Knight of Bretonnia (5e Class)
Knight of Bretonnia
Creating a Knight of Bretonnia
Class Features
As a Knight of Bretonnia you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Knight of Bretonnia level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Knight of Bretonnia level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Heavy armor, Medium Armor, Shields
Weapons: all weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Charisma, Constitution
Skills: Choose four skills from the following: Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion
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- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a lance or (b) a flail
- (a) a great sword or (b) a longsword
- (a) plate mail or (b) scale-mail
- (a) a shield or (b) a flail
Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Heroic Acts Cap |
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1st | +2 | Fighting Style, Favored Mount, The Code of Chivalry | - |
2nd | +2 | The Gifts of the Lady | - |
3rd | +2 | The Knight`s Vow, Duel Challenger, Dismounted Fighting (1) | 6 |
4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 |
5th | +3 | Extra Attack (1) | 10 |
6th | +3 | Devastating Charge | 12 |
7th | +3 | Valiant Battle Cry | 14 |
8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 16 |
9th | +4 | The Questing Vow, Cavalry Maneuvers (1) | 18 |
10th | +4 | Death to the Cowards | 20 |
11th | +4 | Extra Attack (2) | 22 |
12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 24 |
13th | +5 | The Champion of the Lady | 26 |
14th | +5 | Dismounted Fighting (2) | 28 |
15th | +5 | The Grail Vow, Cavalry Maneuvers (2) | 30 |
16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 32 |
17th | +6 | Protection of the Lady | 34 |
18th | +6 | Extra Attack (3) | 36 |
19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 38 |
20th | +6 | Vow Feature | 40 |
The Code of Chivalry
Bretonnian nobility has developed a strict code of rules that states who can be described as a true, chivalrious knight, what virtues fit the knight and what attitude should the knight show towards others. you also lose all abilities if you do not uphold that honor and chivalry
Starting from level 1 as a Knight of Bretonnia you gain disadvantage on all Charisma checks when dealing with peasants and merchants. Also, when dealing with nobility, you can double your Charisma modifier.
Fighting Style
You were trained in the martial arts from a young age. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain +1 bonus to AC.
Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting
On a successful melee attack with a two-handed or versatile weapon, you may reroll the damage die if the result is less than 3, but you must use the new result.
Protection
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
Favored Mount
Beginning at 1st level, you May spend 8 hours meditating with a willing animal. At the end of this 8 hour period, you form a magical bond with it, and gain a beast companion that serves as your mount.at first level, may choose a creature to have already bonded with. Choose a beast that is no larger than Large, and has a challenge rating equal to half your level or lower. The chosen creature must be at least one size larger than you, and have anatomy capable of safely carrying you. Add your proficiency bonus to the beasts AC, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in. It’s hit point maximum equals the hit point maximum in its sat block, or four times your Knight if Bretonnia level, whichever is higher. Like any creature, it can spend hit dice during a short rest to regain hit points.
If the beast dies, you may obtain a new mount by spending 8 hours bonding with a beast that isn’t hostile to you. If the creature has an INT score of 10 or greater, you must make an INT contest against the creature. If you fail this check, the creature decides it would rather remain apart, and you cannot attempt to bond with it again for 1d8+2 days.
Your steed is bonded to you on a deeper level than most animals - it is almost like an extension of yourself. This bond is broken if you intentionally abuse the animal or part ways with it, and can never be regained once broken. So long as you maintain your bond with your steed, you gain the following benefits:
- Your steed will do anything you command, no matter how suicidal, without complaint or fear.
- While you are riding your steed, any spells, attacks, or effects targeting it will instead target you.
- Your steed obeys only you, but recognizes and trusts your allies. It cannot be stolen by simply riding off with the animal. If it senses that it is being taken against your will, it will fight in an effort to free itself.
- Your steed is welcome in places where they are not normally allowed, such as the grand hall of a palace, though it is still barred from more intimate areas, such as someone's home.
The Gifts of the Lady
The Lady of the Lake grants benefits to those who truly serve her. She is most renowned for granting protection, but her powers are broader than that. The Bretonnian code of chivalry is inextricably linked with the Lady of the Lake, as it is She who rewards honour and virtue, and the supreme sign of a knight's favour is to receive Her blessing.
The Knight of Bretonnia may kneel to pray for The Gifts of the Lady at the first round of combat, provided the party wasn`t ambushed. If you pray, roll d20 + your charisma modifier, on a 15+ you get one of the following Gifts:
- Grail Draught
You gain immunity to condition "Poisoned" and resistance to damage type "Poison".
- Might of Purity
You can roll two dice when dealing damage and choose the better result.
- Lady`s Mantle
You gain +2 AC against all melee attacks, which changes to +4 AC against all ranged attacks.
- Ward of Light
Magic casters targeting the Knight of Bretonnia with a spell (including AOE spells) have their spellcasting ability reduced by 2. Furthermore, you can substract 2 from every damage dice from spells (you can only substract damage for yourself).
You can choose which Gift you want to recieve, but you can`t change The Gift after. The Gift lasts for the duration of the fight. Also, if you decide to pray, your Initiative roll is considered to be 1 for the duration of the first round of combat, because you need some time to kneel and read the prayer. When the first round ends, you can roll for Initiative as normal.
You can gain the following bonuses for the The Gifts of the Lady roll:
- If you have the Knight`s Vow (+1)
- If you have the Questing Vow (+3)
- If you have the Grail Vow (+5)
- If you are near sacred forests and\or lakes (+3)
You will immediately lose any Gift of the Lady if:
- You break any of the "The Seven Commandments of Chivalry" or "The Rules of Honour" during the fight.
- You flee from the hand-to-hand combat for any reason.
- You refuse to meet a challenge in a fight where you could have accepted.
Duel Challenger
At 3rd level, you seek to constantly challenge other individuals who might prove worthy to fight you. They don't have to accept the duel but only to know that they are being challenged. You can choose to challenge one creature and force it to fight you, the target must make a Charisma saving throw or else he will be forced to accept the challenge and focus his attacks on you. The effects of this ability remain until one of you is dropped to 0 hit points or both of you agree to end the duel. While dueling you have automatically first initiative and you can add your proficiency bonus to your damage rolls, you gain disadvantage if you attack another target while dueling. You can use this ability only on worthy opponents, according to the Rules of Honour.
Note that fighting women can`t be considered honourable, thus, you can`t challenge a woman to a duel, though it only applies to human race.
Worthy opponents are:
- Other Knights, Bretonnian or not
- Leaders and commanders of any kind (So, for example, goblin warchief is considered worthy, though usual goblins merit no special treatment)
- Bosses
- Creatures of size "Large" and above
- Devils and Demons
This is important for counting the Heroic Acts described below in the Knight`s Vow section.
Dismounted Fighting
While you are dismounted, your attacks suffer a -2 to hit but you receive a +1 to your AC, these values are changed to -1 to hit and +2 to your AC at the level 14
Ability Score Increase
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of you choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
At 5th level you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the attack action on your turn.
The number of attacks increases to three at level 11.
The number of attacks increases to four at level 18.
Devastating Charge
Bretonnian Knights often form up into the so-called 'Lance'. This formation lets the Knights to charge deep into the enemy ranks, angled in a way to maximise the number of attacking Knights. Even a single Knight of Bretonnia can inflict huge damage in a charge.
When charging a creature, it must take a Dexterity check, if it fails, it is trampled by the Knight`s steed. Your damage against this creature is doubled. The target counts as being knocked prone. If it passes, it takes the hit as normal. Creatures of size "Large" and above roll with an disadvantage. You can use this skill only while being mounted.
Valiant Battle Cry
At 7th level you charge into battle shouting glorious battle cries, striking fear into the hearts of your enemies.
When charging a creature, it must take a Fear test at disadvantage. If it passes, it takes the hit as normal. Creatures of size "Large" and above do not get disadvantage. If it fails, the creature is afraid of you and also suffers disadvantage on any Dexterity check caused by the Devastating Charge rule. If the target is trampled all enemy creatures in range of 30 feet of the Knight of Bretonnia must take a Fear test.
Cavalry Maneuvers
Any effect that would cause your mount to make a saving throw now add any bonus your character would get to that throw. At level 15 opponents make their saving throws against your Devastating Charge at dis-advantage
Death to the Cowards
At 10th level, your hatred for cowards fuels your attack because those who fear to face an honourable death on the battlefield don't deserve to flee and live another day. You can spend a bonus action to gain an extra attack action against any creature that is frightened or a creature that tries to take the Withdraw action, the creature must be within the reach of your weapon.
The Champion of the Lady
At 13th level, a Knight of Bretonnia may defy death to keep fighting. He is a symbol of honour and chivalry and his faith in the Lady of the Lake keeps him fighting. If this ability is activated while fighting in a challenge, it heals up to half of Knight`s life for the rest of combat after being hit for lethal damage that doesn't outright kill him. If this ability is activated otherwise, it heals up to a quarter of Knight`s life for the rest of combat.
If this ability is activated while fighting a challenge, Knight`s opponent must take a Fear test, - so threatening is the resolve of a noble Knight of Bretonnia and his refusal to die. Creatures of size "Large" and above roll with an advantage.
However, after combat, after the ability is used, the Knight of Bretonnia must take a short rest to recover and allow himself to heal or else he immediately falls to zero hit points and takes a long rest that can not be interrupted by any means, magical or otherwise. This can only be used once for day.
Protection of the Lady
The foes of the Knight of Bretonnia know that they face divine as well as human power, and uncertainty gnaws at their resolve and their hearts sink within their quailing breasts.
At 17th level Lady`s presence can be felt on a battlefield. The presence takes the form of a powerful curse upon the enemies of chivalry, and in particular upon those that make use of the foul and dishonourable weapons of mass destruction. If any creature tries to attack the knight using any form of shooting attack, this creature gains disadventage. Gunpowder weapon gain a -5 modificator as well as a disadvantage.
If there is a rule that states that the shooter cant`t gain disadvantage in making ranged attacks, roll a d20, on 11+ Protection of the Lady is stronger, than this rule. Gunpowder weapons, however, always roll with disadvantage.
The Knight of Bretonnia must have one of The Gift of the Lady active in order to use this rule. If he loses the Gift, he loses the Protection of the Lady as well.
The Knight`s Vow
“...When the clarion call is sounded,
I will ride out and fight in the name of liege and Lady,
Whilst I draw breath the lands bequeathed unto me will remain untainted by evil.
Honour is all. Chivalry is all…”
If and when a Knight Errant proves himself worthy, he becomes a Knight of the Realm. He has proven himself in battle and assumed his full responsibilities as a Knight. The Knight of the Realm is a noble whose task is to rule and protect his people, serve his feudal lord, and provide an example of knightly virtue for others to aspire towards.
As a Knight of the Realm, you gain the following bonuses:
- You gain advantage on all Fear checks and, once per day, you may reroll this check.
- From now on the Knight of Bretonnia can earn Heroic Acts. Heroic Acts represent the deeds of the noble Knight in the field of battle. The maximum amount of Heroic Acts he can hold is twice the number of his level. Heroic Acts can be earned by completing various quests, defeating monstrous enemies and winning in challandes against worthy opponents. (There may be additional ways to gain Heroic Acts points, but it`s up to GM to decide)
The number of Heroic Acts points you get may vary depending on the difficulty of your deed.
If you have broken any of "The Seven Commandments of Chivalry" or "The Rules of Honour" your Heroic Acts will be "locked" untill you have redeemed yourself by performing some dangerous and honourable task, given by some local Lady or Knight.
Heroic Acts points can be spent in battle in order to perform one of the Virtues of the Chivalric Knight. You spend your reaction to do that. Each of the Virtues has a pointcost shown below. In a single encounter you can spend up to six Heroic Acts points.
As a Knight of the Realm, you can perform the following Virtues of the Chivalric Knight :
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Coat of arms of Carleond of Couronne |
- Virtue of Heroism (3)
“Known as the Slayer of Monsters, Gilles fought and killed many of the great beasts that stalked the Massif Orcal, mounting their heads on the walls of his fastness.”
For the duration of two rounds the Knight of Bretonnia can add d20 to all his damage rolls against enemies with size of "Large" and above. Damage type is that of the weapon the Knight wields.
- Virtue of Audacity (2)
“A master of the feint and riposte, Agilgar's skill at turning an enemy's strength against him is legendary. Many a powerful foe met his demise on the end of Agilgar's lance.”
For the duration of two rounds if your Knight is locked in close combat, you can try to counterattack each attack directed at you. Make a contested roll of Dexterity, if the opponent wins he attacks as normal, if the Knight of Bretonnia wins, enemy`s attack automatically fails and you roll for a hit instead. Counterattacks deal only half the normal damage (though any modificators apply in full). You can use Heroic Blow instead of a normal counterattack.
- Virtue of Confidence (2)
“Haughty, proud and skilful, Carleond of Couronne took never a backward step in the face of adversity.”
You gain advantage on Wisdom check of the Duel Challenger feature, also, when locked in a duel, you may reroll all failed attacks at your opponent for the duration of the duel.
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Coat of arms of Balduin of Brionne |
- Virtue of Knightly Ardour (1)
“In the glory of the charge was Balduin most alive, and though others more tempered by the fires of war better controlled their ardour, he was ever in the forefront of battle.”
For the duration of one round if your Knight isn`t locked in close combat, you can countercharge any opponent, who tries to attack you in melee, ignoring the normal rules for charging. Make a contested roll of Dexterity, if the opponent wins he attacks as normal, if the Knight of Bretonnia wins, he immediatly charges his enemy triggering all his special rules for charging (Devastating Charge, Valiant Battle Cry, etc).
If you kill your opponent with the countercharge and then you are attacked by another one, you can try to countercharge again.
The Questing Vow
“...I set down my lance, symbol of duty.
I spurn those whom I love.
I relinquish all, and take up the tools of my quest.
No obstacle will stand before me. No plea for help shall find me wanting. No moon will look upon me twice lest I be judged idle.
I save my body, heart and soul to the Lady whom I seek…”
Since the days of Gilles the Uniter, the Grail has been the ultimate symbol of Bretonnian chivalry, and the ultimate goal of any true knight. Knights of the Realm may choose to go on a quest for the Grail, hoping to meet the Lady of the Lake in person and drink from the sacred chalice. A knight who begins the quest for the Grail relinquishes all his worldly possessions and all ties to his domain, and in return are accorded honour above even the finest lords of Bretonnia.
As a Questing Knight, you gain the following bonuses:
- You become immune to Fear and gain advantage on all Mind Control checks and, once for day, you may reroll these checks.
- You can no longer use any cavalry spears or lances, but all your two-handed weapon gains "Reach (10)" rule when the Knight charges.
- Your Gifts of the Lady are improved:
Grail Draught
You gain immunity to condition "Poisoned" and resistance to damage type "Poison" and "Necrotic".
Might of Purity
You can roll two dice when dealing damage and choose the better result.
Lady`s Mantle
You gain +2 AC against all attacks.
Ward of Light
Magic casters targeting the Knight of Bretonnia with a spell (including AOE spells) have their spellcasting ability reduced by 2. Furthermore, you can substract 2 from all damage dice from spells (when you were hit with an AOE spell, you can only substract damage for yourself).
In addition, you now can pray for The Gifts of The Lady four times before making a short rest.
- You can perform the following Virtues of the Chivalric Knight, in addition to all the previous ones:
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Coat of arms of Beren of Gisoreux |
- Virtue of Knightly Temper (3)
“With a heart of stone and resolute temper Beren stood unbowed, and with each sweep of blade and thrust of lance, foeman's blood would spill.”
For the duration of three turns, for every hit you inflict upon your enemies you may make an additional attack against them. Extra attack don`t generate from these ones.
- Virtue of the Ideal (2)
“Unmatched was Landuin of Mousillon's skill and prowess. His finesse with blade and lance were beyond compare and his bravery, horsemanship and chivalry above all others. Alas, Mousillon bath faded...”
For the duration of d3 hours you invoke the spirit of Chivalry inside of you. You gain +6 on all checks and rolls (except damage rolls) while it`s active, but if you fail any action while the bonus is active you`ll recieve a -9 modifier for all checks and rolls for d6 hours and your party members will recieve a disadvantage on all Charisma checks, - so shocking is your descent.
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Coat of arms of Landuin of Mousillon |
- Virtue of Noble Disdain (1)
“Though a dozen or more steeds were shot from under him on the battlefield of Aquitaine, Fredemund never lost his contempt for those that eschewed the martial values of meeting one's foe face-to-face.”
For the duration of five rounds the Knight of Bretonnia gains advantage agains all enemies armed with any sort of ranged weapons, including war machine crews, no matter if they actually hold these weapons in hands or not.
The Grail Vow
“...That which is sacrosanct I shall preserve.
That which is sublime I will protect.
That which threatens, I will destroy
For my holy wrath will know no bounds…”
A Grail Knight has attained the ultimate order of chivalry, for he has not only undertaken the quest for the Grail but has been rewarded with success. His deeds have earned him the favour of the Lady of the Lake. She has appeared before him in her true and pure glory and offered him the grail so that he might sip its contents, and thereby reap the greatest reward of a noble life.
Only when a Questing Knight has proved his valour and purity beyond all doubt does the Lady of the Lake appear to him in a vision, rewarding him not only with the sight of the Grail, but also permitting him to drink from it. Only a Questing Knight who has battled his way through many perils and overcome many terrible foes while on his quest is likely to ever find the grail. Many Questing Knights perish having never found the grail at all.
You can only become the Grail Knight after finishing The Grail Quest.
As a Grail Knight, you gain the following bonuses:
- You gain immunity to Psycology, you feel no fear, you can`t be intimidated or charmed by any magical means. Though you can still be decieved.
- You can once again use cavalry spears or lances, furthermore, all your attacks count as magical (Radiant).
- Your Gifts of the Lady are improved:
Grail Draught
You gain immunity to condition "Poisoned" and resistance to damage type "Poison", "Necrotic" and "Radiant".
Might of Purity
You can roll two dice when dealing damage and choose the better result.
Lady`s Mantle
You gain +4 AC against all attacks.
Ward of Light
Magic casters targeting the Knight of Bretonnia with a spell (including AOE spells) have their spellcasting ability reduced by 4. Furthermore, you can substract 4 from all damage dice from spells (when you were hit with an AOE spell, you can only substract damage for yourself).
In addition, you no longer need to pray to get the Gifts - you have them constantly and can choose any of the Gifts at the beggining of the encounter and can not change it during the encounter. Also, you are still able to lose The Gifts of the Lady.
- You can perform the following Virtues of the Chivalric Knight, in addition to all the previous ones:
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Coat of arms of Lambard of Carcassonne |
- Virtue of Stoicism (3)
“Tales are still told of how Lambard stood alone against hordes of Orcs and saved his dukedom of Carcassonne. Steeled by his bravery, those around him fought with the courage of the Breton himself.”
For the duration of six rounds the rest of the party can add the Knight`s Charisma bonus to all rolls they make (including damage rolls).
- Virtue of Purity (2)
“Chaste, honourable and untainted by notions of self-aggrandisement, Duke Rademund was one of the Lady's most virtuous champions, upholding her honour throughout the land.”
For the duration of four turns the Knight of Bretonnia may either boost his Blessing of the Lady to +8 AC against all attacks, or give all his allies +4 AC.
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Coat of arms of Martrud of Montfort |
- Virtue of Empathy (1)
“A champion of the common man, Martrud was beloved by those he protected. Wherever he fought, the peasants doubled their efforts and would fight to the death rather than dishonour their lord.”
For the duration of the encounter you can share your bravery with all your companions, thus making them immune to Psycology.
Vow Feature
Knight of the Realm
At level 20 you`ve become the embodiment of Honour and Chivalry.
You become devoted to one of the Virtues of the Chivalric Knight, even to those ones that are not allowed to the Knight of the Realm. You can invoke the chosen one automatically at no cost each encounter, though with some changes:
- Virtue of Purity
You can only boost yourself up to +4 AC and give your companions +2 AC.
- Virtue of Empathy
Your friends gain advantage on all Fear checks and, once for day, they may reroll this check.
You can only choose one Virtue and can`t change it later.
Now you can spend up to nine Heroic Acts points in a single encounter.
Also, your Strength and Charisma caps are now 22 and you get 2 in both.
Words of your glorious deeds have spread far and wide, books have been written and songs have been sung of your exploits, and have finally made you into a legend. Additionally, most people seem to recognize you, or at least know of you.
Questing Knight
At level 20 you`ve become one of the greatest Seekers of the Grail.
Now you can spend up to twelve Heroic Acts points in a single encounter. Furthermore, the cost of all the Virtues of the Chivalric Knight is now one piont lower for you, to a minimum of 1.
Also, your Strength and Constitution caps are now 22 and you get 2 in both.
Words of your glorious deeds have spread far and wide, books have been written and songs have been sung of your exploits, and have finally made you into a legend. Additionally, most people seem to recognize you, or at least know of you.
Grail Knight
At level 20 you`ve become a living deity, your name spoken as a reverent mantra throughout the land. You gain a d6 + Constitution bonus regeneration, as the power of the Grail has now fully developed in you.
Regeneration triggers every two rounds of combat, starting with the one when you got damaged.
Now you can spend up to nine Heroic Acts points in a single encounter.
Also, your Charisma and Constitution caps are now 22 and you get 2 in both.
Words of your glorious deeds have spread far and wide, books have been written and songs have been sung of your exploits, and have finally made you into a legend. Additionally, most people seem to recognize you, or at least know of you.
Multiclassing
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Knight of Bretonnia class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 14 and Constitution 14, or Strength 14 and Charisma 14, Animal Handling (Horses), be male (or at least pretending to be so) and be a Bretonnan noble (or at least pretending to be so). Also, you must be of human race (or at least pretending to be so).
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Knight of Bretonnia class, you gain the following proficiencies: Martial weapons, Heavy Armor.
The Seven Commandments
The Bretonnian code of chivalry requires that every Knight must follow seven commandments. These commandments are an integral part of Bretonnian society and government, and is often used to dictate the actions of a Bretonnian noble.
- To serve the Lady of the Lake.
- To defend the domains entrusted to him.
- To protect the weak and fight for the right.
- Always to fight the enemies of virtue and order.
- Never to give up the fight until the foe be defeated.
- Never to break faith with a friend or ally.
- Always to display honor and courtesy.
The Rules of Honor
Apart from the commandments of chivalry, there are certain traditional 'rules of honor' from which are adhered to and respected by all Knights. These rules are an important part of the code of chivalry. They date back to the very origins of knighthood in Bretonnia and mark out Bretonnian Knights as distinct from those of other realms. The most important rules are summarized below:
- A Knight may only fight hand-to-hand, with sword or lance he may not use a missile weapon.
- A Knight shall always accept a challenge towards personal combat.
- A Knight shall not draw sword against his fellow Bretonnian Knight, except in trial by combat or within a tournament.
- A Knight shall not allow himself to be captured alive.
- A Knight shall not flee from the enemy, nor retreat without proper tactical cause.
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