```metadata
title: 'Background: Knight of the Order'
description: Knight of the Order background from the Sword Coast Adventure Guide
tags: ''
systems:
  - 5e
renderer: legacy

```

### Knight of the Order
You belong to an order of knights who have sworn oaths to achieve a certain goal. The nature of this goal depends on the order you serve, but in your eyes it is without question a vital and honorable endeavor. Eberron has a wide variety of knightly orders, all of which have a similar outlook concerning their actions and responsibilities.

Though the term "knight" conjures ideas of mounted, heavily armored warriors of noble blood, most knightly orders in Eberron don't restrict their membership to such individuals. The goals and philosophies of the order are more important than the gear and fighting style of its members, and so most of these orders aren't limited to fighting types, but are open to all sorts of folk who are willing to battle and die for the order's cause. Particularly with the prevalence of magic there are some knightly orders that look for *battlemages*, such as the Knights Arcane of Aundair.

___
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Persuasion, plus one from among Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion, as appropriate for your order
* **Tools Proficiencies:** One type of gaming set or musical instrument
* **Languages:** One of your choice
* **Equipment:** One set of traveler's clothes, a signet ring, banner or seal representing your place or rank in the order, identification papers, and a pouch containing 10 gp

#### Feature: Knightly Regard
You receive shelter and succor from members of your knightly order and those who are sympathetic to its aims. If your order is a religious one, you can gain aid from temples and other religious communities of your deity. Knights of civic orders can get help from the community–whether a lone settlement or a great nation that they serve, and knights of philosophical orders can find help from those they have aided in pursuit of their ideals, and those who share those ideals.

This help comes in the form of shelter and meals, and healing when appropriate, as well as occasionally risky assistance, such as a band of local citizens rallying to aid a sorely pressed knight in a fight, or those who support the order helping to smuggle a knight out of town when he or she is being hunted unjustly.

#### Suggested Characteristics
Your bond almost always involves the order to which you belong (or at least key members of it), and it is highly unusual for a knight's ideal not to reflect the agenda, sentiment, or philosophy of one's order.

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<div class='descriptive'>
##### Knightly Orders of Eberron

The *Knightly Orders of Eberron* sidebar details several of the orders that are active at present in Khorvaire and is designed to help inform your decision about which group you owe allegiance to.

</div>


| 2d10 | Personality Trait |
|:-:|:-|
| 2 | I can stare down a hellhound without flinching. |
| 3 | I enjoy being strong and like breaking things. |
| 4 | I face problems head-on. A simple direct solution is the best path to success. |
| 5 | I have a crude sense of humor. |
| 6 | I'm always polite and respectful. |
| 7 | I'm full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience. |
| 8 | I'm haunted by memories of war. I can't get the images of violence out of my mind. |
| 9 | I've lost many friends, so I'm slow to make new ones. |
| 10 | I treat nearly every endeavor as a competition. |
| 11 | I'm a responsible. It's my duty to protect my people, and the people of the world from any dangers. |
| 12 | Since I can remember, I sought to become a great warrior. Inspired by legends of the past or personal heroes of my civilization, I longed to wield steel and carve my way in the world. |
| 13 | I like to have a contingency plan for every mission. |
| 14 | I love to be the first in the room, first out the door, first watch, etc. |
| 15 | I may not tell outright lies, but I will certainly embellish a deed. |
| 16 | I have seen many strange things on my journeys and enjoy telling tales. |
| 17 | I live for the thrill of the battle. |
| 18 | Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. |
| 19 | I ask a lot of questions. |
| 20 | I live a simple lifestyle with few possessions. |

| d12 | Ideal |
|:-:|:-|
| 1 | **Self-Sacrifice.**	My job is to save the lives of other people, even at the expense of my own.	(Good) |
| 2 | **Independence.**	When people follow orders blindly they embrace a kind of tyranny.	(Chaotic) |
| 3 | **Live and Let Live.**	Ideals aren't worth killing for or going to war for.	(Neutral) |
| 4 | **Might.**	In life as in war, the stronger force wins.	(Evil) |
| 5 | **Order.**	My order is all that matters to me.	(Any) |
| 6 | **Responsibility.**	I do what I must and obey just authority.	(Lawful) |
| 7 | **Defense.**	The weak must be protected by great champions.	(Good) |
| 8 | **Oath**	I swore my oath, and now I must live by its tenets.	(Lawful) |
| 9 | **Honor.**	If I dishonor myself, I dishonor my whole order.	(Lawful) |
| 10 | **Life**	Everyone deserves to live.	(Neutral) |
| 11 | **Power.**	I'm a monster that destroys other monsters, and anything else that gets in my way.	(Evil) |
| 12 | **Glory.**	I must earn glory in battle, for myself and my order.	(Any) |


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| d10 | Bonds |
|:-:|:-|
| 1 | I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. |
| 2 | I would lay down my life for the people I served with. |
| 3 | I'll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it. |
| 4 | My honor is my life. |
| 5 | Someone saved my life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind. |
| 6 | Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for. |
| 7 | I am a loyal servant of my Order.|
| 8 | Defeat is not an option. |
| 9 | I was separated from my family (or homeland) when I joined the Order and now want nothing more to return to them (it) again. |
| 10 | I owe everything to my Order, for saving my life and teaching me. |

| d10 | Flaws |
|:-:|:-|
| 1 | I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior. |
| 2 | I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives-and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret. |
| 3 | I obey the law, even if the law causes misery. |
| 4 | I'd rather eat my armor than admit when I'm wrong. |
| 5 | My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning. |
| 6 | The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear. |
| 7 | I am at times hostile to those not of my Order. |
| 8 | I am frightened/sickened by human suffering. |
| 9 | I have a tendency to be unintentionally insulting or boastful. |
| 10 | I hold to traditions of my Order at the expense of adaptability. |

Eberron has its fair share of knightly orders, allowing you to select this background in an Eberron campaign. However the orders presented in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide do not exist in Eberron. Instead, select an order presented below, or create your own.

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> ##### Knightly Orders of Eberron
> **The Knights Arcane** *Restriction:* Must possess arcane spellcasting ability and proficiency with a martial weapon.
>
> The best of Aundair's best are the Knights Arcane, an elite knightly order of soldiers boasting both martial skill and arcane ability. Universally trained in Arcana, these Knights Arcane were singularly important to Aundair's war effort during the Last War, keeping that nation's comparatively small armies in the fight with spell and blade. 
>

```
```
> ##### Knightly Orders of Eberron
> <p>**The King's Citadel.** The King's Citadel exists to serve the crown ruler of Breland and protect the nation's people. Divided into the King's Swords, the King's Wands, the King's Shield, and the more secretive King's Dark Lanterns, many talented and capable individuals were elevated to knighthood during the Last War in order to serve in the King's Citadel. Now that the war is over, the King's Citadel has been charged with law enforcement across Breland. Agents of the Citadel travel throughout the nation, trained in Investigate in order to dispense the King’s justice while serving as the eyes, ears, and strong right arm of the crown.
>
> **The Knights of Thrane.** Though many Knights of Thrane refused to accept anything but Wynarn rule and exiled themselves to Stormreach, many more accepted the Prince Daslin's decision and remained loyal to Wynarn blood, even though they also now serve the Church. The Knights of Thrane train all their inductees in History, ensuring they all know where their true loyalties lie.
>
> **The Knights of Purification.** *Restriction:* Must worship the Silver Flame.
>
> Comprised of deeply devout Silver Flame worshipers, the Knights of Purification have a singular goal: the eradication of evil cults. Purifiers are trained in Religion to better identify the rites of and practices of malicious covens and secret brotherhoods, and are then tasked with investigating these cults and shining a holy light on their depravities. 
>
> **The Order of Rekkenmark.** For almost a thousand years, the best military officers in Galifar graduated from Karrnath's Rekkenmark Academy and joined the Order of Rekkenmark. During the Last War, members of the Order of led Karrnath's armies to victory time and again, often against daunting odds. Even in a time of peace, the opal ring that marks a member of the Order earns more respect from veteran soldiers than a dozen medals. All members of the Order are experts in History, studying extensively on past wartime campaigns and important battles.
>
> **The Order of the Onyx Skull.** The first knightly order of Karrnath to truly embrace the presence of the undead, the Order of the Onyx Skull provided many of the officers during the last war charged with giving units of Karrnathi skeletons and zombies orders, requiring an extensive training in Religion to be able to replicate the Blood of Vol rites for commanding them. The terrifying Bone Knights of Karrnath also exclusively draw their number from the Order of the Onyx Skull. 
>
> **Order of the Bone Knight** The cavalier must devote himself to protecting Karrnath and its people. He must obey the commands of King Kaius without question. He must strive to improve Karrnath's reputation and the organization of its undead forces. The terrifying Bone Knights of Karrnath also exclusively draw their number from the Order of the Onyx Skull.




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<div class='descriptive'>
### Credits & Changelog
**Last updated on Jan 20th, 2017**

This background appears in the *Sword Coast Adventure Guide*. I created this for those that do not have that available, as well as because the backgrounds in SCAG do not have actual rollable tables for personality traits, bonds, ideals, or flaws. In my party these are some of the funnest things about backgrounds so I wanted to provide these, and in an expanded format.

This was put together by Freewolf [(/u/Freewolf)](https://www.reddit.com/user/Freewolf). and posted to my Homebrew site for my [D&D 5E campaign set in Eberron](http://www.eberron5e.com).

Praise be [the master](https://www.patreon.com/stolksdorf) for creating [The Homebrewery](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/).

#### Version 1.1
- Added changelog.
- Added personality traits, bonds, ideals and flaws tables.
- Added Eberron Knightly Orders.

#### Version 1.0
- SCAG Version.
</div>

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<div class='footnote'>BACKGROUNDS | KNIGHT OF THE ORDER</div>