The Kingsguard serve the king of the Seven Kingdoms; there is no more important noble assignment anywhere in Westeros. They are sworn to defend the king — and his secrets — along with the royal family and anyone else whom the king orders them to protect. By tradition, there are always seven Sworn Brothers of the Kingsguard.

The Brothers of the Kingsguard pledge themselves to the order for life. Their service to the king is absolute; they may not inherit or have wives or children, pledging their lives and blood solely to the king’s service. They are sworn to celibacy, as well, though
indiscretions have been known to happen. The Kingsguard is sworn to serve the crown, rather than the individual who wears it, regardless of that individual’s actions. This is why Ser Jaime Lannister’s decision to slay Mad King Aerys II Targaryen was appalling, earning him the moniker “Kingslayer.”

Brothers of the Kingsguard are most often highborn sons of great or powerful families who have been knighted, but seldom the heirs of great fortunes or estates. It is customary for a Brother of the Kingsguard to enter the service of the king having already accomplished a number of other worthy deeds — commoners or green, inexperienced Knights have been appointed to this prominent position, but rarely. The king alone chooses the appointees to the Kingsguard, and as such has full authority to choose whom he will.

A Kingsguard is not by nature any more fearsome an opponent than any other Knight. It is true that they are skilled warriors, as awesome in battle as they are in the political arena. It is also true that they are more determined than a typical Knight. The hallmark of the Kingsguard, though, is their tenacious defence of those in their care. Once a Kingsguard takes a ward under his care, the sworn Brother will do almost anything in his or her service. The retribution of a Kingsguard is a frightening thing to behold.

In addition to the considerable number of their martial duties, a Kingsguard might also be expected to conduct a variety of quests in the service of the king. These quests can be of almost any nature and can take the Kingsguard away from King’s Landing or
home for extended periods. Since the Kingsguard are in the service of the king, they are frequently expected to be available in King’s Landing for other political or courtly functions. Once a Knight is taken into the Kingsguard, he serves for life. Even a crippled or aged Brother is allowed to stay, with his Brothers taking up his duties. This tradition was broken by King Joffrey Baratheon.

Examples of Brothers of the Kingsguard: Ser Barristan Selmy, Ser Jaime Lannister

Requirements

To become a Brother of the Kingsguard, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

GENDER: Male
BASE ATTACK BONUS: +6
SPECIAL: Must be a Knight and chosen by the king. There can only be 7 sworn brothers.

Hit Points

Brothers of the Kingsguard gain 3 Hit Points + Constitution Modifier per Level

Class Skills

The Brother’s Class Skills (and the key Ability for each Skill) are Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge: Nobility (Int), Knowledge: Local Area (Int), Knowledge: Religion (Int), Knowledge: Stewardship (Int), Knowledge: Warfare (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis)

Skill Points

At each Level, Brothers of the Kingsguard get 3 + Int Modifier; humans gain +1 bonus

Influence Points

At each Level, Brothers of the Kingsguard gain 4 + Cha Modifier.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency

Brothers of the Kingsguard are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as all armour (light, medium, and heavy) and with shields.

Appointed to the Kingsguard

A Brother of the Kingsguard gives up his house, wealth, and rights. His Wealth is reduced to Rank 1, but anything he needs is provided by the crown. His Social Status is considered Rank 4, and he gains 20 Influence Points (Kingsguard).

Favoured

The Brother gains the bonus Favoured Feat, and his patron is the king.

Knight’s Training (Ride)

A Brother of the Kingsguard is still a Knight, and thus maintains his status as a mounted warrior. At 2nd Level, he gains a +1 competence bonus to all Ride checks. This bonus increases by one every 2 Levels. This stacks with similar bonuses.

Protector

Beginning at 2nd Level, a Brother may specify one person as his ward (and this must fit within his terms of duty; GM’s approval). This ward must be selected before Initiative is rolled and cannot be changed for the duration of the combat. If the Brother is within 5 feet of the ward, he may switch places with the designated person before any attack on the ward is rolled. As long as there is sufficient clearance, the Brother may intercept up to four attacks against the ward — each extra defence is made with the standard cumulative -2 penalty.

Knight’s Training (Lance)

As Knights, a Brother of the Kingsguard constantly hones his martial abilities. At 3rd Level he gains a +1 to attack with a lance during mounted combat. This bonus increases to +2 at 6th Level. This bonus stacks with similar bonuses.

Armour Compatibility

The Brother is skilled at using his armour to defl ect blows and lessen their impact. As a result, at 3rd Level the character gains a +1 bonus to the Armour Rating of any armour he is wearing and profi cient with. This bonus increases to +2 at 9th Level (these bonuses stack with any other Armour Compatibility to a maximum of +3). Note that this bonus does not penalize an enemy’s called shot to bypass the Brother’s armour.

Knight’s Training (Sword)

Ultimately, a Brother of the Kingsguard becomes a master of the sword. At 4th Level he gains a +1 to attack with a sword (the type of sword is specified when this ability is first gained), although only when mounted. This bonus increases to +2 at 8th Level. This bonus stacks with similar bonuses.

Guardian

Beginning at 5th Level, if a Brother is within 10 feet of his ward, he may make one extra defence roll per round to deflect a successful melee attack against his ward. This action may be taken even if the Brother has defended himself this round, and is made at the full Defence Bonus. At 7th Level, the Brother gains a +2 bonus to this defence roll, which increases to +4 at 10th Level. This Special Ability cannot be used to parry missile weapons.

Defender’s Vigilance

At 6th Level, a Brother who has a designated ward may add +2 to Initiative rolls in any situation in which the ward is threatened. This bonus stacks with Improved Initiative, and any other Initiative bonuses.

Defender’s Retribution

At 7th Level, a Brother gains an immediate, free attack (similar to the Cleave Feat) upon anyone who strikes his ward in melee. The Brother must be within 5 feet of the ward to take this attack.

Sword Duty

At 10th Level, when defending his ward or any member of the royal family, the Brother gains a bonus of +2 to attack and +4 to damage. Additionally, in any battle that threatens the royal family or his ward, he gains a +4 bonus to Save against Shock.