Visionary game designer Greg Stafford always said that the Pendragon roleplaying game was his magnum opus.
In its Arthurian bones, Pendragon is much the same as it was when it debuted as a box set 40 years ago, in 1985. The game featured many innovations and ways to inject roleplaying games with real drama. It was inspirational to other game designers, and the game system remains shockingly elegant to this day.
Resolving conflicts via a single opposed D20 roll delivers sharp and fast results to any moment. The Traits system embeds moral conflict at the heart of the story, while the Passions system ensures that Player-knights and dames always fight for the things that really matter. Four decades later, any session of Pendragon is as fresh as when the boy first drew the sword from the anvil and the stone: still filled with stunning moments.
When Pendragon returned to Chaosium, Greg was working on Pendragon 6th edition with help from David Larkins and the rest of his council, which he intended to be the ultimate edition of the game.
Fully revised and in glorious full colour, containing all of Greg's thoughts and refinements over years of playing, researching and dreaming, the return of the game has certainly woken old knights from their slumber. And it has also ushered in a brand new cohort of players. Together, knights old and new are discovering afresh a game which delivers the stories we all crave: ones that stir the heart, and put things to rights.
Sadly Greg passed in 2018 so is not here to celebrate this anniversary with us, but his magnum opus is: long may we all strive, for Arthur!
The Pendragon Magnum Opus Edition is a limited edition red leatherette of the Pendragon Core Rulebook. It features a beautiful cover design by Monika Godyń, two red ribbons, and the latest minor textual corrections throughout. It will be available for the first time at Gen Con!
”I seek to share Arthur's work with you. Enter into the magic realm. Let those dreams within you stir, come to life, and be tested."
— Greg Stafford, Founder of Chaosium and Creator of Pendragon
