Second built class, plus the Paladin prestige that grows out of it. Runs on the homebrew engine in the Core Rules using the Martial Discipline power model. Built from the Emberwave lore and the Thaloria House perks. Numbers tunable.

1. What a Cavalier is

The gryphon-riding knights of Thaloria. Arthurian chivalry, tournaments, sworn oaths, debts always paid. Heavy armor, lance and blade, a bonded gryphon at their side. "A Knight Always Pays His Debts." They are not casters. Their power is trained discipline, a mount no one else fields, and a code that turns honor into strength.

Power model: Martial Discipline. Abilities are trained maneuvers, not spells. No environmental gating. They can be re-trained on a long rest (a knight drills new techniques), which makes the loadout swappable, unlike the Sea Shepherd's fixed gift. Fueled by Conviction.

2. Conviction (the resource)

Conviction is a pool that refills on rest like any other (base column of the core pool table), but it also builds through valor in combat. The more honorably a knight fights, the more they can do. Gain 1 Conviction (up to max) when you:

charge or challenge a foe of higher level than you,
take a hit meant for an ally,
uphold a sworn oath in the moment,
land the opening strike of a sanctioned duel.

Spent on maneuvers and, for a Paladin, on oath powers. A cautious knight runs dry; a bold one never does. That is the point.

3. The bonded gryphon (companion sub-module)

Every Cavalier bonds a gryphon. It follows the Griffin Rules page; the mechanics below should be reconciled against that page.

Bonded at level 1 as a juvenile: a ground mount that fights at your side but cannot fly.
Matures to flight at level 10. If it dies, it dies; you raise and care for it.
Its own HP (Light tier). Acts on the knight's turn.
Mounted bonuses: while mounted, +1 to your defense rolls (the old "+1 AC mounted", translated), reach and charge bonuses, and a reroll on one attack per short rest (the Lv6 Cavalry Training perk).
Sky Charge at maturity (level 10): dive attack, double damage, target rolls Strength or is knocked prone.

4. Progression (levels 1 to 10)

Level	Title	Conviction (base)	Unlocks
1 to 2	Squire	8 to 10	at-will flourishes + tier-1 maneuvers; Knight's Weapon (+1, counts as magical)
3	Knight-Errant	14	tier-2 maneuvers
4 to 5	Knight	18 to 22	pick a discipline at level 4; tier-3 begins
6 to 7	Knight-Banneret	28 to 34	Cavalry Training; tier-3 maneuvers; eligible for the Paladin oath
8	Champion	42	tier-4 maneuvers
9 to 10	Lord Knight	54 to 68	capstones; Knight's Weapon becomes +2 (+3 if a longsword); gryphon gains flight at 10

5. At-will flourishes (free, no cost, no roll)

Flourish	Effect
Flourish	a showy display of swordwork or heraldry; pure flair, no combat (the knightly tell)
Steady Seat	never unhorsed or unbalanced by mundane jostling
Read the Field	judge a foe's skill and threat at a glance
Knight's Word	your sworn word carries formal weight in court and contract
Colors	display your house heraldry; rank and allegiance read at a glance

6. Core maneuvers (every Cavalier)

Maneuver	Lv	Cost	Cast DC	Res DC	Save	Effect
Lance Charge	1	1	9	11	Reflex	weapon dice + 1d6 when you close distance; best mounted
Guard	1	1	8	none	self/ally	+2 to your or an adjacent ally's next defense
Challenge	1	1	10	11	Will	mark a foe; they take -1 attacking anyone but you
Shield Brace	3	2	9	none	self	reduce incoming damage by Strength + level mod for one round
Sweeping Blow	3	2	11	12	Reflex	strike all adjacent foes for weapon dice
Unhorse	4	2	11	12	Fortitude	knock a standing or mounted foe prone; weapon dice
Riposte	5	3	12	12	Reflex	after a successful defense, counter for weapon dice + 1d6
Banner of Valor	6	3	11	none	allies	allies in range +1 to attack and saves for one round
Champion's Charge	7	4	13	14	Reflex	mounted strike, 2d8 + weapon, push prone
Bulwark	8	4	13	none	self	become a wall: taunt all nearby foes, incoming damage halved for one round

7. Disciplines (specialization, pick one at level 4)

Lancer. The charge. Heavier mounted strikes, longer reach, run-down attacks. Branch unlocks deepen Lance Charge and Champion's Charge.
Bulwark. The shield. Protect allies, hold the line, draw and absorb blows. Branch unlocks deepen Guard, Shield Brace, and Bulwark.
Duelist. The tournament. Single-combat mastery, ripostes, called shots, honor duels. Branch unlocks deepen Riposte and Challenge.

8. Capstones (levels 9 to 10)

Ability	Lv	Cost	Effect
Knight's Oath	9	6	for one minute, +1d6 radiant on every strike (the Thaloria perk; the seed the Paladin prestige grows into a full path)
Sky Charge	10	6	with a matured flying gryphon, dive attack for double damage; target rolls Strength or is knocked prone

9. Class traits

HP tier: Heavy. Key stat: Strength. Saves as core.
Swappable loadout: maneuvers can be re-trained on a long rest.
Magic gear: a Cavalier may attune and use martial magic items (enchanted weapons and armor, the Knight's Weapon) but not arcane casting items. They are not blooded.
Conviction builds through valor (section 2).

Paladin (prestige class of the Cavalier)

A Cavalier who swears a sacred oath to the Celestial Court and is sanctioned ascends to Paladin. This is not a base class; it grows on top of the Cavalier and keeps everything above.

P1. Entry requirements (proposed)

Cavalier level 6 or higher.
A sacred Oath sworn (pick one below).
Celestial Court sanction (staff approval).

P2. What ascension grants

The Paladin keeps all Cavalier maneuvers and the gryphon, and gains a holy layer. Conviction now also powers oath abilities, and valorous acts that uphold the oath build it faster. This introduces a fourth power model, Sanctified: a narrow set of divine effects granted by the oath, not learned from a list and not innate by blood, but earned by vow and revocable if the oath is broken.

P3. Universal Paladin abilities

Ability	Cost	Cast DC	Res DC	Save	Effect
Smite	2	10	none	self	next strike deals +2d8 radiant; doubled against undead and Abyssal creatures
Lay on Hands	2	9	none	touch	heal an ally or yourself for 2d8
Sacred Aura	3	9	none	allies	allies within range gain +1 to all saves for the scene
Divine Health	passive	none	none	self	immune to disease
Cleansing Word	3	12	none	touch	end one condition (charm, fear, poison, stagger) on a target

P4. The three Oaths (pick one at ascension)

Oath of the Dawn (Suncoast / Sunspear). Light and revelation. Capstone, once per long rest after a minute of ritual prayer: for one minute, deal double weapon damage and emit bright light to 20 feet that reveals hidden and invisible creatures. (This is the Suncoast Lv10 House perk, now a Paladin oath capstone.)
Oath of the Bulwark. The shield of the faithful. Capstone: once per long rest, become an immovable guardian, all attacks on allies within range are redirected to you and you take half damage from them for one minute.
Oath of Vengeance. Retribution against oathbreakers and the Abyss. Capstone: once per long rest, mark a foe; for one minute your strikes against that foe cannot miss the action roll and deal +1d6 radiant.

P5. Breaking the oath

A Paladin who breaks their sworn oath loses the Sanctified layer until they atone (staff-adjudicated), and falls back to a plain Cavalier in the meantime. The gryphon and Cavalier maneuvers remain. Honor is the engine; lose it and the holy light goes with it.

Open for your sign-off

Level titles (Squire, Knight-Errant, Knight, Knight-Banneret, Champion, Lord Knight).
Discipline names (Lancer, Bulwark, Duelist).
Whether Conviction should also build outside combat (upholding a debt, winning a tournament) or combat only.
Paladin entry level (6 proposed) and whether all three Oaths are open or staff-assigned.
Reconcile the gryphon mechanics against your Griffin Rules page when you have it handy.

Cavalier and Paladin