Welcome to Of Pens and Dragons

And now of the death of Arthur I shall sing; And how to the Island Avalon he sailed; The Once and Future King.

History

It is the Year of Our Lord 485. About seventy years ago, when your grandfather was alive, the Supreme Collegium or High Council of Britain chose a native leader known as Emperor Constatin to rule the island. He reigned well in difficult times, but after he was murdered in 440 his son Constans succeeded him. A weak king, Constans was killed a few years later by his own bodyguard, and the throne was assumed by his uncle Vortigern.
At that time, a massive Pictish and Irish invasion threatened the entire island until Vortigern hired a small mercenary army of Saxon warriors. The combined efforts of the British and Saxon armies drove the Picts and Irish back into their savage lands.
Victory was not enough, though, and, inflamed by lust, Vortigern married the daughter of the the Saxon king Henegest. Vortigern also brought warlike leaders from the north and settled them around the western coasts to defend against Irish invaders. A tyrannical ruler Vortigern was not well loved by his people and soon, many eastern lords of Britain rebelled against their new king, but they were crushed and their lands given to Vortigern’s Saxon allies.
In 462 Vortigern’s own son led another rebellion, and, though temporarily successful, he was killed in battle. Then, during the infamous “Night of the Long Knives,” the Saxons betrayed Vortigern, slaying nearly all the British leadership. The island suffered greatly as Vortigern himself came under the rule of his erstwhile Saxon allies.
When your father was a young knight, in the year 466, Aurelius Ambrosius, second son of Constantin, landed with an army from Brittany. Immediately, the people of Britain literally flocked to his banner, a magical standard that depicted a great red dragon. Vortigern fled and took refuge in north-western Cambria. It was there that the child sage Merlin came to him and prophesied the fate of Britain.
Aurelius Ambrosius overcame the Saxons and then Vortigern himself, and was named High King. He was called the “high king,” or “Pendragon,” in part because of the great battle banner he bore.
During his reign, Aurelius Pendragon defeated new invasions by Saxons and even led a fleet to ravage the coasts of the Saxon and Frisian lands, suppressing further invasions for years. When he marched against a combined Saxon and Irish army five years ago, in 480, he was treacherously poisoned, and died. His brother, Uther, led the army instead and gained victory.
Uther has been a successful king thus far, quashing all rebellion, defeating Irish raiders and Saxon invaders alike. Last year he snatched victory from defeat with a surprise night raid that brought most of the northern kings under his rule.
Now, in 485, news has come that more Saxons are gathering in far Saxony to come to the aid of their kinsmen in Britain. The preparations for more war are building and a group of squires are about to attain knighthood in Salisbury…

Key Concepts

Skills and martial prowess are an important part of play in King Arthur Pendragon. But it is your knight’s Traits and Passions that drive the game. High Traits and Passions let you tap the magic of legendary Britain. High Traits and Passions gather your knight's renown, and thus Glory. But the higher a Trait or Passion, the more likely a knight is to act in that manner in moments of crisis.
Every story of King Arthur and his knights is full of characters with remarkable personality and passion. This game emphasizes those points.
King Arthur Pendragon is about conflict. Knights fight. They are warriors, and must endanger themselves for their livelihood. So beside that, what kind of knight are you?
King Arthur Pendragon is about the conflict of lifestyle. Are you content with fighting and drinking? Are you moved by ideals of religion or virtue?
King Arthur Pendragon is about conflict, and its consequences. War and strife cause murder and revenge that can haunt you for generations. Virtuous actions can cause disloyalty, and loyal actions can demand revenge or other vices. The demands of a liege may conflict with those of a family. Some lifestyles require diminishing family ties. Everything done will echo through the years unto your grandchildren.
Pendragon is about the conflict between reality and idealism. The setting is the dangerous world of Medieval filth, hunger and disease. Combat is lethal; healing is not automatic, magic is very, very rare and terrifying to behold. Ideals are hard to uphold, and will conflict with need, want and many outside pressures.
All characters in the game will die. Guaranteed.

Rules Overview

Values

Every Skill, Trait, or Passion is rated as a Value. Values usually range between 0 to 20, but can go higher.

Modifiers

When attempting an action a negative or positive modifier may be applied to the Value. Modifiers always apply to the Value and never the die roll.

Rolling Dice

Roll a d20. Four results are possible:

• Crit: If the roll equals the modified value
• Success: If the roll is under the modified value
• Failure: If the roll is over the modified value
• Fumble: If the roll is a 20 on the die

Values of 20 and Above

Values can be raised to 20 or higher through experience or modifiers. If a Value equals 20 then the Player Knight crits on a roll of a 20 and failure is impossible. If the Value is greater than 20 the above holds true and every point over 20 is added to the d20 roll, increasing the chance of a crit.

Traits

Each Knight possesses a set of opposing Traits. Each Trait is scored with a Value. The Values of each pair of opposed Traits totals 20. The higher a Trait, the more likely a Knight will act in accordance with that Trait. A Trait of 16 or higher is a Famous Trait. A Famous Trait is likely to be “tested” in critical and emotional circumstances but earns a character glory.

Passions

Passions are strong emotional propensities. A knight can invoke a Passion when the subject of his Passion is at stake. A successful or critical roll provides bonuses for an action. Failure or a fumble leads the knight to become disheartened or even go mad.

Experience Check Marks

A critical success or a success in significant situation earns a knight a Check next to the appropriate Skill. For Traits and Passions strong behaviors and rolls can gain Checks.

Winter Phase

Each winter a knight reflects on the events of the previous year For any Skill, Trait, or Passion with a Check he rolls a d20. If the roll is higher than the current Value the Value rises 1 point. If the value is 20 and the knight rolls a 20, the Value rises 1 point. The knight can also train. He has the choice to add several points to skills under 15, add a point to a skill above 15, or increase or decrease a Physical Attribute, Trait, or Passion by 1 point. No increase can go above 20.

Glory

Glory is the goal of the game. A knight acquires Glory for doing knightly deeds of renowned. A knight also gains Glory for Famous Traits and Passions, spending lavishly, and key life events such as getting married. For every 1,000 Glory points gained a knight can increase a Physical Attribute, Trait, or Passion by 1 point to values. Values can even be raised over 20 without needing to roll.