Knight

An allied knight is the campaign's gift to the party. They've earned a sworn protector, a champion lent by a noble patron, or an old friend of the paladin who has come to fight beside them. The knight follows orders, takes hits the party can't, and does not steal the spotlight unless the party wants them to.

In combat, position the knight on the front line next to the squishiest party member. AC 18 plus Parry as a reaction means the knight soaks 3 to 5 incoming attacks per round before HP becomes a question, and 52 HP behind that wall lasts longer than the math suggests. Greatsword Multiattack hits for around 28 average per round, which is roughly equivalent to a 5th-level fighter, so the knight is a real damage contributor without overshadowing the party. Use the Heavy Crossbow only when the knight cannot close, because the +2 to hit underperforms.

Frightened immunity matters more on the ally side than the adversary side. A knight standing next to a Frightened cleric breaks the line of effect for several fear effects narratively, and you can rule that the knight's presence steadies the cleric enough to let them act. That's not in the rules, but it's the kind of moment the knight exists for.

Out of combat, the knight is a social tool. They open doors at courts, they intimidate bandits, and they refuse to lie. The party will find this annoying within two sessions, which is the point. The knight's honor is a constraint, not a flaw.

Write the knight's oath on an index card and read it aloud the first time the party asks them to do something dishonorable. Decisions feel real when the contract is on the table.

A knight is a wall in armor with a name. Run them as named NPCs, not as filler infantry. The whole stat block (CR 3, AC 18, 52 HP, immune to Frightened) is built for "the king's champion steps forward" rather than "twelve guards charge."

Open at range if the field allows it. Heavy Crossbow at +2 is a weak attack roll, but the damage is 11 piercing plus 4 radiant per hit, and the knight has Multiattack so two bolts is over 30 average on full hits. Use the first round to soften the squishiest target while the party closes. Once the party is in melee range, drop the crossbow and switch to Greatsword: +5 to hit, 10 slashing plus 4 radiant, twice per round. Average 28 from a clean Multiattack, and the radiant damage means resistances rarely apply.

Parry is the rule that turns this fight from a grind into a puzzle. Once per round, the knight adds 2 to AC against an incoming melee hit, enough to flip a hit into a miss against most martials. Use the reaction on the rogue's Sneak Attack roll specifically, because denying a single Sneak Attack costs the party more damage than denying anyone else's hit. Frightened immunity means most fear-based control does not land.

The knight's weakness is action economy. A solo knight against a four-player party gets ground down because the party gets four turns per round and the knight gets one. Pair them. Two knights with a squire or a priest healer is a real CR 5 encounter. A lone knight is a duel scene: a single PC steps up to single combat while the rest watch.

Give the knight a code and let them refuse to surrender. A captured knight bound by oath says nothing, escapes the first chance they get, and shows up two sessions later with a grudge.