WOULD you like to become one of the Knights Of The Round Table, questing whenever you’re able?
Table-Top RPG publishers Chaosium, best known for Call of Cthulhu and RuneQuest, have releases a free quick-start rules/adventure for the upcoming sixth edition of their Arthurian Fantasy RPG Pendragon – and you can get a copy now, if you want.
Pendragon was developed by the late game designer Greg Stafford and gives players the mantle of being chivalric code-following knights with a focus on the legends of King Arthur.
Players are rewarded for acting as virtuous knights, and the game is also notable for not only having regular adventures, but epic dynastic campaigns where players role-play not only their initial knight, but also their children as the campaign progresses.
The new adventure is entitled The Adventure of the Sword Tournament and was released as part of Gen Con 2022, giving a showcase to the Pendragon sixth edition rules.
As the intro explains:
Veterans will find that the fundamentals of the game remain the same, with subtle modifications reflecting the culmination of nearly three decades’ refinement of Greg [Stafford]’s vision of Arthurian fantasy.
For newcomers, welcome! Everything you need to experience the Pendragon system is here: the core rules, a scenario playable in a single session, and five pre-generated characters.
The 28-page book is illustrated in the style of an illuminated Medieval Manuscript, complete with marginalia and includes:
- A ready-to-play scenario, allowing players to be involved in the epic moment when an unknown, back-country squire draws the mythical sword from the stone
- A rules overview covering Traits, Passions, Skills, and Combat.
- Five pre-generated Player-knights (three male, two female)
- A primer on the city of Londinium (now called London), which is the scenario’s setting.
Chaosium vice-president Michael O’Brien explained The Adventure Of The Sword Tournament was inititally an exclusive hand-out at Gen Con 2022, and had proven extremely popular.
“We are proud to now make this available for everyone everywhere as a free download,” he said.
If you’re after medieval role-playing with more realism than Dungeons & Dragons but still room for fantasy, this looks very promising indeed – and it’s free, which is always helpful.
The full Pendragon Sixth Edition is gearing up for an early 2023 release – so keep an eye out for more information closer to its launch.
