Wrath of the Immortals Ranks and Titles

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

Mystra Ranks and Titles in Wrath of the Immortals

Here are the Settlements I have available to my players in my Wrath of the Immortals campaign.

Obtaining Higher Ranks
New Ranks and Titles
Thyatian Military Structure
Example Task for Title
Military Campaigns
Content Updates

Obtaining Higher Ranks

These are the awards the characters will attain on their way to becoming barons. Some will never achieve baronial status, for them, these are the awards which they will always have.

When a character reaches ninth level, the Royal Family and other nobles of their nation will begin to consider them seriously for a higher title – if they’ve been adventuring in their nation for some time. (A visitor from another country will not get this same regard unless he’s settled down in that country for some years.)

Before we press on to how the character actually wins these titles, we’d better define some of the terms used just above.

Unquestionable Loyalty: The character must not have performed any known actions of treason against the Rulers (for which he has not been proven innocent); the character must have demonstrated his willingness to adventure and even die for the crown.
Adventures of Great Importance: These are adventures which are of vital importance to the Rulers. Such adventures might involve curtailing the activities of the Black Eagle Barony, protecting member of the royal family from harm, or solving political difficulties which could be very harmful to the royal family. A member of the royal family must be aware of the character’s participation in the adventure for it to help the character’s effort at achieving nobility.
Fit for the Management of a Fief: This is a tricky criteria. Basically, the character must not have demonstrated the traits of: Abuse of underlings, catastrophically foolish decisions, chronic violent rages, lots of evil or chaotic behavior, etc. In short, if you, the DM, think the character would be an adequate manager of an area of land, then the royal family does, too.
Renowned Fighting Ability: This is another tricky question. You can assume a martial character reaching ninth level is well-known for his fighting ability. Another character would need to be known for wielding weapons in honourable duels (head on, no flanking, or magic) for the ordinary population to know them as a great warrior. Support magic characters are never known for their fighting ability. (Consequently, they never become Knights or Landed Knights. However, this doesn’t stop them from becoming barons.)

Gaining the Title

Once you know which title the character is being considered for, you can show him how to attain the title.

If the character is being considered for simple Knight, have him summoned to the Ruler at the conclusion of any adventure of importance (or an adventure which causes a lot of talk in the duchy). The Ruler will knight the character at court.

As for character being considered for Landed Lord or Landed Knight: Either the character will approach the Duke with the proposal that he, the character, be given the right to build a stronghold and hold a fief, or the Duke will decide that it’s time to discuss this prospect.

At this point, you, the DM, must decide where the character’s fief is to be.. and what tasks he has to undertake in order to achieve the title for Landed nobleman over this fief.

Ceremonies and Fealty

On the subject of attaining titles of nobility, we have to other things to discuss: Ceremonies of Attainment, and Oaths of Fealty.

Ceremonies: Each rank of nobility has a ceremony associated with it; when a character is to be raised to a new level of nobility, he must go through the appropriate ceremony.
Fealty: Fealty in any kingdom is an oath which defines the relationship between the Ruler and his nobles of Landed Lord rank or above.

In the Oath of Fealty, the new noble promises to be loyal to the Rulers; to support them in times of peace with taxes from his lands, and in times of war with fighting-men, supplies, and his own efforts; to acknowledge the heir to the throne and to swear fealty to that heir when he/she takes the throne; never to conspire against the throne; and to obey the laws of the duchy.

The Ruler promises to support the claim of the noble and his heirs to his fief; and to help defend the noble’s fief should it be attacked.

If a character is so independent that he does not think he can swear an oath of fealty to the Ruler, that’s fine… but he cannot attain a rank above Court Lordship in most lands.

Powers of Nobility

Assign Rulership of Lands: Nobility with this power can define an area of land which is not currently under the rulership of a nobleman subordinate to them and assign it to such a nobleman. This plot of land, or fief, now belongs to that nobleman and his heirs. All persons living on that plot of land are now ruled by that nobleman.
Assign Titles: Nobility with this power can grant anyone a title of nobility to a level below theirs. Most of these powers also require the ruler of the nation to also approve if they were not the one granting the title.
Remove Lands and Titles: What Nobility can give, they can take away. Nobility with this power theoretically have the right to break the wealthiest baron to commoner status. As usual, the balancing factor on this ability is the fact that an unwarranted use of the power might lead to revolt. However, in the case of a peer (landed nobleman) convicted of a serious crime, the noble could take the title and lands from the offender without causing undue stir in the duchy. He should, however, bestow them upon the heirs of the luckless nobleman – otherwise, the other nobles would become worried about the continuation of their own lines.
Raise Armies: The nobility with this power may at will draft anyone into the army at any rank it chooses. This is not done very often, naturally – abuse of this ability could lead to great hatred and revolution. Nobles would use this power in times of war, when the standing army is not large enough to succeed. Nobles (along with many judges within the nation) has been known to sentencing criminal offenders to terms in the military.
Assess and Demand Taxes: Nobility can demand taxes of every citizen within their holdings, and their subordinates holdings. Their taxes may not be higher than half that of what is charged by the their liege if any. The Ministry of Finance keeps a close eye on crops, livestock and trade within the nation, and four times a year assesses a tax based on the area’s income.
Determine Law: The Nobility have the power to establish all criminal and civil law within their domain. They can define a series of laws determining criminal behaviour, establishing the procedures by which offenders are arrested, tried, sentenced, and punished, and recommending punishments for each type of crime. These laws cannot contradict those establishing by their liege if any. Beyond that, each subordinate town or fief is permitted to establish its own additional regional laws in addition to those created by the noble.
Execute Justice: As part of the above ability, the Nobility also may execute justice. They may judge trials and appoint judges to adjuge lesser trials. Nobility may even assign punishments for crimes which have not been proven in court – they could theoretically have anyone executed on trumped-up charges, for example. However, this power is limited because abuse of it would eventually lead to revolution.
Establish Policy: Nobility with this power determine foreign policy – how the holdings cooperates (or doesn’t) with other nations, as long as their policy does not contradict that of their liege if any. In general, the Nobility outline parameters to their ministers, who then implement their policy in trade terms, international cooperation, customs, and so forth.

New Ranks and Titles

Admiral, Archduke, Baron, Bishop, Captain, Convicts, Count, Court Lady or Lord, Duke, Emperor, Ensign, Freeman, General, King, Knight, Landed Knight, Landed Lady or Lord, Lieutenant, Patriarch, Priest, Seaman, Serf, Sergeant, Slave, Soldiers, Squire, Viscount,

Ranks and Titles in Karameikos

Nobility – Court Lady or Lord or Squire, Landed Lady or Lord, Knight, Landed Knight, Baron, Duke

Other Titles – Slave, Convicts, Serf, Freeman

Military – Seamen or Soldiers, Ensign or Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Admiral or General

Religion – Priest (Village), Bishop (Town), Patriarch (City)

In greater detail, here are the ranks of Karameikos citizens, in order of ascending rank.

Social Class	Clergy Equivalent	Military Equivalent
Convict		Soldier / Seaman
Freeman		Sergeant / Ensign
Court Lord	Priest	Lieutenant
Landed Lord	Bishop	Captain
Knight	Patriarch	General / Admiral
Landed Knight
Baron
Viscount
Count
Duke

What the table above means is this: The true social ranks of Karameikos are listed in the left-hand column. But members of the clergy and military are accorded the courtesy normally given to specific social ranks. For instance, an active captain of the army or navy will be treated as though he were a Landed Lord when dealing with Karameikos society.

Karameikos Military

Karameikos has a standing military of about 2,000 soldiers and seamen. In times of war, he can raise an additional 4,000 within a week (from the population of Specularum and coastal area) and an additional 4,000 within a few weeks after that (from the inland cities).

The current standing forces of Karameikos are arranged in five divisions. None of the Divisions is at full strength, as the Duchy is not currently at war.

Karameikos Military Units

Military Commander – Admiral Lucius Hyraksos (M69, Ftr14)
1st Division of Karameikos (City Guard/Guard Phoris) – General Duke Stefan Karameikos
2nd Division of Karameikos (Elite Guard Units) – General Lord Alexius Korrigan
- Elvenguard
- Duke’s Guard
3rd Division of Karameikos (Royal Navy) – Admiral Lucius Hyraksos (M69, Ftr)
4th Division of Karameikos (Northern and Eastern Forts) –
- Castellian Guard Battalion (The Mountain Storm)
- Duke’s Road Battalion (The Goblin Crushers)
- Ruglove Guard Battalion (The Sword of Halav)
5th Division of Karameikos (Western Forts) –
- Radlebb Guard Battalion (Hell’s Jailers)
- Riverfork Keep Battalion (Fury in the West)
Wartime Forces of Karameikos (6th to 13th Militia Divisions)
- 6th Militia Division – Specularum
- 7th Militia Division – Kelvin
- 8th Militia Division – Dmitrov
- 9th Militia Division – Luln
- 10th Militia Division – Fort Doom
- 11th Militia Division – Penhaligion
- 12th Militia Division – Threshold
- 13th Militia Division – Vorloi

Ranks and Titles in Thyatian Empire

Nobility – Court Lady or Lord or Squire, Landed Lady or Lord, Knight, Landed Knight, Baron, Count, Duke, King

Other Titles – Slave, Convicts, Serf, Freeman

Military – Seamen or Soldiers, Ensign or Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Admiral or General

Religion – Priest (Village), Bishop (Town), Patriarch (City)

Ranks and Titles in Ylaruam

Nobility – Knight (Faris), Baron (Tribal Chief), Viscount (Sheik), Count (Beg or Bey), Duke (Atabeg), Archduke (Malik), King (Emir), Emperor (Sultan)

Social Class	Clergy Equivalent	Military Equivalent
Convict		Soldier / Seaman
Freeman		Sergeant / Ensign
Court Lord	Priest	Lieutenant
Landed Lord	Bishop	Captain
Knight / Faris	Patriarch	General / Admiral
Landed Knight
Baron / Quaid / Qadi / Tribal Chief
Viscount / Sheik / Chief of Chiefs
Count / Beg / Bey
Duke / Atabeg / Governor
Archduke / Malik (King)
King / Emir / Pasha
Emperor / Sultan / Caliph

Thyatian Military Structure

Division, Battalion, Company, Squadron, Trooper

Military Division

Division: The armed forces of Karameikos are made up of Divisions. Each division has up to 996 soldiers in it and is commanded by a General assisted by four administrative Captains. (The navy is theoretically a Division, too, but is never referred to in that manner.)

General: commanded of a division. Customarily treated with the respect due to a Knight.

So, a Division at full strength would break down, rank by rank, like this:

Division Command
- General (1)
- Administrative Captains (4)
Battalion Command (4 battalions)
- Captain (4)
- Administrative Lieutenants (12)
Company Command (16 companies)
- Lieutenants (16)
Squadron Command (64 squadrons)
- Sergeants (64)
Troops (64 squadrons)
- Soldiers (896)

Military Battalion

Battalion: The Division is broken up into four Battalions. A Battalion can have up to 244 soldiers and is commanded by a Captain assisted by three administrative Lieutenants. A fleet of ships is theoretically a Battalion; because the Karameikan navy is so small, Admiral Hyraksos tends to command all fleet actions personally.

Captain: commander of a battalion. Customarily treated with the respect due to a Landed Lord.

So, a Battalion at full strength would break down, rank by rank, like this:

Battalion Command
- Captain (1)
- Administrative Lieutenants (3)
Company Command (4 companies)
- Lieutenants (4)
Squadron Command (16 squadrons)
- Sergeants (16)
Troops (64 squadrons)
- Soldiers (224)

Military Company

Company: The Battalion is broken up into two to four Companies. A Company can have up to 60 soldiers and is commanded by a Lieutenant. A ship is theoretically a Company, but is traditionally commanded by a Captain supported by Lieutenants. The garrison of a small fortress or a large guardhouse may be a company.

Lieutenant: commander of a company. Becomes a Court Lord upon attaining this rank.

So, a Company at full strength would break down, rank by rank, like this:

Company Command
- Lieutenants (1)
Squadron Command (4 squadrons)
- Sergeants (4)
Troops (64 squadrons)
- Soldiers (56)

Military Squadron

Squadron: The Company is broken up into two to four Squadrons. The Squadron can have up to 14 soldiers and is commanded by a Sergeant. This is the smallest division of the Karameikan military forces. The garrison of the average guardhouse will be a Squadron.

Sergeant: commander of a squadron.

So, a Squadron at full strength would break down, rank by rank, like this:

Squadron Command
- Sergeants (1)
Troops (64 squadrons)
- Soldiers (14)

Military Trooper

Soldier / Seaman: the common fighter and worker within the military.

Example Tasks for Title

Example 1

The Duke might tell the character this: “Build your stronghold on the river Cruth, twenty miles northwest of Riverfork Keep. We need to have a strong human community there on the border to the Five Shires. If you can build your stronghold, and settle your fief, and protect your community from the creatures in that region for two years, then I will grant you full title to the fief.”

At that point, it’s up to the character to arrange all the details of acquiring settlers and workers, building his stronghold, and so forth.

If he doesn’t have the money to build a stronghold, you should give him several adventures in the area of his fief which give him the opportunity to acquire the necessary treasure, We’re not talking about giving away money – these adventures should be as dangerous as any other.

He’s on his own when it comes to luring settlers to his fief. He might try posting notices – free farmland in a new community, a grand opportunity for the bold of heart – and see how many folk are interested. He might have enough followers and friends of followers to give the place a small population without too much effort. Whichever way you and he arrange it, though, the tasks involved in building his fief should be numerous and challenging, so that it and when he succeeds he knows he’s accomplished something special.

Example 2

It’s possible that a PC has rolled an origin of “Wealthy or Very Wealthy Titled Family” on the Social Standing Chart, and you’ve decided that the character is the heir to that family fief.

If so, what happens is this: The character’s parent dies or steps down from his position. The character has to return to his fief to take up the reins of leadership. There he learns that the fief is in the midst of great difficulties, and he must solve all these problems before the Duke will grant him his parent’s title.

What sort of problems? Well, the character’s sibling or cousin is agitating that he, instead, should inherit the fief (and will pull every possible dirty trick to make the Duke think the PC isn’t capable of performing the duties). Some sort of monster is staking the villagers. An inexplicable disease is marching from field to field, blighting crops and bringing the fief to the verge of ruin…

Again, you put together a list of formable tasks and adventures for the character. If he and his friends can accomplish them, the fief is his – but it should be quite a task.

Military Campaigns

There are several ways that PCs can participate in the military.

Military Campaign: You could have a whole campaign based on military activities, with your PCs entering the army at 1st level as soldiers, gradually working their way up through the ranks, earning their own commands, waging battles of greater and greater significance, etc. To do this, you’d best gave the characters garrisoned in one of the northern or western forts, where enemy action (mountain non-humans in the first case, Black Eagle Barony in the second) is frequent.
Mercenary Missions: The PC could always be hired as mercenaries to supplement a standing force going on an important mission, such as the “On the Road to Ylaruam” scenario.
Warfare: if war occurs – especially likely between Karameikos and the Black Eagle Barony – the PCs can get involved in the events in a variety of ways.
- If they’re low level, they’ll be drafted into a regular unit and their adventures will be as fighters or the line combating enemy forces.
- If they have earned prestige, their experience may earn them officers’ positions (sergeant or lieutenant) in which case the adventures are much the same – but the PC’s are responsible for the outcome and receive commendation or condemnation depending on the results they achieve.
- If the are renowned heroes, the character of the highest social rank ight be a general in charge of one of the new militia divisions, while the other PC’s are his captains and civilian consultants. The general has a difficult task to undertake – such as the holding of a strategic hill, village, or mountain pass – and this will tax his abilities as a fighter and thinker.

Content Updates

2022-04-26 – Added in Ylaruam titles.
2020-10-02 – Added in details about the powers of Nobility.

D&D Ranks

Commoner Titles: Slave, Convict, Serf, Freeman

Noble Titles: Court Lord or Squire, Landed Lord, Knight, Landed Knight, Baron, Duke, Count, King

Military Rank: Seamen or Soldier, Ensign or Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, General

Religion: Priest, Bishop, Patriarch

Library of Books

B5, d20 System, Pathfinder, SW

This site is currently undergoing migration to www.thedarkelf007.com website due to needing a different set of tools that I had available to me on here.

General Links

Basic Links: Who Am I?, Home, Game Tools, Game Session Videos, My Campaigns, My Library, Site Map, Subscription Information

Game Systems: Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder 1 & 2, Shadowrun, Star Wars. Other Game Systems

Site sponsored by the author AS Hamilton (my wife) with her books available on amazon kindle.