Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
Mythic Bastionland is making a lot of great strides. I don't think it's even been out a whole year at this point.
What makes Arthurian fantasy its own genre, different from more traditional D&D-ish medieval fantasy? What are some Arthurian-style plots?
- Thread starter Faolyn
- Start date
Reynard
aka Ian Eller
So, this is merely anecdotal of course, but while I am aware of that game, I had no idea it had anything to do with Arthurian fantasy. I am not saying I have my finger on the pulse of everything that comes out, but I am online a lot.
So they not market it as such, or have I simply missed it? Is it related to Electric Bastionland? And is that also Arthurian?
ETA: Went to DTRPG and looked at the preview. That IS interesting.
Last edited:
kronovan
Adventurer
The Pendragon Starter Set (6e) costs $25 USD and is excellent quality. The rules booklet that comes with it is particularly good - well written with far more coverage of the core rules than you typically get in a Starter Set. The rest of it is terrific too, with the pregen Knights being top qualiity. I have the Call of Cthulhu 7 Starter Set from the same company and the Pendragon set puts it to shame. So if you want to take a cheap dip into what Pendragon is, I highly recommend it.
Faolyn
(she/her)
Unfortunately, $25 is a bit pricey for me now.
Faolyn
(she/her)
It definitely looks interesting. I put it on my wishlist for the next sale.
Arthurian-style plots? My mind goes to Gawain and the Green Knight or Pellinore and the Questing Beast. A session/episode focuses on one puzzling adversary at a time (though they may have minions/mini-bosses), and resolving the issue requires cleverness (figuring out loopholes and weaknesses) and virtue (nobility over expediency). The reward for solving the adventure can be thought of as a trophy-- a magic item that's both useful and representative of the skill the party displayed.
Arthurian-style plots in Ravenloft... I'd look for cursed adversaries who can be redeemed, maybe? Maybe steal the plot from Ladyhawke and have a pair of were-creatures, sympathetic in humanoid form but dangerous in animal form, that the party has to identify, contain, and cure. Or a locally legendary beast whose rampages are actually the search for a missing egg/treasure? A somewhat Arthurian "fisher king" plot I've used is a sudden catastrophic change in the weather or season, tied to the mood of a local fey or dragon-- in Ravenloft, easily the local darklord. In order to save the season (and thus the farming), the party has to restore the ruler (or replace them, if you want a fight).
I'd use fewer dungeon-crawling scenes, and more destination-based travel to specific bridges, towers, caves. These checkpoints become tests for the party-- can they figure out the clues to the ultimate solution? Can they demonstrate what they're willing to sacrifice? The structure is linear as heck, but builds up tension as they approach a final confrontation.
(Hm-- I could also use a shapechanging adversary, who the party encounter disguised the first few times. The adversary learns what the party can do-- anything they use against it in early stages, it has a counter for in the final battle. The key is not giving too much away, or being able to switch up tactics in the end...)
Anyway, just brainstorming!
Arthurian-style plots in Ravenloft... I'd look for cursed adversaries who can be redeemed, maybe? Maybe steal the plot from Ladyhawke and have a pair of were-creatures, sympathetic in humanoid form but dangerous in animal form, that the party has to identify, contain, and cure. Or a locally legendary beast whose rampages are actually the search for a missing egg/treasure? A somewhat Arthurian "fisher king" plot I've used is a sudden catastrophic change in the weather or season, tied to the mood of a local fey or dragon-- in Ravenloft, easily the local darklord. In order to save the season (and thus the farming), the party has to restore the ruler (or replace them, if you want a fight).
I'd use fewer dungeon-crawling scenes, and more destination-based travel to specific bridges, towers, caves. These checkpoints become tests for the party-- can they figure out the clues to the ultimate solution? Can they demonstrate what they're willing to sacrifice? The structure is linear as heck, but builds up tension as they approach a final confrontation.
(Hm-- I could also use a shapechanging adversary, who the party encounter disguised the first few times. The adversary learns what the party can do-- anything they use against it in early stages, it has a counter for in the final battle. The key is not giving too much away, or being able to switch up tactics in the end...)
Anyway, just brainstorming!
Faolyn
(she/her)
Right now, I'm reading through the Medieval Bestiary (well, I've gone through it before; I'm just going through it more attentively). It's kind of fun how many normal animals were given magical abilities. Antelopes can cut through trees with their horns and badgers can inflate their skin to become immune to bludgeoning weapons and dog bites. (That site also has a picture of the happiest catoblepas ever.)
Damn, I haven’t a clue but based on your description can you please post whatever you do, because this sounds AWESOME.
The Soloist
Hero
My favorite Arthurian rpg is Romance of the Perilous Land by Osprey Games. Neat little book with everything you need to play. It’s a variant of the Black Hack with added skills and a flavorful magic system.
Last edited:
Similar Threads
