Knight of the Rose

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Joe Mashuga

Founded by Vinas Solamnus during the Age of Dreams, the Knights of Solamnia are a powerful force of crusaders dedicated to honor and the ideals of good. The Solamnic Knighthood is composed of three separate Orders. All would-be Knights must first enter the Order of the Crown, where they are taught the virtues of loyalty, honor, and obedience. Once established in the Order of the Crown, the Knights may petition to join the Order of the Sword, well known for their courage and heroism in the face of evil. Finally, only the most pure and true Knights may be accepted into the Order of the Rose.

The Knights of Solamnia follow a set of codes known as the Oath and the Measure. These codes form the very heart of the Knighthood. The Oath is simply "Est Sularus oth Mithas," ("My Honor is My Life"). The Measure is exceedingly complex, composed of thirty-seven volumes of text that were established from the writings of Vinas Solamnus and his successors. The Measure is too massive to summarize; however, each Order has a section of the Measure devoted to it. In all cases, the Knight is expected to show absolute adherence to the Measures of his Order as well as the Orders he once served.

Long ago, the Solamnic Knights were known as the very paragons of good. However, their own unbending rules and regulations prevented them from recruiting Knights outside of Solamnia, thus keeping their numbers relatively small. The Cataclysm nearly destroyed the Knighthood, as the Orders found themselves unable to cope with the multitude of horrors that engulfed Krynn. The Knights were scorned by common folk, as rumors spread that the Knights had foreseen the Cataclysm but had done nothing to stop it. Indeed, accusations flew of Knights who intended to profit from the devastation. This unwelcome reputation caused many Knights to operate covertly, aiding the weak and oppressed where they could. However, the War of the Lance saw a great need for heroes, and the Knights responded as they have always done. Tragic though it was, this war restored the reputation of the Solamnic Knights in the eyes of the people.

The hardships that have affected Krynn over the years have forced a change in the Knights as well. In 382 AC, Grand Master Gunthar uth Wistan inaugurated the first non-native Knights of Solamnia. A few half-elven Knights have appeared over the years, and some say it is only a matter of time before the Knighthood extends the offer of candidacy to other races (though some Knights insist they would rather see ten ogre Knights before a single kender).

Knights of the Rose

Only the bravest and most pure Knights can become Knights of the Rose. In times past, the Order of the Rose was reserved for Solamnic nobles, as defined by the ruling Knightly Council. However, the tumultuous events of the last century have taught the Knights that strength and faith lies not within the body, but within the mind and soul.

Knights of the Rose are expected to protect the well-being of fellow Knights, sacrifice oneself for the lives of others, never yield to an evil foe, show compassion for the underprivileged, and defend the Knighthood and its honor (to the death, if need be). Their patron is Paladine, the Father of Good.
Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Knight of the Rose, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
Alignment: Lawful good.
Base Attack Bonus: +10.
Skills: Heal 8 ranks, Knowledge (nobility & royalty) 10 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks.
Feats: Iron Will, Leadership, Mounted Combat.
Special: Requisition or Improved Requisition special ability.
Special: The candidate must be brought before the local Knightly Council, who will give the candidate a quest. This quest must be witnessed or verifiable, and always involves tests of wisdom, generosity, and compassion, as well as combat with an evil opponent on par with the candidate. The candidate must demonstrate the ideals of the Knighthood without slaying his opponent. When the quest is completed, the Knight must be brought before the Knightly Council and relate the details of the quest. If the tale is acceptable to the presiding Lord Knight, the candidate is accepted.

Class Skills

The Knight of the Rose's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Knight of the Rose is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all types of armor, and shields.

Spells per Day: The Knight of the Rose advances in divine spellcasting ability while also learning the skills of the Order of the Rose. At 1st level, as well as levels 3 and 5, the character gains new divine spells per day as if he had also gained a level in whatever divine spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, more frequent remove disease, and so on). This means that he adds the level of Knight of the Rose to the level of another divine spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day accordingly.

If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before he became a Knight of the Rose, the player must decide which class to assign each level of Knight of the Rose for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Logistics (Ex): The Knight of the Rose can now use his improved requisition ability to request a maximum value of supplies equal to 1,000gp times the Knight's Charisma modifier times the Knight of the Rose's class levels. If the Knight does not have a Charisma modifier, he may request up to 500gp times the Knight of the Rose's class levels. This ability replaces the Knight of the Sword's improved requisition ability but is similar to it in all other respects (i.e. the Knight is still responsible for returning the supplies).

Lay on Hands (Sp): The Knight of the Rose can heal wounds by touch, as the paladin ability. Previous levels from a class able to lay on hands add to the character's Knight of the Rose class levels for this purpose.

Turn Undead (Su): The Knight of the Rose can turn undead at a level equal to his Knight of the Rose class level. Previous levels from a class able to turn undead add to the character's Knight of the Rose class levels for this purpose.

Historian (Ex): At 2nd level, the Knight of the Rose gains a +2 competence bonus to Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (nobility and royalty) checks.

Mettle (Su): The special blessing bestowed upon a Knight of the Rose allows him to shrug off magical effects that would otherwise harm him. If a Knight of the Rose makes a successful Fortitude or Will saving throw that would normally reduce the spell's effect, he suffers no effect from the spell at all. Only those spells with a Saving Throw entry of "Fortitude half," "Will partial," or similar entries can be negated through this ability.

Rally the Troops (Ex): At 3rd level, the Knight of the Rose can bolster the resolve of his comrades. Allies within 60 feet who can hear the Knight of the Rose gain a +2 morale bonus to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws against any charm or fear effect. This bonus lasts a number of rounds equal to the Knight of the Rose's Charisma modifier, and is usable once per day per point of the Knight's Charisma modifier.

Shrewd Strategist (Ex): The Knight of the Rose gains a +2 competence bonus to Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks.

Damage Reduction (Ex): At 4th level, the Knight of the Rose has the ability to shrug off some amount of injury from each blow or attack. Subtract 2 from the damage the Knight of the Rose takes each time he is dealt damage from a melee or ranged weapon. This does not stack with any other form of damage reduction.

Special Mount (Ex): Upon or after reaching 5th level, the Knight of the Rose may call an unusual steed to aid him in his crusade against evil. This mount is usually a heavy warhorse (for a Medium-size paladin) or a warpony (for a Small paladin), and gains the benefits that a paladin of 5th level would grant to the mount (see the Player's Handbook for the exact benefits to the paladin's mount). A Knight of the Rose who has a special mount through the paladin class adds his Knight of the Rose level to that class level when determining his effective level with respect to his special mount. Should the Knight of the Rose's mount die, he may call for another one after a year and a day.

However, if the Knight of the Rose does not have a cohort when he calls his special mount, he may instead seek out a metallic dragon and ask it to serve as both his cohort and mount. The Knight uses the cohort levels in the Dungeon Master's Guide when determining the maximum CR of his dragon companion. If the dragon accepts, it expects to be treated like the intelligent, majestic creature that it is. The dragon will demand a share of any treasure acquired (for its hoard), as well as an appropriate dwelling for its size - it will not demean itself by sharing a stable with common horses.

The Knight becomes immune to the frightful presence of his individual dragon (as long as it remains loyal to the Knight), but the dragon does not gain the benefits that are normally granted to a special mount (being a dragon is enough). Should the dragon die, he may call for another one after a year and a day, though the dragon will surely be aware that the Knight of the Rose's first dragon mount perished, and will need serious convincing. Bribery alone will not be enough.

Code of Conduct: The Measure of the Rose dictates that the Knight pay homage to the gods of good each day, defend the honor of the Knighthood and its Measures to the death, and show compassion for the underprivileged and impoverished. The Knight must also strive to follow the Measures of the Crown and Sword, as detailed in the Code of Conduct headings under Knight of the Crown and Knight of the Sword, respectively. Finally, as an epitome of honor and goodness, a Knight of the Rose is always prepared to sacrifice his own life for the lives of others. A Knight who grossly violates the Measure (by failing to offer aid to the less fortunate or not giving one's life in defense of the Knighthood's honor if death is required, for example) loses all Knight of the Rose abilities. He can no longer progress as a Knight of the Rose until he atones for his violations by seeking a cleric of Habbakuk, Kiri-Jolith, or Paladine (see the atonement spell description on page 176 in the Player's Handbook). In addition, the Knight must accept and complete a dangerous quest, as determined by the DM.

Multiclass Note: Paladin characters can freely multiclass with this class. In other words, you can give your paladin PC a Knight of the Rose level, then return to the paladin class for your next level, take a Knight of the Rose level after that, and so on.

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