Order of the Lower Ranks

As leaders and trainers of rank and file troops, cavaliers of this order serve as a vital link between officers and the soldiers who will be living or dying at their command. They understand that sometimes it requires more than a rousing speech to get half-starved and exhausted men to charge into a breach. As such, the constant possibility of death allows these cavaliers a certain degree of bluntness with their words and actions. This order complements the Invective Marshal multiclass archetype.

Edicts: Although you may be taken into the confidence of a captain or general, never forget you are a rank and file troop. You do not socialize with those above your station, neither do you seek elevation.

Challenge: Whenever an order of the lower ranks issues a challenge, he receives a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls against the target of his challenge, if the target is an intelligent creature that is either larger than him or on higher ground (including mounted targets if he is not mounted). This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the cavalier possesses (to a maximum of +5 at 17th level).

Skills: An order of the lower ranks cavalier adds Perform (oratory) and Survival to his list of class skills. In addition he may substitute his total skill bonus in Perform (oratory) in place of his skill bonus for Intimidate and Handle Animal skill checks.

Order Abilities: A cavalier who belongs to the order of lower ranks gains the following abilities as he increases in level.

Quick March (Ex)

At 2nd level, a cavalier of the lower ranks can invigorate his allies to move faster without suffering from fatigue. By expending a swift action each turn (shouting and haranguing), the cavalier invigorates allies within 60 feet, who may hustle for the next hour; this movement counts as a walk (not a hustle) for the purpose of accruing nonlethal damage and fatigue. He may do this once a day at 2nd level, twice a day at 8th level and 3 times a day at 15th level. He also gains endurance as a bonus feat.

Hold the Line (Ex)

At 8th level, a cavalier of the lower ranks can make 2 extra attacks of opportunity a turn, but only against an enemy who tries to move through his threatened space or who attempts a bull rush, overrun, or trample maneuver against him. He gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls made on attacks of. If the attack is successful, any allies who also threaten the target can make a free attack of opportunity against that target.

Walking Wounded (Ex)

At 15th level, a cavalier of the lower ranks gains Die hard and Deathless Initiate as bonus feats even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites. If he already has Die Hard, he gains Deathless Initiate and Deathless Master as bonus feats instead. He can expend a use of tactician to grant his allies the benefits of the Die Hard, Deathless Initiate (or Deathless Initiate and Deathless Master) feats instead of teamwork feats. If he expends a use of quick march he also grants the use of these feats but only to hustle or march for the duration of the quick march ability.