5e Forsaken Gods: Knight-Errant Saul Ahriman

I am a literal knight in shining armour that can deliver them from evil. I am a blade of God that can strike down wrongdoers with impunity. I am a hero. I am a threat.

• Personality Trait: I am careful and considered - and like to be perceived that way. I want others to think of me as a philosopher, not a soldier.
• Ideal: Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge.
• Bond: I put first people who put others first. If you demonstrate self-sacrifice, I will sacrifice for you.
• Flaw: I am too adept at abstracting out the suffering of others into the hypothetical.

Background

• Human Fighter (Rune Knight) Level 5
• Alignment: Lawful Neutral
• Background: Sage

Attributes

Abilities

• STR: 18 (+4)
• DEX: 10 (+0)
• CON: 16 (+3)
• INT: 12 (+1)
• WIS: 14 (+2)
• CHA: 10 (+0)

Skills and Proficiencies

• Proficiencies: Light Armour, Medium Armour, Heavy Armour, Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
• Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution, Wisdom
• Skills: Arcana, Athletics, History, Perception, Religion
• Tool Proficiencies: Smiths' Tools
• Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven, Draconic, Giant

Feats

• Resilient (Wisdom) - Wisdom saving throw proficiency, +1 Wisdom (included)

Combat Details

• AC: 20 (plate, shield)
• HP: 49
• Speed: 30’
• Proficiency: +3

Attacks

Shatterspike +8 melee (1d8+7 slashing)

Javelin +7 melee or 30/120 thrown (1d6+6 piercing)

Dagger +7 melee or 20/60 thrown (1d4+6 piercing)

Saving Throws

• Strength +7
• Dexterity +0
• Constitution +6
• Intelligence +1
• Wisdom +5
• Charisma +0

Skills

Arcana +4

Athletics +7

History +4

Perception +5

Religion +4

Traits and Features

Researcher (When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of lore, if you do not know that information, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a library, scriptorium, university, or a sage or other learned person or creature. Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.)

Fighting Style: Dueling (+2 damage with one-handed melee weapons)

Second Wind (1d10+5)

Action Surge

Rune Carver: Stone Rune (While wearing or carrying an object inscribed with this rune, you have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks, and you have darkvision out to a range of 120 feet; 1/rest, invoke rune as Reaction when a creature ends its turn within 30' which must make a Wisdom save DC 14 or be Charmed by me for 1 minute and have Speed 0 and be Incapacitated, repeating save at end of each its turns)

Rune Carver: Fire Rune (While wearing or carrying an object inscribed with this rune, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses your proficiency with a tool; 1/rest, invoke rune on hit to deal +2d6 fire and target must make a Strength save DC 14 or be Restrained for 1 minute, taking 2d6 fire at start each its turns, repeating save at end of each its turns)

Giant's Might 3/LR (Bonus action: for 1 minute, become Large; get Advantage on Str checks and saves; and deal +1d6 damage with weapon attack 1/your turn)

Extra Attack

Equipment

Shatterspike (+1 longsword; if it hits an object, it is automatically a crit and can be either slashing or piercing. Sword is immune to nonmagical damage)

Gleaming Plate Armour

Shield

Javelins, 4

Priest's Pack - 10 candles, an alms box, 2 blocks of incense, a censer, vestments

Scholar's Pack - a book of lore, a bottle of ink, an ink pen, 10 sheets of parchment, a little bag of sand, a small knife

Potion of Healing

Healer's Kit

Smiths' Tools

Dagger

Antitoxin

Holy Water

Holy Symbol (amulet)

Bullseye Lantern

Grappling Hook

Block and tackle

Scroll case, 3

Oil, 4

Bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you have not yet been able to answer, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch

Half of a floorplan for a temple. The half-finished plan for a temple of learning that Saul has been dreaming about for a few years. He's never had the money to pay the architect to finish the plans, but he still holds out hope it will one day be built. It will be a building that brings together hall of worship, seminary, and library of philosophy.

184gp

8sp

Person

How do your fellow clergy members view you? You would be well acquainted with one another being high ranking members of the church. Name one thing people like about you and one thing people dislike about you.

I suppose there are two main reactions to Saul. The first is to be impressed that a man of the sword is so learned. The second is to be amused - or perhaps insulted - that an intellect as limited as Saul's dares to think it can enter debate with the real masters.

Once you get to know him, you find that he is by and large interested in what is best for people; but he is committed to his pursuit of philosophy, which sometimes can seem to amount to little more than pointless hypothesising. On the other hand, he is not brash nor rash; a quality that is surely to be applauded in all warriors.

Why are you in the church? How does your commitment to your faith influence your decisions?

The Knights of the Church are a long-standing tradition. Saul was tapped at an early age for the life of knighthood, being chosen to be a squire from a family working in the city. He inherited the diligence of a scribe from his father, but his newly elevated station gave him access to libraries and experts, and that ignited in Saul an unquenchable desire to be amongst them. So it was that he served and trained as a squire by day, and burned the midnight oil reading tracts and treatises by the realm's greatest philosophers.

He finally graduated into knighthood when his master became too old to ride out any longer. Rather than seek a domain of his own, Saul decided to take on the mantle of Knight-Errant, the role of which is act as a sort of wandering sheriff to the people in the protection of the Church's interests.

He is steeped in the dogma of the faith and his philosophy resolves around it. Philosopher's ask, "what is good?" - and God has the answer. Philsophers ask, "what is real?" - and God has the answer. That doesn't mean the answers are obvious, or without need of analysis; but God remains the centre of all things.

Describe one portion of your duties to the church - this could be daily tasks, personal ritual, etc.

Ahriman is a Knight-Errant. This means that, instead of having a dominion over which he has lordship and to which he must give protection, he is engaged indeterminably on a quest. Typically for the Church, his quest is to travel the land, smite darkness and evil and root out the Church's enemies, and resolve any conflicts between the faithful which may need the sharp edge of reason.

In truth he has been a while in the city; this last of his duties seems to have kept him quite busy, and he has found himself lodged in debate between merchants on the proper way to resolve spoiled goods; supporting the local Watch in hunting down murderers and bandits; and passing summary judgement for minor infractions.