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Arthurian Adventures

Introduction

Welcome to the Sixth Century that never was. This is northern Britain as recorded by the bards, the skalds and the troubadours, a world both and unreal. As the Gothic invaders began sacking the heart of the Roman Empire, Rome pulled her legions out of Britain, leaving her defenseless against her own barbarian hordes, the Scots and the . King , needing help against them, invoked celesine (a sort of military alliance) with the Sea , specifically the Angles, Saxons and Jutes of the north of what would one day be Germany. This proved disastrous. As the northmen gained ground against the Scots and Picts, they held it instead of turning it over to the Britons and then invited more and more of their kin. The Britons found themselves facing a foe worse than the one the Sea Wolves were recruited to stop. For four generations, the Britons fought a losing struggle against the Anglo-Saxon invaders. Then, out of the blood, emerged a : . Conceived through the lust of his father, (with the aid of the great wizard ), Arthur pulled the sword from the stone, fulfilling the prophecy of the coming of a mighty king. In 12 battles, he first deposed the usurper King Huail ap Caw and, in the first five battles, united the petty kings under his banner. The Duke of Battles then led the war against the Anglo- Saxons, finally defeating them at Badon Hill, killing 960 of the invaders all by himself! This brought a peace toSample the realm unknown file for decades. During this peace, he gathered the greatest warriors in the to his and they kept the peace, righted wrongs and sought adventure throughout Arthur’s long reign. Arthur’s 12 battles were: • 1) The River Glein (River Glen, Northumberland, England) • 2-5) The River Dubglas (The River Douglas, Lennox, ) • 6) The River Bassas (Bass Rock, the Firth of Forth, Scotland) • 7) Cat Coit Celidon (Caledonian Forest, Scotland) • 8) Fort Guinnon [White Fort] (Wedale, Scotland) • 9) The City of Legion (York, England) • 10) Tirbuit (Mouth of the River Avon, Bo’ness, Scotland) • 11) Agned (Edinburgh, Scotland) • 12) Mons Badonicus [Badon Hill] (Bowden Hill, Linlithgow, Scotland) • Camlann [Arthur’s Death] (Camboglanna, Fort on Hadrian’s Wall, Cumbria, [], England [on the Scottish border])

Playing in This Milieu

The legendary world of King Arthur is ideally suited to role playing games. The Arthurian romances served as long before Robert E. Howard, J.R.R. Tokein and C.S. Lewis took the genre out of the “real” world and put it in their own constructs. Players will need to tailor the adventuring slightly, though, so as not to kill the “flavor” of an Arthurian campaign.

Races

The world of King Arthur is heavily weighted to human player characters. are the “fair folk.” They are the great, immortal race the humans defeated and drove away into the forests and “ mounds” of the land, or to Otherwhere, from whence they came. The Irish and Scots call them the “daoine sidhe.” Their command of magic is inherent and nearly godlike (or so it is said) and they have advantage on saving throws versus magic. Elvish children have a random cantrip. All full-grown elves are Sorcerers (owing to their inherent, natural ability to channel magic and without the wild penalties) and advance automatically in level with every level they advance in other classes. Upon reaching maximum level in the other class (typically Ranger), they earn double experience points as a Sorcerer. But for all their power, iron is poisonous to them, which is why the steel-wielding humans so many millennia ago won. Opponents attacking them with iron or steel weapons have advantage and elves wearing or bearing anything containing iron have disadvantage on all rolls. Their own weapons and armor are made of the mystical silver-based alloy, mithril, and are typically enchanted. Arthur’s sword, , is such a weapon, a gift of Nimue, the , and herself likely of considerable fey blood. Elves in this setting are less distinguishableSample from humans, file their slanted eyebrows and earpoints being far less pronounced than in most RPG worlds. Their ways are inscrutable to humans, so for alignment purposes, we can call them “neutral” in general. The Trow (or Drow), however, are malevolent to their very core. Because of the nature of the elves in this world, elvish player characters simply wouldn’t work. DMs using sidhe NPCs can apply the above modifications to the “” description in the Player’s Handbook. Half-elves can be permitted in small doses, provided the player comes up with a really good backstory to explain it and understands that they, too, will be “allergic” to iron, suffering the same penalties as elves. Elves come and go from Otherwhere at will. Humans stumble on it by accident. Half-elves have a DC of “Easy” to notice a nearby Otherwhere gateway (if it exists). Due to their fey blood, half-elves gain one random Sorcerer cantrip per three levels and have advantage against saves against magic. The race is otherwise as described in the Players Handbook. Dwarves are a little different from their typical fantasy counterparts. In the old legends, they are typically servants to some powerful magical being, such as , and are ugly, misshapen and surly. Player characters should knock off an extra point of charisma to be an Arthurian . Far from being poisoned by iron, the dwarves are unparalleled masters in crafting with it, making steel weapons and arms unmatched by any human artisan and one big reason for the great enmity between them and the “fair folk.” (The servitude of the Dwarves is likely another.) Although they are from Otherwhere originally, because of their inherent nonmagical nature, dwarves have no better chance than humans of finding a path into Otherwhere. Dwarves otherwise do not differ from their description in the Players Handbook. Gnomes, , half- and dragonborn do not appear in the Arthurian tales. Tieflings do, after a fashion, but for much the same reason as elves, they are unworkable as player characters; DMs, though, please have at it for an interesting non-player character.

Classes

Most classes are available and any background suitable to a western European setting will be considered. Some fit especially well into the setting, though. Fighter – When all is said and done, it’s about the fighters, isn’t it? The stories are ultimately about Arthur and his knights, and “knight” means “fighter.” Rangers and Paladins fit right in (Arthur and are both Paladins and Launcelot was before he shagged ). Recommended archtype for the Fighter is the Champion, for obvious reasons. Any Paladin oath is appropriate but Rangers should stick with the Hunter archtype (Beast Master doesn’t really fit this milieu). Any non-Asian background could be considered, although Nobleman and Folk (think !) are particularly appropriate. The Sailor background is also appropriate. Sample file Barbarian – Appropriate for characters playing Anglo-Saxon or Pictish characters. If chosen, remember that you will not be particularly welcome in British areas. Rogue – Really, have at it. Cleric – And Druid The official religion of the British realms, over which Arthur is head, is the Celtic Christian Church. It and its priesthood will be described later. Any non-Asian backgrounds will be considered; Hermit and Sailor work especially well. Druids still exist on the fringes of Arthur’s kingdom. Wizard – Where would the old legends be without Merlin, Morgan Le Fay or the Lady of the Lake? Wizards fit right in but are shrouded in much more mystery and awe than in a “traditional” fantasy campaign. No school is barred, but the legends have an emphasis on Illusionists, Enchanters and Diviners. There are no magic shops (other than crones dealing in petty potions and talismans) and magic items and scrolls will be hard to find. Expect the weak to hold you in fear and awe and the strong to regard you with a mixture of respect and mistrust. Any non-Asian background is worth considering. Warlock – Medieval Europe is rife with tales of those who sold their souls for power and knowledge. Have fun. Sorcerer – The old tales do not have those who wield magic innately but later Arthurian literature does, so let’s include them. We’ll skip the draconic and go with the “wild” description and attribute it to fey ancestry. Bard – If not for the Bards and their late-medieval successors, the Troubadours, we wouldn’t even have the stories of Arthur. Arthur even had a Bard of his own, , whom he sent to King Mark to satirize him. The Bard is most welcome in the world of King Arthur. Bards will use the College of Oghma I will present later. Monks are not appropriate for an Arthurian campaign.

The World

Alt Clud () – Contrary to assertions in many of the old legends and books, Arthur was not “king of all England.” England did not even exist at the time. An analysis of Arthur’s 12 battles puts 10 of them in what is now southern Scotland with another two in northern England. This makes Arthur a Strathclyde Briton or, more accurately, a king of Alt Clud (later Strathclyde and, later still, Lanarkshire, Galloway and Ayrshire). His capital is at , at the mouth of the Clyde River, and his castle, , is built upon the great rock after which the country is named (in the modern era called Dumbarton Rock). Having won the allegiance of most of the other British kings in the first few of his 12 battles, Arthur is now High King, holding the title King of the Britons. The language is Cumbric. Ynys Manau, nearly in the center of the Irish Sea, is ruled as an extension of Alt Clud. Named for the old, pagan sea god Mannan Mac Lir, it is a fey place and seems to be as muchSample in Otherwhere file as it is in our world. The Manx speak a form of Gaelic. Rheged – To the south is Rheged, ruled by the powerful King of Gore. Uriens was originally hostile to Arthur and even had the audacity to demand the young Arthur shave his beard and send it as tribute. Uriens was one of the great Briton lords defeated in the early years, waging a bitter campaign encompassing the second, third, fourth and fifth of Arthur’s 12 battles, at the River Dubglas. As part of the truce, Arthur gave Uriens his half-sister, Morgan Le Fay, as a wife and Uriens sent his son, Owain, to Arthur’s court, where he became a valued Knight of the Round Table. Owain in turn seduced his first cousin, Thenaw of Lothian, and sired Kentigern, the future St. Mungo, founder of Glasgow. Owain’s wife, , the Lady of the Fountain (whom he married after his affair with Thenaw), is the queen of an Otherwhere realm and he is now Guardian of the Fountain. He has a supernatural lion as a companion, which he rescued from a serpent. He is thus, also, known as the Knight of the Lion. Uriens’ own Bard, , is one of the greatest and most powerful in the world. They speak Cumbric. Lothian – To the east is Lothian, ruled by , who also has the Islands to the far north. Lot, Like Uriens, was another of the great Briton lords who fought against Arthur in the early years of his reign. He was defeated in the first of Arthur’s 12 battles, at the River Glein, and made a vassal. To Lot was given another of Arthur’s half-sisters, (herself a powerful enchantress). From this union came some of the greatest knight’s of the Round Table: , Aggravain, and , as well as the perfidious (whose sire is less ... certain). One of their sisters, Thenaw, was seduced and impregnated by their first cousin, Owain of Rheged (also Gawain’s best friend). Enraged, Lot threw her from a cliff at Traprain Law but she miraculously survived. Boarding a mystical, unmanned coracle, she rode across the Forth River and settled at Culross in Fife at the abbey of St. Serf, apostle to the Picts. The kindly priest cared for her and, in due time, she gave birth to Kentigern, whom the saint raised as a foster son and taught. Kentigern eventually became St. Mungo, founder of Glasgow and an apostle to the pagan Britons still in the area. Cumbric is the language of Lothian. Cornwall – Ruled by the pusillanimous King Mark (cursed with the ears of an ass, a “gift” of the half-elf Princess Dahut of Kerne, whom he once hunted when she was in the form of a doe), this peninsular British realm far to the south is actually Arthur’s birthplace. While thoroughly despicable, Mark is Arthur’s vassal and dares not stand against him. Tristram of is its greatest knight, pledging his sword to his uncle, Mark. They speak Cornish. Dunmnonia – Due east of Cornwall, this kingdom is ruled by King Erbin, a vassal of Arthur and a noble soul. His son, , is a valued knight of the Round Table. Cornish is the language. – Not yet known by this name, all of these principalities south of Rheged have united under the BannerSample of the fileDragon (meaning Arthur’s standard). They include Powys, Gwynedd and Dyfed, among others. Pwyll, Lord of Dyfed, is married to the Otherwhere queen, Rhiannon, and is an important knight of Arthur. In Gwynedd, King Maelgwn Hir, “The King of the Hundred Knights,” was one of the rebels subdued by Arthur in the early years. He is now an important Knight of the Round Table. They speak Cymraeg, a language related to Cumbric. Armorica – On the peninsula of what would one day be Brittany, in France, these realms are not subject to Arthur but are closely allied. Realms here are Benoic, ruled by Launcelot’s father, ; Lyonesse, ruled by King , father of the mighty Tristram; Kerne and it’s spectacular coastal city, Ys, home of one of the Britons’ greatest navies, filled with Mariners of great prowess, and ruled by King Gradlon, a Ranger/Mariner himself. His daughter, Dahut, is a mighty half-elf enchantress and shapeshifter; Garlot, ruled by King Nantes, who is wed to Arthur’s third half-sister, . Given the proclivities of her sisters, Elaine is remarkable in that she is unremarkable. Their son, Galeschin, is a Knight of the Round Table; and Gannes, ruled by King . Originally settled by Britons fleeing the Anglo-Saxons, these lands speak a related language called Breton. Ireland – Ruled by King Anguish, Ireland is an ally to Arthur, providing one of his greatest knights, the mighty Marhaus. Gaelic is the language. Dal Riada – The kingdom of the Scots, raiders from a northern Irish kingdom of the same name, is due north of Alt Clud, in what later would be . It is under the rule of Donangart Mac Fergus. An uneasy peace exists between Dal Riada and Arthur’s kingdom. They speak Gaelic. Pictavia – Ruled by Drustan, the kingdom of the Picts is due east of Dal Riada and north of Lothian. It is a constant thorn in Arthur’s side. The language is Pictish. Cameliard – A renegade Pictish kingdom bordering the British realms and ruled by King , father of Queen Guinevere. Leodegrance threw his lot in with the King of the Britons, presenting Arthur with the Round Table as a wedding gift. Arthur’s might protects Cameliard from the wrath of Pictish High King Drustan. – South of Lothian, this Anglo-Saxon kingdom is a reminder that, while he defeated them, Arthur failed to drive the invaders from the island of Britain. Its ruler is Oesa and he despises Arthur. He is in frequent league with wizards and witches and wicked knights who would see Arthur fall. Anglish is the language. Otherwhere – One of the standout features of the old Celtic legends, appearing liberally in Arthurian lore, is the thin veil that exists between our world and the next. Called “Anwann” in Cymraeg, “Tir Na n’Og” in Gaelic and “Alfheim” by the Anglo-Saxons, this is the realm described as “Feywild” in the new D&D materials. We’ll call it “Otherwhere,” a name that comes from a novel based on Celtic , for no other reason,Sample really, than fileI like it. The borders of this realm are in constant flux. One sign a character is entering is an unexplained mist or the appearance of The White Hart or the . It is from Otherwhere that The Wild Hunt comes. Other entrances are stone circles, fairy rings, the sidhe mounds and certain mountain and submarine passes. In the old story, “The Lady of the Fountain,” the titular fountain acted as a key to her Otherwhere realm and had to be guarded. Otherwhere is populated by humans, to be sure, but it is the true home of the elves, dwarves, and other fairy folk who pass freely into our world and back (well, not so much the Dwarves). It is also the place of origin for the , , , and other . Adventurers can expect to find themselves wandering into and out of Otherwhere on a semi-regular basis. Visitors, for some reason, seem to hear their own language in Otherwhere. – The enchanted isle of the Lady of the Lake and her servants is in Otherwhere and is constantly shrouded in its mists. It can only be accessed at her whim. Vassal kings whose kingdoms are of uncertain location include King , who pursues the Questing Beast, and King .

Monsters

Care must be taken to select monsters that fit in with the general mood and aesthetic of the Arthurian legends. Dragons, giants, , ogres and goblins will certainly be permitted, as will , nixies, brownies, and other “fairy folk.” It should be pointed out that these latter share the elves’ aversion to iron. Hags, nightmares, , merfolk, , , swan mays and other creatures from Celtic legend are appropriate, as are ghosts, haunts, poltergeists, spectres, wraiths and shadows (and, perhaps, wights). Other undead will have to be examined, as they don’t necessarily fit the “flavor” of the Arthurian world (mummies and are right out!).

Religion

Britons – Christianity, with its official language of Latin, is the official religion of the Britons (and the Irish, a gift of the Briton Padraic [Patrick]), brought to the land in the First Century by St. Joseph of Arimathea (who also brought the ). But after Rome’s withdrawal, the former province of Britain lost contact with the Pope and the rest of the church. The church developed its own manner and, while technically still united with the Roman church, is very distinct from it. For role-playing purposes, we’ll concentrate on just a few of these. First, priests shave the front of their heads from side to side, in the same manner as Druids. Second, “bishop” is an honorary title. The church is organized into monastic enclaves, under an abbot or abbess, from which priests come to administer to their flocks. Third (and really important for role playing) as exampled by Brigit in Ireland, womenSample are also file priests and can even earn the title of “bishop.” (This was a major sticking point a couple hundred years later when “real” bishops from Rome came to address the issues in the Celtic church). Fourth, the term “Saint” is an honorific given to priests perceived as particularly holy and/or learned and bestowed while still living (St. Brigit, for example, and St. Serf, both of whom are contemporary with our campaign). Outside the abbeys, priests frequently practice solitary ministry as hermits. Characters such as these are ubiquitous dispensers of aid, succor and advice in the old legends. Others undertake the “peregrinatio,” leaving their monasteries to carry the Word of God to other realms, taking to sea with a few hardy companions; this was a common occurrence in the old Celtic Church. We call these priests “Navigators.” Priests of the Celtic church are as follows: Celtic Christian Priest (Cleric) This is an overlay to go overtop the Cleric class Attribute Scores: Standard for Cleric Alignment: Any good Holy Symbol: Cross (often with a circle at the intersection of the beams) Weapons Permitted: Bludgeoning weapons only Armor Permitted: Any Lore: Religious, Cultural, Latin Language Proficiency: Healing Kit Duties: Say Mass daily, administer the Sacraments (including marriage and burial and hearing the confessions of the faithful, assigning penance), teach the faithful, try and convert the unfaithful, offer aid and comfort to any who need it, offer prayers and, in some orders, copy and illuminate texts. Restrictions: Rome would prefer priests to be celibate, but as communication with the Vatican languished, it was not unknown for Celtic priests to marry. Priests must not initiate combat but may fight in their own defense or that of another. Priests must not retain wealth for themselves but may acquire it for their church or abbey. Domain: Clerics may select either Life, Light or Knowledge. Granted powers: Miracles (see below). Follower Alignment: Any non-evil. Requirements for followers: Attend Mass at least once per week; Confess and do penance as required and a minimum of once per year (it is recommended the faithful find an “anamchara,” or “soul friend” to assist with this); Observe all Holy Days; strive for a holy life; support the church financially. Special notes: The triune God of the Celtic Christian church is transcendent and has no avatar (the Incarnation of the Second Person having come and gone and having yet to return). Miracles beyond powers and spells are granted to priests of any level, at DM’s discretion, but are very rare and are never granted for selfish reasons. This REPLACES “Divine Intervention” for this Cleric. They can be any alteration, to the good, of game circumstances the player wishes. The DM should encourage players to “pray” for miracles but should only grant them if it corrects some genuine tragedy of game play (serving, then, as a sort of deus ex machina) or otherwiseSample enhances file the story. They are accompanied by the presence of a pure white dove, a manifestation of the Third Person, the closest thing to an avatar in this religion.

Pagan Celts (Scots, Picts, some rural Britons and Irish) – All priests of this religion are Druids and all Druids serve all the gods, offering sacrifices and prayers to whichever of them is appropriate for the situation; they can be found in the Player’s Handbook. In addition to Druids, each region of pagan Celts will have at least one wizard of the school, called a Vate, who advises the leaders on auspicious times for going to war, planting, harvesting, et cetera. The Celtic religion also employs Bards of the College of Oghma, described later.

Anglo-Saxons – The gods of the Anglo-Saxons had different names (Woden instead of Odin, for example) but were otherwise undifferentiated from the Norse Mythos, also available in the Player’s Handbook.

Romans – made Christianity the official Roman religion 200 years ago and the legions pulled out of Britain four generations ago but not all Romans went with them. Many pockets of Arthur’s realm may still hold onto the old Roman religion (Greek Mythos).

Certain Artifacts The Book of Vile Darkness was penned by Vecna, the first lich, in the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk around the year 4200 B.C. It was part of a pact the vile warlock made with the Archfiend Orcus. Vecna would spend his life collecting the most despicable magic on the planet to sow death and chaos and, in return, he would be granted a life after death, becoming the archtype of all liches who followed. After even his unlife ended at the hand of his equally vile servant, Kas, the first Death Knight, his eye and hand continued because it pleased Orcus for them to continue, always sowing chaos and death wherever they surface.

Needless to say, should the Eye, Hand and Book ever be gathered together in one place and employed, all Hell would break loose. Literally. Should such a thing happen, an evil character wielding the Sword of Kas could stop it but would likely die in the attempt. A lawful good cleric with the Book of Exalted Deeds teamed with a paladin wielding Excalibur or a similar supernatural weapon of goodness can counter the evil. Nothing short of this can stand.

Sample file