Cavalier Fighter Subclass Guide

Last Updated on November 29, 2023

The Cavalier is an expert at battlefield control, with an array of features that stop your enemies in their tracks, protect your allies, and dominate any combat. 

In this article, we’re going to be diving into what makes this class so appealing, how well the features work with and without a mount, and, of course, how you can make the best cavalier possible.

Cavalier Features

These are the 7 Features unique to the Cavalier.  You get 3 at 3rd level, then another at 7th, 10th, 15th and finally 18th level.

In our Cavalier Fighter Progression section you can see how they fit into a full Cavalier Fighter build.

Bonus Proficiency

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, History, Insight, Performance, or Persuasion. Alternatively, you learn one language of your choice.

Born to the Saddle

Starting at 3rd level, your mastery as a rider becomes apparent. You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off your mount. If you fall off your mount and descend no more than 10 feet, you can land on your feet if you’re not incapacitated.

Finally, mounting or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.

Unwavering Mark

Starting at 3rd level, you can menace your foes, foiling their attacks and punishing them for harming others. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can mark the creature until the end of your next turn. This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or you die, or if someone else marks the creature.

While it is within 5 feet of you, a creature marked by you has disadvantage on any attack roll that doesn’t target you.

In addition, if a creature marked by you deals damage to anyone other than you, you can make a special melee weapon attack against the marked creature as a bonus action on your next turn. You have advantage on the attack roll, and if it hits, the attack’s weapon deals extra damage to the target equal to half your fighter level.

Regardless of the number of creatures you mark, you can make this special attack a number of times equal to your Strength modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Warding Maneuver

At 7th level, you learn to fend off strikes directed at you, your mount, or other creatures nearby. If you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack, you can roll 1d8 as a reaction if you’re wielding a melee weapon or a shield. Roll the die, and add the number rolled to the target’s AC against that attack. If the attack still hits, the target has resistance against the attack’s damage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Hold the Line

At 10th level, you become a master of locking down your enemies. Creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they move 5 feet or more while within your reach, and if you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the target’s speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the current turn.

Ferocious Charger

Starting at 15th level, you can run down your foes, whether you’re mounted or not. If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line right before attacking a creature and you hit it with the attack, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.

Vigilant Defender

Starting at 18th level, you respond to danger with extraordinary vigilance. In combat, you get a special reaction that you can take once on every creature’s turn, except your turn. You can use this special reaction only to make an opportunity attack, and you can’t use it on the same turn that you take your normal reaction.

Class-Defining Abilities

When it comes down to it, there are two things that make this subclass work so well:

• Mounted Combat
• Battlefield Control

In this section, we’ll talk about how the standout features of this class impact these main focuses. 

Naturally, there are some tips and tricks in here that you won’t find in a sourcebook, so be sure to take notes.

Mounted Combat as a Cavalier

In order to be a cavalier on a mount, you must understand how mounts work. The rules in the PHB are fairly simple and straightforward, but that doesn’t mean they provide us with the necessary information to really nail down the concept of mounted combat.

There are really three things we need to understand if we want to be a successful cavalier:

• Mounts and Movement
• Mounting, Dismounting, and Forced Dismounting
• Reach and Range While Mounted

Mounts and Movement

A mount is simply a willing creature at least one size larger than you that can comfortably bear the weight of carrying you. 

All the usual suspects — horse, griffon, elk, etc. — are here, but this can also spread out to things like dragons or brontosauruses (brontosauri?).

There are two types of mounts: controlled and independent. The distinguishing rule is unclear as it states an independent mount is intelligent enough to make its own decisions.

The actual difference here is that a controlled mount shares your initiative and can only use the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge actions on its turn, and you control how it moves and acts. 

Conversely, with an independent mount, you are quite literally just along for the ride.

A good choice for DMs is to allow mounted characters to decide whether their mount acts dependently or independently at the start of each round.

Mounting, Dismounting, and Forced Dismounting

The next bit about mounting is almost completely replaced by the Born to Saddle feature. The one piece you’ll need to remember is forced dismounting.

If your mount is moved against its will while you’re on it or you’re knocked prone while mounted, you must make a DC 10 saving throw to stay on. Born to Saddle gives you advantage on this save, and even if you do fail, you’ll land on your feet so long as the fall is 10 feet or less.

Reach and Range While Mounted

This last part is where things get tricky. The official rules don’t state where exactly your character is while mounted, which matters when reach gets involved. This is more important with miniatures, but it is still something to be considered in theater-of-the-mind games.

Technically, the ruling from Mike Mearls, later confirmed by Jeremy Crawford, is that the rider occupies their space as if they were a free-moving box within their mount’s space. 

Cavalier Fighter Progression

This is where you can see how the Cavalier Subclass Features slot into your build. 

You’ll gain Fighter abilities at levels 1 and 2, then swap between Cavalier and Fighter abilities as you level from 3 onwards.   

Filling Out the Character Sheet (Level 0)

• Hit Dice: 1d10 per Fighter level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per fighter level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: All armor, shields
• Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
• Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival

Equipment:

You start with the following equipment in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) chain mail or (b) leather, longbow, and 20 arrows
• (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
• (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

1st Level

Favored Enemy: 

Choose a fighting style from the list below:

• Archery. Gain a +2 bonus to ranged weapon attack rolls.
• Blind Fighting. You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. 
• Defense. Gain a +1 bonus to AC while wearing armor.
• Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
• Great Weapon Fighting. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
• Interception. When a creature you can see hits a target (other than you) within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus. You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.
• Protection. When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
• Superior Technique. You learn one maneuver of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice.) You gain one superiority die, which is a d6 (this die is added to any superiority dice you have from another source). This die is used to fuel your maneuvers. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.
• Thrown Weapon Fighting. You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
• Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
• Unarmed Fighting. Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren’t wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8. At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.

The best choices in this feature for a cavalier are, interestingly, Defense and Great Weapon Fighting. While Protection and Interception feel like natural fits, we’ll want to save our reaction for opportunity attacks. 

Defense is apt for a cavalier because it allows us that small bit of extra AC to help us be a better tank. 

GWF tackles the other side of this subclass, letting us dish out more damage with our chosen weapons, which are most likely two-handed. 

Second Wind:

On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. You must finish a short or long rest before you can reuse this feature.

2nd Level

Action Surge:

On your turn, you can take one additional action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a rest but only once per turn.

This feature works especially well when we want to stop a myriad of enemies in their tracks. We can mark every enemy we hit and keep moving as long as we’re willing to risk being hit by an opportunity attack or two.

3rd Level

Bonus Proficiencies: 

You gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, History, Insight, Performance, or Persuasion. Alternatively, you learn one language of your choice.

The only new proficiencies are Performance and Persuasion. Both can be justified for roleplay, but the optimal choice here is Animal Handling. A language may also be helpful, but that is largely campaign-dependent.

Unwavering Mark: 

When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can mark the creature until the end of your next turn. This effect ends early if you are incapacitated, you die, or someone else marks the creature (it is unclear whether or not this applies to specifically Unwavering Mark or if Hunter’s Mark and similar abilities would conflict).

While it is within 5 feet of you, a creature marked by you has disadvantage on any attack roll that doesn’t target you.

If a creature marked by you deals damage to anyone other than you, you can make a special melee weapon attack against the marked creature as a bonus action on your next turn. You have advantage on the attack roll, and if it hits, the attack’s weapon deals extra damage to the target equal to half your fighter level.

You can make this special attack a number of times equal to your Strength modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Born to the Saddle: 

You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off your mount. If you fall off your mount and descend no more than 10 feet, you can land on your feet if you’re not incapacitated. Mounting or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of movement rather than half your speed.

4th Level

ASI: 

You can either increase one ability by 2 points or two abilities by 1. Alternatively, you can choose a feature — if you already have great stats, this is a great choice.

Martial Versatility (Optional):

Whenever you receive an ASI, you can also choose to do one of the following:

• You can choose to switch out your fighting style for a different one. 
• If you know any Battle Master maneuvers, you can replace one you know with a different maneuver.

5th Level

Extra Attack:

Fighters get to make a second attack whenever they take the Attack action as a part of their turn. This increases to three attacks at 11th level and four at 20th level.

6th Level

ASI

7th Level

Warding Maneuver:

If you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack, you can roll 1d8 as a reaction if you’re wielding a melee weapon or a shield. Roll the die, and add the number rolled to the target’s AC against that attack. If the attack hits after the AC has been modified, the target has resistance against the attack’s damage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

8th Level

ASI

9th Level

Indomitable:

You can reroll a saving throw that you fail. You must use the new role and can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. You can use this feature twice between long rests starting at 13th level and three times between long rests starting at 17th level.

10th Level

Hold the Line: 

Creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they move 5 feet or more while within your reach, and if you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the target’s speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the current turn.

This feature is an additional reason why it is important to clarify the mounted reach rules at your table. Regardless, this is clearly made more effective the larger your reach is.

12th Level

ASI

15th Level

Ferocious Charger: 

If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line right before attacking a creature and you hit it with the attack, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.

Again, this does not specify a melee weapon attack, although it’s likely that is the intention of the feature.

16th Level

ASI

18th Level

Vigilant Defender: 

In combat, you get a special reaction that you can take once on every creature’s turn except your turn. You can use this special reaction only to make an opportunity attack, and you can’t use it on the same turn that you take your normal reaction.

19th Level

ASI

Feat Options

Feats are an excellent way to customize, specialize, and optimize your build.  Here are some great choices for the Cavalier:

Mounted Combatant: This shouldn’t be a huge surprise as it’s clearly focused on the same things we are. Fortunately, there is limited overlap between our features and this feat, making this a natural match if we plan to utilize a mount.

This feature offers three main benefits while mounted:

• Advantage on melee attack rolls against unmounted creatures smaller than our mount.
• Force attacks targeted at our mount to target us instead.
• If our mount is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw and only half damage if it fails.

Perhaps the best part of this is the advantage, which we will almost constantly have while riding even a Large mount since most of our enemies will be Medium or smaller humanoids.

The rest allows us to protect our mount even more so than our subclass features do. With all of them combined, our mounts should almost never be taking damage, and if they do, it should be reduced.

Sentinel: While there is a bit of overlap with our features and this feat, it’s still worth taking to capitalize on opportunity attacks. If we take it before 4th level, we’re also getting to reduce our target’s speed to 0 on opportunity attacks much sooner.

The benefits of this feature are as follows:

• When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the creature’s speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.
• Creatures within 5 feet of you provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they take the Disengage action before leaving your reach.
• When a creature within 5 feet of you makes an attack against a target other than you (and that target doesn’t have this feat), you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the attacking creature.

So, our enemies are basically screwed if they’re within our reach, and things get much worse if they try to do anything within 5 feet of us. 

Polearm Master: The main benefit of picking this feat up is that other creatures provoke opportunity attacks when they enter our reach so long as we’re using a polearm (glaive, halberd, pike, quarterstaff, or spear). Stacking this with our other opportunity attack features, especially late game, makes sure that enemies near us are doomed.

Great Weapon Master: If we’re looking to dish out even more damage and our weapon fits the heavy property, then this is the feat for us. A critical hit melee weapon attack on our turn nets us a bonus action, and we can take a penalty to attack rolls for a +10 to damage.

Tough: If we find our HP lacking, this feat will net us an additional 2 hit points per our level. This is huge if we’re really filling the tank role in our party.

Cavalier Fighter Build 

For the following example build, we’ve used the standard set of scores provided in the PHB (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) when deciding ability scores. 

This section will provide you with a collection of the best choices from this article put into a single character build, along with explanations of different synergies and a general path for progression. 

• Race: Bugbear
• Background: Outlander
• Ability Scores: STR 16,  DEX 13, CON 16, INT 8, WIS 10, CHA 12
• Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Perception, Acrobatics, Athletics, Survival, Stealth
• Language Proficiencies: Common, Goblin, Thieves Cant
• Tool Proficiencies: Lute
• Equipment: Chain mail, glaive, halberd, two handaxes, explorer’s pack, a staff, a hunting trap, a trophy from an animal you killed, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp.
• Fighting Style: Defense
• Feats: Sentinel (4th), Mounted Combatant (6th), Great Weapon Master (12th), Polearm Master (16th)

Our cavalier build is all about battlefield control and dominating our enemies. While other builds may lean more into the tank aspect, we’ll get most of what we need from the Defense fighting style’s AC and our Relentless Endurance. Beyond that, the best defense is an overwhelming offense, which we certainly bring to the table.

The tactics we employ are going to largely be dependent on how many enemies we have to deal with and what our party dynamic looks like. 

The more abilities we can stack up that keep us standing, the faster and more reliably we can knock down our enemies.

As always, happy adventuring.