Legends of Belariath
Classes
Knight
The Knight is the exemplar of poised combat and of poised mind. They can be considered virtuous, or vice-stricken. And yet, neither one seemingly suit them. They, if anything, can be labeled those who act out of duty, above all. Their Codes of Honor can be seemingly self-imposed, or imposed upon them by their Commander. They might have varying codes of conduct, but they have one thing in common, constancy of purpose. Knights are a crucial part of the world at large fitting in among the Imperial Guards to those that might serve under a mighty Lord or Noble or perhaps his or her sword is for hire. Never mistake a Knight within the world of Belariath as a chivalrous being nor one with a white charger and a lance. They are and always will be a unique minded individual with the guts to see something through and the attitude to smile when amused as well as put you down when not so amused.
Character Creation
Allowable Races: Chirot, Dwarves, Dark Elves, High Elves, Drak Sen (bejeweled and mineral), High Humans, Merfolk, Minotaur, Sithian
Qualifying Classes: Base Class
Type of Class: Physical
Spell Spheres Allowed: Common, Racial
Armor: A B C D
Weapons: A B C D
Class Bonus Stats:
| STR | INT | AGI | RES | STA | SPL | LFE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonus Stats | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Mindset:
The Knight is the exemplar of poised combat. And of poised mind. They can be considered virtuous, or vice-stricken. And yet, neither one seemingly suit them. They, if anything, can be labeled those who act out of duty, above all. Their Codes of Honor, can be seemingly self-imposed, or imposed upon them by their Commander or Liege. They might have varying codes of conduct, but they have one thing in common. Constancy of purpose. Knights in Belariath are armed soldiers, who are trained rigorously in the art of warfare, horsemanship, and their own brand of manners. Their main purpose is a secular one, of servitude to their commanders, lieges, gods or the ideal that they pursue.
Some might have simple tenets, some might have complex ones, but that is usually held behind the iron mask of their faces. They are at home on the battlefield, or in the courtyard, as they are taught more complex methods of warfare, other then just strength alone. They are duty-bound first, soldiers second, tacticians third, and lastly diplomats. Often times, their diplomacy is at the end of a sword.
Concept:
Duty is the core essence of a Knight. It is the only virtue that all Knights share in common. To serve, and serve well; though some Knights might question orders, off advice, but when the command comes down -- they often times comply. Much of the time Knights spend off the battlefield is in training, whether it is with horse and lance, sword and shield, or tactics. They are secular soldiers, beholden to vassalage of someone greater then them. They have come to accept such, mentally, physically, and emotionally; and stand by their lord. However, many come to believe they are savage-minded, blood-thirsty, and sometimes brutal; they often do not see that they are also of the mind that contains battle-field cunning, and subtlety. It is this duty that lends them to stoicism, and of constancy in their actions no matter the consequences, and lend them the air of aloofness.
Advantages
Honor's Aegis
Where some might focus on the perfect attack, the knight's rigid training focuses around defense. They become an bulwark for those they serve, defending both honor and person. To this end they are better equipped than the common person. At Knight x1, and for every two times Knight is taken thereafter, the knight gets a +1 bonus to their Close Physical Defense rolls. (so +2 at Knight x3, +3 at Knight x5, and +4 at Knight x7) Furthermore, a knight is given a Long Sword, Shield, and Horse at character creation to represent their previous service. However, if ever a knight is found to be lacking a sworn Purpose or Liege (see below), they will not benefit from the defense bonus granted by Honor's Aegis.
Military Training
A knight must endure a strict regimen of training, and apprenticeship. In fact, most of their formative years will be centered around the study of warfare, the upkeep of equipment, weapons training, mounted combat, and any other duty their instructor feels appropriate for one destined to be a professional in warfare. As such, the knight is the pinnacle of such pursuits, and will count as one level higher in Horsemanship and Heraldry, and can do basic armor and weapon maintenance for their own equipment. The unranked skills are still necessary if the knight wishes to be able to maintain weapons and armor other than their own.
Disadvantages
Strength of Word and Steel
A Knight is well experienced in the ways of war, often observing their master as an apprentice (or Squire). During this time they can see first hand the ways of "lesser" combatants and the error of their ways. Those without the best armor, or faithless in word or deed often meet their downfall ignobly, and are considered anathema to the way of the knight. A Knight can wear whatever armor they desire, but they can only put their faith in a material as strong as their word. As such, Honor's Aegis will only be in effect if the Knight is using a shield, or if the rest of their armor (head, arms/hands, torso and leg/foot slots) is made of metal. The only two exceptions are the gambeson, which is necessary for wearing heavy armor, and would not function properly if made of metal, - and those races who cannot wear full body armor in metal because of racial restrictions, but must wear partial metal pieces where allowed.
Oath of Service
A knight must abide by the code of their existence, a fact which often limits them greatly. Part of this involves disciplined service. The knight must be sworn to a purpose. This sworn oath can be given to another person (henceforth called their liege), a religion (for those Holy Warriors aspiring to be the chosen of their gods), or can be to an ideal. This ideal should be noted as part of the character's history or background, even if it should change after character creation.