King Arthur Pendragon
Just a reminder to old members, and an invitation to newcomers, that Josh ("Sternum") runs a campaign of King Arthur Pendragon on a more or less bi-weekly basis. Several major plot lines have tied up recently, so if you have been Pen-curious now is a great time to give it a try.
Arthur has subdued all of Britain and defeated the Roman Emperor Lucius. With his realm and overlordship secure, Arthur has announced a period of High Chivalry and Romance. This is the era of Lancelot's errantries, Tristram's doomed affair, the triumphs of Gareth Beaumains and the follies of La Cote Mal Taile. In other words, it is almost certainly the period you think of when someone mentions King Arthur.
The Full Flower of British Chivalry
In addition to these published worthies, you can adventure alongside:
- SIR HERVIS, Marshal of Salisbury, he of the fainting Pygmy goats and a minstrel troupe of spies
- SIR CARABAD, truly the most misfortunate knight in Christendom, slow of wit but stout of heart
- SIR PELLANDRES THE PROUD, who must have something going for him
- SIR YSGARRAN, who is in a meteoric career ascent despite being vassal to Sir Carabad
Several of these knights are now in their early 40's, which means they will be either dead or retired soon, and we will be playing "B-side" knights to get them ready for successorship. In other words, your new knight will be right at home.
Pendragon: Truly a Game for Ironic Masochists
If you think that surviving the hostile world of Dungeons & Dragons turns a gamer Hobbit into a Man, Pendragon is grueling. Worse, the torture is largely psychological. (I am speaking somewhat tongue in cheek - I love this game.)
Pendragon is a game about middle class men worrying about their careers, their retirement, their housing situation, whether it's a good time to start a family, and whether they can kill that pesky Dragon who's been devouring maidens the next county over. It is, therefore, a game about failure.
Though we play Pendragon pretty straight-faced - no Monty Python, no joke-characters - it has been the most persistently funny game I have ever seen. From the time Sir Carabad went to live among the fairy Pig People, to the time Sir Hervis used fainting-goats as a weapon of war, to the time Sir PELLANDRES accidentally sainted a horse, it has been a really good time.
System Quirks
If you feel jaded by D&D, Pendragon offers some unique features. First: domain management and mass combat. Second: personality mechanics. Sir PELLANDRES for example, is boastful by default and must make a special effort to be humble, regardless of what his player wishes. Sir Carabad was so in love with the fickle Lady Madule that he became almost super human whenever he fought on her behalf.
Anyway, we are hoping to play sometime in the coming week (March 11-18) and if you'd like to come feel free.