Arthur Claims t1.- r

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Adventure with young Arthur in his quest to claim the kingship of Britain. Battle enemy lords, defend the realm against savage invaders, and clear the land of a wesome monsters. Find glory in the dozens of adventures provided.

Hk Bov KIN(, CONTAINC eveiything details the glorious battles and needed to run an 80-year cam- dozens of potential adventures to paign spanning from tietore help Arthur gain his kingship, pro- Arthur pulls the Sword of Kingrhip from vicling interaction with the great the stone to the height ot his empire figure of legend. THE ADVENTURE CHARACTER GENERATION details OF THE CASTLE OF JOY provides character creation for the time tittor a long narrative scenario wherein Arthur's reign. BRITAIN BEFORE player-knights are tested for their ARTHUR presents a chronology of worthinesr to help defend the castle of Ldncelot and Guenever's atfair, the Grail events important to the realm. BEFORE the . CITIES describes the (&est, and the death of Arthur - a ( 01 ARTHUR and THE SAVAGE FOREST nature ot Medieval cities, and provides Plete 80-Year campaign. provide opportunities to integratc pl,iycr maps anti details for both London ,ind This reprint includes a new section knights into the ongoing events of . LATER CHRONOLOGYoLltlines adding rnagic system statistics for nicigil Britain. The RnY KING CHRONOLOGY other events of the campaign, including ( haiacters and a graphical timeline.

WHAT IS PENDRAGON? Pendragon is a roleplaying game wherein you and your friends participate in heroic adventures. Or I " p player, the gamemaster, presents the story. Everyone else creates knight-characters-the heroes the tale. Each player verbally responds to the gamemaster's plot and the actions of the villains, ar describes how his or her character reacts. You can face the same dangers that Arthur and Lance1 encountered, but this time you decide your knight's actions!

I I ISBN L-5b882-L2L-2 For a FREE CATALOG 52095 of Chaosium books and Samplegames, write to: file Chaosium Inc 950-A 56th St. 9 781568 821214 Oakland, CA 94608 I Visit our web site at http://www.sirius.com/-chaosium/chaosium. html _-

BoyIhe King

by Greg Stafford

PATRONS OF THE ARTS: Roderick and Ellen Robertson

EDITOR: Sam Shirley COVER DESIGN: Sam Shirley COVER ARTWORK: Stephen King COPY READING: Britt Daniel LAYOUT: Sam Shirley, Shannon Appel

INTERIOR ARTWORK: Arnie Swekel WHISPERING PATH, STRANGORE, ROMAN WAR, SAXON WAR, POST ROMAN and EVENT MAPS: Kevin Zucker CELTIC DECORATIONS, SHIELDS, WHERE THEY LIVE, LONDON, CAMELOT, and FOREST SAUVAGE MAPS: Gus diZerega

SampleCHAOSIUM INC. file 1997 Contributors: Britt Daniel, William Dunn, Katherine Kerr, Michael 'Trout Fourth Edition Conversions: Roderick Robertson Helpers and Pluytesters: Ken Kaufer, Anne Merritt, Suzanne Courteau, Gus diZerega, Donald Frew, Derek Boain, Les Brooks, Jim Hooker, John Carnahan, Britt Daniel This work was prepared using the Penguin Classics edition of Le Morte D 'Arthur, edited by Janet Cowen.

THE BOY KING is published by Chaosium Inc. THE BOY KING is copyright 0 1991, 1997 by Greg Stafford Similarities between characters in THE BOY KING and persons living or dead are strictly coincidental. Cover painting copyright 0 1997 by Stephen King. All interior illustrations copyright 0 1991 by Arnie Swekel. Celtic borders, Forest Sauvage map, Where They Live map, Camelot, and London maps copyright 0 1991 by Gus diZerega. Whispering Path, Strangore, Roman War, Saxon War, Post Roman, and Event maps copyright 0 1991 by Kevin Zucker. The reproduction of material from this book for the purposes of personal or corporate profit by photographic, electronic, or other methods of retrieval is prohibited. Address questions and comments concerning this book as well as requests for free catalogues of Chaosium books, games, and supplements to: Chaosium Inc., 950-A 56th Street, Oakland, CA, U.S.A., or by email to: [email protected] Visit our web site alt: http:Nwww.sirius.coml-chaosium/chaosium.html ISBNSample 1-56882-123-9. Chaosium Publication 2708. Published December 1997. file Second Edition. Printed in the United States. ____._... .._____ ..

Table of Contents

Introduction ...... 4 527 ...... What’s In Here? ...... 4 The Conquest of The Pendragon Chronicle ...... 5 The Dolorous Stroke ...... 56 Arthur the Emperor ...... i02 The Epic Tapestry (box) ...... 5 5 I5 ...... In Rome ...... Using Malory ...... 6 (illo) ...... 57 The Saxon Wars: 515-518 (map) ...... 58 528 ...... New ...... 59 ...... 7 Battle Scene (illo)...... 7 5 18 ...... 62 Character Generation ...... 8 (map) ...... 64 New Lands (box) ...... 8 5 I9 ...... 65 Beginning Skill Values (box) ...... 9 Events of 519-524 (map)...... 66 A Royal Herald (illo) ...... 10 Strangore. Showing Battles (map) .... 67 Britain Before Arthur ...... 11 520 ...... 67 Post-Roman Tribal Movements (map) 12 521 ...... 68 Camelot ...... Phase 1: Anarchy ...... 14 Morgan le Fey (illo) ...... 69 Politics ...... Morgan’s Grand Plot ...... 69 Chronology After 531 ...... 116 Escalation ...... 14 Norman Knight (illo)...... 15 522 ...... Phase 4: Apogee .... Saxon Expansion: 495-508 (map) ..... 16 Events ...... Chronology ...... 119 The Forest Sauvage ...... 17 Faerie Places (box) ...... 18 524 ...... Forest Sauvage (map) ...... 19 Phase Two Adventures ...... 74 A Circle of Standing Stones (illo) The Adventure of the Castle of Joy ... 76 ers ...... 124 Phase One Adventures ...... ’s Island ...... Young ...... 124 The Whispering Path (map) ...... 26 The City of Glass...... 77 Young . in 5 IO Guardians of the Whis . Path (illo) .... 27 The Trail of Chivalry ...... 78 Balin le Sauvage, in 5 12 ... Coping with Castles (box) ...... 28 The Castle of Joy ...... 78 The Brown Knight. in 512 ...... 125 The Cave of the Black Annis (illo) ... 29 King of Chaste Mortal (stats) ..... Young Gawaine. in 514 . 126 Merlin (illo) ...... 33 King Fisher (shield)...... 79 Griflet, in 518 ...... 126 Roman Tomb (illo) ...... 34 Young Guenever, in 5 14...... 127 Battles and Sieges ...... , ...... 35 ...... 83 Kay, in 522 ......

Lord Eurain (shield) ...... 85 The Assault ...... 36 Baudwin of Britain (shield) ...... 85 Merlin, in 510 ...... 129 Phase 2: Unification...... 38 de Gales (shield) ...... 86 . in 531 ...... Escalation ...... 38 Rombold Moor ...... 86 . in 52 510: Adventure of the Boy King ...... 39 Alain le Gross (shield) ...... , in 5 12 ...... 130 The Sword in the Stone (illo)...... 40 The White Knight (shield) ...... 88 Sagremor le Desirous, in 516 ...... 131 Events of 51 0 (map) ...... 41 Sir Bavid of Sauvage (shield) ...... Vivianne, in 520 ...... 131 511 ...... 44 Thwarting Enemies of King Fisher The White Knight. in 5 I7 Format for Annual Court Events ...... 44 New Monsters (box) ...... 89 Young Yvaine. in 521 512 ...... 45 The Battle of the Plains of Joy ...... 90 Appendices ...... 133 Brown Knight of the Wilds (illo) ...... 45 Phase 3: Consolidation...... 92 Appendix I: Fourth Edition Conv...... 133 Arthur’s Swords ...... 47 Escalation ...... 92 Appendix 11: Pendrag Sir Balin (illo) ...... 48 525 ...... 93 Appendix 111: Horses . Events of 51 1-513 (map) ...... 49 Rome Demands Tribute ...... 94 Appendix IV Adventures 51 3 ...... Sample ...... 50 Sir Lancelot (illo) ...... 94 List of Adventures file ...... 141 (illo) ...... 52 526 ...... 95 List of Battles ...... 141 514 ...... 53 Arthur’s Continental Campaign (map) 96 Index ...... 142 King Arthur’s Wedding ...... 53 The French Campaign ...... 97 Character Sheet ...... 143 4 lFie ’Boy King

Introduction Welcome to The Roy King HIS IS A BOOK OF MATERIAL The result of playing in this era is that to be used with the Pendragon instead of using the “Family History Ta- Troleplaying game. It provides ma- ble” (Pendragon, p 48) when children terials for gamemasters to use to bring the come of age around the year 530, players Arthurian realm to life for themselves and will have a character with a complete, their players. It includes finished adven- played-out game history, tures, raw material, and instructions spe- This step backward requires some cially for gamemasters. changes in details of the rules provided in The Boy King is a game supplement Pendragon, but not many. In general, to allow players to participate in the story knights start in an era of material, cul- of “How King Arthur Became Emperor” tural, and spiritual poverty whose details and conqured Rome are given at the start of each 15-year cam- This supplement provides guidelines paign phase. They join the struggle to im- to run a year-by-year Pendragon cam- prove themselves, their lands, and their paign that allows each player to establish kingdom, and as years progress they reap a dynasty of knights whose family story the benefits of the changing times. These coincides with King Arthur’s. Through changes in material goods, customs and play they help or hinder the High King ways of life provide temporal color, give establish his dream realm. knights something to talk about, and help The Boy King begins its events be- keep the games from being boring. fore Arthur is king. This is a big step The Boy King ends in the year por- backwards from the glittering realm of trayed in Pendragon: 53 1. For events and chivalry portrayed in the Pendragon rules adventures after 53 1, see “After The Boy - 30-40 game-years back! King,” at the end of the book. What’s Here - LAN YOUR OWN PENDRAGON Passage of Time: A chronology provides campaign from the start. Establish interesting events which affect the player Psome long-term objectives for knights’ lives. Aging and family-raising yourself and your campaign. Remember are placed into context. the structure of the game system, and be- gin thinking of how you can apply some Exploring the Realm: Enchanted Brit- of your favorite rules to play. ain is an extensive realm, and adventures Look over this whole book, and de- even go outside of the island to the conti- cide which scenarios and adventures nent. come first. Don’t be in a hurry to use them all immediately! Save the best ad- ventures for later, when you and the play- Participating in Arthur’s History: King ers are experienced enough to enjoy the Arthur’s life affects everyone, and the subtleties. player knights can participate in the great events of his history. Pendragon has many unique rules. This book provides the methods to incor- Sampleporate those rules into your campaign. Meet Important file People: Many colorful Some of the rules will be nourished by characters pass through Arthur’s life, and this book. It facilitates these important as- they are introduced here, where their sto- pects of the game: ries are briefly told. Introduction 5

Some Designer Assumptions Glory, always at a very high risk. The foundation and includes many changes The average party of player knights is as- later generation has no equivalent oppor- and additions. sumed to be about two to six characters. tunity. The characters are of various ages, social levels, states of wealth, and ranks of When to Use it Glory. One may have acquired Extraordi- The Pendragon The chronology is not intended to be an nary statistics. inflexible list of event in the realm, but They have various reasons to be to- Chronicle rather a guideline. Use it: gether: kinship, a common lord, member- - ship in a group; and they all share both When people go to Carnelot or Arthur’s Year-by-year details are given for events court. the status of knighthood and a desire for between 495 and 53 1. Phase One expla- adventure. Other details will be worked nations are brief, and to be used to start To introduce new NPCs. out between characters. game and familiarize players with the .To maintain a flow of background Character interaction will contribute rules. A year-by-year chronology is given events in the campaign. a significant portion of the activity of the for Phase Two and part of Three, covering game. the years 5 IO to 53 1. It is based primarily To provide adventures. Character advancement varies upon Le Morte d’Arrhur; by Sir Thomas Some years are of especial interest, wildly, but it is not unusual for a hard- Malory, with additions from other and gamemasters are urged to motivate working player character get 350 Glory sources. the characters to come to court for those. points per year (100 for Chivalrous, 100 No Arthurian chronology can ever be For instance, everyone ought to be pre- for various Traits and Passions, 15 for a correct; all are fiction. The best have an sent when Arthur pulls the sword from manor and various holdings, and the internal consistency which demands rec- the stone (5 10); to witness the start of the other 135 during the adventure that ses- ognition. Phyllis Ann Karr, in The Kin,? Balin story (512); and to participate in the sion.) By comparison, normal everyday Arrhur. Companion, delineates a chronol- major battles, especially Badon (5 18); vassal knights are calculated to get about ogy drawn primarily from Malory’s Le and King Arthur’s wedding (514). Includ- 50 Glory per year. Morte dArthur, and based upon events ing the player characters in these events The early days of Arthur’s reign pro- and ages of newly-appeared characters. will ensure their sense of participation in vide opportunities to get huge amounts of This chronology draws on hers for its the reign.

The Epic Tapestry

Your task, as gamemaster, is to weave an rather than on cloth. Also, the main charac- what to emphasize. Look upon the game as epic. To help inspire you to the task we ters of your epic are the player knights, not a set of tools: use the right one when you have included here part of a fabulous Ar- King Arthur. Your version of this tapestry need it, and ignore those which you don‘t thurian artifact called the Beaune Tapestry will have the figures in the foreground. like. This book, by comparison, is full of which depicts many of the events in Ar- Like the designers who planned the materials to use. thur’s reign. Your task as gamemaster is to tapestry, you also have a wide choice of create a similar history, but in memory many rich materials, and you can decide Sample file 6 %it?Boy King

Phases and Ehcalation New Round Table Members The Pendragon chronology is divided This list is given in order to make it easy into 14-year phases, starting Phase One at for the gamemaster to keep track of 495, when King Uther dies and leaves Integrating whether a knight is yet on the Round Britain kingless. Table. Each phase marlks a change in Ar- Knights 0 514. Round Table established, with thur’s rule: Anarchy, Unification, Con- a capacity of 150 members. King solidation, Apogee, and Downfall. The This chronology has three applications of , Sir Baudwin of Brit- ain, , Duke Brastias, King phases are used to mark the advance of the Arthurian story to your Pendragon campaign. All relate to its use with Alain, of Cornwall, and other culture as well as military equipment. As earls and dukes of note. the time passes, the customs, architecture, player-knights. 515. King Pellinore of the Isles. armor, weapons, andl other facts change As Spectators: For the player-knights as 0 516. Sir the Cupbearer too. spectators, this chronology marks the Pendragon (page 4) mentioned the passage of time. One-time events pass: 517. 4 old knights: King , compression of two Arthurian eras, the Arthur marries Guenever, the Dolorous King Lak, Sir Hervis de Revel, Sir dating and barbarian politics of the sixth Galagers; and 4 young knights: Sir Stroke is struck, Lancelot first comes to Gawaine, Sir Criflet, Sir Kay, Sir Tor. century and the cultural history of the court, and so on. You should remind play- later, High Middle Ages. As a rough ers that this new hero is so-and-so’s son, 0 518. Many knights, taken from the guideline, each phase is equivalent to a or grandson. Remind them that this mur- Secondary KnightsTable (Pen- dragon, page 194) century of Western1 European history. der is the result of such-and-so’s feud. Phase one is roughly equivalent to the Sometimes they will watch some famous 0 519. Sir Sagremor le Desirous, Dodi- eleventh century, Phase Two to the adventure begin, and a year or two later nas le Sauvage, the Brown Knight of the Wilds. twelfth, and so on. Each year of Pen- hear of the result. dragon Chronicle roughly equates to 7 0 520. Sir Lamorak de Gales. historic years to date the Arthurian weap- As participants: The player-characters 521. Sir de Orkney. ons, horses, clothing, and castles. are affected by some events along with 0 522. none Thus, the material culture of those everyone else. They should certainly par- centuries provides the rough background ticipate in major wars, their lord’s wars, 0 523. Sir Marhaus de Leinster major tournaments, and events such as for the Arthurian setliing. 524. Yvaine, le Chevalier Air Lion searching for the queen. Many adventures should be offered as voluntary: the search 0 525. Hoe1 of Alclud for Merlin, several searches for Lancelot, 526. Sir Blamore de Canis, Sir the hunt for the Troit Boar, and the Grail Bleoberis de Ganis, Sir Berel, Sir Quest (except for Round Table knights, Moris. for whom this quest is mandatory). 527. none. Your job as gamemaster is to put the Using Malory 0 528. de Canis, Sir de player-characters into a story as replace- Ganis, Sir Boso of Oxford, Sir Pria- I have tried to be brief where Malory was ments. Making up new plots is both tax- mus the Saracen, Sir Floridas the detailed. To get additional information ing and tedious. You should do what all Pict, Sir Lucan the Butler. the medieval storytellers did: retell an old gamemasters ought to get a copy of 529. Sir Aglovale de Gales. Malory and read the section of the chro- tale with new heroes. Insert player-characters into estab- 0 530. Duke Galeholt of the Long nology before playing. If you don’t like Isles. the Olde English jargon, get Steinbeck, lished tales. Using this method, charac- who is especially close to the original at ter-knights could replace any of the 531. Sir Calegantis of Nohaut. the start of his book. knights on (for instance) the Adventure of Or don’t: feel free to wing it. After the Hart, Brachet, and Lady (year 514, all, this is to make your version of the Malory In, 5-15); or any of the knights of the Triple Quest (year 521, Malory IV, story. But to give it the feel of being part maiden quest from a sharp-tongued 16-28). young woman. of a huge picture, reading Malory is help- ful. There you will find details useful for Lists of such repetitions are endless, Replacement: Retell the same story with so gamemaster should take the hint and most of the initial events of this chronol- your own heroes, in a different place, use the technique themselves. Even this ogy. The early years are treated in more with different non-player-characters. Me- chronology has several repetitions of sto- detail than the later years in order to show dieval storytellers used this method ex- ries (for instance, the sinking of Gwyd- the gamemaster how to integrate player tensively. Three different stories are told dno Garanhir’s land and the sinking of knights into the story. Later, gamemasters about Guenever ‘s kidnapping. Three later.) Believe me, your players are leftSample more to their own initiative and good stories use the same plot and motif: file will appreciate the recognition and react creativity. Beaumains, Alisander le Or- accordingly to what they have done be- Events which are not in Malory are phelin, and La Cote Male Taile are all fore. also treated with more detail. unknown new knights who accept their