Sir Palamedes — Hunter of the Questing Beast
In the age of the Round Table, before 537 CE, Sir Palamedes knows the cry of the Questing Beast before any hunter recognises its tracks. Now a scout from King Pellinore‘s household brings him a second, blood-stained trail. Both hunters have been drawn towards a bridge held by men in the colours of King Mark. The prince’s men promise safe passage only if Palamedes reveals where Tristram has gone. Iseult has separately asked him not to reveal a fugitive’s hiding place. Palamedes can have his quarry or keep his word, but he may not have both.
At a Glance
- Identity
- Sir Palamedes (Palomides, Palomydes), knight and hunter of the Questing Beast
- Nature
- Human, formidable mortal champion; an outsider to Britain’s great knightly houses
- Family
- King Esclabor, his father; Sir Safir and Sir Segwarides, his brothers
- Allegiance
- Arthur’s peace, his family’s honour and the personal vows he has made
- Base
- The roads of Cornwall, the western forests and the guest halls of Camelot
- Rivals
- Tristram of Lyonesse in love and tournaments; King Pellinore in the hunt
- Affection
- Iseult, whose affection he desires but cannot claim
- Alignment
- Neutral Good, with a lawful code of personal honour; jealousy sometimes threatens his better judgement
- Languages
- The speech of Esclabor’s eastern court, Brythonic and Cornish
- Immediate threat
- King Mark’s men have learned that the hunt may expose their concealed prisoner
What Is Happening Right Now?
The Questing Beast has left tracks at a ford where King Mark’s riders keep a captive in an abandoned mill. A stablehand saw the creature pass before the men arrived. A sealed letter from Safir asks Palamedes to return to Camelot, and a second messenger claims that Tristram is responsible for the captive’s disappearance. Both stories cannot be true. Palamedes refuses to abandon the hunt, but will listen to witnesses who do not mock his family or demand that Iseult’s feelings be treated as a prize.
First Meeting
At dawn Palamedes rides through the mist with a folded map beneath his saddle and a spear worn from hard use. His shield is clean but his surcoat is muddy. He kneels to examine a hoofprint, finds that it lies over a fresh boot-mark and orders the hounds held back. He asks the characters if they are hunting the beast, a knight or someone who cannot defend themselves. He needs to hear the answer before he offers an escort.
Three Scenes Tonight
- The beast’s voice: the baying chorus echoes from a wooded ravine, too near the mill where a prisoner is held.
- The false rivalry: a messenger says Tristram has insulted Palamedes; the wording differs from anything Tristram would say.
- The captive smith: an armourer knows who forged King Mark’s orders, but fears the riders will kill his daughter if he speaks.
Appearance and Manner
Palamedes is strong, patient and carefully dressed for long travel rather than ceremony. He maintains his armour and horse with meticulous attention. He speaks the language of the western courts fluently but sometimes pauses when an insult invokes customs from his father’s country. He is equally capable of sudden jealousy and striking generosity, and despises knights who mistake difference of birth or belief for proof of cowardice.
Ambition, Pressure and Private Knowledge
- Ambition: finish the hunt without becoming a worse man than the rivals he admires.
- Pressure: some at Camelot call him foreign no matter how many lives he saves, while others use his rivalry with Tristram to arrange violence.
- Private knowledge: Palamedes has seen a track that proves the beast passed through the prisoner road after the bridge was closed.
- Wound: Iseult’s affection for Tristram is freely given; Palamedes fears this makes his own great deeds worthless.
- Flaw: a false report of Tristram’s cruelty can draw him away from witnesses he has promised to protect.
- Turning point: he can abandon the beast for a night, rescue a captive and prove that the value of a knight is not measured by whom he defeats.
Relationships and Allegiances
- King Esclabor: father, an eastern king whose household made a place for itself in Britain.
- Sir Safir: brother and trusted fighter; a false accusation can cause them to cross swords without recognising one another.
- Sir Segwarides: brother whose fortunes are bound to the dangerous rivalries of Cornwall.
- Tristram: martial rival and potential friend whose courage Palamedes cannot deny.
- Iseult: he loves her, but she is a person with her own choices rather than the reward of a tournament.
- King Pellinore: the earlier hunter of the Questing Beast, whose obsession offers both warning and example.
- King Mark: ruler of Cornwall, willing to exploit Palamedes’s rivalry to trap Tristram.
- King Arthur: values his prowess when others in the court are suspicious of his foreign upbringing.
- Questing Beast: a living creature with its own movements, not an emblem that grants Palamedes the right to harm bystanders.
Game Statistics
Palamedes is an exceptional mortal knight and tracker. He has no innate divine powers, spellcasting or lair effects. His swordplay is disciplined; from horseback he makes one lance attack before returning to the hunt on foot. Choose one independent rules edition below.
Sir Palamedes — D&D 2024
Medium Humanoid (Human), Neutral Good
Armor Class 20 (plate armor, shield); Initiative +3 (13); Hit Points 187 (22d8 + 88); Speed 30 ft.; Challenge 11 (7,200 XP; PB +4)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 16 (+3) | 18 (+4) | 13 (+1) | 16 (+3) | 14 (+2) |
Saving Throws Str +9, Con +8, Wis +7; Skills Animal Handling +7, Athletics +9, Insight +7, Perception +11, Persuasion +6, Survival +11; Senses Passive Perception 21; Languages Eastern court tongue, Brythonic, Cornish.
Traits
Unyielding Pursuit. Palamedes has Advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to follow a creature’s tracks and on ability checks made to detect false trails. Oath Before Glory. He has Advantage on saving throws against being Frightened while a conscious ally he can see is within 30 feet.
Actions
Multiattack. Palamedes makes three Longsword attacks. His mounted Lance is a separate single-attack action.
Longsword. Melee Attack Roll: +9, reach 5 ft. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) Slashing damage.
Shield Bash. Melee Attack Roll: +9, reach 5 ft. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) Bludgeoning damage; a Large or smaller target makes a DC 17 Strength saving throw or has the Prone condition.
Lance (Mounted Only). Melee Attack Roll: +9, reach 10 ft. Hit: 18 (2d12 + 5) Piercing damage, plus 9 (2d8) Piercing damage if the mount travelled at least 20 feet straight toward the target immediately before this attack. Palamedes makes one Lance attack.
Bonus Action
Pursuer’s Step (Recharge 5–6). Palamedes moves up to half his Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks. If this movement ends adjacent to an ally, that ally gains 10 Temporary Hit Points.
Reaction
Parry. Palamedes adds 3 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him, provided he can see the attacker and is wielding a sword.
Legendary Actions
Legendary Action Uses: 2. Immediately after another creature’s turn, Palamedes may spend one use to move up to half his Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks, or both uses to make one Longsword attack. He regains uses at the start of his turn.
Tactics
Palamedes takes one mounted charge on open ground, then controls the crossing on foot. He accepts a truce to rescue innocents even when Tristram is on the opposing side.
Sir Palamedes — D&D 2014
Medium humanoid (human), neutral good
Armor Class 20 (plate, shield); Hit Points 187 (22d8 + 88); Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 16 (+3) | 18 (+4) | 13 (+1) | 16 (+3) | 14 (+2) |
Saving Throws Str +9, Con +8, Wis +7; Skills Animal Handling +7, Athletics +9, Insight +7, Perception +11, Persuasion +6, Survival +11; Senses passive Perception 21; Languages Eastern court tongue, Brythonic, Cornish; Challenge 11 (7,200 XP).
Traits
Unyielding Pursuit. Palamedes has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to follow a creature’s tracks or distinguish false trails. Oath Before Glory. He has advantage on saving throws against being frightened while he can see a conscious ally within 30 feet.
Actions
Multiattack. Palamedes makes three longsword attacks. His mounted lance is a separate single-attack action.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
Shield Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Large or smaller creature. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage; DC 17 Strength saving throw or knocked prone.
Lance (Mounted Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d12 + 5) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) piercing damage following a straight 20-foot mounted approach. This action includes only one attack.
Bonus Actions
Pursuer’s Step (Recharge 5–6). Palamedes moves up to half his speed without provoking opportunity attacks. If he finishes adjacent to an ally, the ally gains 10 temporary hit points.
Reactions
Parry. Palamedes adds 3 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him if he can see the attacker and is holding a sword.
Legendary Actions
Palamedes has two legendary actions, spent one at the end of another creature’s turn. He regains them at the start of his turn. Advance: move up to half his speed without provoking opportunity attacks (1 action). Answering Cut: one longsword attack (2 actions).
Tactics
His first goal is to protect a captive and identify the source of the false accusation. He will duel Tristram if honour requires it, but stops when a credible witness is brought forward.
Sir Palamedes — Pathfinder 1e
CR 12; XP 19,200; Male human fighter 13; NG Medium humanoid (human); Init +7; Senses Perception +13.
Defense
AC 27, touch 14, flat-footed 24 (+10 armor, +3 shield, +3 Dex, +1 deflection); hp 136 (13d10 + 52 plus 13 Toughness); Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +9; Defensive Abilities bravery +3 against fear.
Offense
Speed 30 ft. (armor training); Melee +1 longsword +25/+20/+15 (1d8 + 14/17–20); Alternative masterwork lance +22 (1d8 + 8/×3; one mounted charge at +24); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.
Statistics
Str 22, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 14; Base Atk +13; CMB +19; CMD 32.
Feats Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword), Greater Weapon Focus (longsword), Greater Weapon Specialization (longsword), Improved Critical (longsword), Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Power Attack, Improved Initiative, Toughness, Iron Will, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Lunge.
Skills Ride +17, Perception +13, Survival +13, Intimidate +16; Languages the speech of Esclabor’s eastern court, Brythonic and Cornish.
Gear +1 full plate, +1 heavy steel shield, +1 longsword, masterwork lance, ring of protection +1, tracking horn, trained warhorse, travel map.
Special Abilities and Tactics
Weapon Training (Ex). +3 with heavy blades and +2 with spears, included in the listed attack and damage bonuses. Armor Training (Ex). Palamedes retains 30-foot movement and his +3 Dexterity bonus in full plate. Mounted charging permits one lance attack; he then uses full sword iteratives when halted. The Questing Beast is a separate creature, never a granted mount or familiar.
Sir Palamedes — D&D 3.5e
Male human fighter 13; Neutral Good Medium humanoid (human); CR 13; Init +7; Senses Listen +3, Spot +3.
Defense
AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 23 (+9 armor, +3 shield, +1 Dex, +1 deflection); hp 126 (13d10 + 52 plus 3 Toughness); Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +9.
Offense
Speed 20 ft.; Melee +1 longsword +22/+17/+12 (1d8 + 11/17–20); Alternative masterwork lance +20 (1d8 + 6/×3, +22 on one mounted charge); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; Base Atk +13; Grp +19.
Statistics
Str 22, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 14; Skills Ride +11, Intimidate +15, Listen +3, Spot +3.
Feats Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword), Greater Weapon Focus (longsword), Greater Weapon Specialization (longsword), Improved Critical (longsword), Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Power Attack, Improved Initiative, Toughness, Iron Will, Combat Reflexes; Languages eastern court speech, Brythonic and Cornish.
Special Abilities and Tactics
His +1 longsword includes Strength, enchantment and the two Weapon Focus and two Weapon Specialization feats. Pathfinder weapon training and armor training do not apply; his +1 full plate still limits his Dexterity contribution to AC to +1. One lance attack is made on the charge, rather than a full attack.
Possessions +1 full plate, +1 heavy shield, +1 longsword, masterwork lance, ring of protection +1, hunting horn and trained warhorse.
Run the Encounter
Palamedes listens to an honourable warning and is capable of putting a stranger’s safety ahead of rivalry. The characters can prove that King Mark’s riders staged a false trail, help the smith’s family escape or carry Safir’s letter before Palamedes reaches the mill. If a duel with Tristram seems unavoidable, a public exchange of witnesses and terms can keep both men alive.
Five Encounters
- The beast at the ford: tracks lead into dangerous woods, while a captive cries for help from a nearby mill.
- A forged challenge: the messenger claims Tristram has challenged Palamedes for Iseult’s hand; Iseult explicitly denies authorising any contest for herself.
- The mistaken knight: Safir arrives in borrowed armour, and Palamedes must identify his brother before drawing blood.
- The rescued prisoner: a fleeing smith asks the characters to protect his daughter from King Mark’s armed men.
- The honourable choice: Palamedes and Tristram find each other on a bridge; together they can confront the fraud or insist on a needless duel.
Six Adventure Hooks
- Palamedes hires trackers to discover why the Questing Beast’s tracks repeatedly end beside inhabited roads.
- King Esclabor sends a sealed letter asking the party to reconcile Palamedes and Safir after an accusation of betrayal.
- King Mark offers a royal reward for revealing Tristram’s refuge, while the refugee sheltered there begs for silence.
- An old tournament record names Palamedes winner, but a copy names Tristram and threatens to reignite their feud.
- Iseult asks the party to return a love token that Palamedes believes he received from her, before it causes another duel.
- A messenger claims the Questing Beast has drowned near a lake; neither Palamedes nor Pellinore believes him, but both ride out.
Equipment and Resources
Plate armour, shield, longsword, a lance, a warhorse used to long journeys, a hunting horn, tracking maps, letters from his father and a small escort of knights. The shield design shown above is a later attributed blazon, not proof of a fixed historical emblem. Palamedes’s reputation gives him access to Arthur’s halls but does not grant power over King Mark’s people or Iseult’s choices.
Lore, Traditions and Timeline
Palamedes enters the Arthurian tradition through the French prose romances and is prominent in Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. Medieval storytellers describe him as a Saracen knight and the son of King Esclabor, an exile from the eastern lands whose family reaches Britain. The romances make Palamedes a formidable challenger of Tristram and an unhappy admirer of Iseult, but also a man whose respect for his rival eventually overcomes jealous rivalry.
The Questing Beast, also called Glatisant, sets two generations of Arthurian hunters against the same elusive quarry. Pellinore pursues it first, and later tellings give Palamedes the central role, sometimes ending the chase amid the Grail stories. The pursuit and the rivalry with Tristram belong to the time of the Round Table, before Camlann in 537. In 1454 Palamedes is not an ordinary resident of Camelot; a knight with his arms emerging from a Fey crossing would be a profound interruption of the old histories. His service and honour are not dependent on the approval of every faction of the ancient court.
His brothers Safir and Segwarides are separate characters with their own claims. Malory’s episodes show Palamedes and Safir fighting together and sometimes nearly mistaking one another for enemies. Their father Esclabor’s history belongs to their family, not to Pellinore’s lineage. Iseult’s love for Tristram is her decision; Palamedes’s grief can be compelling without making her a prize anyone is entitled to win.
Other Artwork
Related People and Places
Arthurian characters · Esclabor · Tristram · Iseult · Pellinore · King Mark · King Arthur · Questing Beast
Sources and Artwork
- Malory, Le Morte d’Arthur, Book X, Chapter LXXXIII — Palamedes and Safir in their connected adventures.
- Palamedes, Arthurian literary traditions — the Prose Tristan, the earlier hunter and the differing Questing Beast endings.
- Existing painted hero retained from the SpiralWorlds media library. Heraldic image attributed to Xerxes1337 under CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons item 21038556. The 1893 historical illustration is in the public domain; its existing WordPress metadata names the publisher Aubrey Dent & Co. All mechanics and playable scenes are original unofficial campaign adaptations.
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