Arms of the Green Knight

by Jay Godden, edited by Isaac Rolfe and Rob Heinsoo, art by Aaron McConnell & Lee Moyer

Read the introductory post here.

These items were taken on a quest by a Knight of a past age. The Emperor’s Winter Court was interrupted by a creature from out of the depths of the Wild Wood. Similar to a man, but made from wood, sinew, and vine. He challenged the court to a game, a duel of sorts. The rules were simple, any blow that one warrior landed on the other would be returned exactly a year later. One brave but untested knight took up the challenge and was goaded into beheading the challenger, thinking that the blow could not be returned if the Green Knight was dead. The headless corpse simply picked up its head and rode out from the city.

The next winter, the knight left on a journey deep into the Wild Wood to meet his fate. On his quest his five knightly virtues would all be tested, almost to the breaking point. Finally, on the anniversary of their game, the two knights came face to face once more. The questing knight failed in his quest, wearing a sash that made him impervious to harm, and returned home to wear the sash for the rest of his days as a sign of shame. After his death, his equipment was inherited by various other noble families of the Empire. The new owners found that the power of these five virtues was imbued within the items, symbolised most strongly in the five pointed star on the questing knight’s old shield.

This items set bonus requires you to use Smite Evil, and is therefore intended for Paladins.

Set bonus: X times per day, as a quick action, you can expend a use of Smite Evil to issue a challenge to an enemy you are engaged with. While challenged, they have a +4 bonus to attacks vs. you. The next time that enemy hits you with an attack the challenge ends. Provided you are still able to take actions after the attack is resolved, you automatically deal the same amount of damage dealt by that enemy’s attack back to them as a free action.

Player Sidebar: The enemy getting a bonus to hit might seem bad at first glance, but it ensures the enemy is still incentivised to attack you (a tank’s job) and makes it less likely that the ability will be wasted thanks to your ungodly AC stat, as well as matching the myth.

Adventurer Tier:

Jouster’s Longsword

Weapon Chakra: +1 attacks and damage with attacks with this weapon. 

Ability (Passive): When you move to engage an enemy in the same round that you attack with this weapon, its base damage dice increase by one step. Quirk: Chastity.

Sandals of the Destrier

Boot Chakra: +1 to disengage checks and other fancy footwork

Ability (Passive): When you successfully become unengaged with an enemy through Disengaging, Popping Free or taking Opportunity Attacks, you can immediately take another move as a free action, and cannot be intercepted if you use it to engage the same enemy you just moved away from. Quirk: Friendship.

Red Gold Ring

Ring Chakra

Ability: If you freely give away this ring, you gain a permanent positive relationship with an icon in your setting that represents Faith or Knightly Virtues. If sold, you receive 5,000 gold coins and have no problem finding a wealthy and upstanding buyer. In either circumstance, it no longer takes up a chakra and no longer contributes to the set bonus for these items. Quirk: Generosity

Champion Tier:

Green Girdle

Belt Chakra, +2 recoveries

Ability (Recharge 6+): as a free action when an attack drops you below 0 hp, you may remain standing and do not appear to have been mortally injured. You can use interrupt and free actions while in this state. During your next turn, you can take one standard action. After this action, if you are still below 0 hit points, you fall unconscious and begin making death saves.  Quirk: Courtesy.

Epic Tier:

Pentangle

Shield Chakra, +25 hit points

Ability (Recharge 6+): you can choose to ignore all non-damage effects of one attack against your MD, and are immune to these effects until the end of the battle. Quirk: Piety.

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