King Arthur d20 - Not Necessarily Pendragon d20

[ColonelHardisson]

Well, I never really got the time to get back to this, but...

The Campaign Components section of Dragon 299 concerns knights in a d20 context. It includes a system for honor, and rules for tourneys. It's too bad the material isn't OGC, but it's usable. A very good issue of Dragon to get if you're interested in Arthurian d20, or just knights in general for d20.

Also, I've leafed through Avalanche's "I, Mordred." I like the concept - an Arthur turned to evil, with Mordred waging a Robin Hood-type of guerilla war. It puts a new spin on the old story. The reason I haven't picked it up yet is because it seems that the adventure portion of the book is too lengthy; I'd like to have had more space devoted to the actual overall setting.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Well, if I ran Arthur, I'd want it to be in a Mabinogion/Celtic setting. Arthur as Celtic barbarian and all. Plus, then I'd get to plunder Celtic mythology for some of the odd creatures that show up now and again.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

That's one way to do it. The Mabinogion has a very distinct feel to it. Another interesting way to do it would be to use Geoffrey of Monmouth as the primary source.

I've been thinking about doing something a bit different. I don't see a lot about Arthur's return, and I think it would be interesting to come up with a setting in which Europe almost literally went to Hell after Arthur's passing. Then, he would return a few centuries later to a world practically overrun with evil (maybe an incursion of undead and other monsters from, I don't know, Wallachia or Russia). It would be a strange, funhouse-mirror version of Europe, with Arthur trying to piece together a new Round Table and stave off the impending doom of Britain.

 

[Eosin the Red]

The Mabinogion has a very distinct feel to it. Another interesting way to do it would be to use Geoffrey of Monmouth as the primary source.

Dang, for a moment there I thought the good Col was talking about my web site

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Dang, for a moment there I thought the good Col was talking about my web site

Well, hey, you do have a great site!

 

[The Great Bear King]

I'm glad I made a good guess with the Tolkien/Atlantis bit!

A "Future King" campaign would be intriguing. I hadn't thought about that. Would it be a far future where civilization had collapsed, and technology was lost, or a future with all the bells & whistles of high tech present?

I like that idea. But I'd also bring back Merlin and Winston Churchill along with Vortegen and Churchill's worst enemy, Adolph Hitler. In fact I would bring back all the commanders from World War II (excepet for DeGaul who was thought of as a coward by everyone) and the Knights of the Round Table. This would take place in contemporay times with Romel joining the Alies if you want. As well as the Big Three in the name of American Tall Tales; Pual Bunyan, Pecos Bill and John Henry.

 

[The Great Bear King]

Won't any one respond.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Sword & Sorcery has a book called Relics & Rituals: Excalibur. You might want to sift through it before buying.

 

[talien]

The Campaign Components section of Dragon 299 concerns knights in a d20 context. It includes a system for honor, and rules for tourneys. It's too bad the material isn't OGC, but it's usable. A very good issue of Dragon to get if you're interested in Arthurian d20, or just knights in general for d20.

Thanks! That was my first Dragon magazine article.

Have you checked out:

• Legends of Excalibur: Knight's Handbook http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=2306&
• Legends of Excalibur: Arthurian Campaign Guide http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=2494&
• Legends of Excalibur: War With Rome http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=2772&

 

[Atilary]

Some other things to think about. Look at some other literature from the times, Orfeo as translated by Tolkien, as well as his translant of Sir Gawain. Check this site outsite
in one of my classes we've recently been looking at the Robynn Hood texts there. I wouldn't forget the rather large amount of "fairy" elements in the stories, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight for example, of the Faerie king in Orfeo. There is much more going on here than just knights and kings, but also fey creatures such as goblins and orcs (easily done) and elves and such... they are fey creatures but not in the traditional D&D sense.

I would also go either two ways with the campaign and with the conversion in general, either the heroic "we are young and invincible" feel, or the "all men die feel," which would work better perhaps in a campaign world were Author was aging and the glory days of chivalry seem to be passing. I feel that like a late 3rd age or 4th age ME campaign this would probably be the most appropriate for me. In this type of campaign you could make artifacts and monsters rare, and with all the old round table knights old or dead, the characters could be those that rise up to defend camelot.