Equerry

AD&D 2e Complete Paladin's Handbook

Classes Allowed	Paladin
Ability Score Requirements	Strength 12 Constitution 9 Wisdom 14 Charisma 17
Prime Requisites	Strength, Wisdom, Charisma
Races Allowed	Human
Alignments Allowed	Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, Lawful Evil1

¹This replaces the typical alignment requirement of a paladin so long as the character still follows the rest of the kit. Should a Lawful Neutral or Lawful Evil Equerry abandon this kit, they become a fighter, not a paladin.
The Equerry is a master horseman with a natural affinity for mounts of all species. She and her steed are inseparable companions, their special bond transcending mere friendship.

Role

An Equerry often serves as a cavalryman, scout, or guide. Whatever her duties, she remains with her mount; she's reluctant to enter underground passages or any other site that her mount can't easily traverse. She prefers to sleep near her mount, staying in an inn or hospice only if no alternative is available. The mount's life means more to the Equerry than her own; without a second thought, she would give the mount her last drop of water or her last crumbs of food.
Because an Equerry spends so much time with her mount, her companions may perceive her as shy or humorless. But an Equerry enjoys human company too; with a little coaxing, she's usually open to conversation and recreation. An aggressive fighter and shrewd tactician, the Equerry makes a valuable addition to any adventuring party.

Advantages

• An Equerry can recognize the relative value of all horses, pegasi, griffons, and other mounts. If an Equerry spends at least 5 rounds visually inspecting a mount and makes a successful Wisdom check, she can determine if it has low value (one-third or fewer than the mount's maximum possible hit points), average value (half the maximum possible hit points), or high value (two-thirds or better of the maximum possible hit points). Any mount an Equerry bonds with will have +2 hit points per hit die (up to the maximum number of hit points available).
• An Equerry may choose any species of mount as his or her bonded mount. Although a male Equerry can't choose a unicorn, he can choose virtually any other type of mount within reason.
1. The Equerry may choose his or her mount at the beginning of his or her career, if the mount has 4 HD or less. He or she acquires the mount when the DM decides as normal, becoming eligible at 4th level. A paladin may never have more than one bonded mount at a time. Further, he can have no more than one mount in the same decade. If the mount dies or is otherwise lost, the paladin won't become eligible for a replacement until 10 years after the day he acquired his original mount.
2. If the Equerry prefers a mount with more than 4 HD, he or she may set aside up to half og his or her assigned experience points until he or she has saved a number of points equal to the amount required in the following table. For instance, if the Equerry wants a grifon mount, he or she must set aside 64,000 XP. When he or she has saved 64,000 XP, he or she can seek or call for a griffon in the normal way.

Mount's Hit Dice	XP Equivalent	THAC0
1	0	19
2	2,000	19
3	4,000	17
4	8,000	17
5	16,000	15
6	32,000	15
7	64,000	13
8	125,000	13
9	250,000	11
10	500,000	11
11	750,000	9
12	1,000,000	9
13	1,250,000	7
14	1,500,000	7
15	1,750,000	5
16	2,000,000	5

• Regardless of the species of her mount, the Equerry can improve the mount's abilities by assigning it up to half of her earned experienced points. As shown on the table above, as the mount receives XP from the Equerry, it gains new Hit Dice. For example, assume the Equerry has received a light war horse (2 HD) as her bonded mount. The first 2,000 XP added to the horse don't affect its abilities. When the total added reaches 4,000 XP, the horse gains an additional Hit Die, becoming, in effect, a 3 HD creature. As the bonded mount's HD increase, its abilities improve in the following ways:
• When the mount gains its first bonus die, it gains the alignment of the paladin. Its Intelligence score is also permanently increased by 2.
• The mount fights as a monster equal to its Hit Dice.
• A mount can gain a total of 10 HD over its starting total, up to a maximum of 16 HD. Investing 1,000,000 XP in a light war horse raises it to a maximum of 12 HD; investing 2,000,000 XP in a griffon raises it to 16 HD. Should the mount be killed, the assigned XP are lost; note, however, that wishes and similar powerful magic can revive slain mounts.
• The mount makes saving throws as a fighter of a level equal to its current hit dice. When the Equerry rides the mount, however, the mount receives the paladin's standard +2 bonus. urther, if a spell or other magical attack would affect both the mount and the Equerry, the mount automatically saves if the rider saves.

Disadvantages

• An Equerry violates her ethos if she allows mistreatment of any kind to befall a creature of the same species as her bonded mount.
• The Equerry also violates her ethos if she becomes separated from her bonded mount, voluntarily or involuntarily, for more than a week. In addition to applicable ethos violation penalties, the Equerry suffers a –2 penalty to all of her attack rolls, saving throws, and proficiency checks until she reunites with her mount.
• Selling or wilfully slaying the bonded mount constitutes an evil act, resulting in the permanent loss of the Equerry status, along with all special kit and paladin abilities. This is true even if the Equerry is of the Lawful Evil alignment.
• If her mount dies for any reason other than natural causes, the Equerry suffers a –2 penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws, and proficiency checks for a minimum of one week. These penalties persist until the Equerry completes a quest (determined by the DM) to avenge the mount's death.

Notable Equerries