Love and War
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Valorous and loyal¸ serving his god¸ his lord¸ and his lady¸ the knight is the archetypal hero. Not for him cunning words or tricks¸ nor disguises and ambushes. The knight faces his enemies boldly on the field of combat. The life of a knight is full of quests¸ tournaments¸ and epic battles recounted in poems for the pleasure of his lady-love. The classic image of a knight is a paladin in shining plate armor¸ mounted on a warhorse. But knights can range far from this stereotype; members of any character class¸ social class¸ race¸ or sex can follow the path of chivalry.This sourcebook investigates chivalry in detail¸ giving knightly options for PCs and ideas for the GMs to use in designing adventures. Love and War features: * Discussions of the four knightly virtues - Valor¸ Loyalty¸ Piety¸ and Love - including prestige classes¸ orders of chivalry¸ and specialized feats and magic items for each. Become a valorous Dragonbane Knight dedicated to battling monsters¸ a loyal Knight of the Fountain who serves the king-in-exile¸ a pious knight of the Sun Goddess¸ or an amorous knight devotee of the lady Iphigenia¸ who lived two hundred years ago and was abducted by a powerful outsider. * Sections on knighthood and race that discuss how you can become a member of the dwarven Granite Wall order that defends a mountain kingdom¸ the halfling Order of the Sun that spreads the fame of its deeds¸ or the Order of the Nightingale that protects the elven queen. * Exceptional examples of knighthood¸ such as arcane spellcasters¸ female knights¸ lover pairs¸ and dark knights who twist and pervert the chivalric virtues. * Guidelines for creating your own knightly prestige class and order of chivalry¸ as well as rules for tournaments¸ quests¸ tracking renown¸ and courtly battles of wit.