As you all recall, I made a promise to try and do up-to-date builds with new material whenever possible this year, so today I’m going to fulfill that promise by constructing a character using the all-new Monster Hunter’s Handbook. It’s a fun product with a handful of really neat character building options. Today’s build REALLY caught my little brother’s attention (he’s a sucker for Final Fantasy dragoons, so anything polearms and monster hunting RELALY appeals to him), so I hope you enjoy my heroic cavalier build!

Build Concept

Any information important to understanding the build or its roots goes here.

• Race: Halfling
• Classes: cavalier (disciple of the pike) 12
• Feats: Escape Route (Bonus), Risky Striker (1^st), Power Attack (3^rd), Steadfast Slayer (5^th), Combat Reflexes (Bonus), Chain Challenge (7^th), Outflank (Bonus), Lunge (9^th), Furious Focus (11^th), Weapon Focus: any polearm (Bonus)
• Abilities: agile charger, bigger they are (+1 per size category larger, max +3), monster hunter +6, pike charge, weapon training (polearms) +2
• Order of the Hero: monster expert (2^nd), resist energy (8^th)

Play Description

Okay, so this is a lot of stuff. Before I get started, I’d like to explain what these new archetypes and order options do. First, both have this nifty combination of abilities that allows the cavalier to add half his level on knowledge checks to identify monsters, so this class basically gets to add its full level to identify the abilities of monsters. Most monster IDing knowledges are also class skills for it, so if you manage to pull a 14 Intelligence (or a 12 with a headband), you’ll have almost no chance of failing to identifying a creature’s powers. Additionally, it gets limited resistance to certain energy types of its choice, a dodge bonus against bigger goes, the ability to make its charging bonuses, the ability to charge without penalty, and a morale bonus on damage rolls against big foes.

Yes, this is VERY similar to the other halfling Risky Striker build I did. The big difference is that as a cavalier, the damage bonuses are SILLY. How silly, you ask?

MATH TIME

• BAB +12, Str 16 (+4 on dmg w/2H; We’ll low-ball because he’s a halfling)
• Challenge +12
• Order Challenge +4 morale
• Power Attack +12 (2H; –3 on attack rolls, ignored on 1^st attack)
• Risky Striker +8 (–3 AC)
• Steadfast Slayer +2 to +10
• Weapon Training +2 (+2 on attack rolls)
• Weapon Enhancement Bonus +2 (+2 on attack rolls)
• Weapon Focus (+1 on attack rolls
• TOTAL: +18/+10/+5 (+46 to +54 on damage)

YOWZERS?! You read right, a +46 to damage if the challenged target is Medium, a +48 if its Large, and so on.

This build really only has two tricks: IDing monsters and killing them, but its really, REALLY good at both of those tricks! If the archetype and order are legalized, I know my little brother is looking forward to trying this build—maybe you will too!

That’s it for this week’s Iconic Design. Tune back in two weeks for more ideas for your next PC or NPC! Take care!

Alexander “Alex” Augunas has been playing roleplaying games since 2007, which isn’t nearly as long as 90% of his colleagues. Alexander is an active freelancer for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and is best known as the author of the Pact Magic Unbound series by Radiance House. Alex is the owner of Everyman Gaming, LLC and is often stylized as the Everyman Gamer in honor of Guidance’s original home. Alex also cohosts the Private Sanctuary Podcast, along with fellow blogger Anthony Li, and you can follow their exploits on Facebook in the 3.5 Private Sanctuary Group, or on Alex’s Twitter, @AlJAug.