Don’t lose your head over it, but today Epic Monsters is going after the most verdant member of the Knights of the Round Table: the Green Knight!
His name sometimes changes depending on the story (along with a few other details), but they all establish the Green Knight as a central character to the Arthurian myths, a teacher of sacred things and tester of other Knights of the Round Table. During a Christmas feast he appears and challenges the court to a beheading game: strike him once with his axe, and a year later he’ll return the strike. King Arthur volunteers but Gawain insists otherwise then decapitates the Green Knight—who picks up his own head, puts it back on, and promises to meet again at the Green Chapel in a year’s time.
Their next meeting is sooner than Gawain realizes however as his host on the way to the declared site (Bertilak de Hautedesert) is actually the Green Knight. Gawain’s chastity and loyalty are tested while in Bertilak’s castle, resisting the seductions of his wife, and the warrior agrees to exchange prizes from hunting in the area nearby. When New Year’s Day arrives Gawain goes to the Green Chapel to honorably suffer what was promised—and the Green Knight spares Gawain three times before revealing his other identity.
This is also when he relates other information that changes based on the specific retelling (that he was sent by Morgan le Fay, or by his mother-in-law). One of the more interesting tales has him helping King Arthur fight a sprite loose in the castle, using a scroll of some kind to take control of it and send it back to attack its conjurer (King Cornwall).
Design Notes: Let’s review the design goals here: a knight that can flawlessly present himself as a different person, little bit of divine scroll capability, axe that decapitates people, and unphased by having his own head cut off. Done and done—let’s do the numbers! Surprisingly the Green Knight scored highly both on the DMG (8.33) and the Blog of Holding (8.8333), averaging out comfortably at Challenge Rating 8.
Armor Class 18 (plate)
Hit Points 102 (12d8+48)
Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Con +7, Wis +5
Skills Deception +8, Insight +5, Perception +5, Persuasion +5, Religion +6
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages English
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
False Identity. The Green Knight can remove his armor and assume his other identity as Bertilak de Hautedesert, gaining advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks made to conceal that he is the Green Knight.
Headless. The Green Knight can survive without his head.
Regeneration. The Green Knight regains 10 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point.
Relic Worker. The Green Knight has advantage on Intelligence (Religion) checks made to interpret spell scrolls, and can use any divine spell scroll.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Green Knight attacks three times with his greataxe or handaxes.
Green Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12+4) magical slashing damage. When the Green Knight scores a critical hit against a creature that has at least one head, the creature makes a DC 15 Strength saving throw or he cuts off one of its heads. The creature dies if it can't survive without the lost head. A creature is immune to this effect if it is immune to slashing damage, doesn't have or need a head, has legendary actions, or the GM decides that the creature is too big for its head to be cut off with this weapon. Such a creature instead takes an extra 30 slashing damage from the hit.
Handaxes (3). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Parry. The Green Knight adds 3 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, the Green Knight must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
His name sometimes changes depending on the story (along with a few other details), but they all establish the Green Knight as a central character to the Arthurian myths, a teacher of sacred things and tester of other Knights of the Round Table. During a Christmas feast he appears and challenges the court to a beheading game: strike him once with his axe, and a year later he’ll return the strike. King Arthur volunteers but Gawain insists otherwise then decapitates the Green Knight—who picks up his own head, puts it back on, and promises to meet again at the Green Chapel in a year’s time.
Their next meeting is sooner than Gawain realizes however as his host on the way to the declared site (Bertilak de Hautedesert) is actually the Green Knight. Gawain’s chastity and loyalty are tested while in Bertilak’s castle, resisting the seductions of his wife, and the warrior agrees to exchange prizes from hunting in the area nearby. When New Year’s Day arrives Gawain goes to the Green Chapel to honorably suffer what was promised—and the Green Knight spares Gawain three times before revealing his other identity.
This is also when he relates other information that changes based on the specific retelling (that he was sent by Morgan le Fay, or by his mother-in-law). One of the more interesting tales has him helping King Arthur fight a sprite loose in the castle, using a scroll of some kind to take control of it and send it back to attack its conjurer (King Cornwall).
Design Notes: Let’s review the design goals here: a knight that can flawlessly present himself as a different person, little bit of divine scroll capability, axe that decapitates people, and unphased by having his own head cut off. Done and done—let’s do the numbers! Surprisingly the Green Knight scored highly both on the DMG (8.33) and the Blog of Holding (8.8333), averaging out comfortably at Challenge Rating 8.
Green Knight
Medium humanoid, lawful neutralArmor Class 18 (plate)
Hit Points 102 (12d8+48)
Speed 30 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
18 (+4) | 11 (+0) | 19 (+4) | 11 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 15 (+2) |
Skills Deception +8, Insight +5, Perception +5, Persuasion +5, Religion +6
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages English
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
False Identity. The Green Knight can remove his armor and assume his other identity as Bertilak de Hautedesert, gaining advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks made to conceal that he is the Green Knight.
Headless. The Green Knight can survive without his head.
Regeneration. The Green Knight regains 10 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point.
Relic Worker. The Green Knight has advantage on Intelligence (Religion) checks made to interpret spell scrolls, and can use any divine spell scroll.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Green Knight attacks three times with his greataxe or handaxes.
Green Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12+4) magical slashing damage. When the Green Knight scores a critical hit against a creature that has at least one head, the creature makes a DC 15 Strength saving throw or he cuts off one of its heads. The creature dies if it can't survive without the lost head. A creature is immune to this effect if it is immune to slashing damage, doesn't have or need a head, has legendary actions, or the GM decides that the creature is too big for its head to be cut off with this weapon. Such a creature instead takes an extra 30 slashing damage from the hit.
Handaxes (3). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Parry. The Green Knight adds 3 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, the Green Knight must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
