My last session saw my first player death and at present all of his heirs are too young to play. So it looks like they could be Knighted earlier than at 21. The dead Knight had accumulated a lot of glory and his friends are politically powerful so it seems quite plausible.

My question is are there any rules for making younger Knights than 21?

I have the 4th Edition rules as well and there is a system in there but I'm not sure how well the Knights it makes compare to the ones made by the current system.

Has anyone ever done this? If so are there any quick and dirty rules to do it?

4E knights are more variable than 5E knights, due to far more randomizing.

On AVERAGE, a 21 yo KAP4.5 knight (4E BoK or 4E w/Saxons! upgrade) will equal a 5E 21yo knight.
With good rolls, however, he can exceed said 5E knight by 15+ skill levels
With bad rolls, he might not yet even qualify for knighting, and be some 15 skill levels below.

An average KAP 4.0 knight at age 21 will be about 21 skill levels down from a KAP5 knight or a KAP4.5 knight.

KAP4 only generates from age 15 up...

So this would bring up the question, what would be the basic skills needed to be knighted?

I will take the liberty of quoting Book of Knights & Ladies at length on this



So this would bring up the question, what would be the basic skills needed to be knighted?


Six things are needed to become a knight:

1. Noble Blood
Knighthood is a noble office, so a candidate must have a father who is noble.
Exceptions do occur. A particularly successful man-at-arms might be raised to nobility. In the later Periods, it?s even possible to marry a noblewoman and thus acquire knighthood (though the unspoken truth of this is generally that a king needs money.) More likely in such circumstances is that the son of a noblewoman and a common man would qualify for knighthood.
Notes: In the Uther and Anarchy Periods, nobility has not yet affixed itself to noble lineages, so this qualification doesn?t exist.
In the Boy King Period, King Arthur begins to require that new knights be of noble blood ― i.e., their father must have been a knight or esquire. A legitimate case could be made that a noble mother will also qualify a knight.
In later Periods, however, a noble father is required.
2. Being of Age
Candidates for knighthood must have reached their majority (in most cases, age 21 is considered majority in Pendragon).
Exceptions abound, and in fact this means a candidate has to be at least 18 years old. Sometimes under special circumstances, age 17 is sufficient?such circumstances might be because an important battle is coming up; because a young noble needs to be knighted to take his deceased father?s office; or simply because someone very important says that it must happen immediately, so it does.
3. Proper Training
Knighthood is a profession of arms. A candidate has to know how to ride and fight, and must be willing to kill. He must also know the proper protocols and rules of his station. These include knowing courtly ranks and manners (i.e., Courtesy).
Other courtly skills are useful and will probably help a knight advance, but knowing Hunting, Play (harp), Falconry, etc., are peripheral to the primary job of knowing how to follow orders and kill.
Knights created using this system always qualify.
4. Proper Equipment
To become a knight, one first has to have a suit of armor, a shield, a battle-trained steed, a sword, and some other weapons. It is generally held necessary to have these items in the most current fashion. Thus, in later Periods, just a 10-point suit of old chain mail may not qualify a person.
Exceptions exist, especially where a battle is coming and more knights are needed for the field. And of course, the best available armor differs from area to area, so when 14-point plate is standard in Logres, up in Lothian 12-point partial plate may do.
Note that it?s expensive to get this gear, which is why commoners are expected to always contribute when a knight?s oldest son qualifies. The second son, and later sons, do not qualify for this benefit. The father, or other sponsor, must personally pay for it.
5. Opportunity
A knight needs a liege lord to swear to. Without being the sworn vassal of a lord, a man is not a real knight. There must be opportunity for him to become a knight. Of course, a knight candidate with a manor of his own has that opportunity, but others need to find someone who will be willing to support them as household knights.
No noble will simply make someone a knight and set him free to go a-questing.
6. Swearing the Oath
Knighthood is a duty with responsibilities and obligations as well as opportunities and privileges. These are set forth in a solemn oath that is taken by every knight before he can enter this profession. The specific obligations vary, but always include swearing loyalty to a lord (usually whomever knights him, but sometimes to another lord).
See Pendragon 5th ed., page 34, for details regarding the Ceremony of Knighthood.

Thanks Greg. I probably should have just looked it up in the book in the first place.

My last session saw my first player death and at present all of his heirs are too young to play. So it looks like they could be Knighted earlier than at 21. The dead Knight had accumulated a lot of glory and his friends are politically powerful so it seems quite plausible.


Your player could also play a relative of the dead character--brother, nephew, uncle, cousin. Another reason to keep a family tree for your PCs!

Suzanne