What makes Arthurian fantasy its own genre, different from more traditional D&D-ish medieval fantasy? What are some Arthurian-style plots?

[Eyes of Nine]

Big magic with a cost, rare (Merlin can do big magic, but he's moving backward in time)
The Chosen One protagonist (ideally visibly by some supernatural creature)
Human emotions and foibles contrasted with "goodness"
Chivalry

 

[aramis erak]

I'd add the 1998 miniseries Merlin, starring Sam Neill. It takes some liberties, like adding Queen Mab as sister of the Lady of the Lake and antagonist, but Miranda Richardson's portrayal of Mab along with Martin Short's Frik are a great portrayal of malevolent fey.

Never saw it. But, given the cast...
Mab is in several variations and ways. Prior to White, pretty much every version reconsiders and reworks a lot. And they're all anachronistic to a degree, but White's Once and Future King is, for many, unreadably Victorian.

Alternatively, there is the Arthur Dies at the End series of books, a sardonic retelling and critique of Mallory's work, because as seminal as Le Morte d'Arthur may be, by the Grail is it dry.

There is a pretty decent translation that's less dry... it omits the repetitive recitations of lineage. One can tell Sir Thomas was writing for a periodical an paid by the word.

 

[aramis erak]

Big magic with a cost, rare (Merlin can do big magic, but he's moving backward in time)

He's only moving backward in a few versions.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Never saw it. But, given the cast...
Mab is in several variations and ways. Prior to White, pretty much every version reconsiders and reworks a lot. And they're all anachronistic to a degree, but White's Once and Future King is, for many, unreadably Victorian.

The Once and Future King was published in 1938-1940 (in pieces, single volume is from 1958). Its prose is not terribly inventive or modern but it's hardly Victorian -- it has a bit of a boy's adventure style and is somewhat conversational. It has more in common with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh than Dickens or Eliot.

There is a pretty decent translation that's less dry... it omits the repetitive recitations of lineage. One can tell Sir Thomas was writing for a periodical an paid by the word.

I feel like I'm missing something here. Is this the dryest of dry jokes and going right over my head? It's been ages since I've studied this, and I was never a medievalist, but I wasn't aware that Malory would have been paid for this at all. Caxton didn't even publish the first print edition until 1485, well after Malory was believed to have died.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I will probably be running a game in that genre, but when I do a search, all I get is recommendations for novels.

OK, so the system will probably be Daggerheart. The actual setting will be Ravenloft. Yes, I realize neither of these scream Arthurian. Yes, I realize that my lack of knowledge of the genre isn't helpful. Anyway. I'm planning on running in Nidala/Shadowlands (which is described as Arthurian) and connect some other domains with similar feelings to create a cluster.

So keeping that in mind, what would you recommend. Keep in mind, I can make anything into horror, so you don't need to limit yourself to Arthurian horror ideas. Anything will do.

There are a lot of different versions of Arthur. He has been around for a long time, and when his popularity swings around again he is reinvented to suit the period in which the stories are being told.

So the answer is: anything you like.

 

[jian]

There are a lot of different versions of Arthur. He has been around for a long time, and when his popularity swings around again he is reinvented to suit the period in which the stories are being told.

So the answer is: anything you like.

For instance you could run a campaign based on Once and Future, where Arthur is an undead king returned to life in the present day by English nationalists to cleanse the land of immigrants. Since his summoners are all descended from Saxons, it doesn’t go well for them.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The Once and Future King was published in 1938-1940 (in pieces, single volume is from 1958). Its prose is not terribly inventive or modern but it's hardly Victorian -- it has a bit of a boy's adventure style and is somewhat conversational. It has more in common with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh than Dickens or Eliot.

The thing I noticed, having seen the Disney movie long before reading the book, is I had assumed that all the silliness with sentient mustard pots and time travelling anachronistic Merlin was down to Disney. But nope, it's in the book.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

For instance you could run a campaign based on Once and Future, where Arthur is an undead king returned to life in the present day by English nationalists to cleanse the land of immigrants. Since his summoners are all descended from Saxons, it doesn’t go well for them.

Whilst I wouldn't disagree with you, I think you may be overstepping the forum's "no politics" rule there.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The best movies for reference: Excalibur, First Knight, Tristan & Isolde (acting's so so, but the visuals are very period). Disney's Sword and the Stone is decent if more fantasy. The Name of the Rose is excellent, if not properly Arthurian, just like T&I.

I can't believe you missed out Monty Python and the Holy Grail!

I'm not sure how you are connecting Name of the Rose with Tristan and Isolde. The later is a mythical story stet in the time of Arthur (whenever that happened to be), whist the former is a 20th century historical fiction novel with no basis in myth.

 

[The Soloist]

Shadows of Camelot setting for the Shadowdark rpg:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/fr/product/528767/shadows-of-camelot?affiliate_id=4437168