A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Advanced Options: Cavaliers’ Orders

Advanced Options: Cavaliers’ Orders by Marc Radle and Owen K.C. Stephens is a role playing game supplement published by Rogue Genius Games (originally Super Genius Games) for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.

The supplement is available as a 9 page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $3.99 but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. Around two thirds of a page is the cover illustration and two thirds of a page the Open Game License and Credits.

The opening paragraphs discuss the concept of cavalier orders introduced in the Advanced Players’ Guide, dropping the new orders into a campaign and a brief overview of the six.

The Order of the Gauntlet dedicates itself to personal bravery and valour. It has bonuses against fear, reduces penalties and can negate mind-affecting effects.

The Order of the Glaive is dedicated to justice, equality and the rule of law. It gets various bonuses for using a glaive.

The Order of the Griffon is devoted to freedom, loyalty and the rights of the individual. It gets bonuses to Will saves and a griffon companion, which is excellent.

The Order of the Rose devotes itself to good. It gets advantages when healing, increases its banner ability for good and can challenge evil.

The Order of the Secret Flame is devoted to the protection of secret or arcane knowledge. It gains the ability to read magic, spell resistance and some access to arcane spells.

The Order of the Skull is devoted to evil and tyranny, and is the antithesis of the Order of the Rose. It can demoralise opponents, trample them and challenge good. A cut-price antipaladin.

Advanced Options: Cavaliers’ Orders in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and has enough different sections that these would have been useful. Navigation is poor. The text, which had a notable error with a missing heading, follows Super Genius’ old three column landscape layout that is designed to be easier to read on electronic devices. It is less convenient on small screens though and not really ideal for printing. There is a single colour illustration other than the cover, that looks to be stock, and a black and white emblem for each order, which may be custom. Presentation is decent.

Cavalier orders in this type of supplement have what might be considered a fundamental problem; blandness. When an order isn’t linked to a setting, and is instead intended to be dropped into any setting, it just doesn’t stand out that much. It tends to be too generic in nature, by necessity, rather than being evocative. It would probably be better to have less orders accompanied by more fluff that gives background on the order and its history, making it into an actual organisation or philosophy, rather than just a bit of bolt-on mechanics. Generic orders are easy to integrate, but they are also generic. If what is wanted is an easy to drop in order, this supplement has a few, though some orders are lacking. If what is wanted is an interesting, flavourful order, then it lacks any. Advanced Options: Cavaliers’ Orders can be found by clicking here.