Monster Knight

This is a summoner archetype with many of the traits of a cavalier. A monster knight is not a spellcaster, he is a martial character that has a pact with a powerful supernatural creature, an eidolon mount. Besides the eidolon mount, a monster knight has little magic; no spells and few supernatural abilities. The monster knight and his mount make a perfect fighting team, each complimenting the abilities of the other. The pact between them is at the core of their lives. Some eidolon mounts have been longstanding allies of the summoner’s family for generations, for others the bond happened at birth, because of an astrological conjunction, or a chance meeting.

Some monster knights have a pact with a monster that is not extra-dimensional but instead native to the same plane as the summoner using the monster ally archetype from this book. These two archetypes work together, despite both changing the eidolon and summon monster abilities.

The monster knight has all the summoner’s class features, except as noted.

Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str). A monster knight gains 4 skill points plus her Intelligence modifier at each level.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

Monster knights are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all armor (heavy, light, and medium) and with shields (except tower shields).

Spells

Monster knights cannot cast spells, do not have a caster level, and cannot use spell trigger and spell completion magic items except by using the Use Magic Device skill.

Challenge (Ex)

Once per day, a monster knight can challenge a foe to combat. As a swift action, the monster knight chooses one target within sight to challenge. The monster knight’s melee attacks deal extra damage whenever the attacks are made against the target of his challenge.

This extra damage is equal to the monster knight’s level.

The monster knight can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every three levels beyond 1st, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level. A monster knight also gains a +1 attack bonus on melee attacks against a challenged target. This attack bonus increases by one at level seven and every 6 levels thereafter (+2 at level 7, +3 at level 13, and +4 at level 19).

The challenge remains in effect until the target is dead or unconscious or until the combat ends. This replaces summon monster.

Eidolon Mount (Ex)

A monster knight begins play with the services of a powerful creature called an eidolon mount. The eidolon mount formed a pact with the monster knight for reasons that need not be entirely clear. This is the same as the summoner’s eidolon ability except as noted here. The eidolon mount gains the mount evolution as a bonus evolution at first level. Unlike normal eidolons, eidolon mounts heal naturally over time, and count time not summoned as rest aided by a successful Heal check, recovering 3 hit points/ Hit Die/day. The eidolon mount must have the quadruped or serpentine base form. An eidolon mount of any type or subtype can always choose a quadruped base form (bite, limbs [legs, 2]). It counts as a mount to abilities that specifically affect a cavalier’s mount. This is a modification of the eidolon ability. A monster knight riding his eidolon mount ignores any armor check penalty to the Ride skill.

A monster knight can opt to give up all his eidolon mount’s attacks in order to gain the large evolution for free. This prevents the eidolon from making attacks of any kind. The monster knight can pick or remove this option each time he changes the eidolon’s evolutions.

This option exists so that a Medium-size monster knight can ride his eidolon mount even at low levels.

Order (Ex)

The monster knight gains the cavalier’s order ability, including edicts, challenge benefits, skill bonuses, and new order abilities at level 2, 8, and 15.

Order abilities affecting a cavalier’s mount instead affect a monster knight’s eidolon mount. Order abilities that apply to cavalier class features the monster knight does not have (such as greater banner) are lost. This replaces bond senses, transposition, and merge forms.

Strong Fortitude Save (Ex)

The monster knight has a good Fortitude save, with the same base save bonus as his Will save.

Focused Charge (Ex)

At 3rd level, a monster knight learns to make focused mounted charge attacks. The monster knight receives a +4 bonus on melee attack rolls on a mounted charge (instead of the normal +2). In addition, the monster knight does not suffer any penalty to his AC after making a charge attack while mounted. If the monster knight is mounted on his eidolon, his mount also gains these benefits. This replaces shield ally.

Monster Tactics (Ex)

The monster knight gains a feat he fulfills the prerequisites for as a bonus feat at level 5, 12, and 17. These feats must be selected from combat or teamwork feats.

At level 5 and up, the eidolon mount gains any teamwork feat the monster knight learns as a bonus feat, ignoring all prerequisites. This replaces greater shield ally and gate.

Mascot (Ex)

At 9th level, the monster knight’s eidolon mount becomes a symbol of inspiration similar to a cavalier’s banner. As long as the eidolon mount is conscious and clearly visible, all allies within 60 feet (including the knight and his eidolon) receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge. This is a variant of the cavalier’s banner ability and works with abilities that work with banner.

Mighty Charge (Ex)

At 11th level, a monster knight learns to make devastating charge attacks when mounted.

Double the threat range of any weapons wielded during a mounted charge. This increase does not stack with other effects that increase the threat range of the weapon. In addition, when changing while mounted, the monster knight can make a free bull rush, disarm, sunder, or trip combat maneuver if his charge attack is successful. This free combat maneuver does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Supreme Charge (Ex)

At 20th level, whenever the monster knight makes a charge attack while mounted, he deals double the normal amount of damage (triple if using a lance). If the monster knight has the Spirited Charge feat, he now inflicts triple damage (quadruple damage with a lance). In addition, if the monster knight confirms a critical hit on a charge attack while mounted, the target is stunned for 1d4 rounds. A Will save reduces this to staggered for 1d4 rounds. The DC is equal to 10 + the monster knight’s base attack bonus. This replaces twin eidolon.

Table 3: Monster Knight Class Features
Class Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Challenge +1, eidolon mount, life link, order
2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Order ability
3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Focused charge
4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Challenge 2/day
5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Monster tactics
6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Maker’s call
7th +5 +5 +2 +5 Challenge +2 3/day
8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Order ability
9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Mascot
10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Aspect, challenge 4/day
11th +8/+3 +7 +3 +7 Mighty charge
12th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 Monster tactics feat
13th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 Challenge +3 5/day
14th +10/+5 +9 +4 +9 Life bond
15th +11/+6/+1 +9 +5 +9 Order ability
16th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 Challenge 6/day
17th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 Monster tactics feat
18th +13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 Greater aspect
19th +14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 Challenge +4 7/day
20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Supreme charge
Section 15: Copyright Notice

Legendary Summoners © 2020, Legendary Games; Author: Carl Cramer.

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