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King Arthur Pendragon

KING ARTHUR

EPIC ROLEPLAYING IN LEGENDARY BRITAIN

by Greg Stafford

EDITOR, GRAPHIC DESIG ER: William Dunn

ASSISTANT EDITORS: Sam Shirley, Charlie Krank, Anne Merritt

PRO DUCTiON: john B. Mo nroe, Mike MacDonald

COVER ARTIST : Mike Weaver

COVER DESIGN: Charlie Krank

CARTOGRAPHY: Carolyn Savoy

Sir Thomas Malory

ARTISTS: Lisa Free, Gus diZerega, Caro lyn Savoy, Arnie Swekel, Teanna Byerts , Michael Blum

CELTIC DECORATIO NS: Gus diZerega

CHAOSIUM INC. 1990 Sample

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Credits SPECIAL THA 1KS GO ro these people. who contributed greatly or a lirtle , bur whose

impact has affected the game: Stephen Abbot, Don Alaman, Marcie Alaman, Man Bailey. Mike Beavers, Christopher Beiting, Michael Blinde, Derek Boa in, Iattin]. Bourne,

Heather Bryden, john Carnahan, Yurek Chodak, Morgan Conrad, Suzanne Courteau, Bogdan Dabrowski, Gigi D 'Arn, Philippe Dohr, Bruce Dresselhaus, Chrisrer Edling, Steve Englehart, jason Fink. Scott Firz, Sean Fitzpatrick. Lisa A . Free. Don Frew. Rick Geimer. Sharon M. Grant, Marc Grossberg, Steve Hartman, Keith Herber. Ed llo lrz, jim Hooker,

Tony Hughes. Bill j ohnson, Sherman Kahn. Ken Kaufer. Katharine Kerr. Bill Keyes. Eric Krupa, Mike Koop, Freya Reeves Lambides, Peter Larsen, Gary May. Treesa McLean, Hal

Moe, Ed Mooring, Ellen Munro, Henri Naccah, Helmut ike!, Daniel ·o lte. L'vl ichael 1orth. Carol Parker-Po llock, Gleb Perfil off. Sandy Petersen, j on Quaife, Richard A. Rian. Rory

Root, Wolfe Schaa f, Studette Scoflaw, Frank Shewmake. Leigh Skilling. Benjy Sikora, oah Stafford, Bob Starfire, Andy Tauber, Marcus Thomas, Anne Vetillard . David W. Wilkins. Lynn Willis. Marc Willner, Elizabeth Wolcott, Bill Zurn ... and my apo logies to any others

w ho were unrecorded.

This work was p repared using the Penguin Classics edition of Le Marte DArthur. edited by janet Cowen .

The arms of King Arthur's knights are based on the 15th-century document known as La forme quon tenoit des tournoys in the collection of Harvard University. attributed ro

j acques d 'Armagnac. Due de ·emours.

KING ARTHUR PEN DRAGON is publi shed by Chaosium Inc.

KING ARTHUR PEN DRAGON is copyright © 1990 by Greg Stafford.

Similarities between charaders in Pendragon and persons living or dead are stridly coincidental.

Cover painting copyright © 1990 by Michael Weaver. CHAOSIUM INC.

Celtic page border, manor, forest, and Sa rum cast le illustrations copyright© 1990 by Gus diZerega. Horses and great hall illustrations copyright© 1990 by Teanna Byerts. Castles, quintain, white horse and knighthood ceremony illustrations copyright © 1990 by Arnold Swekel. Camelot and weapon illustrations copyright © 1990 by Michael Blum. Other illustrations copyright © 1990 by Lisa Free.

Maps copyright © 1990 by Carolyn Savoy.

Color shield rendering and Mallory shield copyright © 1990 by Carolyn Savoy. Other shield illustrations copyright © 1990 by Bi ll Keyes.

The reproduction of material from this book for the purposes of personal or corporate profi t by photographic, electronic, or other methods of retrieva l is prohibited.

Address questions concerning this book as well as requests for free catalogs of Chaosium products to Chaosium Inc., 950-A 56th St., Oakland CA, 94608.

Chaosium Publication 2709. Published in june 1990. ISBN 0-933635·59·1. Printed in the United States of America.

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Table of Contents Welcome to Pendragon .4 t\rtide: Which Arthur Is This' . . . . . . . . . . . • . . ... 5 The Quotations . . . ........... ... ...... 6 Quote: Introduction to King Arthur ... 7 Article: What Does ··Pendragon .. Mean' ........ . . 7

Table: A PendrJgon Chronology .. 9 Quote: Three Damosels In cit<: Adventure ... .. .. I 0

What Your Character Knows . 11 The Feudal World

The Realm of Chivalry Quote: Sir Ywaine is D<.:scribed

Llritain and Europe

Article: Armies of !.ogres

CamelOt The lligh Order o f Knighthood

Magic. . .. . ...... .

. . II

12 .. 16

.. 16 ... 18

. ...... 22 .... 25

.30

Character Generation . 32 Your First CharJt1cr Lllank Character Sheet

Default Characters

Coats of Arms

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 ........... 35. 36

...... . ..... . .. . .. .. 37. 38 ... 43. 44

Article: Introducing Your Knight

Your Family . Table: Family History

Glory and Ambitions Table: Glory Ranking

Table: Basic Glory Awards Article: Extra Glory

........ 46

.48 . .. . .48

.56 ... 57 ... 58 .. 58

. ............. 59 Quote: Comparing Glory .. Table: Sample Glory .. . 60-62 Ambitions . 64

Quote: Class Distinction. Arthurian Style ........ 64 Quote: Sir Balin Defends Poor Knights .. 65

Quote: Sir Palom.id~~ FiRhl.-. for the: H.i~ht of a Que:":>! . .. 66 Quote: Who Are 'oblemen' ... 67 Quotes: Names Written in Gold ... 70

Index of Maps, Shields, and Illustrations THE MAPS Color Map of Logres . . . . . . . . between 16· 1 7

Color Map of Salisbury .... between 144-1 45 Map of Britain .. . ....... . ....... .. ... 21

Travel Times in Salisbury .. . .......... . 135 Map of Salisbury Manors .... ....... .. 138

THE SHIELDS Color page of Shields . ...... between 80-81 Sample Coats of Arms .............. 43-44

Arthur ................ ••••.• ........ 1 Bors de Canis ............ • • .•... . ... 97 Brus sans Pi tie ..... .. .....• •• ........ 85 Dinadan .... .. ......... .. ••••.. ... 153 Gawaine . .................• •• ...... 41

Game Mechanics Basic Concepts ..

.71

.. 71 Resolution

Tim<: SG.IIcs

Table: Calendar

Experience .

...... ......... .... - 2 . . 74

.... 7'5

.... 76 Movement .. - 7

Quote: King Arthur Encounters Travel Difficulties 80 Combat . . ...... 81 Quote: Sir l.:tncd ot Adventures . . ........... 83 Questions and Answers: Game ,\1cchanics ...... 84

~"~ ··· .............. ..90 Injury and llealth ..................... . Terminology: Injury and ll<.:alth

Quote: Two Knights Fight to the Death The Winter Phase . . ....... .. .... .. .

Ideals and Passions Personality TrJits Quot<.:: Lancelot Fumbles !lis Energetic

Quote: King Arthurs Justice

Quote: King Mark Gets a Cow<trdly Check . Passions Table: Dishonor .

10 2 104

107 109

115 11 6 11 7 118

119 122 123

Quote: Sir 13erluse Gets a llospitality Check 123 Quote: Sir Lamomk"s Loyalty (Pendragon) Over-comes I lis Hate (Orkney Clan) . . 124 Quote: Sir l'alomides Is Inspired by His Love (lsoud ) Passion 126

Quo te: Sir Alisander Is Besotted by Love 128 Quo te: Sir Lance lot Goes Mad .... . .......... 129

YourHome . The County of Salisbury

Your '"lano r Castles ....

Travel In Britain

Wealth . .. Quote: Sir Galeron Eats t\ Fine Feast

130 130 137 140 14 1

143 144

Kay the Seneschal ...• . ............... 7 4 Lancelot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 9 Lamorak ........... • ...... . ........ 27 Sir Thomas Malory ... . ..• .............. 1 Marhaus . . . . . .... . •............... 10 King Mark .... • • • •.•• •• ............ 156 M ordred . .. . • •••• .• ••• . .. ... . ..... 121 Palomides .. . • • • ••. • •... . . .......... 69 Sagramore ...... • ....• • .... . ....... 1 01 Tristram .. . ... . .• •.... • • • ........... 51 Turquine ..............• • • • .. .. .... 142 Ywaine . . . . . . • • • •....... ... 17

THE ILLUSTRATIONS The Avanc .............. .•••• ...... 185 A Battle Scene ......... .. ... • ...... . 161 Camelot ...................•........ 23 Castles ............ . . ...... • ... 140-141 Earl Robert Creates a Knight . . . .. 172 Faerie Horses ................. •• •... 151

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Table: Standard Price List

Table: 1\'tajor Inn.:stment List

Chivalric Duties Cou rtesy

The llunt

Quote: The Boar b Found Tournament .

Quote: Sir Marhaus Takes the Prize

Rom~mce

Religion

.... 146. 147

.. .. .... 148

150

... 151

.. 152 . ... 152

. 15:1

155 .. 1;7

Art icle: Swearing . I 57 Adventuring. . . . . . . . . • . . .. .... I )9 Battle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 159 Quote: Battle. t\ Poem 160

Quote: The Army 1\larches Article: The Battle System

. 162 . .. 163-166

Scenarios Introductory Scenario .... .......... . .

167 .... 167

Article: The Knighting Ceremony .

Solos ... . . .......... .. .. .. . .

Adventu res

Short Adventures .

Stories

. .... 173

.... . 174

.. . ... 179 . ... 183

.1 91

Characters and Creatures 192 Ordinary Char.:ICters ... .

Famous People ...... . . . .

The Stable ... . .. . .. . ... ..... •. . ... .

llunted Beasts .

Monsters

. . 192

. . 195 . .. 200

. .. 202 . .. .. 203

Appendix Designer's Kotes

Bibliography .......... . .

Measu rcments ..

Watch Your Cs and K"s . .... ..... .. . .

206 . ... 206

. ... 206 .207

. .207

Glossary and A hbreviations Index

. ............ 207

A Forest Scene ..... .. .. . ... .. ....... 78 Sir Gawaine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 40 The Great Hall of Salisbury Castle ..... . 132 Griffin ........ . ... . ....... . .. .. .... 29 Horses ...... .• •.. . ....... .. ... ... 201 A joust . . . . . . . ........ .. .... 63 Sir Lancelot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 8 Merlin . ....... . . • .......... . ....... 91 Sir Mordred ..... • .... .. . . ... .. .. .. 120 Morgan le Fay .... .. •. . . . ..... .. .. .. . 1 S A Quintain .......... . ....... •. .. . . 169 Queen Guenever . . ........... . ..... 127 The Questing Beast . ... . ....... . ..... 188 Raven Witch Transforming ......... .... 73 The Redcap ....................... 205 A Roe Deer . . . . ............. 11 2 Sarum and Salisbury Castle . .. . .... . .. . 131 A Spriggan . . ........... . .......... 159 A Typical Manor ...... • • • • • •.... . ... 139 The White Horse . ....... • •..... . ... 182

.. 208

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Welcome to Pendragon j oin tbe Sto1y of King Art bur/

ND RAGON I S Ui\' LI KE any game you ha,·e layed. It has many revolutiomuy features which

MC novel to ro leplaymg games. It provtdes an imaginaty method fo r you to participate in the wondrous world o f King Arthur.

This game po rtrays the legendaty era o f King Art hur Pendragon , the mythical ru ler w ho unified Britain. re­pel led the Roman Empire, va nquished the Saxons. and led the invincibl e brotherhood of heroes called the Round Table. The myth o f Arthur's world has grown over the fourteen centuries o f i ts lite r~uy existence. added to by many authors. w hose ranks you are about to join.

The game world of Ki11g Arthur Pendrago11 (hereaf­ter k nown as Pe11drap,o11) is a p lace of high chi vahy and g littering armor. In it meet the many interpretations of King Arthur, from the barbaric tribal realm of the ancient Welsh texts to the modern Ho ll ywood g lamor. Pe/1-d rap,on is a literaty game. based on the p ioneering works o f Chretien de Troycs, the later French Vulgate texts, and the culminating work of Sir Thomas Malo ty, Le .! fo rte !) A rthur.

It is a land where jousting and romance are the com­mon spo rts, and where kill ing enem ies is daily work. In this arena Christian vi rtues struggle to vanquish savage passions and worldly motives. Characters are clo thed in no bl e court fash io ns, and equipped wi th medieva l customs and morals.

lt is a time o f glorious and deliberate anachronisms. bro ught together because they are o f King Arthur. a time­less hero. To sta rt wit h , w e have two chrono logies

Play MOST OF US, AS CHILDREN, engaged in some sort of "make believe." "Cops and Robbers" is common, or some variant of "guns." (Or the ever-present "knights, " if swords and shields are in fashion this year).

A roleplaying game is a lot like th,at kid play, except in instead of running around the back yard you use your collec­tive imaginations. And instead of the incessant "Got you!" and "No you didn' t! " arguments, we use dice to settle d is­putes. Game play is mostly talk about and for your charader, who is your "pretend guy" in the imaginary world.

It seems strange at first, but give it a try. It is something you have done in the past. And it's entertaining fun. If it seems embarassing, relax: fun is its own reward and needs no just ification.

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crunched togethL:r. The dates and pol i tics arc those of the sl.'Xth century. the so-called Dark Ages or Early .\Iiddle Ages. \\'hen King Arthur realh·lh·ed. But the customs and fashions arL: those o f the H i.gh .\ Iiddle AgL:s. ,,·hen the literature about him \\'as first \\Tillen. As a result. in thi'> chronology feudal ism \\'as instituted 1)\' l'thL:r Pendragon ci rca <JH0-·t9'). in the style of his contemporary. CIO\·is o f the Franks. Chi,·al ry. \\'hich rdines the b rute \Yays o f knighthood. is introducL:d by young King Arthur after he ascends to the high kingship in ') 10. Rom:tnce. the an o f ji 11e a 11101: is popularized by Queen Gucne,·er after her marriage to Arthur in ') I cl.

This selling is not fair to people outside Britain. and does no t stri,·e for g:1 me balance for e,·eryone. The un­tamed Celts. Saxons. and t>icb " ·ho defy Arthur':-. ru le must rely upon their O\\'fl barbaric cu ltures. dc,·oid of the anachronist ic gifts \\'hich feudalism. chi,·aiiT. and ro­mance dcli, ·er. Their \\·arriors might be addre:-.sed as knights. and their chicfbins m ight he called kings. but these enemies o f the Penc.lragon arc deluded and are destined to be conquered by him.

Between the k ingdoms o f men lie the mythical do­mains of Faerie - great dark \\·oods and bright shining fields unexplored by human foot or thought . Entire king­doms of immortals lie beyond and \\·i thi n Arthur's realm. Their cities and castles appear and vanish like m ist. Thei r magical residents. such as the Green Knight. often \·isi t the \Yorkl of men. In turn. hold human qucsters enter the Faerie realm to seek the grL:atest ad,·enturcs.

From the domains of the faerie comes th e magic which enchants Britain in Arthur's time . .\ lerlin . .\ forgan le Fay, and the Lady of the Lake are the foremost practi­tio ners of the occult arts, twisting enchantments to their own hidden goals. Ancient rites echo in the challenges of the magical foes found in lonely places. and o ld folk songs remember other stories \\'ith similar prizes. The world of Arthur is sometimes no t at all what it seems. and much is yet to he d iscovered.

What Is Roleplaying? Ro leplaying games give the players a '' 'ay to rationally interact with a fantasy '\.vorld. In a ro leplaying game the players make up an imaginaty person called a character. Then they direct the actions of this character as he inter­acts with other imaginaty characters. Through the actions of their imagina1y characters the players are like actors in the legend<uy world. The players, through the actions of

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WeCcome to Pencfragon

their character-knights. visit and explore the enchanted medieval ·world of Pendragon

Most of the game is verbal interchange. Most actions are automatically successful: evetyone can walk, talk, ride a horse under calm conditions, and so o n. Dice rolls are used to determine whether or not a character suc­ceeded at performing an act which is no t automatically successful. such as fighting. leaping his horse over a ditch, o r arguing with another person.

The p layers control characters \vho are household knights, bachelor knights, or banneret knights·. If some­one already knows how to play this game they can prob­ably explain most of the necessaty rules in half an hour.

Typical adventures of player characters are to combat robber barons, rescue damsels in d istress, hobnob ,,·ith famous knights at coutt, hunt fabulous monsters, and cross lances with the likes of Lancelot, Tristram, Gawa­ine, and Palomicles. Knights will travel throughout an enchanted land to see many marvels and curiosities.

To play the game a second task must be undettaken by one player: that of the gamemaster. The gamemaster describes the world and events within it to the players. He controls the non-player characters.

The gamemaster in a roleplaying game directs the now of the game while the players control the actions of the characters. As the gamemaster describes what is

* WHICH ARTHUR IS THIS?* MANY VERSIONS OF KING ARTHUR exist. Stories have been told and retold about him for 1400 years, changing a little or a lot to suit the audience. The Pendragon game uses parts from all literary versions. However, in this introductory book some ver­sion are emphasized over the others. Supplements to Pen­dragon will reveal other aspects of the legends. The first planned supplement is Knights Adventurous.

English Personal heroism, chivalrous honor, and a refreshing simplicity mark the English tales. King Arthur is a vigorous, wise and benevolent monarch. Sir Gawaine is by far the favorite Engl ish knight.

. Best known stories include Sir Cawaine and the Green Knight and Sir Cawaine and Dame Ragne/1.

Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, the first modern English inter­pretation of French and English sources, serves as the basis for this game.

French Most medieval Arthurian legends are in French, the tongue of aristocrats in the era they were written. The stories range from brilliant to insipid, but are characterized by a colorful, roman­tic, and artistic treatment. King Arthur is often portrayed as inefficient and uninspiring. Sir Lancelot is the favored knight among the French.

Chretien de Troyes is the Father of Arthurian Literature. The sprawling Vulgate and Prose Tristram were among the most copied manuscripts of their day. These latter two are the "French books" which Malory used in his version, and have inevitably influenced the game.

Chronicle Characterized by relatively sober reporting, chronicles reported purportedly historical events.

The best known of these is the first, Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain. Modern fiction which follows this tradition portray the Dark Ages, devoid of medieval flour-

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ishes. Mary Stewart's series on Merlin is the best-known of these modern novels.

Facts dra~n from this type of history are used to supply background political detail for Pendragon.

Modern King Arthur is w ise beyond his era, forshadowing democratic and other common institutions; he is vaguely aware of being a tool of some greater Fate; he courageously but va inly struggles against a certain doom.

T.H.White's Once and Future King is closest to the spirit of the basic Pendragon game. Howard Pyle's compilation exhibit a sanitized idealism. Hal Foster's Prince Valiant comic strip provides a background similar to the chornicles, and to Pen­dragon.

The idealism and enlightment of King Arthur in Pendragon comes from White's stories.

Welsh Primitive and wild, the Welsh tales go hand-in-hand with the supernatural and fantastic. Arthur is a vigorous warrior, more a chieftan than king or emperor.

The best known Welsh Arthurian story is Culhwch and Olwen, found in The Mabinogion.

The wonder and fantasy of this Arthurian tradition are re­served for exposure in Knights Adventurous.

Radical Some stories, mostly modern, provide novel interpretations of people and events. They tend to psychologize the heroes. Fa­vorite characters are often the "bad guys" from medieval story. These include a confused, but not evil , Mordred n Stewart's That Wicked Day; a justifiably short-tempered Sir Kay in Idylls of the Queen; and a good-bad pagan Morgan le Fay in The Mists of Avalon.

The complexity of the corpus of legend leaves room for these kinds of interpretations. They can be explored more thor­oughly in Knights Adventurous.

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Pencfragon

*THE QUOTATIONS* Scattered throughout this book are many quotations from Ar­thurian literature. These are of three types. The most common are those which illustrate some rule or part o f the game w ith an example taken from the literature. Thus you w ill find "King Mark Gets a Cowardly Check" or "King Arthur Encounters Travel Difficulties." Others are included to give a feel for some of the high adventure typical of the Arthurian era. These in­clude such entries as "The Army Marches." Finall y, some have incidental notes relevant to the text.

How to Read the Quotations Most of the quotations in this book are taken from the works o f Sir Thomas Malory, a gifted writer of the fifteenth century. The 500 years of literary development from then until now can be seen, even in th is translated text, and needs some comment for the newcomer.

The text for the quotations has been translated and translit­erated to modern English, but not entirely updated .

Some of the archaic vocabulary is probably unfamiliar to the casual reader. Clarifyications have been inserted into the text in (brackets] to make understanding easier.

Run-on sentences are the rule, rather than the exception. Bad pronoun usage is common, and it is hard to sometimes

understand who the "him" and "he" refers to. I can only urge patience.

The major changes which I have made to the published texts are to spell the names consistently, using the forms I prefer.Thus we use l ancelot du l ac rather than Launcelot du l ake, or lsoud, not lsolt.

See the Bibl iography at the end of the book for fu rther literary notes. Attribution is not given for sections quoted from, except for Malory.

going on, where they are, and other detai ls of the plot, the players choose actio ns for their characters, thus coop­erating with him in creating the adventure.

The gamemaster ove rsees the imagina1y world, de­scribing it in detail and directing its course. He is not an adversary, but rather the key to the world of Arthurian Britain. He brings both friends and enemies to life for the players . When they have questions or need he lp, players turn to the game master for answe rs. Likewise, the gamemaster must ask for opinions from the players to make it an acceptable game.

One-on-one gaming is possib le, with one gamemas­ter and one player. This type of adventure w here a single knight travels alone against all odds is very A1thurian and should not be avoided.

Also, solita ire gaming is possible with a single person taking the both ro les of gamemaster and player. The rules w ill help to guide you through adventures. Remember, however, that it is much more fun with another player, and that the worst problem of solita ire play is when someone cheats.

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Pendragon presents an on-going story. It is a cam­paign roleplaying game in which time progresses, unique eve nts occur, and characters age. If the players play through the who le Arthurian campaign the players' char­acters at the end will be the grandchildren of the original characters. Player-characters normally have one big ad­venture per game year, each of which will last one or more sessions.

The player characters' knowledge of their world is d ifferent from the players'. Players should remember to differentiate between their knowledge and that of their characters. A good gamemaster will accept the players· assistance and ask for their help when needed. Success in Pendragon comes through coope ration between player characte rs with each other, and also between players and gamemaster.

Some familiarity w ith medieval history and customs is useful before play, but not much is needed. Seeing al­most any film about knights, or reading almost any boo k abo ut King Arthur will supply the minimal information needed.

The Unique Features of Pendragon Some players may be new to this type of game, w hile many may already be famil iar with other roleplaying games. Both sho uld read this sectio n , because Pen­dmgon presents a novel approach to roleplaying, com­bat, and magic. To enjoy the game at its fullest you must use all the game e lements summarized be low. The game works best as a totality, and you will fail to give Pen­dragon a fa ir try if you start playing the game without understanding the intentions and overall concept of the game. Once you have experienced the game, you can go ahead and change parts you are unhappy with; but try t he total package at least once before you judge it.

Knighthood Pendragon is a game about knighthood . It compares and contrasts the beauty and high chivalry of the litera1y ro­mances with the brutal reality of the Middle Ages. The game tries less to adapt the milieu to the mode rn mind than to instruct the modern mind to the milieu. It is a rea lm of paradoxes: insp iratio na l love and festering wounds; communication w ith elf-kind and brutal plun­der; ecstatic spiritual visio ns and stillborn children. The beauty and inspiration of the legendary world take on depth and meaning within this contrast.

Knights are an elite and privileged part of a working society. This game provides the structure around which to build your personal knight in Arthur's glorious and squalid age.

An Alt hurian knight is part of a larger world, and cannot functio n for lo ng without it. Without a la rger

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world he has no place to exercise his privileges or uphold his respo nsibilities. A knight's world is primarily the realm of his family and his lord, both of which support him and may call upon his strength and even his life in time of need. However, during the great events of Arthu­rian legend, broad political and cultural themes will pres­ent them elves to the players and require decisions from their characters that go beyond the daily considerations of family and lord.

What does an Arthurian knight seek' Fame is impor­tant, but so is power: a knight yearns for lands and a castle of his own, so that he can become a lord in his own right, and carry on his family to greatness. A great knight in Arthur's Britain w ill rarely be a lone warrior. To be truly great he must be a leader of men, a subtle intriguer, a great lover, or an expert in battle strategy as well as a superlative killer of men and monsters.

The rules of Pendragon, summarized here, reflect these concepts of Arthurian knighthood. They are the heart of the game and need to be understood and used in unison. Please refer to the specific detai ls of the rules only after you have read these introductory passage .

Mortality All Pendragon characters w ill eventually die. This is a basic fact of the design. This must be so if the game is to reflect the important issues of legends and of life.

The world of Pendragon is more immediately v iolent than ours, and so combat is a regular part of the game­but combat in Pendragon is a more serious matter than in most other adventure games. The chance of death or permanent injury is great. Worse, healing from damage is slow and uncertain, and magical healing is rare. Thus actions must be planned carefully, and violence cannot be used to solve all problems.

Aging is a part of the game, and includes the effects of old injuries, the ravages of disease, and other cruel reali­ties ignored by most roleplaying games.

Psychological effects also exist in the game, as they do in the literature. Madness o r other emotional trauma ca n permanently affect a character, perhaps fatally in rare instances.

All o f these factors impose an awareness on the play­ers w hich provides motivation to play. After all, everyone i a knight, and evezyone is going to die, so the only variable to address is: w hat kind of knight are you going to be?

Ideals and Motivations In Pendragon roleplaying and behavior is much more significant to a character's success o r failure than in other adventure games. Pendragon challenges ro leplaying skills. Rather than simply letting players state that their characters always act the right way, Pendragon uses a system o f Ideals and Passions to quantify your character's

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Introduction to King Arthur LISTE'J{ M{_']) Ji'Dtl( tlie Cife of a great Corti wfio, wfiile fie Civec£, fiat£ no equaC in cottage or castCe. %is event too( pCace in tfie time of Jl.rtfiur, tfiat 'l(jng, courtCy and roya' ani is ahout one of fiis great aiven­tures. 'Wfierever lie went, of a(( /(jngs, Jl.rtfiur hears tlie fCoweri of a« {(_nights, lie hears tlie fionor. %e wfioCe country was cfiivaCrous in tfiose iays. JL(( l(_nigfits were vaCiant, ani cowardS were forever iisgracetf. -from The Wedding of Sir Gawaine and Dame Ragne/1

patterns of behavior. Thi insure rea onable consistency and gives player knights an accurate record of their repu­tation as regards chivalrous, cultural , and romantic ideals.

This does not have to result in your character being forced in a mold , nor is the intention of the system to take away the player's abili ty to make decision for his charac­ter. The system simply makes sure that the Gamemaster has some control over this v ital aspect of the game.

Personality quantification also permits the gamemas­ter to be impartial and consistent when gamemaster char­acters such as ir Lancelot must make personal decisions or consult their code of ethics during a game.

There is no single "right" way for a knight to act. The behavio r patterns of different characters vary tremen­dously. Some knights are chivalrous and just, while oth­ers are treacherous and cruel. The numbers that quantify these traits are more secret than Glory. A character may adventure for years w ith a group without revealing his darker side to anyone other than the Gamemaster. The range of ideals and passions includes many individual variat ions on the themes of piety, vengeance, or true

What Does "Pendragon" Mean? Pendragon is a title which roughly corresponds to " High King." Arthur's uncle, Aurelius Ambrosius, first held it when he re­gained his patrimony from the usurper Vortigern, a hated tyrant who invited the Saxons to Britain. After Aurelius his brother, Uther, held it. He was Arthur's father, and Arthur holds the t itle now, and no one wi ll hold it after him. Thus it became, in effect, a family name.

The word comes from the ancient British (Cymric) tongue. It means ben, or chief, and dragon, or warlord. D ragons have been associated with warlords ever since the coming of the Romans, who carried draconic banners as legionary standards. Aurelius Ambrosius is called by Nennius " the last Roman," and probably bore such a banner before his army. The modern descendants of Arthur's people, the Welsh, stil l revere the symbol in their national arms: a red dragon.

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