Jousting Knights
Tournaments can be fun events for roleplaying games, and major parts of any fantasy story. While a tournament will usually include the PCs and at least 1-2 of their sworn opponents, filling out the rest of the roster may prove a bit tedious. That’s where today’s Top Ten comes in, giving you ten new knights one might expect to find in a jousting tournament.
1) Sir Owen Pentad. A local knight of relatively humble background, this dark-haired young man has quickly risen to prominence due to his skill in combat, and has won some unexpected victories against well-established knights in previous tournaments. He prefers to fight with a mace, but is also skilled with a lance, and at archery. His coat of arms is a green stag on a black background, with a silver border.
2) Lady Serena Tybolt. A seasoned veteran of several campaigns along the border in the last two decades, Serena is a tough and battle-scarred opponent who, it is whispered, simply refuses to die. She married her squire several years back, which caused a minor scandal, but her extensive service to the crown and her ability to win tournaments helped her weather that particular storm. She prefers to fight with a warhammer. Her coat of arms is a blue jay on a red background, surrounded by three towers.
3) Sir Simon Moore. Freshly knighted from service as a squire only a few weeks ago, this is Sir Simon’s first tournament. He is a mousy lad, not yet a full-grown man. It is well-known that given the choice, he would have preferred the life of a scholar, but his father would not hear of it. He prefers to fight with a longsword, and heavily favors his shield arm. He is a poor rider. His coat of arms is an acorn on a yellow and black checkered field.
4) Sir Garman Hoyt. A foreign knight, he is easily identified by the ostentatious red plume atop his helmet, something which he claims is in fashion where he comes from. He is slightly past his prime, with thick moustaches, but is still a force to be reckoned with. He does not speak the local tongue, and must have his squire translate everything he says. He prefers to fight with two weapons, typically scimitars. His coat of arms is a black sailing ship atop red waves, with a blue background.
5) Lady Elizabeth Blake. The niece of a duke, she has much higher social standing and nobility than any of the other knights here. She became a knight very much against her family’s wishes, and as scandalized as they are by her insistence on participating in jousts (which should be far beneath her), they nonetheless provided her with the best weapons, armor, and training that money can buy. She prefers to fight with a rapier or longsword, and is an excellent horseman. Her coat of arms is a gold griffon on a black background.
6) Sir Regis Ulbricht. A stern and no-nonsense man, he has been a knight for over forty years, and, according to his claims, his family have been knights for over forty generations. He is an imposing sight, standing nearly seven feet tall, his broad shoulders a full three feet wide. He frowns on all of the festivities involved in the tournament, feeling that they are insults to the brave knights that fight in the tournaments. He prefers to fight with a warhammer. His coat of arms is a rising sun behind a craggy mountain peak, on a red background.
7) Sir Samuel Wendt. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed young man, Samuel is an unknown entity at the joust, and the subject of some rumors and gossip, as no one is quite sure where he came from, although he was able to submit sufficient proof of knighthood to the tournament authorities. In fact, the papers he submitted were forged, and he is no knight at all, but a peasant who hopes to become a knight, or at least earn enough in prize money to retire from farming. He prefers to fight with a spear. His coat of arms is a black field with three green chevrons and a single green star.
8) Lady Gertrude Silva. A young, dark-haired woman known for her temper, as well as her battle prowess. She has recently returned from a successful campaign far to the south, and is one of the favorites to do well in the tournament. She excels at archery, and is known for her preference for the greatsword in melee, foregoing the protection of a shield. Her coat of arms is a rearing gold horse on a field of black and red vertical stripes.
9) Sir Jacques Renovar. A foreign knight, his armor is carved ostentatiously, and his faceplate resembles a grinning fish. He seems to be here more for the festivities than anything else, and has been more or less constantly drunk since arriving at the tournament. He prefers to fight with a battleaxe. His coat of arms is a fat green fish on a background of blue and black horizontal bars.
10) The Blue Knight. An unknown entity, this figure’s faceplate completely obscures his or her face, and he has not spoken since arriving at the tournament. It is unclear exactly what he did to convince the tournament authorities to allow him to compete, and this is a matter of much speculation, for under normal circumstances, he would have needed to reveal his name and place of birth upon registering. His combat preferences are unknown, but once the tournament begins, it will become clear that he favors a trident, but is quite accomplished with all weapons. His coat of arms, for the purposes of the tournament, at least, is simply a blue field.