I want to make a few knightly orders in my setting for my players to ally with or fight against. I'm hoping to have several that are both religious and secular, and have at least a few different shades of alignment be represented.
Will you help me brainstorm some, /tg/? Or can you point me to some fictional or real world examples that might make for good inspiration?
Mage-Knights plz
>order of battle sorcerers (see unearthed arcana)
>start out as squires until level 8 when they can wear Mage armor all day
>take ranks in ride for the mount/phantom steed spell
>their "lances" are wands of scorching ray with energy shifts
>touch range spells (chill touch and so on) manifest as phantasmal swords
Not entirely related, but having the enemy be a giant faceless mass of Saracen-like barbarians could potentially be pretty cool.
Only bringing this up because I basically played Muhammad in my last 3.5ed D&D campaign
>>44589453
Why not just play a duskblade?
Knightly orders weren't solely involved in warfare. The knights Templar played a big role in economics in the Christian world, acting as bankers and tellers. You could try and have your orders perform more citizen roles, like running hospitals or working as some sort of constabulary
>>44592503
I meant ally or fight against in a looser sense - one order could be friendly and provide a base of operations or quests, while the other could antagonize them or act as rivals.
>>44589033
teutons obviously
Obligatory knight order that's basically a bank
Knight order that upholds legitimate rulers according to whatever cosmic hierarchy
Knight order who are mostly scholars who hoard knowledge
Knight order that live in seclusion and train all day to become the best knights in existance
>>44592859
Knight order that lives in a forest and guards a bridge, forbidding entry to all.
Knight order that lives in a forest and guards sacred words of power.
>>44592887
Knight order that is constantly on crusaders, or at least traveling around, attacking pagans
Knight order that's members act as doctors
Knight order who's sole purpose is to protect the church and act as its army
>>44589033
The orders could be in response to some trans-cultural/national threat. A collabrative vanguard against some sustained invading force, needing dedicated and proffessional fighters with intricate knowledge of their enemy. Recruits could be sent from kingdoms as a sign of goodwill and international friendship, and, when relations turn sour, the orders could act as some sort of interpol/mediator.
