KNECHTS

Knecht is a German cognate of the English word knight, sharing the same root origin.

A Knecht, however, is not a Knight.

A Knecht is a serf or peasant. A servant.

Mortalkind exists in the shadow of a previous age of Kings and Monsters.

The world is vast, and old.

Your world is small.

Humans live in small, isolated hamlets and cities. Barons and Dukes promise the commonfolk protection from whatever lurks just over the hill, across the river, or beyond the pines.

What lies past the next valley? None can be sure.

The world is vast, and old. Dungeons are deep and older.

Both contain secrets and treasures ancient, valuable, and powerful.

Only fools—well armed fools—ever venture more than a few miles outside a village.

Or is it a fool who chooses to live as a servant?

No classes. A PC’s role in the party is determined largely by their chosen and found equipment and items. Characters may specialize and train along the campaign, but all are equally capable of spell-slinging and mace-swinging at level 0. Players control characters who belong to a party, troupe, or guild with the other players’ characters.

This toolkit is heavily based on Knave, Old School Essentials, and other systems that emulate the ethos of a more deadly, survival style game where exploration, curiosity and discretion are rewarded while wits, cleverness, and risk mitigation are essential for survival. The GM is not trying to kill you, but they are presenting the world as it is: dangerous, and uncaring.