Knightcore

Knightcore, an aesthetic that combines gleaming armor, soft flowing fabrics, and ethereal haunting radiance, now as a tabletop roleplaying game.

Read on for the art-light online version, or pick the game up in beautifully illustrated and designed zine or PDF formats.

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Knightcore Characters

Characteristics

Valor. Acts of bravery and courage. Feats and weapons of war. Endurance. Bearing suffering and pain. Staving off exhaustion and giving up. Precision. Matters of dexterity and patience, balance and exactness. Radiance. Inner strength manifesting as ethereal glow. Presence and charisma.

Characteristics range from -2 to +3. At character generation roll 1d6-3 four times, and assign as desired.

Hit Points

Hit points (hp) represent the measure of punishment a character can withstand before facing possible life-altering and life-threatening consequences. A starting character has 6 hp; this number may increase through traits. See Damage in the Mechanics section for more on hp.

Purity

A measure of a character's virtue and sanctity. It is a scale ranging from depraved on the low end, to holy on the high end. Meaningful actions, as well as some powers, can shift it either way. Each stage on the scale corresponds to a bonus that is added to die rolls. On the defiled side the bonuses are quick to attain but remain modest. On the virtuous end they are hard to reach, but more impactful.

Depraved							Start							Angelic
-	+3	+2	+2	+1	+1	+1	0	0	0	0	+2	+3	+7	-

A character's purity rating usually starts in the middle, at 0. Certain traits might adjust this.

If a character reaches either extreme of the scale, they stop being player characters and become GM characters instead. A depraved character might become a new villain, and an angelic one might ascend to the heavens.

A character with a purity rating in the middle or closer to angelic is currently considered pure, whereas with a rating tending towards depraved, they are considered currently impure.

Traits

Beyond the look and style of characters and their purity and characteristics, it is the powers that come from these traits that sets them apart from cowering masses in this dark and chaotic world, and drives them to become the beacons of hope (or at least, strength) they were always meant to be.

Starting characters choose "roll vs. pick":

• Roll. Roll three times on the table, and choose two results, discarding one.
• Pick. Choose two results from the table, excluding the Endowed option.

Most traits can be taken multiple times, some only make sense to be taken once.

1. Paragon of Heroism. Add +1 to Valor.
2. Exemplar of Stoicism. Add +1 to Endurance.
3. Epitome of Accuracy. Add +1 to Precision.
4. Model of Splendor. Add +1 to Radiance.
5. Glutton for Punishment. Add 1d4 to your hit points.
6. Astonishingly Fast. Move twice as far in a combat turn, and gain an additional initiative token.
7. You Wear it Well. Choose one type of equipment (e.g. swords, vambraces, dresses, etc.). This type's KAS modifier is 1 higher than normal.
8. Magic. You know magic. Choose one of fairy pacts, witchcraft, or the old ways; see below for more information.
9. Pure Soul. Your innocence is harder to defile than others'. Whenever you're about to reduce your purity, reduce it by 1 less (to a minimum of 1).
10. Saddleborn. You are particularly adept at taming and riding creatures, and performing feats of acrobatics with them.
11. Resplendent. Your radiance counts double when it comes to impressing people.
12. Classically Trained. Choose a type of weapon (e.g. hammers, lances, polearms, …). The damage die for this type is stepped up by 1 for you (i.e. 1d4 becomes 1d6, 1d6 becomes 1d8, etc.).
13. Prodigy of String and Needle. Whenever an item of yours would lose KAS, it loses 1 less (to a minimum of 1).
14. Lashwright. Your mastery of the whip doubles your chances of targets cowering, or, at least temporarily, submitting to you.
15. Eerie Presence. Something about you is unusual. Animals and children immediately notice it, and get agitated when you're near, possibly even panicking.
16. Changeling. From childhood's hour you have not been as others were—you have not seen as others saw—you could not bring your passions from a common spring. Unbeknownst even to you, you are fey (unnaturally long life, resistance to and aptitude for magic, capricious nature). Maybe you're starting to suspect.
17. Lacustrine. You share a special, mystical connection to lakes and rivers. You are a friend to hydriads, naiads, ondines, and all manner of such nymphs, possibly even mermaids and sirens. You move and breathe in water as easily as in air.
18. Anemogene. Subtle winds obey your every desire, and hair and clothes blowing dramatically is your second nature. Perhaps you are truly born of the winds.
19. Drawn Upon the Land. Once a session you may draw deep from the land and fully restore a character's hit points, or remove one of their conditions.
20. Endowed. Roll 1d6—that many times on this table—and keep all results. This option is only available to the "roll" method; it cannot be picked.
21. Peerless Knight. Once a session, for the duration of a battle, the chaos die is considered to be at its maximum value, regardless of its actual value, and all your hits do maximum damage.

Equipment

To remain true to knightcore aesthetics, a character will usually limit themselves to carrying only items that add to the KAS value, or at least that can be styled such that they don't reduce it (for example, wrapping a silvery chain around the neck and body to elevate it from the mundane to the stylish). Everything else can be carried by squires and camp followers, where available.

All but the smallest items have a KAS modifier noted, which is negotiable with the GM, based on styling, as above. Makeup and skincare items, as well as hair products can also add to KAS.

Some items, like weapons for example, might also add a modifier to characteristics.

Prices are in crowns (cr). Starting characters have 200 crowns, to spend on equipment or to hoard.

Armor

Armor reduces incoming hp damage by its armor value. The total armor cannot go above 3 but additional pieces can keep adding to KAS. The different types of armor include head (helmets, coifs, crowns), body (breastplates, corsets, gambesons, chainmail), limb (gauntlets, rerebraces and vambraces, cuisses and greaves, pauldrons, codpieces, gorgets).

Item	KAS	Armor	Special	Price
Steel head armor	+1	+1		30 cr
Steel body armor	+2	+2	+1 Radiance	80 cr
Steel limb armor	+1	+1		30 cr
Leather head armor	0	+1		10 cr
Leather body armor	0	+1	+1 Precision	30 cr
Leather limb armor	0	+1		10 cr

Weapons

Weapons deal a certain amount of damage on a hit, and often a smaller amount on a miss—usually your Valor score. A negative score counts as 0 for this; a weapon strike can never heal an opponent. Some weapons might have other effects on a miss than reduced damage.

Ammunition isn't actively kept track of in this game. It is assumed you or your squire can recover, get, or make enough between fights. It is however possible for some opponents to inflict a condition on you that means you've run out.

Item	KAS	Hit	Miss	Special	Price
Steel melee weapon	+1	1d10+Valor	Valor	+1 Valor	80 cr
Iron melee weapon	0	1d8+Valor	Valor		40 cr
Wooden melee weapon	-1	1d6+Valor	Valor		15 cr
Rusty dagger	-1	1d4+Valor	Valor		5 cr
Steel ranged weapon	+1	1d8+Precision	Precision		85 cr
Iron ranged weapon	0	1d6+Precision	Precision		40 cr
Backup dagger	0	1d4+Valor	—		10 cr
Bullwhip	0	Special	—	Endurance or cower/submit	20 cr

Clothing

Item	KAS	Special	Price
Silk velvet	+3	+1 Radiance	90 cr
Silk satin or damask	+2	+1 Radiance	70 cr
Fine wool or linen	+1		30 cr
Cotton	0		10 cr
Hemp or coarse wool	-2	-1 Radiance	1 cr

Beauty Products

Item	KAS	Uses	Special	Price
Angelica rouge	+1	6		32 cr
Curling iron	+1	∞	1 hour + fire to apply	25 cr
Siren lipstick	+1	10		40 cr
Bear fat hair pomade	+1	6		32 cr
Cyclamen root foundation	+1	4		28 cr
Kohl eyeliner/shadow	+1	6	Protects against the sun and the evil eye	37 cr

Horses

Item	Special	Price
Courser	Fast warhorse, double damage and +1 Valor on mounted combat with appropriate weapon, +1 KAS, DR 14	120 cr
Destrier	Prized warhorse, double damage and +2 Valor on mounted combat with appropriate weapon, +2 KAS, DR 16	180 cr
Field barding	+1 KAS	30 cr
Regal barding	+1 KAS, +1 Radiance	50 cr
Field plate	Complete horse armor (armor 2), +1 KAS	70 cr
Shining warpanoply	Complete horse armor (armor 3), +2 KAS	100 cr

Retainers

Item	Function	Price
Porter or henchmen	Carries unseemly and ungainly stuff for you	25 cr
Page or handmaiden	Gussies you up in the morning (+1 KAS), and repairs 1 clothing KAS damage per hour (item unusable during repairs)	80 cr
Squire	Carries stuff, keeps your equipment in good shape (+1 Valor), and repairs 1 armor or weapon KAS damage per hour (item unusable during repairs)	80 cr
Priest or nun	Tends to your spiritual wellbeing and can improve your Purity by 1 per hour of contemplation, penance, prayer, or flagellation	50 cr
Camp follower	Sees to your earthly needs (+1 Endurance), cooks, and mends minor clothing KAS damage (1 per night)	45 cr
Captive witch, villain, or monster	The captive on display brings hope to the people (+1 Radiance) and most likely complications to you; price is for restraints	15 cr

Miscellaneous

Item	Special	Price
Kit of Revestment	Contains needle and thread for repairing torn garments, soap and cloth for cleaning fabrics and armor, terrycloth and metal sponge for buffing armor; 6 uses, 1 use + 1 hour repairs 1 KAS	40 cr
Physicker's Poultice	Restores 1d6 hp, and stops wounds from becoming infected (4 doses)	50 cr
Phial of Sainted Water	Imbiber improves Purity by 1	60 cr
Chastity belt or cage	Anytime you would degrade Purity, degrade it by 1 step less	75 cr

Knightcore Aesthetic Score (KAS)

A value derived from the relevant items that you carry that support the knightcore look plus any styling that you have applied. The maximum value for this is 20 and it cannot go below 0.

The personal KAS feeds into the Group Knightcore Aesthetic Score (GKAS), and this value is the average of all the personal KAS values. The GKAS determines the size of the chaos die (see below), as per this table:

GKAS	0–5	6–10	11–15	16–20
Chaos Die	d4	d6	d8	d12

Damage to KAS

Many attacks deal hp and KAS damage, as swords slash your precious clothes, or claws ruin your flawless skin. When instructed to take KAS damage, mark it to the relevant equipment or applied beauty products. No item's KAS modifier can go below 0 and neither can your total KAS. Once your KAS has reached 0 you may ignore further KAS damage.

Magic

Magic is very open-ended and always demands a price. The different traditions of magic are tied to different domains within which they operate and the price should be commensurate to the power of the spell invented or requested when cast. It is up to the player to invent spells on the spot that fit the domains.

When a magic trait is taken or gained, you may choose a new tradition, or choose a new domain from an existing one. In the case of fairy pacts, you may choose an additional fey to be connected to.

Fairy Pacts

You've encountered a faerie and ingratiated yourself with them and you two have sealed a compact. They've bestowed you a token (e.g. necklace, ring, scarf, …) through which they can hear your pleas. At any point, in return for a later embarrassing, humiliating, or indecent favor, they grant you the immediate use of a spell concerning nature and seasons, glamor and enchantment, twilight and trickery, and beauty and love.

Witchcraft

You're a member of an old coven, dating back many generations, ever passing on ancient, occult knowledge. Casting spells degrades Purity. Costs range from 1 Purity for a simple spell to 3 Purity for something far-reaching.

Witchcraft encompasses many domains, and each coven specializes in a limited number of them. Choose 2 from the following:

Domain	Themes
Herb and Hearth	Healing, potions, fertility, home
Curse and Shadow	Hexes, binding, retribution, the unseen
Barrow Wisdom	Speaking to the dead, necromancy
Moon and Mystery	Divination, intuition, illusion, secrecy
Transformation	Shapeshifting, alchemy, destruction & renewal
Fire and Desire	Passion, creation, sacrifice
Storm and Wind	Weather, flight, unbounded power
Demons and the Devil	Debauchery, possession, immoral acts

The Old Ways

Sometimes also referred to as druidcraft, archmagery, or the art hermetic, this magic is older than witchcraft and even the faerie. Where the latter could be summarized as glamor that moves hearts and witch magic as craft that changes things, the Old Ways represent wisdom that binds the world together.

Archmagery requires a profound connection with the dragon that is the bones of the land and the whims of time, which is draining to maintain. Casting a spell visibly, and sometimes dramatically, ravages the body, dealing between 1–3 hp and KAS damage, depending on the spell's grandeur.

Choose 2 domains:

Domain	Themes
Prophecy and Time	Foresight, dreams, cycles of kings and ages
Stars and Fates	Cosmic alignments, conjunctions, destinies
Earth and Stone	Monuments, ley lines, the heart of the land
Beasts and Monsters	Symbolic and actual metamorphosis
Law and Wisdom	Knowledge of the divine and natural order

Mechanics

Rolls

When an action could have a meaningful or dangerous outcome, roll 1d20, add the modifier from the characteristic that pertains to the action, and add your Purity modifier. If the result is equal or greater than the difficulty rating (12 on average), the action succeeds. Otherwise it fails, but it should fail forward, that is, create interesting complications rather than stop the narrative in its tracks.

In combat, you additionally add the current chaos die value to the roll.

Chaos Die

This die represents the uncertainty and the whims of the capricious world the knights navigate. It is anything from a d4 to a d12, depending on the Group Knightcore Aesthetic Score (GKAS). Any time the chaos die is rolled you subtract 4 from the result.

• At the beginning of combat, roll the die.
• This modifier applies to all attack and action rolls in the fight (not result rolls like damage or spell effects) of the knights.
• At the end of each round, it increases by 1, up to its maximum. But beware, if the chaos token comes up during the initiative draw (see below), it is re-rolled!

The chaos die modifier only affects the knights' rolls, not the enemy's.

Since a die cannot represent a negative number or zero, it is recommended to fashion a coin or poker chip with a plus sign on one side and minus sign on the other, and place it next to the die. And if the current result is zero, just hand the die to the GM until it changes, or cover it with the plus/minus chip.

Initiative

Knightcore uses a chance based initiative system, to reflect the world's turmoil. For each knight and each enemy's initiative value (group by enemy type), place a corresponding token in a bag, together with an end of round token, and a chaos token.

The GM then draws a token, and whomever's it is takes a turn. A turn includes an action such as an attack or casting a spell, plus a short movement. Trivial actions like picking something up, opening an unlocked door, or drinking a potion that's readily available are considered free actions, within reason.

• If the chaos token gets drawn then the chaos die is immediately re-rolled.
• When the end of round token is drawn, all tokens return to the bag, the bag is thoroughly shaken, the chaos die is incremented by 1, and a new round begins.

Attacking and Defending

In Knightcore the players roll the dice both for attacking and defending. The characteristic used depends on the action, but is usually Valor for melee combat, Precision for ranged combat and defending (trying to evade the attack), and Radiance for influencing people and affecting the world in powerful ways.

Some actions or attacks may require an Endurance roll to avoid additional consequences.

Damage

When you fail to evade an attack via a Precision roll, you generally take damage to your hit points, and often to your KAS as well (if the attack ravages your clothes, for example).

• If your hit points are reduced to 0 exactly, you collapse (dramatically, if desired).
• If your hit points are reduced to a negative value, you must immediately roll Endurance with a modifier equal to your current hit points. If you fail, you take a relevant condition. If you succeed, you may yet continue to fight. You must repeat this Endurance roll at the beginning of each round, and each time you take damage, as long as you are in negative hit points.
• When you take KAS damage, mark it on a piece of equipment of your choosing, as long as it makes narrative sense.

HP	Effects
0	Collapse to the ground (dramatically if desired), unable to move beyond slowly dragging yourself about. Go full damsel or damoiseau in distress if you like.
Below 0	Make an Endurance roll with a modifier equal to your current hit points. For example, if you are at -3 you would roll Endurance + Purity + -3 and try and get 12 or higher. If you fail, you get a condition that may range from Utterly at the mercy of your enemy, to Broken leg (-3 Precision until healed), to Dead, to Fate worse than death. The GM will advise. If you succeed, you may—(optionally) grit your teeth—and continue to fight or oppose the darkness, until: the beginning of the next round or you take additional damage.

Conditions

Enemy statblocks include a series of conditions that are appropriate to their powers and strength. However, the GM should always feel free to adapt or invent conditions that make the most sense in a given situation and narrative.

Group Knightcore Aesthetic Score (GKAS)

Since damage more often than not affects your personal KAS as well as your hit points, naturally it affects the GKAS too, as it is the average of all the KAS in your party. However, the heat of the battle is chaotic and outcomes are not obvious until the dust has settled. As such, recalculate the GKAS only after the battle has finished.

Healing

A good night's rest with food and drink in a safe location restores all lost hit points. Conditions are healed/removed by time or by what makes sense in the narrative. Magic or other powers might also restore hit points and conditions.

Advancement

When an adventure defines a feat as a milestone, or when the GM rules that a significant blow has been dealt to the forces of chaos and darkness, the characters advance. Depending on the "roll vs. pick" choice made at character creation, the players either:

• each roll twice on the Traits table, and choose one result each, discarding the other,
• or, pick a new trait (excluding the Endowed option).

The Black Baroness of Broceliande

The barony of Broceliande is small, remote—but then most are—and dominated by wooded hills. A handful of isolated towns dot the fief, all under the rule of Baroness Bathelyn, colloquially "The Black Baroness".

Her manse stands by a quiet lake atop a hill that the locals call "the dragon's shoulder". When the learned talk about the dragon, they refer to an impersonal, primordial power that underlies reality, more like gravity or time than a beast. Yet folk like to describe the world according to it: "the forest on the dragon's spine", or "the pass over the dragon's head".

A little ways off the dragon's shoulder is the town of Blacklys, and its townsfolk need the knights' help.

The Townsfolk's Plea

Alderman Andred of Blacklys: "Help us, the baroness demands tribute each season: two of our newly come-of-age! Most never come back, and those that do, come back changed. Isn't that right, Aveline? You've never been the same since. We think the baroness is probably a vampire and drinks the blood of our tributes.

"Wise Brycelle already did a sooth-casting, but the dragon remained quiet. Mind you, her goat gave sour milk the next day. You're our only hope, brave knights, and will be rewarded!

"But be on your guards in the forest, dark things attract their like, and the baroness is darker than most!"

What They Know

• The baroness lives in a tower by a lake, up in the hills known as the dragon's shoulder. It shouldn't take more than a half day to get there.
• There's a long ravine. That's where the dragon abuts the land. Across it the forest and its bounties are hexed.
• The last tributes were Meliodas and Isolde, both young farmhands.
• Several dangerous creatures are known to haunt the dragon's shoulder. "You'd do well to stay far away from them, even if they are possessed of magical treasures."
• The Foul Ankou Stag. Black stag servant of death and the forest.
• The Withered Warden. A murderous, walking tree, strangled in ivy.
• The Knight-Eater Tree. Clad in the armor of those it slew.
• The Pallid Enchantress. A ghost, a banshee, in a white gown.

Notable Townsfolk and their Secrets

Alderman Andred. Portly man of advanced age, brow furrowed deeply, yet has an air of someone learned.

• Andred is a greedy man. He knows full well that Bathelyn is not a vampire. But she is affluent and lives a life of luxury. He lusts after her gold, and in turn, her power.
• He has secretly turned many men of Blacklys to his cause, and they're ready to follow in the knights' wake and plunder the baroness's riches once she has been eliminated.

Aveline. Shy, young woman with long, auburn hair. Doesn't look anyone in the eye.

• Aveline will nod and acknowledge any story Andred makes up; she fears him.
• In truth, she doesn't really remember anything from her time as the baroness's tribute, except that she kind of liked it.
• She will follow the knights in secret, both in the hopes of finding out what happened at the baroness's place and to maybe live it again.

Wise Brycelle. Fidgety, mature woman who smells of mixed herbs, cheese, and burnt sage.

• Knows several traditional, folkloric means of divination of dubious efficacy.
• Brews tonics, makes poultices, and can sew really well.
• Convinced that the town's menfolk are all simpletons, a belief and fact she'll not share directly in front of them though.

The Journey

The route to the tower—a little used footpath—is straightforward with only a handful of landmarks, and one fork: either head to the graveyard or continue up the hill.

The Ravine

A shallow ravine crosses the path. It stretches left and right as far as you can see. Leaves and detritus gather at its base.

• Stretch. The ravine in fact stretches many, many miles. It is said that here the dragon's enormous body borders the forest. If one were to dig, one would find two types of strata.
• Base. The actual base of the ravine is quite steep, but time has filled it with all kinds of flora. It is, however, softer than the surrounding forest floor, and crossing it carelessly could lead to a twisted or stuck ankle.
• Threshold. The ravine serves as a threshold from the more mundane forest to a more mystical forest. Beyond this point:
  • Water from the clear brooks improves Purity by 1d4 once per person per day.
  • Scattered orchards grow magic apples that can be spent instead of Purity when casting witchcraft spells. 1d6/orchard.

Crossroads

Just before the hill turns steeper, an even lesser used footpath branches off to the side. A mossy sign declares it to lead to the Broceliande graveyard.

• Footpath. Old but deep footprints from the hill go this way. Made by pallbearers when a Broceliande family member dies.

Family Graveyard

Nestled in the base of the hill is a small graveyard for the Broceliande family, the traditional rulers of this part of the land. A smattering of headstones are for valued servants or friends, whereas the family rests in a mausoleum built directly into a steep, rocky outcropping of the hill.

• Headstones. About a dozen of them, dating back up to 200 years ago, with names like Bodwyn, Dagonet, Caelia, Laudine, Sigune.
• Mausoleum. Modest stone structure that leads into a series of crypts dug directly into the rock of the hill. Unlocked, but the stone door requires muscle to pry open.
• Secret passage. A tapestry hides an old wooden door, which, when pried open reveals a vertical shaft to the Broceliande tower up on the hill. Within the shaft 2 Animated Armors stand guard, created by the baroness' close friend and frequent visitor in her tower, Magister Bastien Mortagne, the Necromancer, ordered to disable and capture any intruders.
• Crypts. Crypts with Broceliande sarcophagi. Dating back several hundred years. Tapestries on the wall depict the interred nobles. Each sarcophagus has a 10% chance of retaining a useful steel armor piece or weapon, and a 20% chance of a silk piece of clothing. Grand total of 32 sarcophagi. Each noisy grave robbery has a chance to attract the Animated Armors from the secret passage, and, of course, degrading Purity. Oh, but the KAS increase!

Random Encounters

Roll for a random encounter when the knights travel between landmarks or whenever it seems appropriate. Some foreshadow later reveals, others are opportunity for extra loot.

d12	Encounter
1–3	You are not alone. The feeling of being watched, an unexpected sound, low fog rushing towards you.
4–5	Ghost of the woods. In the distance, a woman in a long, white, gothic gown, glowing. Translucent? It's Saelis Broceliande.
6	Clear brook. Its waters, when freshly drunk, improve Purity by 1d4 once per person per day.
7	Apple. Recently fallen. An orchard of apple trees is ahead. Has 1d6 ripe apples that can be spent instead of Purity for witchcraft spells.
8	Barrow magic. A Roaming Skeleton, a long abandoned but dangerous project of Magister Mortagne, wanders idly.
9	Grave of the unnamed knight. Degrade Purity to dig it up, but find Phial of Sainted Water, and a family amulet. Bringing remains to the family will earn good graces with them and improve Purity by 1d4+1.
10	A true test. The fabled Knight-Eater Tree comes into view. Fight or flight?
11	A chance at redemption. The Withered Warden, a once revered symbol of the forest, now succumbed to rot. Cleanse or avoid?
12	Servant of Death. The Foul Ankou Stag is on the prowl. A magical creature, yet no friend to the forest.

Bestiary

Animated Armor

Gleaming steel over chainmail and dark gambeson. Not an ounce of humanity can be seen, yet it moves and it attacks.

DR 14; Init 2; hp 12; Hit Bastard sword, spear, or halberd (1d10 hp dmg + 1 KAS dmg); Miss 1 KAS dmg or knocked down; Special Human corpse, largely fused into the armor; Special Loses helmet to first good hit, exposing mangled, semi-fused skull.

• Conditions: "Hand cut off", "Concussed", "Maimed leg".
• Loot: Masterwork bastard sword, gleaming spear, or silvered halberd (1d10+Valor dmg, +1 Valor, +1 KAS, 80 cr). Chance that one steel head or limb armor piece (armor 1, +1 KAS, 30 cr) can be pried off the fused corpse.

Roaming Skeleton

A thing of bones, sinews, dirt, and unholy sorceries. A single rusted armor piece decorates rather than protects, but the mace at its hips and the bow in its hand speak of real danger. The chill of the grave and the weight of sadness accompany it.

DR 12; Init 2; hp 6; Hit Old bow (1d6 hp dmg, ignores armor) or rusty sword (1d6 hp dmg + 1 KAS dmg); Miss Pinned to something (bow) or 1 KAS dmg (sword); Special Takes half damage from pointy and slashing attacks.

• Conditions: "Pierced hand", "Collapsed lung", "Crucified by arrows".
• Loot: Old or rusty weapon (-2 KAS), insight on the human condition (+1 Radiance for the session).

Knight-Eater Tree

An ancient oak that bends crooked like a cruel, hateful man, and bears rusted yet expensive armor in its branches as both trophies and provocation.

DR 18; Init 2; hp 48; Hit Root whip or pierce (1d8 hp dmg); Miss 2 hp dmg; Special Drag and hang and bind (Endurance each end of round or pass out then asphyxiate in 1d4 rounds; successful Valor check or 6 hp dmg to break free); Special Fling armor (1d6 hp dmg).

• Conditions: "Hang marks", "Out cold", "Knight-Eater's new trophy".
• Loot: Cyclamen root foundation (+1 KAS, 4 uses), steel body armor (+2 KAS, +2 armor, +1 Radiance).

Foul Ankou Stag

A towering, soot-black stag with smoking eyes, antlers tangled in hanging charms, bones, and prayer ribbons.

DR 16; Init 2; hp 24; Hit Antler ravaging (1d10 hp dmg + 1d4 KAS dmg); Miss 2 KAS dmg; Special Gaze deep into their eyes and share the corruption (degrade Purity by 1d4).

• Conditions: "Shredded and flayed", "Impaled and bleeding", "Blasphemy".
• Loot: Ankou Tine—Rightful victory over death-marked beast (+1 KAS when worn openly), ghosts and unquiet dead notice you but do not attack unprovoked. Crown of Fallen Leaves—formed where the stag fell; marks you as acknowledged by the forest. Forest creatures will not attack unless starving or provoked.

Withered Warden

A revered ent known as the Green Man in times past, now hollowed and twisted. Bark splits to reveal human bone beneath; ivy strangles instead of shelters.

DR 14; Init 3; hp 12; Hit Shoot ivy and strangle (1d4 hp dmg + Strangle); Miss Difficult terrain (ivy, cumulative); Special Strangle—Endurance or pass out, repeat end of round until ivy cut.

• Conditions: "Light-headed", "Noose marked", "Asphyxiated".
• Loot: Withered Ivy Seed—Plant to instantly grow easily climbable, thick ivy across a facade that decomposes into a black sludge after a few hours. Single use.

Saelis Broceliande, Ghost of the Woods

Ghostly young, red-haired woman in a flowing, gothic nightgown, seemingly disconnected from our reality in body and spirit, humming outlandish tunes.

DR 12; Init 2; hp 6; Hit +1 Radiance for 1 scene; Miss Anguished screech (-1 Endurance for 1 scene); Special Lives her own fantasy life, largely distinct from our reality, elated when she can help, frustrated when not; Special Baroness' adopted daughter.

• Conditions: "Warmed spirit", "Burst eardrum", "Stunned".
• Loot: Gothic nightgown (+2 KAS).

Broceliande Tower

A round fortress near the shores of a cold lake, this tower is the ancestral home of the Broceliande family. There are 3 main means of ingress: the front door, through the secret tunnel in the graveyard crypts, or climbing the boat loading crane. The tower is unheated and unilluminated except for the Upper Hall level ("Do you know how much it costs to heat a whole tower?").

• Loading crane. Massive old, creaky chain and hook running across wooden gears. Swollen but unlocked wooden access door to attic.
• Attic. On permanent loan to Bastien the Necromancer for study, experimentation, and play. Includes chains, ropes, hooks, and manacles for managing "raw materials", as well as a mystical circle carved into the floor, which speaks to the unsavory, impure magics practiced here.
• Bedroom. The baroness' luxurious suite, replete with red satin drapes, curtains, bed sheets, and more. Half a dozen regal gowns (+2 to +3 KAS) in mighty wardrobes.
• Bathroom. Copper bath with steaming water and fragrant petals, full length mirror, candle light, 6 random beauty products.
• Saelis's room. Lovingly furnished and decorated, largely untouched except for a collection of bizarre, nay morbid, figures made from animal corpses (or corpse parts), sticks, knitting needles, fabrics, and twine.
• Upper Hall. Functions as the main living room of the tower, and is the best heated. This is where the tower's inhabitants spend most of their time when they're in residence and this is likely the location of the final showdown of the adventure. See below for details.
• Entrance Hall. Grand, regal, imposing. Familial tapestries like in the crypts, but newer. The newest depicts a throned Baroness Bathelyn Broceliande, with her adopted daughter Saelis at her side (slightly distracted), and Magister Bastien Mortagne behind them.
• Bridge and front door. Simple, 50m stone bridge to the shore and the trail leading down the hill and eventually to Blacklys. The unlocked double doors are metal banded, made of solid wood and have two green man shaped knockers. The cold of the entrance hall makes pulling them open doubly tough, but releases a puff of eerie icy mist with a hiss as warmer air rushes in. Ironically, the front door is not guarded; Saelis comes and goes through here all the time.
• Cellar. Cold storage for months of provisions, including fine dried meats, and countless bottles of wine. One dusty bottle holds a rolled up document instead with a plot hook to another adventure.
• Tunnel. One of the cellar's many maintenance and storage rooms leads to a tunnel with a spiraling stone staircase all the way down to the family crypts in the mausoleum at the base of the hill. Within the tunnel, 2 Animated Armors stand guard, and silently investigate any unusual sounds.
• Miscellaneous rooms and stairways. For any rooms not called out, assume they are unheated, unilluminated, and not particularly pertinent to the adventure. A main staircase rings all levels of the tower, and additional staircases and ladders are dotted throughout. All types of rooms expected in a place of this size and stature are present.

Final Showdown

The climactic encounter is most likely to happen when the characters enter the Upper Hall level, where they'll find Baroness Bathelyn Broceliande and her intimate and longtime friend Magister Bastien Mortagne engaged in playtime with their seasonal tributes. The only other person present is Laudine, the baroness's handmaiden. Shortly after taking in the situation or confronting the baroness (see Development) a mob from Blacklys led by Alderman Andred storms the place, intent on destruction and—above all—looting. It is up to the players to decide what position their characters take in this morally unclear situation.

The Upper Hall

A most luxurious and comfortable round room, dominated by a massive fireplace. Flanking it are two full suits of gleaming steel armor, posed in a guarding capacity. Above the roaring fireplace's lintel hangs a variety of ancestral weaponry. Beautifully carved statues and satin-draped couches, chairs, and chaise longues form the room's perimeter. All is wreathed in fireplace and candle light. A disrobed young man with golden locks hugs one of the statues, tightly bound to it, his head lolling to the side. A young woman in a lavish gown is chained to the wall, her hair too unkempt to complement her outfit. A glass of deep red liquid, half full, rests on a table.

• Suits of armor. These are Animated Armors, awaiting commands from Bastien.
• Ancestral weaponry. Two exceedingly ornate yet functional swords (as steel melee weapon, but +2 KAS, and worth at least triple).
• Young man. Meliodas of Blacklys. Naked and tied to a marble statue of a woman; thoroughly slipped into the part of damoiseau in distress, partly because of substances, and partly out of enjoyment.
• Young woman. Isolde of Blacklys. Firmly chained to the wall with her hands above her head, draped exquisitely in velvet. Feels deep down that something is off, but has consumed too much alcohol to cogitate in an altogether linear fashion.
• Glass of red liquid. Could be mistaken for blood, but is in fact fine red wine. The rest of the bottle stands somewhere nearby, as do three more glasses.

The Truth of It

The baroness is definitely taking advantage of her position: she furnishes her tributes with copious alcoholic libations, mind-altering substances and dresses them up in fancy clothes (or dresses them down) and makes them participants in the games of her and her friend. They are not interested in sex, but rather they put these folks in unusual and inexperienced situations for their own amusement and delight in the human form.

This, then, is to be compared to Andred's mob, who engaged the knights on un- or at least half-truths, and seek to murder and rob for their own gain.

Development

• Setup. Determine where the baroness and the necromancer are when the knights arrive.
• Engagement. The baroness will attempt to plead innocence and argue her point. If things get violent, Bastien will command the 2 Animated Armors to attack and he and the baroness will join, occasionally arguing for a peaceful resolution.
• Enter the mob. Either as violence breaks out or an understanding with the baroness is imminent, Alderman Andred and his mob burst into the room: "Kill the witch and her devil lackey, and grab anything that rightfully belongs to the people of Blacklys!"
• Denouement. It is entirely up to you how this situation might resolve; there are no clear and unambiguous solutions.

d4	Location of the antagonists
1	Bathelyn is having her hair done in the bathroom next door by Laudine; Bastien is relieving himself in a pissoir.
2	Bathelyn and Bastien are in the attic, sitting around the arcane circle drinking and daring one another to read from a book of dark summoning magics. Laudine is in the cellar.
3	Bathelyn is singing Saelis to sleep in her room, Bastien leans in the doorway, watching the sweet scene.
4	Bathelyn, Bastien, and Saelis are roleplaying in the Upper Hall, describing in turn how they plan to rescue the hostages Meliodas and Isolde from the greedy dragon Andred the Unsatiable.

The Mob

Run-of-the-mill townsfolk from earlier, but their eyes are full of malice and greed. Their hunger for, and proximity to, riches is overriding their reason. Just like capitalism intended.

DR 12; Init 1; hp 6; Hit Pitchfork (1d6 hp dmg + 1 KAS dmg); Miss 1 KAS dmg; Special Gains one level in proximity to riches (DR 14; hp 12; 1d8 hp dmg).

• Conditions: "Impaled belly", "Clawed shoulder", "Bruised vulnerables".
• Loot: Pitchfork (-2 KAS), torches, realization of being manipulated.

Baroness Bathelyn Broceliande

Pale, raven-haired beauty in a stunning crimson silk gown. Maybe it's the firelight, but her irises appear smoldering red. A single ruby on a choker bedecks her neck. Unarmed except for her piercing gaze and the bullwhip at her belt.

DR 14; Init 2; hp 12; Hit Family sword pried from fireplace (1d8 hp dmg + 1 KAS dmg); Miss 1 KAS dmg; Special Blow Dust of Disorientation from ring (stunned for 1 round, blurred vision for the rest of the scene); Special Activate Instant Embrace (armor 2, +1 KAS); Special Flog with bullwhip (Endurance roll or plead for mercy).

• Conditions: "Slashed cheek", "Lost ear", "Pledged life and will to the baroness".
• Loot: Crimson gown (+3 KAS, +2 Radiance, 110 cr), family sword (+2 KAS, 1d8+Valor, +1 Valor, 180 cr), Instant Embrace—ruby necklace that transforms into gorget on press (armor 2, +1 KAS), ring with Dust of Disorientation (1 use).

Magister Bastien Mortagne

Handsome, cultivated confidant shaped by forbidden scholarship. Faintly inhuman—he knows too much about what comes after life, and after consent is freely given.

DR 16; Init 3; hp 24; Hit Icy touch of the grave (1d8 hp dmg, temporarily frozen limb, ignores armor); Miss 2 hp dmg (ignores armor); Special Awaken servants (all nearby animated suits of armor come to unlife); Special Ascended touch of ecstasy (body writhes in waves of euphoria as mind flashes through the cosmos; fail Endurance to end, test on each end of the round).

• Conditions: "Frozen to the ground", "Shattered frozen limb", "Undead servant".
• Loot: Elegant, courtly suit (+2 KAS). Hacked off hand of icy and ascended touch.

Concluding the Adventure

Whichever way the situation was concluded, the knights are sure to have gained renown, infamy, or both. Their Purity might have improved or degraded, and they might have new allies or enemies, be in charge of a town or even a whole barony.

For more adventures and ideas, visit mottokrosh.com/knightcore.

GM Advice

Purity

A character's Purity rating can make a sizable impact on their rolls. As such it's important to consider their individual actions and whether they might improve or degrade Purity. The author recommends to get all players involved and ask them to call out actions that might impact Purity. None of this is black and white and that is on purpose in a world of darkness, chaos, and uncertainty. The morality of actions is dynamic and may drastically change based on new context.

The Devil's Bargain

One of the most interesting tools in the GM's trade bag is the devil's bargain. Essentially, anytime a player's roll comes oh-so-close to success you might offer them a bargain: succeed at the roll at the cost of a complication. It's important to be clear and open about the trade-off to the player and to let them know it's their choice whether or not to accept it. Some ideas:

• You succeed but drop or damage an item of value; not permanently but it'll be out of commission for a while.
• You succeed but have to compromise your morals. Your Purity degrades by 1 (or more, but be sparse in offering this).
• You succeed but one or more allies suffer. Perhaps they get hurt or otherwise get put in a vexing situation.
• You succeed but you will have to pay for it later. Perhaps you offer your dedication and loyalty to someone for an immediate win.

The Core of this Game

Knightcore certainly doesn't pretend that it is better than other games or that it is more elegant, simple, pure, or anything like that. Instead, it is an attempt to invoke a particular tone and feeling, yes by using supporting mechanics, but also through graphic design, illustrations, and ideas. Ultimately it doesn't aim for realism, but for a fantasy world where beautiful matters, whatever its form. Where ethics are core but often mired in context, nuance, and understanding. Where bright and just people can have an impact, and improve, despite their flaws.

And if that all sounds too fanciful, it is also a game where you can dress in the fanciest clothes and make that the way you slay the most monsters.

Downloads & Resources

The character sheet and other helpful resources can be downloaded from mottokrosh.com/knightcore. There are also additional Knightcore adventures.