View source for Knightly Charger (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

{{author
|author_name=Ghostwheel
|date_created=April 3rd, 2009
|status=Complete
|balance=Rogue
}}

[[Image:Death knight.jpg|thumb|right|270px|"CHAAAAAAAAARGE!"]]

== Introduction ==

[[Summary::Charge for massive damage, and once in the thick of things use excellent zone control to keep enemies in place.]]

== References ==

*Flaws (Unearthed Arcana)
*Player's Handbook II
*Complete Warrior
*Complete Divine
*Expanded Psionics Handbook
*Spell Compendium
*Tome of Battle

== Game Rule Components ==

=== Spells ===

*Rhino's Rush and Find the Gap (both in Spell Compendium) in wand form after entering Pious Templar both make charges far more effective.

=== Progression ===

'''Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments):''' (Assuming 32 Point Buy)  18 14 16 8 8 8

'''Race (Templates):''' [[Race::Human]]

{| class="zebra d20" style="text-align: left;" {{#vardefine: odd|0}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
! rowspan="2" | ECL
! rowspan="2" | Class/HD/LA
! rowspan="2" | [[BAB|Base<br/>Attack Bonus]]
! colspan="3" | [[SRD:Saving Throw|Saving Throw]]s
! rowspan="2" | Feats
! rowspan="2" | Class<br/>Features
! rowspan="2" | Special
|- style="text-align: center;"
! [[SRD:Saving Throw#Fortitude|Fort]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Reflex|Ref]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Will|Will]]
|- 
| 1st || Knight 1 || +1 || +0 || +0 || +2 || Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Weapon Focus: Lance, True Believer || Fighting Challenge +1, Knight's Challenge, Knight's Code ||
|- 
| 2nd || Knight 2 || +2 || +0 || +0 || +3 || Mounted Combat || Shield Block +1 ||
|- 
| 3rd || Knight 3 || +3 || +1 || +1 || +3 || Stand Still || Bulwark of Defense || 
|- 
| 4th || Knight 4 || +4 || +1 || +1 || +4 || || Armor Mastery (Medium), Test of Mettle || 
|- 
| 5th || Knight 5 || +5 || +1 || +1 || +4 || Ride-By Attack || Vigilant Defender ||
|- 
| 6th || Fighter 1 || +6 || +3 || +1 || +4 || Spirited Charge, Leap Attack || ||
|- 
| 7th || Pious Templar 1 || +7 || +5 || +1 || +6 || || Mettle || 
|- 
| 8th || Pious Templar 2 || +8 || +6 || +1 || +7 || || Smite 1/day || 
|- 
| 9th || Pious Templar 3 || +9 || +6 || +2 || +7 || Weapon Specialization: Lance, Melee Weapon Mastery || Damage Reduction 1/-- || 
|- 
| 10th || Pious Templar 4 || +10 || +7 || +3 || +8 || Shock Trooper || ||
|- 
| 11th || Cavalier 1 || +11 || +9 || +3 || +10 || || Special Mount, Mounted Weapon Bonus (Lance) +1, Ride Bonus +2, Courtly Knowledge ||
|- 
| 12th || Cavalier 2 || +12 || +10 || +3 || +11 || Combat Reflexes || Deadly Charge 1/day, Mounted Weapon Bonus (Sword) +1 || 
|- 
| 13th || Cavalier 3 || +13 || +10 || +4 || +11 || || Burst of Speed || 
|- 
| 14th || Cavalier 4 || +14 || +11 || +4 || +12 || || Deadly Charge 2/day, Ride Bonus +4 ||
|- 
| 15th || Cavalier 5 || +15 || +11 || +4 || +12 || Improved Sunder || Mounted Weapon Bonus (Lance) +2 || 
|- 
| 16th || Cavalier 6 || +16 || +12 || +5 || +13 || || Deadly Charge 3/day, Full Mounted Attack, Mounted Weapon Bonus (Sword) +2 ||
|- 
| 17th || Cavalier 7 || +17 || +12 || +5 || +13 || || Ride Bonus +6 ||
|- 
| 18th || Cavalier 8 || +18 || +13 || +5 || +14 || Combat Brute || Deadly Charge 4/day || 
|- 
| 19th || Cavalier 9 || +19 || +13 || +6 || +14 || || Mounted Weapon Bonus (Lance) +3, Ride Bonus +8 ||
|- 
| 20th || Cavalier 10 || +20 || +14 || +6 || +15 || || Unstoppable Charge 5/day, Mounted Weapon Bonus (Sword) +3 ||
|}

At level 20: [[Final Class Progression::Knight 5 / Fighter 1 / Pious Templar 4 / Cavalier 10]]

=== Other Components ===

== Items of Note ==

*Lance with your favorite enhancements.
*Boots of the Battle Charger will let you charge as a standard action 2/day
*Martial Script of Pouncing Charge
*Psionic Tattoos of Psionic Lion's Charge

== Highlights ==

*Assumed stats at level 20:
**Str: 18 (Base) + 5 (Level) + 6 (Item) + 5 (Tome) = 34 (+12)
**Attack Bonus: 20 (BAB) + 12 (Str) + 5 (Magic) + 1 (Weapon Focus) + 2 (Melee Weapon Mastery) + 3 (Mounted Weapon Bonus) = +43 (+2 when charging)
**Damage: 1d8 (Lance) + 5d6+5 (Magic) + 2 (Weapon Specialization) + 2 (Melee Weapon Mastery) + 18 (Two-Handed Strength) = 1d8+5d6+27
**Attacks on a charge when combined with Shock Trooper (Power Attack for 20, add on Leap Attack), Unstoppable Charge, and Rhino's Rush: (Assuming +5 Lance with enhancements adding up to +5d6 damage): +45 ((1d8+5d6+107) x6 (stacking multipliers))
**Total damage comes out to 1d8+5d6+107 x6 or (on average) 816.

== Combat Sequence ==

*First round of combat charge for massive damage (activate Pouncing Charge for a full attack). 
*Second round, full attack (with the goodness of Combat Brute) while keeping foes where they are through your lance and armor spikes so you threaten all nearby spaces with the combination of Bulwark of Defense and the Stand Still feat.

== Further Optimization ==

*Add to your lance the Valorous enchantment from Unapproachable East for even more damage.
*Be enlarged, or snag a Psionic Tattoo of (augmented) Expansion to have a bigger threatening area for bigger zone control.
*A Psionic Tattoo of Dimensional Hop (Complete Psionic) or a potion of Dimension Hop (Player's Handbook 2) might allow you to teleport 10' as a swift action so you can charge once more.
*Be a Silverbrow Human and pick up the Dragonscale Husk alternate class feature found in Dragon Magic.

=== Limitations ===

*A mount often doesn't fit within the confines of a dungeon.

=== DM Counters ===

*Difficult terrain.
*Teleporting foes.
*Defenses apart from AC (illusions, concealment, etc).

=== Miscellaneous ===

*Must worship a diety whose favored weapon is a lance.

=== Variants ===

*Instead of Combat Reflexes, take Improved Buckler Defense (CW) for higher AC, Deft Opportunist (CV) for better crowd control, or Close-Quarters Fighting (CW) for a good defense against grapplers. A level of fighter, or more of Psychic Warrior can substitute levels in Cavalier for these feats. 
*Another option is to take Powerful Charge (ECS) and Greater Powerful Charge (ECS) to add even more damage.
**With Greater Powerful Charge and while under the effects of Enlarge Person or Expansion, you can add 3d6 (10.5 on average) damage on a charge. This can add up an additional 63 damage after multipliers.
*At levels 4 and 5, take levels of Psychic Warrior instead of Knight and Fighter for the feats to pick up a few powers, Force Screen being a prominent one.


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Article Balance	High +
Author	Ghostwheel +
Final Class Progression	Knight 5 / Fighter 1 / Pious Templar 4 / Cavalier 10 +
Identifier	3.5e Optimized Character Build +
Race	Human +
Rating	Unrated +
Summary	Charge for massive damage, and once in the thick of things use excellent zone control to keep enemies in place. +
Title	Knightly Charger +