Friday 9 January 2015

Faerie Knights


Those straying into Faerie may well come across a Faerie Knight, and likewise Faerie Knights Errant may sometimes appear in New Troy in pursuit of some quest or lost love. They are often associated with a colour - black, red or green - and hence a season. They are powerful figures and often appear with the aim of testing the resolve of the humans they encounter.

Faerie Knight

HD 5/7
AC 2
Move 120/40 (as steed)
#ATT 2
DMG By weapon +2
*Like all Faerie nobles, Faerie Knights can bestow a geas (once a month), and can also reveal their full might, causing fear (once a day).
*Every Faerie Knight also has the ability to cast one of the following spells once a day (roll a d10):
Haste/Slow
Chant
Charm Person
Ray of Enfeeblement 
Obscurement
Invisibility
Forget
Mirror Image
Silence 15' Radius
Hold Person
*Faerie Knights always have a steed - a war horse with 3 HD and a 2 attacks doing d3/d6 damage.



Faerie Knights tend to have a specific colour. Roll a d8 to determine this: 1 - red, 2 - orange, 3- yellow, 4- purple, 5 - black, 6 - white, 7 - green, 8 -  blue

Depending on their colour, Faerie Knights are more powerful during a certain season, during which they have two extra HD and can use an extra kind of spell once per day. This applies both in Faerie and in New Troy.

Red and orange knights are most powerful in summer.
Yellow and purple knights are most powerful in autumn.
Black and white knights are most powerful in winter.
Green and blue knights are most powerful in spring. 

Faerie Knights encountered in New Troy are Knights Errant, with a specific quest. Roll a d4 to determine this:

1 - Finding a human they have fallen in love with; 2 - Duelling all comers; 3 - Searching for something; 4 - Testing the resolve of humans

Sub-tables provide further detail:

Finding a human love: the knight is searching for a human who came to Faerie and became his lover, but then returned to New Troy. Typically they will ask for information or the PCs' aid in locating the lost love and/or winning her back.

1. The knight's lost love is a relative of one of the PCs.
2. The knight's lost love is now married - to an important NPC in New Troy.
3. The knight's lost love is a witch who plans to use him for her own ends.
4. The knight's lost love is a peasant living in a small village somewhere; she has already given birth to their child, who is a faerie.
5. The knight's lost love is the daughter of a rich noble who is expecting to marry her off to a 'good match'.
6. The knight's lost love has died and is now a ghost. 

Duelling all comers: the knight is occupying a certain spot for a period of time (often a year and a day) and challenging all passing warriors to duel him. He will always pull a killing blow so that the target is reduced to 1 hp, and will of course expect the same courtesy. If he is victorious he may demand his opponent give him any possession, or perform any task, in the form of a geas. If defeated he can be asked for a single boon.

Searching for something: the knight has been given a quest by a lover, king, relative, etc. Those aiding him will be rewarded with a boon.

1. An honest man.
2. The roots of a mountain.
3. A bond that never breaks.
4. A child not born of a woman.
5. Something no faerie has ever seen before.
6. A pure heart.

Testing the resolve of humans: the knight has been sent to test mankind with strange and capricious-sounding challenges. If anyone passes the test, the knight will become his or her servant for a year and a day.

1. Guessing the knight's true name.
2. Allowing the knight to sever a hand or foot, or remove an eye or ear (randomly determined).
3. Gain a kiss from a hag.
4. Pluck the beard of a giant.
5. Find the treasure at the end of a rainbow.
6. Discover the dreams of a dragon.


[Art by Julek Heller]

9 comments:

  1. That's nice,efficient, feels old school and carries the Arthurian flavor. Well done.

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  2. Awesome, in at least two senses of the word - this will be incorporated into my game as soon as I can reasonably shoe-horn it in.

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  3. I like this, nice work.

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  4. I'm completely taken away by how efficient this post is world and adventure building. Well done!

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  5. Great post -- and did you see this excellent post you inspired? Seasonal elves! I love it!

    http://d4caltrops.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-elf.html

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    Replies
    1. Very nice. I was thinking of doing the same thing for Faeries...great minds and all that.

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