#daring general

 The cavalier has a few archetypes related to being the implied leader of large forces, and it’s hardly the only class to have such things, the warpriest in particular coming to mind.

However, I think today’s subject is the first I’ve seen where it gives you your own armed force as part of the class abilities, in the form of a souped-up version of the Leadership feat.

In any case, the Daring General archetype is built around being an incredible commander in addition to a warrior, commanding the respect of their troops.

These figures might command proper armies in a nation, or they might be the leaders of mercenary companies. Regardless, they can be quite potent alongside their forces on the field of battle.

However, it should be incredibly obvious that this archetype requires a *lot* of bookkeeping, and is not suitable for every game. Even when it is, it should be extremely obvious that trying to take a whole army down into a dungeon is a really bad idea, tactically.

With those caveats out of the way, let’s take a look at the archetype proper!

 At first, a daring general starts out like any cavalier, but eventually, they attract or are gifted their own force to command, which eventually doubles, then triples in size. Additionally, they also gain multiple cohorts, though their subsequent cohorts are typically weaker than their earlier ones. Additionally, their followers and cohorts must all be of martial professions.

What’s more, these military leaders can assign certain roles and positions to their cohorts, ranging from a groom to care for their mount, a squire to assist in armoring up and protecting them, or as their standard bearer. What’s more, they can assign the soldiers in their care to roles at footmen or honor guard, making them more offensively or defensively inclined, and these apply to mass combat as well.

When leading their forces, the general may have their soldiers take up a challenge with them, bolstering them in combat against their foe.

The most powerful become such tactical geniuses that they can direct allies with various teamwork tactics as much as they wish.

Interested in leading a massive force with a retinue of cohorts and bonuses for the mass combat subsystem? This archetype might be for you. Just remember that this archetype is really only meant for campaigns where such rules would be useful, so keep that in mind. Don’t forget to also protect your troops as best you can, however, unless you want your leadership score to go down the tubes. In any case, enough of this archetype stays the same that you can build them pretty much any way you wish, though probably favoring teamwork feats and combat support over pure mounted combat.

 This archetype may have some extra bookkeeping involved which might give some folks pause, it’s also worth noting that the extra cohorts is a free set of NPCs that the GM can use for whatever purpose they need, not to mention the fun of coming up with lore for these subordinates. Also, while the archetype demands you pick cohorts with martial class levels, nothing is stopping you from taking monstrous cohorts with such levels, aside from GM say-so and lore stuff.

  In most settlements, the vanara are content to live peacefully alongside nature, but legend tells of a great general among their kind, one who led his people to victory against a cosmic threat under the blessing of the mischievous monkey god himself. Now, a map that supposedly leads to his lost tomb, and clues as to the nature of the storied threat, has been found.

 Riding atop a mighty crab steed, the merfolk warlord Shakai musters her army to subjugate the surface world. Alongside her are her loyal retainers, a cecaelian archer, a triton warrior, and a merfolk huntress. Their group is surprisingly well-equipped for the surface, but who exactly are they claiming the coast for?