Pathfinder Player Companion: Knights of the Inner Sea (PFRPG)

I love the cover to Knights of the Inner Sea--it’s a classic fantasy scene, beautifully drawn. Poster-worthy, in my opinion. In contrast, the internal artwork is pretty weak, and it’s clear many of the freelancers didn’t have much experience drawing armor (and a lot of the human proportions are off).

As the theme of the book is obvious from the title, we’ll get right into it. The inside front cover has details on four knightly families in the Inner Sea: the Darahans (Taldor), Graydons (Ustalav), Tilernos (Lastwall), and Khavortorovs (Brevoy). Along with the expected info (heraldry, motto, etc.), each has an associated combat trait—they’re strong, but the one for Graydon is a one-time-use only thing and that’s pretty limiting. The inside back cover is on mounts—several types of horses (like a “Lastwall Jasper” or a “Taldor Jennet”) and some more exotic ones, like an “Erutaki Husky”. Each type is given a Bestiary equivalent along with a special trait (taken in lieu of one of a PC’s two traits) that modifies the animal in a particular way. I think it works well for those who want to add a bit more impact to their choice of mount.

The book itself is divided into a series of two-page long entries on various topics. The only way out is through, so here we go!

• “For Your Character” has an index of the new rules options presented in the book and some stuff on what classes can benefit the most from it. I did like the funny little aside about the origin of the name “Knights of Ozem”.

• “Knights Overview” discusses different types of knights in Golarion and has some really good cross-references to other Pathfinder books that flesh some of the types out in more detail.

• “Eagle Knights” has a brief introduction to the group, two good new regional traits, and a “role” (essentially a suggested template) for how a knight of each of the group’s three orders could be built mechanically.

• “Hellknights” has a brief description of the seven orders within the organisation, two roles, and two regional traits that are pretty niche.

For both the Eagle Knights and the Hellknights, there’s a lot better material elsewhere, and the entries here are only the barest of introductions.

• “Knights of Ozem” has two new traits (both good), two roles, and a paragraph each on three of the order’s castles. I think it might be a bit trickier to come up with an explanation for why a Knight of Ozem has joined an adventuring band (since the group’s whole mission is Lastwall-focussed).

• “Mendevian Crusaders” has the usual stuff, but I like the theme of people of low-birth disguising themselves as aristocrats to better carry out the role of knight.

• “Other Knightly Orders” has a couple of paragraphs each on the Kortos Calvalry, Risen Guard, and Taldan Knights. This material is descriptive only, with no game mechanics.

• “Anatomy of the Knight” is an interesting visual primer on the equipment that (real-world) knights wore and carried, along with a couple of paragraphs on heraldry.

• “Knights and Religion” and “Knights and Race” are very brief sketches of how different religions and races in the game relate to the concept of knights.

• “Squires” is a potentially important addition to the game for knightly characters. By taking a feat (at fourth level), knight PCs can have what’s essentially a mini-Leadership feat providing a single Cohort--a squire. The entry gives four archetypes for the squire (Combat Healer, Gunner, Herald, and Weapon Bearer). Very useful in a one-PC game, but probably overpowered in a group game if all it costs is a single feat.

• “Mounts” essentially allows a PC to use the Leadership feat to take a monstrous mount like a giant owl or a unicorn as a Cohort.
For both squires and monstrous mounts, it’s good to have these as supplemental rules, but (just like the Leadership feat itself) I wouldn’t expect every GM to allow them in every game.

• “Cavalier Orders” adds three new Orders (a cavalier class feature) to the game: the Order of the Land (protecting rural areas), the Order of the Penitent (former criminals), and the Order of the Staff (aides to spellcasters). Interesting concepts, but the associated powers are pretty weak.

• “Knightly Codes and Traits” provides secular knights a nice role-playing counterpart to the idea of Paladin codes. The Codes include Freedom, Perseverance, Revolution, Valor, and Vigilance. Each has an associated social trait that the character gets if they maintain the code.

• “The Spells of Serren” is a collection of eight new spells ostensibly created by Serren, a half-elven magus who spent a lot of time associating with knights. I’ve actually seen a lot of these come up in games--carry companion, bed of iron, and especially the overpowered and problematic keep watch (allowing PCs to stay awake all night every night).

• “Magic Items” has what you would expect—nothing jumped out at me, and I haven’t noticed any of them being used or abused.

And that’s Knights of the Inner Sea. It covers a ton of ground, though much of the setting material seems incredibly cursory to someone familiar with Golarion. However, if given to a player new to the world that wants to play a knight PC, it could be a good entry point.

There was some more interesting information, e.g. on heraldry, mounts and the names of equipment. There was also a roll call of the various groupings of knights in the campaign world. However, I never really got a sense of what made the Knights unique as a class, and they just seemed like fighters with a title. The art was gorgeous.

This book did a great job of getting me interested in the various Knight options, but left me frustrated and wanting more details about actually rolling up and playing some of the types presented in the book. It would have been perfect if all of the crunch, or class stats had been presented. If nothing else , an index listing each knight class / prestige class / archetype and the book and page number it could be found in would have been very helpful. Some of the class options do have the reference book listed, but this information is spread throughout the book and is very confusing or hard to find. This player companion would have been perfect if it had been expanded to include all of the stats and class information necesary to roll up a character or add a prestige class with this as the ultimate reference guide.

A fine little booklet. This one covers the primary Knightly orders of the Inner Sea, their organization, and motivations. Worth is alone for the wonderful 2 page art spread of the Cavalier iconic with a discection of all this gear and horse. Seriously, just a handy booklet. The info on the squire rules is great and the spells in the book are USEFUL! My only serious gripe is a lot of the Knightly orders this book covers are in the Inner Sea Guide and Paths of Prestige. Pick those up to get the full use out of this book.

When I first learned that Paizo was working on a book about knights in the Inner Sea region, I was thrilled beyond belief. As a fan of the Dragonlance setting, I've been using knights in my games pretty much since my first game as a GM and I still do, fascinated as I am by the notion of knightly orders and the wide variety of motivations that drive these knightly orders and the individual knights within them to excel.

Fast forward a few months and I've finally had a chance to actually read Knights of the Inner Sea. I'm pleased with the result and I'll tell you why.

LAYOUT
The book follows the new format introduced in Varisia: Birthplace of Legends. 32 pages jam packed with information to help gamers bring the subjects contained in the book to the gaming table. Each topic in the book is given 1 page (For Your Character, Rules Index, Knights and Religion, Knights and Race) or 2 pages (Knights Overview, Eagle Knights, Hellknights, Knights of Ozem, Mendevian Crusaders, Other Knightly Orders, Anatomy of the Knight, Squires, Mounts, Cavalier Orders, Knightly Codes and Traits, The Spells of Serren, Magic Items), providing a fast and furious pace to the information given.

This, of course, requires that the text is clear and well written, and I feel that's the case in Knights of the Inner Sea. The text is easy to understand and written in a way that certainly inspired me. I also like that each turn of the page presents a new topic relevant to knighthoods in the Inner Sea. In a product as short as the books in the Player Companion line are, you can't afford to spend too much time dwelling on a single topic.

Every inch of the book has been utilized, including the inside covers. The front inside cover provides an overview of 4 knightly heritages, showcasing the differences within knightly heritages from various regions in the Inner Sea. This overview is just that. It's not a detailed essay on the history and personalities of each house, but rather a few short nuggets of information to inspire players and GMs alike to explore the notion of noble houses and knighthood in their own games. This, I think, is what Paizo does best. They provide us gamers with nuggets that allow us to add depth to our games. The back inside cover is all about mounts, focusing on the mundane sort such as horses and hounds. Once again, the information is precise, providing a brief description, a reference to a relevant stat block and book, and a game mechanic associated with the mount.

Following the trend started by Varisia: Birthplace of Legends, Knights of the Inner Sea is all about making things easy for the players. From the sidebar Questions to Ask Your GM through the Rules Index to the centerfold providing a visual breakdown of a knight's armor and equipment (as well as that of his mount), Knights of the Inner Sea does its utmost to ensure that any player contemplating playing a knight has as much information as he needs to get started. I really like that. As a veteran player, I like to think I know my way around the game, but even so, the book makes my life much easier when it comes to knightly characters. For instance, before Knights of the Inner Sea, I didn't know the name of every single component of a typical knight's arms and armor. I do now. The Questions to Ask Your GM segment is just common sense. Don't create a mounted knight if your GM intends to run an all-Darklands campaign for your group, for instance.

The greatest thing about the layout in the new format is that it no longer follows a set formular with specific sections that have to be in each book (such as Social, Faith, etc.). The content and the way it's laid out is adjusted to the needs of the subject matter. Of course you'll still see certain things in each installment going forward, such as the centerfold, but this seems far less forced than was the case with the old layout for the Pathfinder Player Companion Line.

FLUFF
If you're looking for obscure knightly orders or even detailed essays on the major knightly orders of the setting, this is not the book for you. There are two reasons for this. First, this book isn't big enough for that kind of thing, considering the large topic the book tries to cover. Second, Paizo's strength when it comes to fluff lies in whetting the appetite. In planting countless sparks with which to ignite the creative fire.

So what can you expect from the fluff in this book? Knights of the Inner Sea discusses what it means to be a knight in the Inner Sea region, covering such topics as types of knights, how religion affects a knight, and racial differences. In addition, seven specific knightly orders are presented. All of this with enough detail to help a player create a knightly character. So somewhat basic, well-written information. If you're a living Golarion encyclopedia the amount of new fluff is limited but, considering the purpose of the book, that's not a bad thing.

My personal favorite part of the fluff in the book is the centerfold. I've mentioned this before but it deserves a second mention. The Anatomy of the Knight section is brilliant and it's something I'll be referencing a lot both as a player and as a GM.

CRUNCH
There are several interesting crunchy parts to this book. We get feats, traits, cavalier orders, spells, and magic items. But while these are, for the most part, cool and tailormade for knightly characters, I want to focus on roles, squires, and mounts.

Roles are a new feature that was premiered in Varisia: Birthplace of Legends. Some of you may not have access to that book so here's a brief description of what a role is. Basically, it's advice. Want to play a Gallowspire Warden (Knights of Ozem specializing in the patrolling of the Hungry Mountains and the prison of the Whispering Tyrant)? The Gallowspire Warden role lists options that help you build a fitting concept. Classes, archetypes, skill, feats, prestige classes, and equipment are suggested and the persona typical to Gallowspire Wardens is described.

Roles are clearly meant for new players and veteran players who don't have the time and/or the desire to go through the many books published for Pathfinder (the game AND the setting). As such, it's an invaluable resource, certainly for new players for whom the prospect of browsing through thousands of pages just to find the right game mechanics can be a daunting one.

The disadvantage, I think, that roles have is that, for a large portion of the player base, myself included, they fill a lot of real estate. Space that many will think could have been put to much better use either fleshing out some more fluff or presenting more new game mechanics. In the case of Knights of the Inner Sea, 4 pages have been dedicated to advice on how to build specific character concepts. I don't see myself using roles to create my characters and as such, I would have prefered something else. I realize, though, that I'm far from the only customer Paizo has to take into consideration, and roles serve their purpose quite well, I think.

Squires are handled via a feat. It's basically a minor version of the Leadership feat that allows you to gain a single cohort. When you reach seventh level, the Squire feat upgrades to Leadership. Pretty cool even if the prerequisite level seems a bit off. The really cool thing, though, is the addition of squire-specific archetypes that come along with the feat. While the archetypes can certainly be taken by any character of might qualify for them, they're intended to be taken by squires. The archetypes are Combat Healer Squire (paladin), Gunner Squire (gunslinger), Herald Squire (cavalier), and Weapon Bearer Squire (fighter). All in all a fun way of handling squires in the game.

Any self-respecting knight rides into battle on a war-trained steed and Knights of the Inner Sea has that aspect covered quite well, I think. The book divides mounts into two categories - Animal Mounts and Monstrous Mounts. We'll get to the animal mounts in a bit but first let's discuss the monstrous mounts. 13 monstrous mounts are featured in the book (blink dog, dragon horse, young dragon, dragonne, giant owl, griffon, hell hound, kirin, pegasus, shadow mastiff, sleipnir, unicorn, and worg). Although no new game mechanics dealing with monstrous mounts are introduced, the section does a nice job of describing how each monstrous mount might serve a knight. In addition, a page reference is given, allowing the reader to quickly look up the monster in the relevant book, and a Cohort Level is given. Very useful to any player contemplating getting a monstrous mount.

Animal mounts are featured on the inside back cover of the book. In all, 5 horses (chiadmar, Dort charger, fell pony, Lastwall jasper, and Taldor jennet) and 3 non-horse mounts (Chernasado riding elk, Erutaki husky, and Qadiran dromedary) are listed on the page. Each entry contains a short description, a page reference, and a trait. Not only do we get a bunch of Golarion-specific mounts to add some flavor to our knights (as opposed to the standard Core Rulebook heavy or light horse), but each mount comes with a trait. While this trait counts against a character's total traits, whenever you switch to a new type of mount (say, from Dort charger to Lastwall jasper), you also switch traits, losing the trait you with before and gaining the trait associated with the new type of mount. I absolutely love this, as it adds a nice bit of crunch to campaigns and adventures in which mounts make sense.

CONCLUSION
So how does this 32-page book on knights handle itself? Quite well as it turns out. The book's purpose is to provide players with enough material for them to be able to play knightly characters. It does that perfectly, I think. Knights of the Inner Sea provides details on some of the most popular knightly orders on Golarion, it contains rules for mounts and squires, it provides sample knightly heritages, it breaks down the importance of religion and how the different races approach the concept of knighthood, it visually describes a knight's arms and armor as well as that of his mount, it provides magic equipment and spells, it provides plenty of suggestions through roles, and overall it does so in a well-written and inspiring manner. If you expect the book to go deeper, providing material on more obscure knightly orders or game mechanics to really take your knight to the next level, you'll be disappointed. But if you expect this book to equip you with enough fluff and crunch to create that archetypical knight, this book has you covered.

My only two sour grapes are roles and some of the artwork. While roles work very well for what they're supposed to do, for me personally and the kind of gamer I am, its usefulness will be limited and it'll take up a lot of real estate that I might have wanted spent differently. Again, if you're new to Pathfinder or you're one of the MANY gamers who don't think it's particularly fun to browse through book after book after book to find the fitting game mechanics, roles will be a boon. As such, it's not something that'll detract from my overall impression of the book. Roles may not be useful to me personally but for a lot of gamers, they certainly will, and they work well.

The majority of the artwork in this book is quite decent. However, there are three pieces that did not sit well with me, specifically the artwork for the Hellknight, the Knight of Ozem, and the Mendevian Crusader. Artwork is a very subjective part of any roleplaying supplement, and for me those pieces did not do a good job at all visually describing typical representatives of the three orders. Other than those three pieces, the artwork in the book worked well enough, particularly the centerfold and the three panoramic pieces.

All in all, a very useful book that should help a lot of players realize their knightly character concepts. It's certainly inspired me.