Draft Class: Knight

Sir Gareth knelt, head bowed before the weeping Duchess. Though victory over the brigands had been swift, the cost was heavy. Her son, a wisp of a boy, lay cradled in her arms, a single crimson stain blooming across his white tunic. Yet, amidst the grief, Gareth saw a flicker of defiance in the Duchess’s eyes. Rising, he placed a hand on his breastplate, the polished surface gleaming like a promise. “My oath binds me, Your Grace. We shall find those responsible. Your son’s sacrifice will not be in vain. Justice, for him, for your people, for all the realm – that is my vow.”

Knights are charismatic warriors who uphold a sacred Oath of Chivalry, defending the realm with courage and skill. They excel in social situations, inspiring loyalty with their presence and leadership.

Ability Focus: Charisma Knights leverage their charisma in both combat and social interactions.

Hit Points: d8

Ancestries Allowed: Human Only (In some settings, the Dungeon Master may allow other races to become Knights)

Additional Language: The Knight can speak one additional language relevant to the campaign setting, such as the language of a common enemy or the language of nobility.

Starting Reputation: +2

Oath of Chivalry: The knight focuses on virtues like justice, honor, protection of the weak, and upholding the law. Role playing this oath grants the Knight a 10% experience bonus at the DM’s discretion.

Bonuses and Abilities

Bonus Attack

At level 4 the Knight gains an additional attack. If you are using action points, then the Knight gets +1 for a total of 6.

Lieutenant

At level 4 the Knight gains a 1st level Lieutenant (NPC of choice: Fighter or Cleric 10HP, +1 Attack, 1d8 damage). The Knight chooses their Lieutenant’s specialty (combat or support).

Parry

As a reaction, when attacked, attempt to parry the blow. Roll a Dexterity check, if the result is higher than the attacker’s attack roll, the attack is negated.

Land Grant

Upon reaching level 4, a Knight is entrusted with a Stronghold, a small fiefdom that includes a fortified manor house and surrounding land. This land generates a modest income and provides resources. The Dungeon Master will determine the specifics of the Stronghold and its benefits (e.g., income amount, resources available, special features of the Stronghold).

Knight Skills

As a Knight player, you have a set of specialized skills that are unique to your class. You can distribute +3 points to these skills at each level, as you wish. The numbers in parentheses indicate the starting value of the skill, which is a combination of your ability score and a bonus number. 

To use these skills in the game, you would describe to the Dungeon Master how you are using your skill in a specific situation. If your roll is high enough to meet or exceed the difficulty check set by the Dungeon Master, you succeed in using your skill. 

Knights gain +3 points to distribute among the following skills at each level:

• Rally (Charisma): Deliver inspiring speeches that bolster allies and intimidate foes. A successful roll gives all characters who hear the rally at +1 to their next roll.
• Courtly Command (Charisma): Navigate the social and political landscape of courts and noble houses with grace and authority.
• Diplomacy (Charisma): Use negotiation and charisma to resolve conflicts peacefully or gain an advantage.
• Judge of Character (Wisdom): See through deception and assess the intentions of others.
• Strategic Awareness (Wisdom): Remain vigilant on the battlefield and spot weaknesses in enemy formations. A successful roll gains advantage on noticing ambushes (or the dm rolls for surprise with disadvantage)

Starting Equipment

A backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, an iron pot, a mess kit, rope, soap, torches (10), a heavy warhorse, trail rations (5 days), and a water skin. Knights also start with full plate mail armor.

Starting Money

All characters start with 2d4 x 10 gold pieces

What do you think?

We want to hear from you! This Knight class is a new concept, and we’d love your feedback. Have you ever wanted to play a charismatic knight who leads the charge and inspires their allies? Let us know in the comments what you think of the Knight class, or if you have any ideas for how to make it even better.