Suggestions for the code of conduct for a LE knight from a family of LE knights?


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


These are the things I have so far but would like a little outside perspective because these things contribute to allow for the exact personality I want to play the character with so I was looking for some outside additions...

1. I shall show no mercy in combat and always strike to kill.
2. I will openly accept the challenge of any worthy opponent.
3. I shall seek no unfair advantage in combat.
4. I will exact revenge for all slights against me and return favors only for any previous kindness shown me.
5. I shall stay true to my word and carry out any vows or oaths that I speak.
6. I will never speak nor go along with any blatant falsehoods.

Any additions welcome, and I admit 4 is a little neutral but again that's why I'm lookin for the proofread so to speak...


I would remove #3. It's too vague and limiting. If you want to keep it, change "unfair" to "dishonorable." Unfair is a matter of perspective. Honorable will generally have a more closely defined rule set. Unfair is easily turned against your character, but honorable isn't.

Have you looked at the rules for the cavalier Order of the Cockatrice? They seem very similar to what you want your character to follow.


I'd drop #1: accepting surrender and taking prisoners/slaves/living trophies is the LE thing to do. Anyone can kill another. But to thoroughly humiliate them first, they need to live a while longer.

Suggested change for #2: "I will openly accept the challenge of any opponent I deem worthy. " That adds a nice escape clause.

Suggested change for #4: "I will exact revenge for all slights against me tenfold and return favors due." Vengeance is a prime motivator for LE characters, and favours should only be returned after they are formally acknowledged as being favours; unasked-for kindness should be ignored.


I would add language about loyalty and support to the family. I will revenge a slight against me or my familiy's honor ten fold etc.

Liberty's Edge

Agreed on the family aspect. Would tend to think that family, improvement of family standing, aggressively pushing family agenda and ambitions...all of this would be important aspects.

Dark Archive

Number one seems wrong to me. I see no reason why they would insist on death and not take prisoners/slaves. In fact, I would expect them to honor and accept surrender and submission by the loser. When a slave revolts, killing or torturing that standout keeps the others in line and and in their place. Until, they act out of line, I would expect them to be supplied with the bare minimum essentials to carry out their new slave tasks.

I also argue that unfair advantages are sometimes hard earned positions obtained from proper startergy and tactics. Examples include taking and keeping higher ground, building fortification and laying down defenses like traps or establishing air supremacy. I see no reason why they would not use advantages as long as they do not violate a rule. For example, whey enter a one on one duel with predefined rules, those rules may outlaw poison. In that case, poison is prohibited. On the other hand, if a slave or game animal being hunted makes a run for it, I see no reason they would not use poison to slow them down if they can get such a strike in.

I guess you could say that staying true to your word goes with showing loyalty to their superiors, military commanders, royalty and elected/appointed officials. One would presume the character in question has already pledged their loyalty to such positions. Even so, consider making a new rule just for such. Perhaps something like "I will carry out my orders with swiftness." Maybe add somthing like never challenge my leader without properly going through the right channels.

I look forward to returning to this thread. I just recently began a king maker campaign with a PC from Chiliax. He is currently true neutral because while he knew to keep his head low growing up and used the law every time he could use it to his advantage, due to his family being poverty stricken(trait), he also felt that sometimes just to survive, he had to do what he had to do, even if that meant breaking the law. Now that he is in a lawless land of the king maker campaign, I look forward to him switching to a no nonsense lawful demeanor where he tries to tame the land by establishing a boot over the neck of any challenge. I am happy to say I have another player in the group aspiring to be a hell knight. The monk should not be two different from us to work with. As for the half-ogre pc, we may need to keep an eye on him yet.


"4. I will exact revenge for all slights against me" is a roundabout translation of "The first person who says anything a normal person would completely brush off to my characters conflagrates the game into a shouting match over 'what my character would do' and player-versus-player combat".

I would try to take that a step back. LE can engage in hostile insults back and forth or good-natured jabbing. Maybe the first time someone talks smack about a subject like your family or your grandfather's honor you give them a warning that if they do it again you'll make them bleed for it. That way the game's environment isn't "appease the knight and watch your mouth or you'll stop the game for an hour as everyone argues".

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