Check Out This Preview Of Chivalry & Sorcery 5th Edition!

Chivalry & Sorcery was first published back in 1977, and portrayed a more 'realistic' medieval setting. It has had several editions over the years, and Britannia Game Designs is bringing it back for a brand new edition this week on Kickstarter. BGD has kindly sent over a preview in advance of the big launch! [Update -- it's live!]

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C&S is a more complex rules system (although later editions were reportedly less so). The preview sent to me shows a page spread detailing towns, cities, and citizenship (see below). C&S was originally designed as a D&D competitor, by Edward E. Simbalist and Wilf K. Backhaus. This new edition is written by F. Tiffany, S.A. Turner, C. D. Speirs, D Blewitt, and A. Staples, and this 500-page book is the first edition in full colour.

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Here's what the Kickstarter page (which launches tomorrow, Monday 1st July) has to say about this game:

"Character Generation offers the chance to create well rounded characters with a sense of belonging in the world in which they live. Knights hold the secular power and command the battle field, while other warriors can strive to win their own spurs on the field and rise to the ranks of Knight. Magick is expansive encompassing many forms from Divination to Illusions to harnessing the power of the elements. The ability to enchant wondrous items from Simple Focuses to Great Artefact's of Power. Even Priests have the ability to call upon their Diety to create Miracles.

The new edition adds Judaism and Islam to established Christianity as the core faiths in a medieval setting, although rules are included to utilise these rules for any fantasy religious faiths."

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"Run a game of medieval magic with miracles and myth or one of gritty, low fantasy or pure historical simulation. Create a High Fantasy Campaign and watch Mages bend power to their will, even wrestling the elemental forces to control Fire, from normal fire to Dragon Fire. From fairy-tale romance to the Court of Love to brutal, bloody battle, Chivalry & Sorcery helps you present the Middle Ages you want; or if you want to go further Chivalry & Sorcery will cater for your Fantasy needs from the lowliest of Goblins (actually they are badass) to the most fearsome of Dragons."

 

[Ed Laprade]

I never did get this back in the day, so I really ought to check out the Kickstarter.

 

[R_Chance]

I have the original game (and a number of supplements). The systems in the original C&S were... cumbersome. They were complex and "realistic". The best thing about it (imho) was the detailed treatment of feudal society, politics, and economics. I have one of the later editions (3rd I believe) as well, and while simpler mechanically, the feudal setting was less detailed iirc. The original edition sourcebook for Vikings, Celts, and plains Nomads was excellent for the same reasons as the original (societies, politics, and economics). Might be interesting although I doubt (given the multiple iterations and length of time) it will bear a strong resemblance to the original. We'll see.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Stilvan]

I wonder how this compares to HarnMaster, which seems to cover similar ground.

 

[hurcheon]

Hi. C D Speirs here, one if the folk with the name onnthe cover, although mispelled above

Firstly Hârn. Hârn started off as a C&S 1 campaign. So there are common areas of interest though obviously Hârn went it's own way. The old online Hârn community is a place I used to hang around with with the fellow listed author Andy Staples, a noted Hârniac

As to 3rd edition. Third tried to be more generic, and lost some flavour thereby. 4th, the first edition by Brittannia Ganes Designs took its cue from 2nd edition, a more refined edition than 1st, but with the percentile system of third

As to Swords and Sorcerors. Facts have a half life. The information in them is out of date, just as information informing the main game has had to be revised in the light of laer research, so would a new version of that

 

[M.L. Martin]

This sounds like it may be something I've been looking for--a good system for running a fairy-tale/medieval legend, "Romanticized Medieval Christendom" campaign.

 

[hurcheon]

This sounds like it may be something I've been looking for--a good system for running a fairy-tale/medieval legend, "Romanticized Medieval Christendom" campaign.

That would be a fair shout. Although there has been a streak of realism in C&S, down to feudal economics, ythe cire has been medieval adventure with courtly romance, intrigue, the Church, both
Pastoral and Militant in there

 

[aramis erak]

I have 1st, either 3rd or 4th (don't recall), and 5th...

1E was clearly a D&D variant... and given that it was four typed pages optically typeset reducing 4pp typed per printed page, and rather long (1/2" thick) - it was hard to read, hard to use, chock-a-block full of nifty ideas and mediocre implementations...

The other two share a d10 more unified core rolling mechanic, but I forget which.

Char Gen is longish...

Pendragon covers much the same space, does it better, and does it easier... so I've never gotten a campaign together of any C&S edition. I do know some people who played it, tho'... I don't think I've met a non-SCAdian who Admits to playing C&S.

 

[hurcheon]

I have 1st, either 3rd or 4th (don't recall), and 5th...

1E was clearly a D&D variant... and given that it was four typed pages optically typeset reducing 4pp typed per printed page, and rather long (1/2" thick) - it was hard to read, hard to use, chock-a-block full of nifty ideas and mediocre implementations...

The other two share a d10 more unified core rolling mechanic, but I forget which.

Char Gen is longish...

Pendragon covers much the same space, does it better, and does it easier... so I've never gotten a campaign together of any C&S edition. I do know some people who played it, tho'... I don't think I've met a non-SCAdian who Admits to playing C&S.

Not a SCAdian, meant plenty who played it who were not, different worlds

3rd was a single volume Green book, 4th was three volumes

Although writing my own Arthurian game based on my "C&S Essence", I recently played Pendragon. It's s beautiful game trying to do the "Morte D'Arthur" style of the legend, but it's not short a bit of an abstruse book keeping itself

They do different things.

You can judge for yourself. 4th ed is free as PDF from DrivethruRPG

 

[R_Chance]

Hi. C D Speirs here, one if the folk with the name onnthe cover, although mispelled above

Firstly Hârn. Hârn started off as a C&S 1 campaign. So there are common areas of interest though obviously Hârn went it's own way. The old online Hârn community is a place I used to hang around with with the fellow listed author Andy Staples, a noted Hârniac

As to 3rd edition. Third tried to be more generic, and lost some flavour thereby. 4th, the first edition by Brittannia Ganes Designs took its cue from 2nd edition, a more refined edition than 1st, but with the percentile system of third

As to Swords and Sorcerors. Facts have a half life. The information in them is out of date, just as information informing the main game has had to be revised in the light of laer research, so would a new version of that

Nice to know the game is in the hands of people who know it and love it. I'll be checking on it. The original C&S helped me develop my campaign and I look forward to seeing what this edition has.