Triadic knight

"We are few, but our resolve can break the spine of any fiend." 

- Haelimbrar, Triadic Knight and Servant of the Lords of Imphras II

Triadic knights are holy warriors who worship the Triad of Tyr, Torm, and Ilmater. Triadic knights trace their history back to the Fiend Wars of Impiltur (729-732 DR), when the three churches joined forces to proclaim the Triad Crusade, but they no longer comprise a single order of paladins. Triadic knights believe that to truly embody the virtues of a paladin, one must draw on the strengths of all three gods. Through courage and perseverance, Triadic knights seek justice for all.

Becoming a Triadic Knight

Paladins, cleric/paladins, and clerics most commonly become Triadic knights, although many multiclass combinations including clerics and paladins are represented or have served in the past among the ranks of the Triad's holy warriors.

Depending on your base spellcasting class(es), you'll find Wisdom and/or Charisma remains your most valuable ability score. Melee combat-oriented characters should emphasize Strength and Constitution, while those specializing in unarmed combat should focus on Dexterity and Strength, and then Constitution. Spellcasters are best served by emphasizing their primary mental attribute to maximize the number of bonus spells they can cast.

Playing a Triadic Knight

You are brave, persevering, and honorable at all times, embodying the traits of all three members of the Triad. You exhibit more fl exibility than most clerics and paladins of lawful good deities, since you are able to see better than most that sometimes justice must be tempered by mercy, that suffering must be alleviated through courage, or that obedience must give way to what is right.

You serve the churches of Tyr, Torm, and Ilmater and respect the commands of their leaders; as you see it, members of each group have a unique perspective on living a valorous, honorable life.

COMBAT

You belong in the front line of any combat, fighting hand-to-hand with the champion or leader of your foes. Your spells and abilities allow you to shrug off the lingering effects of most evil magic and keep going. As you grow in power, your ability to embrace the suffering of others, ferret out the truth, and roar in the face of danger make you a natural leader and an inspirational example for others. Your ability to smite is your greatest weapon, and when you reach the pinnacle of your power, you can dispatch powerful creatures of evil with a single blow.

ADVANCEMENT

Becoming a Triadic knight requires dedicating yourself not to one god, but to three. You must spend time studying the dogma of all three faiths and understanding how each church’s teachings strengthens the other two. Although it is not strictly required, you are more likely to be chosen to join the knighthood if you exhibit great valor in three separate quests, each one serving one of the three churches of the Triad.

At first, your superiors will want you to rotate among the three faiths, serving the needs of each church individually. As you become seasoned, however, they will expect you to identify specific weaknesses of each individual faith and bring your understanding of the rest of the Triad’s teaching to bear, thus strengthening all three faiths.

As you continue to serve the Triad, you will be expected to become a leader of the Triad Crusade, which will continue until every last fiend is banished from Faerûn. You will be expected to seek out denizens of the Lower Planes who lurk in Abeir-Toril’s darkest shadows and muster the resources of the Triad’s three churches to ensure their defeat.

RESOURCES

As a Triadic knight, you are part of a respected knighthood of champions, the living embodiment of the teachings of three gods. You can expect a warm welcome in good-aligned human realms, much like that accorded a paladin. As a champion of three faiths that are closely allied, you can draw on the resources of all three churches. Spend coin on armor and weapons that will benefi t you in battle. Avail yourself of cold iron and silvered weapons effective against demons and devils, and seek out powerful magic weapons with bane (evil outsider), holy, and/or thundering properties.

In the Old Empires of Mulhorand, Unther, and Chessenta, and in nonhuman realms, Triadic knights are not widely known. However, members of like-minded churches (such as those discussed in the Adaptation section, below) are likely to give you aid if so requested; to them, a paladinlike knight who is open-minded about the teachings of multiple lawful and good gods is a refreshing change from most dogmatic holy warriors.

Triadic Knights in the World

“I met a mighty warrior on the road. Her sword was shattered, her face was scarred, and she carried with her a bloody saddle. I offered her a ride in my cart, but she graciously declined, saying that she had to walk the path Ilmater had set before her. Within her eyes burned a fi re the likes of which I’ve never seen. This warrior, I imagined, had fought horrors that would crush the spirit of any common man.”

—Arrath Darcylon, the Wandering Bard

Triadic knights are found throughout western and central Faerûn in churches and religious orders that embrace the worship of the three gods of the Triad. They play much the same role as paladins of Tyr, Torm, and Ilmater.

ORGANIZATION

Although Triadic knights once comprised a single order of paladins, Impiltur’s Order of the Triad, a slim majority of Triadic knights now are independent agents, acting as lone paladins or clerics who have embraced the worship of three like-minded gods with little resistance from members of the individual faiths. Other Triadic knights join one of the many knights orders dedicated to Torm, Tyr, or Ilmater. The largest concentrations of Triadic knights are found in Impiltur, as leading members of the Knights of Imphras II; in Tethyr, as leading members of the Knights Kuldar of Barakmordin; and in Calimshan, where they venerate Anachtyr in lieu of Tyr, as leading members of the Janessar.

NPC REACTIONS

Most people regard paladins with a mixture of awe and guilt, amazed by their bravery and honor, but fearful that they are being secretly “judged.” Others simply hate them or view them with admiration. Triadic knights are viewed much the same way as paladins, with similar varied reactions. Few observers recognizing the implications of a paladin archetype embracing three largely united but subtly different dogmas.

TRIADIC KNIGHTS LORE

Characters with Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (religion) can research Triadic knights and fi nd information on the Triad Crusade and its aftermath. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following material, including the information from lower DCs.

DC 10: Triadic knights embrace the worship of Tyr, Torm, and Ilmater, known collectively as the Triad.

DC 15: Triadic knights can be found in large numbers as members of the Knights Kuldar in Barakmordin and as members of the Knights of Imphras II in Impiltur.

DC 20: Triadic knights came to prominence during the Triad Crusade, called by the churches of Tyr, Torm, and Ilmater in the wake of the Weeping War (711–714 YK) to defend Old Impiltur against an invasion of newly released fi ends.

DC 30: Characters who achieve this level of success can learn important details about specifi c Triadic knights in your campaign.