Prydain as a campaign setting?

[Neko Princex]

I recently re-watched The Black Cauldron and as the credits were rolling I noticed that it is based on a book. Did a little digging and found there to be six books in the series in addition to one or two Tales (sidequest?) books. I have yet to read the books, but as soon as I come into some money I fully intend on nabbing all the books for Prydain. As I was watching the movie I came to love the setting and thought it would be excellent fodder to build out as a campaign area/world for adventures. Has anyone ever done this?

 

[Dioltach]

You're in for a treat: the books are absolutely excellent. I first started reading them 40 years ago, and I still love them. (Although when I was reading up on Welsh mythology in uni, it was very strange to discover that some of the baddies from the books are goodies in the Mabinogion, and vice versa.)

I've never adapted the setting to a game, although I've stolen several ideas. Huntsmen of Annuvin are a particular favourite of mine: they start out as low-level rangers, but every time one of the gang dies the others gain two levels. Orwen, Ordu and Orgoch are also great fun to throw in, particularly if your adventure is set in a marsh. And who doesn't love an oracular pig?

 

[FriendlyFiend]

As Dioltach says, the books are fantastic. I loved them as a kid, introduced them to my wife a few years ago and we still quote them together now.

I’ve certainly stolen a few ideas from the books for campaigns - the Cauldron warriors were a great hit, as were Olwen, Orddu and Orgoch .

It’s worth saying that Flatland Games’ “Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures” is a rules-light system, heavily inspired by the Chronicles of Prydain, along with Ursula le Guin’s “Earthsea” novels and Susan Cooper’s “Dark is Rising” sequence. I reckon it’s my favourite TTRPG and I can definitely recommend it.

 

[Dioltach]

It’s worth saying that Flatland Games’ “Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures” is a rules-light system, heavily inspired by the Chronicles of Prydain, along with Ursula le Guin’s “Earthsea” novels and Susan Cooper’s “Dark is Rising” sequence.

Those are three of my three favourite series!

 

[FriendlyFiend]

Those are three of my three favourite series!

Same here!

 

[Marc_C]

As Dioltach says, the books are fantastic. I loved them as a kid, introduced them to my wife a few years ago and we still quote them together now.

I’ve certainly stolen a few ideas from the books for campaigns - the Cauldron warriors were a great hit, as were Olwen, Orddu and Orgoch .

It’s worth saying that Flatland Games’ “Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures” is a rules-light system, heavily inspired by the Chronicles of Prydain, along with Ursula le Guin’s “Earthsea” novels and Susan Cooper’s “Dark is Rising” sequence. I reckon it’s my favourite TTRPG and I can definitely recommend it.

Is Beyond the Wall a PtbA game? I see the use the term 'Play Book' in the description.

 

[FriendlyFiend]

Is Beyond the Wall a PtbA game? I see the use the term 'Play Book' in the description.

It's essentially a very cut-down version of 2nd Edition AD&D. You can create a character in pretty much standard 2E fashion or use the various playbooks, which have you rolling on a set of tables to cover your character's backstory and their relationships to the village (or other home setting) in which they live and to at least one of the other PCs. Each roll will also affect the character's stats and skills. It's a lovely, elegant system. Along with a roll'n'table-based system for creating each adventure, it means you can usually create all the characters, backstories and home setting AND complete an adventure all in one session.

 

[Voadam]

It was a fantastic Newbury award winning kids fantasy series from the 60s that I have very fond memories of. The first one formed my idea of a Ranger in the form of the character Gwydion. Highly recommended.

It could easily be a good setting for gaming.

 

[Marc_C]

It's essentially a very cut-down version of 2nd Edition AD&D. You can create a character in pretty much standard 2E fashion or use the various playbooks, which have you rolling on a set of tables to cover your character's backstory and their relationships to the village (or other home setting) in which they live and to at least one of the other PCs. Each roll will also affect the character's stats and skills. It's a lovely, elegant system. Along with a roll'n'table-based system for creating each adventure, it means you can usually create all the characters, backstories and home setting AND complete an adventure all in one session.

Sounds like a good system to do solitary games with a party of 4 characters.

 

[Voadam]

Beyond the Wall seemed closer mechanically to B/X Basic D&D than 2e to me.