he may only stay “alive” for up to three more rounds before dying. During these three rounds he may not regain hit points by any means, although spells that raise the dead (including a breath of life spell) work normally on him. He may still be killed by effects that do not deal hit point damage.
