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[Chaosium] Pendragon: Where It All Began - design journal by David Larkins
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<blockquote data-quote="Michael O'Brien" data-source="post: 8737256" data-attributes="member: 6807727"><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://www.chaosium.com/product_images/uploaded_images/pendragon-design-journal.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 503px" /></p><p></p><h4>By David Larkins, Pendragon line editor.</h4><p><em>A new edition of the <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/pendragon-rpg" target="_blank">Pendragon RPG</a> is coming! The intention of this series of design journals by Pendragon line editor <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/david-larkins" target="_blank">David Larkins</a> is to trace the path of development, starting in the early 1980s and culminating with the forthcoming new edition of the Pendragon RPG, which will be first to be wholly published by Chaosium in a quarter-century.</em></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pendragon Design Journal #1: <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-1-where-it-all-began" target="_blank">Where It All Began</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pendragon Design Journal #2: <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-2-bringing-the-light-in-sixth-edition" target="_blank">Bringing the Light</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pendragon Design Journal #3: <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-3-a-modular-approach" target="_blank">A Modular Approach</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pendragon Design Journal #4: <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-4-refining-traits-and-passions" target="_blank">Refining Traits and Passions</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pendragon Design Journal #5: <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-5-honor-and-glory" target="_blank">Honor and Glory</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pendragon Design Journal #6: <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-6-combat" target="_blank">Combat!</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pendragon Design Journal #7: <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-7-the-social-game" target="_blank">The Social Game</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pendragon Design Journal #8: <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-8-the-battle-system" target="_blank">The Battle System</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pendragon Design Journal #9: <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-9-of-horses-and-squires" target="_blank">Of Horses and Squires</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pendragon Design Journal #10: <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-10-arthurian-acts" target="_blank">Arthurian Acts</a></li> </ul><p><img src="https://www.chaosium.com/product_images/uploaded_images/detail-1-mark-smylie-cover-art-for-pendragon-6.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></p><p></p><p>For a game with a simple premise (everyone plays knights trying to acquire Glory), <strong>Pendragon</strong> may intimidate prospective players more often than one might think.</p><p></p><p>No doubt this is due in part to the vast corpus of Arthurian lore, both “in the wild” and in the form of Greg Stafford’s magnum opus, <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/the-great-pendragon-campaign-pdf" target="_blank">The Great Pendragon Campaign</a>. Over time, the perception has taken hold that in order to “properly” play <strong>Pendragon</strong>, one must commit to the entirety of that mighty campaign.</p><p></p><p>With 6th edition, we’re doing our level best to present <strong>Pendragon</strong> gameplay from a variety of approaches. The GPC is still there for folks who want to run it—heck, eventually you’ll be able to run a campaign that stretches over 130 game years! But the new edition also facilitates one-shots or short campaigns with knights errant going out on quests, or mid-length campaigns that span a couple decades, or some variation between these various points on the spectrum of possibilities.</p><p></p><p>Another entry point—one we hope lots of folks will avail themselves of, newcomers and veterans alike—is the forthcoming <em>Pendragon Starter Set</em>.</p><p></p><p>So far in this Design Journal series, we’ve been taking a look at various aspects of the new edition as a whole. Everything we’ve discussed so far is present in the Starter box as well, to some extent or another. Over the next few months, therefore, we’ll be talking less about the game’s mechanics in general and instead be taking a look at what went into putting together the first-ever Starter Set for <strong>Pendragon</strong>.</p><p></p><p>The core <strong>Pendragon</strong> books are all fundamentally the finished versions of the draft manuscripts left us by Greg at his passing in 2018. The <em>Pendragon Starter Set</em>, on the other hand, was assembled from scratch. What we had from Greg was a short prospectus of a a way to do “Quick-Start Pendragon” and a half-completed series of thematically-linked scenarios he called “The Sword Campaign”.</p><p></p><p>There are three books included in the <em>Pendragon Starter Set</em>: Book I is a tutorial solo adventure, similar to what you find in the <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/runequest-starter-set" target="_blank">RuneQuest Starter Set</a> and <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-starter-set" target="_blank">Call of Cthulhu Starter Set</a> boxes, for those of you familiar with those products. Book II is a condensed version of the core rulebook. Book III is The Sword Campaign, an introductory set of adventures developed from the most complete portion of Greg’s manuscript. </p><p></p><h4>'The Adventure of the Sword' Pendragon Quick-Start</h4><p>We'll talk more about those adventures in our next Design Journal. Meanwhile, please take a look our special <strong>Pendragon Starter Set Preview</strong>, launched at Gen Con earlier this month, and available now as a free download. </p><p></p><p>This new version of the 6th edition Pendragon Quick-Start rules features the first act of the first scenario from The Sword Campaign, easily playable in a single session, along with five of the eight pre-generated characters from the <em>Pendragon Starter Set</em>. With a copy in hand, you’ll be playing Pendragon in no time!</p><p></p><p>Download <a href="https://www.chaosium.com/pendragon-quick-start" target="_blank">The Adventure of the Sword Pendragon Quick-Start</a></p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.chaosium.com/pendragon-quick-start" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.chaosium.com/product_images/uploaded_images/screen-shot-2022-08-19-at-2.33.00-pm.png" alt="Pendragon Quick-Start Download" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong><em>Art – upper: Mark Smylie; lower: Sam Carr</em></strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Michael O'Brien, post: 8737256, member: 6807727"] [CENTER][IMG width="503px"]https://www.chaosium.com/product_images/uploaded_images/pendragon-design-journal.png[/IMG][/CENTER] [HEADING=3]By David Larkins, Pendragon line editor.[/HEADING] [I]A new edition of the [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/pendragon-rpg']Pendragon RPG[/URL] is coming! The intention of this series of design journals by Pendragon line editor [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/david-larkins']David Larkins[/URL] is to trace the path of development, starting in the early 1980s and culminating with the forthcoming new edition of the Pendragon RPG, which will be first to be wholly published by Chaosium in a quarter-century.[/I] [LIST] [*]Pendragon Design Journal #1: [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-1-where-it-all-began']Where It All Began[/URL] [*]Pendragon Design Journal #2: [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-2-bringing-the-light-in-sixth-edition']Bringing the Light[/URL] [*]Pendragon Design Journal #3: [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-3-a-modular-approach']A Modular Approach[/URL] [*]Pendragon Design Journal #4: [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-4-refining-traits-and-passions']Refining Traits and Passions[/URL] [*]Pendragon Design Journal #5: [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-5-honor-and-glory']Honor and Glory[/URL] [*]Pendragon Design Journal #6: [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-6-combat']Combat![/URL] [*]Pendragon Design Journal #7: [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-7-the-social-game']The Social Game[/URL] [*]Pendragon Design Journal #8: [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-8-the-battle-system']The Battle System[/URL] [*]Pendragon Design Journal #9: [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-9-of-horses-and-squires']Of Horses and Squires[/URL] [*]Pendragon Design Journal #10: [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/blogpendragon-design-journal-10-arthurian-acts']Arthurian Acts[/URL] [/LIST] [IMG]https://www.chaosium.com/product_images/uploaded_images/detail-1-mark-smylie-cover-art-for-pendragon-6.png[/IMG] For a game with a simple premise (everyone plays knights trying to acquire Glory), [B]Pendragon[/B] may intimidate prospective players more often than one might think. No doubt this is due in part to the vast corpus of Arthurian lore, both “in the wild” and in the form of Greg Stafford’s magnum opus, [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/the-great-pendragon-campaign-pdf']The Great Pendragon Campaign[/URL]. Over time, the perception has taken hold that in order to “properly” play [B]Pendragon[/B], one must commit to the entirety of that mighty campaign. With 6th edition, we’re doing our level best to present [B]Pendragon[/B] gameplay from a variety of approaches. The GPC is still there for folks who want to run it—heck, eventually you’ll be able to run a campaign that stretches over 130 game years! But the new edition also facilitates one-shots or short campaigns with knights errant going out on quests, or mid-length campaigns that span a couple decades, or some variation between these various points on the spectrum of possibilities. Another entry point—one we hope lots of folks will avail themselves of, newcomers and veterans alike—is the forthcoming [I]Pendragon Starter Set[/I]. So far in this Design Journal series, we’ve been taking a look at various aspects of the new edition as a whole. Everything we’ve discussed so far is present in the Starter box as well, to some extent or another. Over the next few months, therefore, we’ll be talking less about the game’s mechanics in general and instead be taking a look at what went into putting together the first-ever Starter Set for [B]Pendragon[/B]. The core [B]Pendragon[/B] books are all fundamentally the finished versions of the draft manuscripts left us by Greg at his passing in 2018. The [I]Pendragon Starter Set[/I], on the other hand, was assembled from scratch. What we had from Greg was a short prospectus of a a way to do “Quick-Start Pendragon” and a half-completed series of thematically-linked scenarios he called “The Sword Campaign”. There are three books included in the [I]Pendragon Starter Set[/I]: Book I is a tutorial solo adventure, similar to what you find in the [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/runequest-starter-set']RuneQuest Starter Set[/URL] and [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-starter-set']Call of Cthulhu Starter Set[/URL] boxes, for those of you familiar with those products. Book II is a condensed version of the core rulebook. Book III is The Sword Campaign, an introductory set of adventures developed from the most complete portion of Greg’s manuscript. [HEADING=3]'The Adventure of the Sword' Pendragon Quick-Start[/HEADING] We'll talk more about those adventures in our next Design Journal. Meanwhile, please take a look our special [B]Pendragon Starter Set Preview[/B], launched at Gen Con earlier this month, and available now as a free download. This new version of the 6th edition Pendragon Quick-Start rules features the first act of the first scenario from The Sword Campaign, easily playable in a single session, along with five of the eight pre-generated characters from the [I]Pendragon Starter Set[/I]. With a copy in hand, you’ll be playing Pendragon in no time! Download [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/pendragon-quick-start']The Adventure of the Sword Pendragon Quick-Start[/URL] [URL='https://www.chaosium.com/pendragon-quick-start'][IMG alt="Pendragon Quick-Start Download"]https://www.chaosium.com/product_images/uploaded_images/screen-shot-2022-08-19-at-2.33.00-pm.png[/IMG][/URL] [B][I]Art – upper: Mark Smylie; lower: Sam Carr[/I][/B] [/QUOTE]
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