In the spirit of the Cavalier, here’s a fan-created class by Julian Stanley, posted by Travis Casey from the Monsters & Magic Google+ community. Thanks folks!
Knight-Errant
| Prime Attribute: | Strength |
| Secondary Attribute: | Charisma |
| Physical Hit Points: | 1d10 |
| Mental Hit Points: | 1d6 |
| Starting Money: | 2d6+6 x 10gp* |
*must buy the best armour possible, consistent with also buying a sword or other primary weapon.
The most honourable of all warriors, the knight-errant maintains the law and ensures peace by following the Code of Chivalry.
Restrictions: You must be of a Lawful alignment. See “Defender of Chivalry” below.
Knight-Errant Traits
- Weapons of a More Civilized Age: proficient in all melee weapons except the garrotte.
- Armour Training: as fighter.
- Defender of Chivalry: see below.
- Trusted Steed: a knight-errant begins play with a horse; see below for statistics. This trait also includes training in mounted combat, as per “Mounted Actions” (see M&M page 83).
- Heraldry: know about the nobles of your realm and neighboring areas, their coats of arms, famous deeds, etc.
- Gallantry: resist intimidation and fear effects.
Knight-errant Advancements
- Leadership in Battle: as fighter.
- Well-Known Coat of Arms: every knight-errant has a coat of arms, but yours has become associated with your deeds of valor. Use this as a trait when negotiating with anyone who would reasonably know your coat of arms and associated reputation, whether you are trying to persuade them or intimidate them.
- Knight-Commander (heroic scale): requires Leadership in Battle. May use Leadership in Battle with scale, inspiring entire units as a single action.
- Fearlessness (epic scale): immune to intimidation and fear effects.
Other Advancements
- Squire (heroic scale): attract a squire as a sidekick (see M&M page 70).
- Followers (heroic scale): attract a number of followers (see M&M page 70).
- Stronghold (epic scale): build and rule a stronghold like a castle (see M&M page 64).
- All-Out Attack stance.
- Damage Focus stance.
Trusted Steed
The knight-errant’s trusted steed is a horse that has been trained for war. It is built as a sidekick, but with 1d8 hit points instead of 1d4, and the Independent advancement cannot be added to it until the knight-errant is at heroic scale. Instead of having a class, it has the following traits:
Str 20 (+10), Dex 14 (+2), Con 15 (+2), Int 3 (-4), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 6 (-3)
(these stats may be modified with GM permission)
Movement: 24 (+7)
- combat mount: is used to combat, and will bear being ridden in it.
- loyal steed: will not permit another to ride it or lead it away, unless the person has been introduced by its master.
- load-bearer: can carry twice the normal load for its strength (up to 133 pounds unencumbered, 266 lightly encumbered, 400 heavily encumbered).
- large size: has the normal large size AC modifiers.
Defender of Chivalry
The chivalric code guides everything a knight-errant does. This counts as a resisting trait for any mental attack that attempts to make the knight do something that would go against the code. When dealing with another knight, or anyone who likewise follows the code, this counts as an assisting trait.
The knight-errant gains a new Focus and Drift: Chivalry. They gain focus points for notable deeds of chivalry, and drift points for violations of the chivalric code. As normal, points gained in each cancel at the end of each session, leaving the knight-errant only with the remaining points in whichever was higher.
If Chivalry Focus increases to ten, the knight-errant becomes a Champion of Chivalry and gains the following benefits: the trait ‘champion of chivalry’ and the ability to use points of Chivalry Focus as Hero Points when performing chivalric acts.
If Chivalry Drift increases to ten, the knight-errant loses their status as a knight-errant, and becomes a fighter of the same level. This will cause them to lose their Trusted Steed, who will abandon them.
The Code of Chivalry
- A Knight’s Word is His Bond
- A Knight Is Brave and Bold
- A Challenge to My Honour Shall Not Go Unanswered
- My Lord’s Honour is My Honour, And Mine His
- Inferiors Must Show Respect
- A Lady Must Be Given Every Courtesy
- My Lady’s Honour Is My Honour
- One Without Honour Is Neither a Lord Nor a Lady
- Protect Those Under Your Authority, Even From Themselves
- What I Do, I Do For Glory
- Honour Is More Important Than Life Itself
- Companions-at-Arms Are Your Brothers And Sisters
Note that evil knights-errant will twist and bend the code to their own ends, taking it as literally as possible, and using parts of it as excuses for their own evil deeds. A good knight-errant will understand that the spirit is as important as the letter, and that the code should be tempered with mercy, kindness, and mutual respect.
Mindjammer Press 