Character Classes by Edition: 1st to 3rd (Core | Pre-3rd | 3rd Other) | 3rd & 3.5 (Prestige Classes | NPC Classes) | 4th | 5th
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This is the character sheet for the other classes Dungeons & Dragons introduced prior to its 3rd Edition. Go to Dungeons & Dragons Classes if you want to check out the classes introduced in other editions.
Cavalier
A Paladin without all the holy calling and divine magic. Under the 1st Edition's Unearthed Arcana supplement, Paladins are a sub-class of Cavalier.- Awesome, but Impractical: Their signature trait is their horseback riding skills. Now good luck with fitting that horse into a claustrophobic dungeon environment.
- The Determinator: Unlike most other characters, Cavaliers of good alignment do not fall unconscious if brought to negative hit points that do not exceed their initial first level hit point score. They can no longer fight but can retire from the battle to seek healing. This mechanic was probably included to stop them becoming a total combat liability as they normally refuse to retreat from combat while they are still capable of fighting - after a few battles where the Cavalier charges into the thick of the enemy forces and gets KO'd forcing the rest of the party to fight their way through to them before they bleed out most parties would just let the Cavalier expire.
- Ermine Cape Effect: The Cavalier absolutely refuses, if possible, to wear "common" clothing, settling for no less than scale mail or, if in the budget, plate mail. Even if leather armor is magical, it's refused simply because of how 'improper' it is and the cavalier will always choose the closest to full plate available, even if the "lesser" armour has a truckload of magic bonuses.
- Knight in Shining Armor: Cavalier's armour is as much a badge of their station as protection and as such it will be the most expensive and shiniest possible and made even more ornate with decorations, engraving etc.
- Leeroy Jenkins: Actually built into the class. Cavaliers are literally uncontrollable in combat situations and will charge the most powerful monster in range, regardless of the tactical or strategic situation, at the first available opportunity.
- Honor Before Reason: The Fighter "class kit" version in 2nd Edition is extreme about this, to a point that, if a party member is in one-on-one combat, they refuse to help, even if the ally is losing. The original version is also pretty bad — in combat they charge the most powerful enemy in range as soon as they can regardless of the tactical situation or even allies in their way!
- Mounted Combat: It's in the name, Cavaliers ride into combat on mounts, typically horses.
- Too Dumb to Live: With their propensity to make suicidal attacks and reluctance to retreat, the fact that they often prize appearance over actual effectiveness in armour and their tendency to look down on anyone of a low social class they often ride into their own deaths. They are also incapable of feeling fear — even magical fear attacks have no effect.
Thief-Acrobat
A thief who gives up picking pockets for the sake of becoming a better catburglar. Walking on tightropes, tumbling, jumping, and pole vaulting are his specialties.- Joke Character: They stop training in two things that make thieves useful in most adventuring situations - finding and removing traps and opening locks to train in tightrope walking and pole vaulting and other similar skills with very limited situational use.
- Prestige Class: The earliest straight example of what would be codified in 3rd edition. Unlike later examples, the only entrance path was the thief class.
