Knight Class

[JNAProductions]

HIT POINTS
Hit Dice: 1d12
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12+Con Mod
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (7)+Con Mod

PROFICIENCIES
Armor: Light, Medium, Heavy, and Shields
Weapons: All Simple and Martial
Tools: Any one artisan tool or musical instrument

Saving Throws: Charisma and Wisdom
Skills: Choose any two from Athletics, History, Religion, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, Intimidation, and Persuasion

EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
-Chain Mail
-Any weapon you are proficient in, with 20 pieces of ammo if needed
-Any melee weapon you are proficient in
-(a) Any ranged weapon you are proficient in, with 20 pieces of ammo or (b) three of a thrown weapon
-A shield
-Any one pack

Knight


Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features


1st
+2
Knightly Challenge, Protection Fighting Style


2nd
+2
Second Wind


3rd
+2
Knightly Order


4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement


5th
+3
Extra Attack


6th
+3
Improved Knightly Challenge


7th
+3
Order Feature


8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement


9th
+4
Improved Protection


10th
+4
Bulwark Of Defense


11th
+4
Greater Knightly Challenge


12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement


13th
+5
Order Feature


14th
+5
Juggernaut


15th
+5
Unyielding Defender


16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement


17th
+6
Supreme Knightly Challenge


18th
+6
Improved Bulwark Of Defense


19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement


20th
+6
Order Feature



Knightly Challenge-At level one, you are able to declare a challenge to any who might face you in combat. As an action, you target a single enemy within 120'-they must make a Charisma save against a DC of 8+your proficiency bonus+your Charisma modifier, or find themselves compelled to face you, should they choose to fight. Any attack they make against a target besides you has disadvantage.

This effect lasts for one minute, but ends early if you flee from your opponent.

Protection Fighting Style-Also at level one, you gain the Protection Fighting Style.

Second Wind-At level two, as a bonus action, you may regain 1d10+your Knight level HP. This refreshes on a short or long rest.

Knightly Order-At level three, choose what Order to devote yourself to. The Orders are Leadership and Envoy.

Ability Score Improvement-Usual levels, usual deal.

Extra Attack-Level five, usual deal.

Improved Knightly Challenge-At level six, you may challenge any number of people within 30' as an action, or challenge a single creature as a bonus action.

In addition, any creature with a CR of one third your level or less, should they fail their save, cannot make any attack that does not include you.

Improved Protection-At level nine, when you use your Protection Fighting Style, you impose disadvantage on all attacks made from the target against your ally until the start of your next turn.

Bulwark Of Defense-At level ten, you are a thicket of blades that is nigh-impossible to get through to fight your allies. Any space you can directly attack with a melee weapon (usually only adjacent squares, unless using a reach weapon) is considered difficult terrain for enemies. This stacks with regular difficult terrain.

Greater Knightly Challenge-At level eleven, you may now challenge any number of people within 30' as a bonus action. In addition, anyone who fails their save against a challenge and has a CR no greater than one fourth your level is Frightened of you, in addition to the other effects.

Juggernaut-At level fourteen, you are a juggernaut of armored mass. You have advantage on saving throws against being knocked prone or moved against your will, and may use your reaction to halve any distance you are forced to move.

Unyielding Defender-At level fifteen, once per short rest, when you would be reduced to 0 HP but not killed outright, you may instead drop to 1 HP.

Supreme Knightly Challenge-At level seventeen, enemies have disadvantage on their saves against your Knightly Challenge.

Improved Bulwark Of Defense-At level eighteen, you may make an attack of opportunity against any foe who leaves your reach without using a reaction.



Order of Leadership

Inspiring Presence-At level three, allies who can see and hear you have advantage on saves against being Frightened.

Staunch Friend-At level seven, you may, as an action, attempt to rally a broken ally. Choose an ally within 30' who is suffering from a status condition. They may immediately make a save against the effect.

The conditions this works against are Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, and Stunned.

Fearsome Foe-At level thirteen, you may, once per long rest, attempt to Frighten all foes who can see you. All creatures of your choice within 120' who can see or hear you must make a Wisdom save against your Knightly Challenge DC. On a failure, they are Frightened of you for the next minute, or until they make a save at the end of their turn.

Leader Of Men-At level twenty, you can declare one foe to be a threat to all you lead. As an action, designate one creature within 120'-all of your allies gain advantage on attack rolls against them for the next minute, so long as you are alive and leading them. This ability may be used once per short rest.



Order of Envoy

Envoy's Talent-At level three, you gain proficiency in Persuasion and Deception. If you already have proficiency, you instead gain Expertise with them.

Tireless Messenger-At level seven, you gain advantage on any saves made to resist exhaustion, and treat your levels of exhaustion as being one less, to a minimum of zero.

Words Of Authority-At level thirteen, you may, Charisma modifier times per short rest, cast Command at its lowest level.

Reliable Speaker-At level twenty, whenever you make a Persuasion or Deception check and you roll less than a 10, you may treat the die roll as a 10.



So, I obviously need an entire second Order. But how does it look so far?

[Mourne]

Proficiencies
Charisma and Wisdom… while maybe making thematic sense… don’t provide very good synergy. I’d think Charisma + Con would be more fitting?

Skills
I’m not sold on some of the avalable skills. I get that you’re going for “noble born” or “leader”, but the class features don’t really support this. Acrobatics, Investigation, Medicine, and Perception seem somewhat forced.

Knightly Challenge
No limit to the number foes you can have challenged at one time (other than the time out)? Does this effect even beasts, mindless creatures, constructs, etc.?

Protection Fighting Style
Standard FIG.

Second Wind
Standard FIG. No later additional uses?

Improved Knightly Challenge
This could lead to a lot of dice rolling and tracking (e.g. 10 goblins). The bonus action is a nice progression.

In addition, any creature with a CR of one third your level or less, should they fail their save, cannot make any attack that does not include you.
It’s a nice rider, though it “feels” a tad OP at this level – don’t ask me why, purely subjective on my part.

Improved Protection
This is a nice progression for the fighting style. Advancing/improving fighting styles is an interesting concept!

Bulwark Of Defense
What do you mean stacks? As in would reduce movement to 1/4 of base if the terrain was already difficult? I’m not sure if this is consistent with the rules (“Every foot of movement in difficult terrain costs 1 extra foot. This rule is true even if multiple things in a space count as difficult terrain.”).

Greater Knightly Challenge
I’m not sure – thematically – how well frightened and Knightly Challenge synergize. On one hand, “I must attack this foe” and on the other, “Run! Flee!”. Maybe just apply the first bullet point of frightened as a rider, changing the wording “the source of its fear” with “you”?

Juggernaut
Interesting. It works, but may come a little late in life.

Unyielding Defender
Fitting.

Supreme Knightly Challenge
Not very exciting but certainly fits the level.

Improved Bulwark Of Defense
Decent capstone.

Overall, it’s a very playable class – a workable port of the PFRPG Cavalier’s Challenge feature. The lack of social or exploration features does make it somewhat bland though… maybe those would/should be packed in the Orders (though Order of Leadership seems primarily combat focused)?

My only concern is the effectively unlimited use of Knightly Challenge with no limiters. Beyond being able to completely control the battlefield (which is likely the intent), there’s the potential for a lot of “accounting” on the part of the DM.

I did make a stab at this exact class (well, a class based around a challenge like feature). It was called the Gallant. There may be something in there you can use (this was the main draw for me to look at this class… what could I “borrow” to improve my own class)… heck, you could even critique it for me. ; )

Great start! Interested to see where you take this…

[JNAProductions]

I want Wisdom saves. Knights should be able to spit at fear in the face and then punch it, all in the name of saving their friends.

Yeah, I can drop those skills. Seems legit to me. Well... Imma keep Medicine (they're a helpful class) and Perception (noticing stuff is important!) but I'll drop Acrobatics and Investigation.

It does indeed! Similar to how Sneak Attack was changed to be universally effective in the change from 3.5 to 5E, so will the Knightly Challenge.

Yup.

No later uses, correct. There's enough other things.

Is it any different from rolling 10 saves for the Fireball for the goblins? I WOULD think it might get a touch annoying to track in really long fights, but I don't anticipate any major issues.

I don't think it's OP-if they have AoEs, they can still hit buddies, and while you have a GOOD AC, you don't have an impossible one.

Thank you!

It stacks, but additively. So normally, 1 foot of movement is 1 foot traveled. In difficult terrain OR in range of the Bulwark, 2 feet is 1 foot traveled. If both difficult terrain AND Bulwark, 3 feet is 1 foot. Make sense?

It is contradictory, in that they cannot close closer to you, but I think it fits. You're far, far more powerful than them, and outright declaring a challenge. If you have suggestions for what it could be otherwise, though, I'm all ears.

It's a minor thing. Useful, but not OP or anything. If you have ideas for what else it could be, though, let me know.

Fitting indeed.

Yup. Fits, and works.

Thanks.

Want to link the Gallant? I'll give it a look-see for you, since you looked over my class.

And thank you for taking the time to do this!

[Mourne]

Want to link the Gallant? I'll give it a look-see for you, since you looked over my class.

And thank you for taking the time to do this!

Here's the link to the Gallant (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?568664-Gallant-(full-class)-Rework) thread. Sorry that ultimately it's a GMBinder link... I know you don't love (have issues?) with Homebrewery and GMB. Unfortunately, I don't have a current formatted version in the forums.

As to your knight, I completely understand your design choices. If I have any additional thoughts, I'll certainly pass them along.

[JNAProductions]

Added Order of Envoy.