Metagame: More on Orders of Knighthood.

Gentle Followers All (now Seventeen in Number) and Readers (Unknown Numbers), Greetings and Salutations.

So, for those wondering what I might be doing behind the screens, I have answers. For one thing, I finally got Magnus posted to DOSSIERS. Now I can find my character when I need too. Also, as noted in his brief description and in true metagame fashion noted he is a working Noble and most often seen as a Patron. I need to get Ivor hault-Daarnulud off of the CotI T5 Private Forum since that is going to be closed (or made read only maybe, but I need a copy anyway) and add him too. 

Another thing is as mentioned previously I am working (for Sharurshid metagame and pic wise {me in the hoodie, front left}) on NPCs for Greg P. Lee's T5 Cirque des Sirkas Campaign Supplement (now successfully Funded and working toward some stretch goals). This led me to Knighthoods as one of the NPCs happened to get Knighted as part of his Muster Out of the Imperial Navy. First thing I did of course was make up a new Order of Knighthood in the OTU. >:D I mean really can you blame me? The thing is that made me come up not only with an Order, but also some of the Ranks of Chivalry within the Order. Why? Well not just to put my little stamp (again) on T5 Canon, but also because frankly there ought to be bunches of Orders of Knighthood in the Third Imperium, much less my even older and larger ones (the Fifth Imperium having had a galactic scope). So, I created one, an Order open only to certain sophonts with specific service requirements. If you want to know which one, get Greg's Cirque des Sirkas and find out. :p (Yeah, for the new folks, I am a dick, violate the Wheaton Rule all over the place. And I am far worse with my meatspace crew, the [VR] who get mad props for putting up with it and giving fair exchange while doing so.)

Well, now I had an Order (which I am pretty sure is not OTU Canon breaking) and some ranks within it. This led me to again wonder how will I deal with Orders of Knighthood and their ranks. So for the Thornwood-Daarnulud LLC Alternate Traveller5 Universe (Working Title The Permatic Imperium: Adventuring in the Riftborne Domains) I have jotted some ideas on a mechanic that allows Players and Referees to have a bit more of a Rich Decision Making Environment (RDME) which is so part of Traveller5. I will now share them with you, they are of course subject to change in the final product (which is slated hypothetically for the end of the year, maybe beginning of 2014).

T5 Extended Knighthood Rank Mechanic (with Table).

Mechanic A) If a character is already Social Standing B (by birth or Personal Development, but has not been Elevated to Knight) then they are bumped up from KX to KYX, where KY equals the next higher rank in the Order's rank structure (they can differ) and X equals the Order's traditional suffix, such as a Knight of the Empire can use the suffix "KE" after their name (Example: Sir Scott Smythe, KE). 

If character is Social Standing is A or less then they receive the normal KX. 

If the character already has a Knighthood (KX), then a second receipt of a Knighthood may be taken as the next higher rank in the current Order or may be taken as a second Order (provided none of the rules of the first Knighthood are violated). A third or even more receipts of a Knighthood can be taken as greater rank in the Order(s) in which the character holds membership {See Note 4 below}.

Mechanic B) The player may invoke a one time use of Flux. If they do, they are bound by the results for good or ill. (Unless there is the possibility of a Waiver? Say, TN = Soc N -7 Mod, so a character with Soc B, would be trying to hit 11 -7 = 4, and a Soc A≤ is having to hit 3 or less, not easy to do.) Use Table 1 below for the character's new rank in their Order of Knighthood.

Table 1.

-5 to -3 = Demoted to Page of X {See Note1}. 

Example: Walston Richards, Page of Sir Scott of the Order of the Empire, Suffix: None, Unit: none.

-2 to -1 = Demoted to Squire of X {See Note 2}. 

Example: Sarii Vasharkiin, Squire of Sir Scott of the Order of the Empire, Suffix: None, Unit: Page.

     0  = Elevated to Knight of X (Suffix: KX). 

Example: Sir Scott Smythe, A Knight of the Order of the Empire, Suffix: KE, Unit: Squire, Page + 1 Squad  (Alpha Squad, 3rd Co, 2nd Batt, 1st Chevalier Imperium).

+1 to +2 = Elevated to KYX. 

Example: Sir Walther Ivanov Kenisnko, A Knight Commander of the Order of the Empire, Suffix: KCE, Unit: Squire, Page + 1 Company of Order Troops (3rd Company, 2nd Batt, 1st Chevalier Imperium).

+3 to +5 = Elevated to KZX. 

Example: Dame Sheila Smitters, A Grand Commander of the Order of the Empire, Suffix: GCE, Unit: Squire, Page + 1 Battalion of Order Troops (2nd Battalion, 1st Chevalier Imperium).

Note 1: Character must serve either a PC or NPC Knight (and/or their Squire) of their Order for one Term of Penance (4 years). This Term of Service may be simulated during CharGen or may take place after CharGen during post-Career adventuring. 

If in CharGen use the Risk/Reward mechanic, the Controlling Characteristic is determined by Order (for example the Order of the Empire allows Applicants to use any one of C1-C4 they chose). 

If done during adventuring the Referee may decide if the Page is ready to be promoted, either to back up to Knight, or if not quite ready yet Squire. It should be noted that if the player role plays true penance and desire to uphold the Orders of their Knighthood, the Term can be shortened to a time agreed upon by the players (this includes the crew that the Page has been adventuring with) and the Referee. The Knight may be reinstated at that time even if not finished serving the standard Term of Penance.

Note 2: The character must serve a Term of Penance in service of a Knight (but not their Squire) under conditions as shown in Note 1. 

Most of these Terms of Penance are similar to this example cited in the records of the Order of the Empire, wherein an Applicant Knight was "required to be reminded that the Applicant as a Knight, they are to be both Honorable and Humble and having attempted to achieve a Rank in the Order above their time in Service to the Order and the Imperium shown themselves to be neither and thus are assigned to Sir Mixalot, a Knight of the Order for remedial study and contemplation..." and should be reflected in the character's service to their Patron Knight.

This was the first draft of the T5 Extended Knighthood Rank Mechanic (with Table) though it has been a bit expanded on this page (TL-8) compared to the physically small page of the notebook (TL-2). It then evolved into a bit of time on the DataNets to find some ranks to flesh out the table. So pencil in hand on the opposite page (usually I use pen, but I figured I might want to erase it and use the space for other things) I jotted down some various rank structures. Then I went through them and grabbed some of those and made a few adjustments for my own needs and thus was born version two of the table using the B Mechanic.

Table 2.

-5 = Initiate of X (Suffix: none, Unit: none).

-4 = Novice of X (Suffix: none, Unit: none).

-3 = Page of {Knight/Squire} (Suffix: none, Unit: subordinate ranks).

-2 = Squire of {Knight} (Suffix: none, Unit: Page + subordinate ranks).

-1 = Aspirant Knight of X (Suffix: none or AKX, Unit: Squire, Page + subordinate ranks).

  0 = Knight of X (Suffix: KE, Unit: Squire, Page + 1 Squad).

+1 = Errant Knight of X (Suffix: EKX, Unit: Squire, Page + 1 Platoon).

+2 = Knight Commander of X (Suffix: KCX, Unit: Squire, Page + 1 Company).

+3 = Knight Banneret of X (Suffix: KBX, Unit: Squire, Page + 1 Regiment).

+4 = Lord Knight of X {See Note 3} (Suffix: LKX, Unit: Squire, Page + 1 Battalion).

+5 = Grand Cordon of X {See Note 4} (Suffix: GCX, Unit: Division).

Note 3: The Rank of Lord Knight of X does not convey a Patent of Nobility holder's use of the honorific "Lord". The Knight should not be addressed as merely "Lord Example", but must either be addressed as "Lord Knight Example" or "Sir/Dame Example" as per preference.

Note 4: The Rank of Grand Master of X (Suffix: GMX, Unit: The Order) is reserved for the use of the Referee, or "GM".

I think this latest table is about as good as it can get. Actually I may just have it be Table 2 (Optional, by Order) and it is only used for those Orders with more ranks than Table 1 (Standard Order, example: KE). This Table also got some additions, it was the first to prompt me to note what size unit a Knight might lead depending on Rank.

So, anyone up for Thornwood-Daarnulud LLC to produce some hard copy Orders of Knighthood? Seriously, if you would buy some, even if it was at some future point after you had the Setting Book in your hands and had run some games in it, let me know. Helps when making up the Product List (which is now in Official Draft 01 status, got sent to Marc for a first look, comments, and approval).

Well, it is unbelievably late for me right now and I think I should hit the head and rank in that order. Though I would like to note before I do that I have now backed the Cirque des Sirkas with a lousy CrImps 15, but I am not all that sure my experiment as a small gaming company will bear fruit and more importantly, CrImps for me to reinvest in stuff.

Laterness,

Craig.