As a talented chocobo knight gains experience, he learns a number of talents that expand his role as a mounted combatant. Starting at 2nd, a talented chocobo knight gains a mounted talent. He gains an additional mounted talent at 4th level and every two chocobo knight levels thereafter. A chocobo knight cannot select an individual talent more than once unless the talent specifies otherwise.
Table: Mounted Talents
| Mounted Talent | Prerequisites | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Barreling Overrun (Ex) | Chocobo Knight 6, Improved Overrun feat | When using the overrun combat maneuver while mounted, the chocobo knight may overrun any number of opponents in his movement path so long as he moves in a straight line. If he fails a combat maneuver check at any point, the maneuver ends as normal. |
| Combat Feat | — | A chocobo knight gains a combat-related feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites to obtain this feat. This talent may be taken only once. |
| Compact Steed (Ex) | — | While riding his mount, as a free action, a chocobo knight’s mount can cause itself to be treated as though it was one size smaller than it actually is for the purpose of its space (this does not alter the mount’s AC, CMB/D, or attack bonus); this cannot reduce the size of the mount to less than the size of the chocobo knight. At the start of his next turn, the chocobo knight can choose to continue or end this effect as a free action. If at any time the chocobo knight begins his turn dismounted from his mount, this effect automatically ends. |
| Fast Dismount (Ex) | — | The chocobo knight generally rides to battle, but then fights on foot as an infantryman. He is a master of quickly mounting and dismounting, and rushing the front line of foes. The chocobo knight adds half his chocobo knight level (minimum +1) to Ride checks made to fast mount or dismount, and if his bonus to this check is +19 or more, he automatically succeeds in all such checks and may make them even if he does not have a move action remaining. Additionally, if the chocobo knight has a class feature or feat that applies to mounted charges, he may gain its benefits when making a charge while unmounted. |
| Fast Rider (Ex) | — | The speed of a chocobo knight’s mount is increased by 10 feet. At 14th level, the mount’s speed increases by an additional 10 feet. |
| Harry (Ex) | Chocobo Knight 6 | The chocobo knight and his mount gain Step Up as a bonus feat. This talent may be taken a 2nd time by a chocobo knight of at least 12th level, granting him and his mount Following Step as a bonus feat. This talent may be taken a 3rd time by a chocobo knight of at least 18th level, granting him and his mount Step Up and Strike as a bonus feat. |
| Improved Rally (Ex) | Rally mounted talent | When the chocobo knight uses his rally ability, he may also remove one condition from all allies. The chocobo knight selects one of the following conditions when he uses this ability – fatigued, shaken, or exhausted. The selected condition is simply removed. |
| Mark of Agility (Ex) | Challenge class feature | Whenever a chocobo knight issues a challenge, he receives a +1 dodge bonus to his AC against attacks made by the target of his challenge. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the chocobo knight possesses. |
| Mark of Archery (Ex) | Challenge class feature | Whenever a chocobo knight issues a challenge, he receives a +1 morale bonus on all ranged weapon damage rolls made against the target of his challenge as long as no other creature is threatening the target. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the chocobo knight possesses. |
| Mark of Defense (Ex) | Challenge class feature | Whenever a chocobo knight issues a challenge, he receives a +1 morale bonus to his CMD against combat maneuvers made by the target of his challenge whenever he is threatening the target. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the chocobo knight possesses. |
| Mark of Maneuverability (Ex) | Challenge class feature | A chocobo knight can make a free bull rush or trip combat maneuver anytime he takes the full-attack action against the target of his challenge. This free combat maneuver does not provoke an attack of opportunity. |
| Mark of Precision (Ex) | Challenge class feature | Whenever a chocobo knight issues a challenge, he receives a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made against the target of his challenge, if the target makes an attack against a target other than the chocobo knight. The bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the chocobo knight possesses. |
| Mark of Resilience (Ex) | Challenge class feature | Whenever a chocobo knight issues a challenge, he receives damage reduction 1/— against attacks made by the target of his challenge. This DR increases by +1 for every four levels the chocobo knight possesses. |
| Mark of Resistance (Ex) | Challenge class feature | Whenever a chocobo knight issues a challenge, he receives a +1 morale bonus on all his saving throws as long as he is threatening the target of his challenge. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the chocobo knight possesses. |
| Measured Gait (Ex) | — | As long as the chocobo knight’s mount is being ridden by the chocobo knight, it can ignore difficult terrain while charging. At 10th level, the chocobo knight’s mount no longer needs to be charging to ignore difficult terrain. |
| Mounted Acrobatics (Ex) | Chocobo Knight 6 | The chocobo knight becomes even more adept at hopping on and off his steed, and even dropping alongside its flanks mid-gallop. He gains Trick Riding as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. The chocobo knight can employ this feat even when wearing medium or heavy armor. |
| Mounted Archer (Ex) | Chocobo Knight 6 | The chocobo knight becomes skilled at firing ranged weapons while mounted. A chocobo knight only takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls with ranged weapons while his mount takes a double move. This penalty increases to –4 while his mount is running. If the chocobo knight also has the Mounted Archery feat, these penalties are halved (–1 penalty on attack rolls with ranged weapons while his mount takes a double move, –2 while his mount is running). |
| Mounted Legion (Ex) | — | When the chocobo knight makes long overland journeys with a group who are all riding mounts, the distance the group can travel each day increases by 30%. |
| Mounted Mastery (Ex) | Chocobo Knight 8 | The chocobo knight ignores the armor check penalty when using the Ride skill, regardless of whether or not the creature he is riding is his mount. Whenever he makes a charge attack while mounted, he receives a +4 dodge bonus to his AC to avoid attacks set against his charge. When making such an attack, he can add his mount’s Strength modifier to the damage roll, in addition to his own. He also receives a bonus feat, chosen from the following list: Ride-By Attack, Skill Focus (Ride), Spirited Charge, Trample, or Unseat. He must qualify for the feat selected |
| Rally (Ex) | — | As a standard action, the chocobo knight can call out to his allies with such conviction that they gain the resilience to ignore their minor wounds and are inspired to fight with greater skill at turning potentially major wounds into lesser injuries. The rally grants all allies within a 30-foot radius who are able to hear the chocobo knight a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d6 plus 1d6 for every two chocobo knight levels attained. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute or until they are lost, whichever comes first. A chocobo knight may rally once per day. A chocobo knight with the banner class feature may rally all allies within 60 feet if his banner is clearly visible. This talent may be taken more than once, with the chocobo knight gaining one additional use per day each time it is taken. |
| Risky Lunge (Ex) | — | While riding his mount, a chocobo knight and his mount can choose to only move 5 feet before making his attack with a charge action. If he does so, the chocobo knight and his mount take a -2 penalty to AC until the start of his next turn. |
| Tactician (Ex) | — | The chocobo knight receives a teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. As a standard action, the chocobo knight can grant this feat to all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear him. Allies retain the use of this bonus feat for 3 rounds plus 1 round for every two levels the chocobo knight possesses. Allies do not need to meet the prerequisites of these bonus feats. The chocobo knight can use this ability once per day, plus one additional time per day for every five chocobo knight levels after this talent was gained. This talent may be taken more than once. Each time, it grants another bonus teamwork feat the chocobo knight may use with the tactician ability. |
| Terrain Training (Ex) | Chocobo Knight 4 | The chocobo knight may select a terrain type from the geomancer’s Favored Terrains table. While under that favored terrain, the chocobo knight and his mount ignore difficult terrain. Every four levels after this talent was gained, the chocobo knight may select a new terrain type that this ability can affect. |
Advanced Mounted Talents (Ex)
At 12th level and every two chocobo knight levels thereafter, a chocobo knight can choose one of the following advanced mounted talents in place of a mounted talent.
Table: Advanced Mounted Talents
| Advanced Mounted Talent | Prerequisites | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Act as One (Ex) | — | The chocobo knight can spend a standard action to move his mount up to its speed and he can make a melee attack. All allies within 30 feet can also move up to their speed and make a melee attack as an immediate action. This movement and attack can be made as a charge if the movement qualifies. All attacks are made at a +2 bonus (this stacks with the bonus from a charge) and all participants receive a +2 dodge bonus to their AC for 1 round. A chocobo knight can use this ability once per combat. |
| Awesome Pennon (Ex) | Banner class feature and greater banner mounted talents | The chocobo knight’s banner has become a powerful rallying point to his allies, and a bane to his foes. Whenever his banner is visible, allies of the chocobo knight within 60 feet gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, immunity to fear effects, and a +3 morale bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects. |
| Banner of Solace (Ex) | Banner class feature | The chocobo knight’s banner becomes an even more potent symbol of protection and inspiration to those around him. Once per day, while his banner is displayed, the chocobo knight can wave it through the air as a full-round action, granting all allies within 60 feet temporary hit points equal to his chocobo knight level, and a +2 morale bonus on their next damage rolls. For every four chocobo knight levels after taking this advanced talent, this bonus increases by +1 (to a maximum of +3). The temporary hit points last for 10 minutes or until depleted, whichever occurs first. |
| Defensive Challenge (Ex) | Challenge class feature | Whenever the chocobo knight issues a challenge, his target must pay particular attention to him and his ability to intercept attacks. As long as the target is within the threatened area of the chocobo knight, it takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls against anyone other than the chocobo knight. |
| Demanding Challenge (Ex) | Challenge class feature | Whenever a chocobo knight declares a challenge, his target must pay attention to the threat he poses. As long as the target is within the threatened area of the chocobo knight, it takes a –2 penalty to its AC from attacks made by anyone other than the chocobo knight. |
| Greater Banner (Ex) | Banner class feature | The chocobo knight’s banner becomes a rallying call to his allies. All allies within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion spells and effects. In addition, while his banner is displayed, the chocobo knight can spend a standard action to wave the banner through the air, granting all allies within 60 feet an additional saving throw against any one spell or effect that is targeting them. This save is made at the original DC. Spells and effects that do not allow saving throws are unaffected by this ability. An ally cannot benefit from this ability more than once per day. |
| Greater Rally (Ex) | Rally and improved rally mounted talents | When the chococo knight uses his rally ability, he may also remove one condition from all allies in addition to a condition from improved rally. The chocobo knight selects one of the following conditions when he uses this ability – dazed, nauseated, or staggered. The selected condition is simply removed. |
| Hearten (Su) | Rally talent | When a chocobo knight with the hearten talent uses his rally ability, he adds his Charisma modifier to the number of temporary hit points gained by each ally. |
| Knight’s Challenge (Ex) | — | The chocobo knight can make a knight’s challenge once per day. This functions like a normal challenge, but the chocobo knight adds his Charisma bonus on all attack rolls and damage rolls made against the target of his challenge. In addition, he receives a +4 circumstance bonus on attack rolls made to confirm critical hits against the target of his knight’s challenge. |
| Leaping Lance (Ex) | — | The chocobo knight and his mount suffer no armor check penalty on Acrobatics checks while mounted. When charging, a chocobo knight may jump from his mount toward his target. If he jumps 10 feet, his charge modifiers on attack rolls and to AC are doubled and he is still considered mounted for lance damage, Mounted Combat feats, and so on. |
| Master Tactician (Ex) | Tactician mounted talent | The chocobo knight receives an additional teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. The chocobo knight can grant this feat to his allies using the tactician ability. Whenever the chocobo knight uses the tactician ability, he grants any two teamwork feats that he knows. He can select from any of his teamwork feats, not just his bonus feats. |
| Mounted Dervish (Ex) | — | The chocobo knight becomes a fearsome, mobile foe on the battlefield. He gains Mounted Skirmisher as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. In addition, whenever the chocobo knight is mounted and takes the charge action, he adds 10 feet to his mount’s speed. |
| Over My Dead Body (Ex) | — | The chocobo knight can move to intercept foes desiring to put down allies who cannot defend themselves. As an immediate action, he can move up to his speed (or his mount’s speed, if mounted) to be adjacent to a foe threatening a helpless ally. The chocobo knight can make a single melee attack against the foe, and if successful, the foe cannot attack the helpless ally until the end of the chocobo knight’s next turn. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. On his next turn, the chocobo knight is staggered. The chocobo knight may use this ability once per combat. |
| Powerful Steed (Ex) | — | While riding his mount, a chocobo knight’s steed is treated as one size larger for the purpose of how much damage its natural attacks deal. This does not stack with any other virtual size increases, such as the impact weapon enhancement. |
| Staggering Assault (Ex) | — | The chocobo knight can drive opponents back without giving ground. As a full-round action, the chocobo knight can make a single attack at his highest attack bonus. If the attack hits, the attack does damage as normal, and the chocobo knight may attempt a bull rush against the target. The chocobo knight gains a bonus on the bull rush combat maneuver check equal to half the amount of damage dealt on the initial attack. |
| Strategic Supremacy (Ex) | Tactician mounted talent | The chocobo knight gains the ability not only to improve his allies’ abilities, but also to disrupt the teamwork of his enemies. Whenever he uses the tactician ability, the chocobo knight can choose to cancel out the effects of one teamwork feat employed by any of his opponents within 30 feet instead of granting the use of a teamwork feat to his allies. |
| Supreme Rally (Ex) | Rally, improved rally, greater rally mounted talents | When the chocobo knight uses his rally ability, he completely removes all of the following conditions – dazed, exhausted, fatigued, nauseated, shaken, sickened, or staggered. |
| Tactical Advantage (Ex) | Tactician mounted talent | Whenever the chocobo knight uses his tactician ability to grant the use of a teamwork feat to his allies, he can move up to his speed as a free action either before or after granting the feat. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity normally. |