Background #32: Knight (DnD 5E)

You understand wealth, power, and privilege. You carry a noble title, and your family owns land, collects taxes, and wields significant political influence. You might be a pampered aristocrat unfamiliar with work or discomfort, a former merchant just elevated to the nobility, or a disinherited scoundrel with a disproportionate sense of entitlement. Or you could be an honest, hard-working landowner who cares deeply about the people who live and work on your land, keenly aware of your responsibility to them.
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[@ChancesSpellbook]

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[@ViccVegaa023]

This is an odd one. Why would anyone take the Noble when the Knight gives you 3 servants/flunkies to start out with? Might be fairer all around to have both Noble and Knight give one retainer each. Noble gets a Scribe. Knight gets a Squire.

[@davidstratton696]

U can actually have retainers as a noble and don’t have to be a knight. The book clearly states this. It’s just if u choose knight one gets replaced by a squire.

[@syvajarvi2289]

I’ve used the “extra” kid model for knights and noble backgrounds as well as hedge knight for something that elevated the character from squire to knight or minor nobility. The “servants” are level zero squires, cooks, or craftsmen to assist the knight/noble.

[@WhiteIkiryo-yt2it]

I'm going for a knight from a disgraced order who were essentially formed as a guard to a Barron and his holdings in a tense region but when they failed in their duty and the Barron and his family was killed in an assassination, they were ordered into a quest of penance, to wonder the realms aiding where they can with what they have, no retainers or keep or diplomatic weight other than their own charisma. It will give the character martial skill and education but not being OP.

[@moritzlohmann8682]

My kobold wizard has this Background their Retainer/Commoners are 3 kobolds, so it is a small Gang of kobolds, it is a comedic relieve. My DM is a very good voice actor, so every kobold is unique... One time I did a one shot where all my players played the kobolds, it was a real low level adventure and we laughed a lot ... I think the new Sidekick rules from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything will make it more interesting/versatile/flexible and useful. One tip in general: Use the loyalty rules option if NPCs are often in the picture! BTW: The combination with a pre-adventuring Background generated thru Xanathar's Guide to Everything could theoretically result in up to 12 more Commoners (total of 15 by one PC). A NPC/Monster "Commoner" can be any Race - that's on its own very versatile, such NPC can do many things, beside the mentioned stuff in this video... A race like warforge doesn't need to sleep and can do the whole nightwatch every time or a race with inherited healing magic could replace a healer/cleric in the party etc. What such a group of common people does or is, can be a useful starting point or plot-hook for a campaign. Is it the Clan or tribe of the PC, is it a rich merchants caravan, is it a new soon to be cult of a warlock or servants and subjects of a royal family or an upright community of a cleric, etc.?

[@AngelCanseco1]

Made an old Don Quixote type kobold who had his retainers. A bookish kobokd for chronicling his adventures, “armorer” who kept bringing him spoons to wield and repairing his kitchenware trash armor, and a bard who played bagpipes really badly and acted as his minstrel. Al-Faris Qixo was a cavalier fighter with a level in undead warlock. The troupe carried around a kobold kannon that was the flavor of his eldritch blasts, he would only use it once or twice per battle at most as he was designed to be a melee fighter, so what I used to do was have it be prone to breaking apart everytime it was fired, had some amazing plays with that. His form of dread fear effect was rp’d as enemies being completely bewildered by the sight of this raggedy old kobold charging at them with a pot on his head and an old washer board for armor wacking them on their legs with a spoon. Man I had a great time with him but he was killed at lvl 11

[@Darthvegeta8000]

More often than not I play a knight with a title. Easy solution for it not to be overpowered: 1) Make him 2nd or 3rd son of the Lord and thus needs to find another 'vocation' elsewhere. Be it in service of God, the King/Emperor's Army or just have him set off looking for his own fame/fortune/glory. The household of his father could be a cool subplot where he needs to help later on. 2) Have him be part of a knightly order, be an unlanded lord or be a low lord/knight and thus have only a very small bit of possession like some farmland and a little tower. All things that lead to fun rping, subplots to keep stuff fun for the player AND it's not overpowered. And he can have the fun of interacting with other Lords or Knights following etiquette, getting involved in duels or politics depending on the setting. Servants should be used IC. They're not meant to make businesses. They are servants. They'll tend to the horse. Deliver a message. Do an errand so the party can focus on the plot. A lot of these issues seem mostly linked with 'gamey' players. It easily is one of the funnest rp backgrounds.

[@beastwarsFTW]

I made my knight a work foreman who's retainers are grunts.

[@melvinhogberg]

I want to make a character thats an exiled prince so this background is perfect

[@multivitaminsaft1997]

Sounds like Prince Zuko from Avatar. I like it! :)

[@destroyerinazuma96]

I like the ones where the character is at odds with their own family and/or the 9th in the line of succession or something. A more concrete example could be a lady going where the party is going to meet a potential future spouse (political marriage) but is actually using the trip to escape. Bonus points if the "fiance" is in on it and is some quest giving NPC who emphasizes with the lady's struggles. That way one character's backstory works to benefit the whole party.

[@alanschaub147]

I think it would be funny to play a Don Quixote type character who is completely clueless (low IQ and/or Wisdom), but noble and brave. The squire is too loyal to disobey, and so has to work behind the scenes to try to help his lord succeed.

[@Josephkerr101]

You've had some crummy players. I've seen the knight and his retainers have a close childhood friendships. The player had their best interests in heart. Sacrificing earned treasure to the estate. Often the retainers would travel out to the estate to bring that wealth back home. The group got to go back and enjoy the security of a small 5 family village.

[@mattnerdy7236]

Hello Chance, really enjoying this series. This background does have alot to offer. Giving the party a starting map would be a huge head start. As you do these backgrounds, I want to see how many offer some type of weapon or equipment. Fisher gets a Net, Outlander gets a Staff (quarterstaff) & hunting trap. Curios to see if their is any other backgrounds that offer unique equipment. Thanks Chance & have a wonderful day.

[@GiftRumble]

i am roleplaying a drunken, drifting idiot with zero morale and a lot of fighting experience. He travels the world on a stolen horse and stolen plate armour and pretends to be a knight to get (almost) everything he wants.

[@jjhh320]

Lvl 1 lord wouldnt have decent stats or feats that would help them say...during negotiations with vassals/allies or during ceremonies or tourneys. Imagine he gets beat in a match against a neighboring realm, can't make good checks to look good and maintain his reputation, and then the neighboring realm essentially starts to see him as someone to be preyed upon. It can be done, and might even be fun. But the player might benefit from being an heir and having a parent who might train them some before having them represent their land.

[@Trenell83]

I'm going to be that guy I guess sorry but shouldn't the title be Noble/Knight or are you separating it? Also you are a machine. I give props for the dedication.

[@nygyleeleccion4509]

For me my character is Knighted and is a lord with no land that's kinda simple

[@thelast4646]

First