Ever since I first read the Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell a few years ago I've been wanting to run an RPG campaign set in the Arthurian era. I just picked up Pendragon and the GPC a few days ago and I think I'm in love. Especially the GPC with its awesome amount of depth and various adventures through the era. Though I'm not really much of a scholar when it comes to the mythos. I'm reading through Malory for the first time right now and I haven't even looked through the old Welsh stories(that's next on the list). Most of my experience(besides Warlord Trilogy) comes from old children's books, John Boorman's Excalibur, and various history books and articles talking about the 'historical' Arthur.

So since that experience colors my perception of the story I'm trying to work out ways to portray a more Dark Ages inspired Arthurian era in my first game. I searched the forums and can already see this has probably been suggested ad nauseum but at the risk of provoking pitchforks and torches I bring it up again briefly. Essentially my plan is to with as little headache as possible run the GPC but with a Romano-Celtic Dark Ages tone instead of an English High Medieval tone. I want to keep all the fantastical, pseudo-historical elements and timeline of the GPC (Arthur going on to become an Emperor, Enchantment of Britain), but I want to replace some of the anachronisms (like later tech and names for things, culture). Depending on what level of 'authenticity' i'm accepting I don't really think I need to make too many changes. Keeping the tech progress slow will probably make the game grittier and more challenging. I perhaps can use a different map with older names or maybe even just use the map that will come out in the Book of the Warlord which I'm lead to believe uses the older historical names for places. That shouldn't be too difficult I think but then again it might be alot more legwork than I need. Any advice on that front would be helpful.

At the moment I'm more concerned about the actual running of the game. Our plan is that we will be using a text-only medium in an IRC room or over Roll20. I have found (from running Pathfinder online) that progress can be pretty damn slow and especially in the case of Roll20 requires and enormous amount of work on the GM's part (and little room for improvisation). And I realize GPC at the quickest pace is at least a two year long engagement at an average one session per year which means a slower online game might take even longer. With an online group with different schedules as well as timezones a 2+ year long commitment is kinda iffy. However I think while challenging it's probably doable if I do things right. Which is why I ask: Would you have any advice for running GPC for the first time in an online text-only format? And do it with a late-antiquity tone instead of a high medieval one?

As a final note I have seen Age of Arthur for FATE suggested as a more authentic dark ages alternative to Pendragon. While I don't really want to use the FATE system I downloaded the pdf of Age of Arthur. It might be useful for my purposes, and at the very least I will be using the gazetteer section. But Pendragon is what I'm looking directly at for the time being. The only alternative that I'm entertaining is Mythic Britain supplement for Runequest 6 coming out at some point this spring. I don't know anything about RQ or really wish to purchase more books so again I'm probably going to use Pendragon.

I can give some advice for the running the Dark Ages feel. For that I would advice you to look up the Germanic hegemony in the 6th-7th century in britian that was formed for an idea of how the land is gonna get sliced up after uther is dead if your allowing for players to really screw with the timeline and events. For the general court make the people grittier, the settings more morose, the actions of the people being harsher and more belligerent. In the dark ages hospitality was held up, but it wasn't unheard of for people to leave the court and go outside the manor/keep what have you and go to fight it out up and even death to settle a matter. Most importantly might makes right, if you can remember that then you pretty much have the dark ages in a nutshell.

The tech for the time would be primary leather for armor, metal armor was not common at all, (reason because it was expensive to have made). If they were to wear any form of metal armor it would most likely have been brigandine (think small metal plates which were sandwiched between two layers of leather with studs holding them in place, fairly heavy not super flexible, very warm) or ringmail (predecessor to chainmail and the metal rings were woven into a leather backing). For the helm it would have been an open faced skull cap. Shields would have been the large round shields, or the tower shield. Horse would have been simple rouncys for both riding and fighting for Ordinary Knights with the chargers being the rich Lords warhorse, Coursers would be the riding horses for the rich as well. Most castles if they are not old roman castles would be motte and Baileys several example can be found simply by googling.

Outfits for an ordinary knight would probably consist of 2 rouncys, 1 sumpeter and a pony for his squire. A suit of Cuirboilli which is hardened/Boiled leather (6 points of armor) a large round shield (6 points of armor), and the cultural weapon of choice.

P.S. Brigandine i would assign an armor value of 9 points with the Ringmail being 8 points. The downside to brigandine is that you take a Knockdown penality (GM's prerogative of how big the penalty is, mine is -5 to their knockdown score). The downside to ringmail is its just like chainmail and it takes an extra D6 damage from maces. And yes both armors are historical but were not provided for in Pendragon and the stats are of my creation to have a middle ground armors between Cuirboilli and Norman Chainmail.

I can give some advice for the running the Dark Ages feel. For that I would advice you to look up the Germanic hegemony in the 6th-7th century in britian that was formed for an idea of how the land is gonna get sliced up after uther is dead if your allowing for players to really screw with the timeline and events. For the general court make the people grittier, the settings more morose, the actions of the people being harsher and more belligerent. In the dark ages hospitality was held up, but it wasn't unheard of for people to leave the court and go outside the manor/keep what have you and go to fight it out up and even death to settle a matter. Most importantly might makes right, if you can remember that then you pretty much have the dark ages in a nutshell.

The Saxons book is helping me out here alot. Good advice. I'm going to run it through the Uther era and see what happens. I might brighten the tone a bit once we get to the Boy King era and the Conquest period. I'm planning on keeping it King Arthur instead of Arthur Dux Bellorum. Just with a Post-Roman Celtic dark ages vibe instead of the high middle ages Anglo-Norman one. Also I might take a big detour during the Romance and Tourney era with the characters hopping over to Thule to Horthgar's Hall or maybe fighting in the Gothic Wars in Italy. That will probably keep the Dark Ages tone going, and they can return midway through the latter part of the GPC and do parts of the Enchantment of Britain and finally the Grail Quest and then Twilight Era for maximum darkness. That's the idea in a nutshell atleast.


The tech for the time would be primary leather for armor, metal armor was not common at all, (reason because it was expensive to have made). If they were to wear any form of metal armor it would most likely have been brigandine (think small metal plates which were sandwiched between two layers of leather with studs holding them in place, fairly heavy not super flexible, very warm) or ringmail (predecessor to chainmail and the metal rings were woven into a leather backing). For the helm it would have been an open faced skull cap. Shields would have been the large round shields, or the tower shield. Horse would have been simple rouncys for both riding and fighting for Ordinary Knights with the chargers being the rich Lords warhorse, Coursers would be the riding horses for the rich as well. Most castles if they are not old roman castles would be motte and Baileys several example can be found simply by googling.

Outfits for an ordinary knight would probably consist of 2 rouncys, 1 sumpeter and a pony for his squire. A suit of Cuirboilli which is hardened/Boiled leather (6 points of armor) a large round shield (6 points of armor), and the cultural weapon of choice.

P.S. Brigandine i would assign an armor value of 9 points with the Ringmail being 8 points. The downside to brigandine is that you take a Knockdown penality (GM's prerogative of how big the penalty is, mine is -5 to their knockdown score). The downside to ringmail is its just like chainmail and it takes an extra D6 damage from maces. And yes both armors are historical but were not provided for in Pendragon and the stats are of my creation to have a middle ground armors between Cuirboilli and Norman Chainmail.


Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely write that down. Would ringmail be separate from scale mail right? I was thinking of replacing plate with scale for the later campaign.

Armor and tech are a primary concern but my other concern is names for things. Would I just be changing most of the place names back to Latin most of the time? Would Salisbury be renamed Sorviodunum? I'm wondering how deep I'm in for changing names back to the Post-Roman equivalent?

True Brigandine is more of a late medieval thing.

Chainmails have been around since the Celtic invasions of Italy and Greece. Whether or not your Dark Ages warrior could afford one is a different matter, but the chieftains certainly would.

You could also have fun with scale mails of Roman make, and of course, for the true connoisseurs, something from the Eastern Roman Empire in Constantinople. Just look at the Cataphracts and you have your heavy knights right there. Again, whether or not you'd get something like that in Britain of the 500s, up to you.

I agree that the Saxons! book is one of the best things for you to mine for that Dark Ages feel.

I have found (from running Pathfinder online) that progress can be pretty damn slow and especially in the case of Roll20 requires and enormous amount of work on the GM's part (and little room for improvisation).


I have run a D&D 3.5 game via Play-by-post, and I think you will find that Pendragon naturally goes a lot faster than 3.5/Pathfinder online. The reason is that you don't have to wait for each person to post in initiative order during combat. That may seem minor, but it makes a big difference. It makes the difference between one combat round per day and one combat round per week.

True Brigandine is more of a late medieval thing.

Chainmails have been around since the Celtic invasions of Italy and Greece. Whether or not your Dark Ages warrior could afford one is a different matter, but the chieftains certainly would.

You could also have fun with scale mails of Roman make, and of course, for the true connoisseurs, something from the Eastern Roman Empire in Constantinople. Just look at the Cataphracts and you have your heavy knights right there. Again, whether or not you'd get something like that in Britain of the 500s, up to you.

I agree that the Saxons! book is one of the best things for you to mine for that Dark Ages feel.


I figure that heavy Byzantine stuff would part of the tech progression. Just replace the Gothic Plate with it and it's perfect. I think replacing weapons and tech with dark ages equivalent is probably something that's easier to do than the chore of changing placenames back to Latin and British.



I have run a D&D 3.5 game via Play-by-post, and I think you will find that Pendragon naturally goes a lot faster than 3.5/Pathfinder online. The reason is that you don't have to wait for each person to post in initiative order during combat. That may seem minor, but it makes a big difference. It makes the difference between one combat round per day and one combat round per week.


That's reassuring. Play by post turns out to be alot more organized than Play by chat. You have time to think about replies and it's easier to keep track of a split party. The pace of course is slower than it would be via chat though. Pros and cons. The lack of having to post initiative is a big load off, but I still feel like might have a hard time playing all the the NPCs and running the narrative via text. That's one thing that slowed me down when doing Pathfinder (that and Combat).

As for the names, I'd probably just take something like this and run with it:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Brittain_410.jpg

You don't really need to covert EVERYTHING, in my opinion. The above map would be plenty for me, either as a GM or as a player. Especially in an email/forum game.

Since you are planning on using the GPC timeline, just ignoring the high medieval bits, then you have already the advancement of the Saxon realms in Uther and Anarchy periods, and the reconquest of those lands post-Badon. Which is nice, since otherwise trying to reconcile the dates can be a chore.

While my experience with GMing an email/forum game is slim at best, I would imagine that having GPC as a crutch would help a lot. You already have a lot of 'big narrative' written out and you have a campaign structure in place.

As for the names, I'd probably just take something like this and run with it:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Brittain_410.jpg

You don't really need to covert EVERYTHING, in my opinion. The above map would be plenty for me, either as a GM or as a player. Especially in an email/forum game.

Thanks. I'll just add this one to my collection heheh ;D . You're right and the more I think about it the easier it might be to use a mix of the English names and the Latin/Britonnic. I like to think I'm fairly good at making fantasy maps, so I might cave and just go ahead and make my own. (shouldn't be that hard right?). Right now I'm less concerned about the big map and more concerned about the area around Sarum....or even the name.
I'm trying to work out the right names for the surrounding counties and areas, so let me get this straight.
Sarum = Sorviodunum
Silchester = Atrebatia
Hampshire = Belgia?
Dorset/Jagent = Durotrigia
Somerset = ??? something like Glastening?
Marlboro = Durocornovium
North Cornwall = Dummonia?
South Cornwall = Amorica

I think that should do it. I have my work cut out for me it seems.


Since you are planning on using the GPC timeline, just ignoring the high medieval bits, then you have already the advancement of the Saxon realms in Uther and Anarchy periods, and the reconquest of those lands post-Badon. Which is nice, since otherwise trying to reconcile the dates can be a chore.

Pretty much. I don't plan of fiddling with the timeline too much but I do plan on skimming over some portions like the Romance Era and Tournament era. I want the players to have some interesting continental adventures later on in the campaign. Right now my focus is to atleast get to 518 or 530.


While my experience with GMing an email/forum game is slim at best, I would imagine that having GPC as a crutch would help a lot. You already have a lot of 'big narrative' written out and you have a campaign structure in place.

I'm going to probably be using Roll20. It's a pretty useful system but requires a ton of GM prep and not a whole lot of room for improvisation sometimes. Having a structured story from a campaign guide is a major plus.

Just a heads up to say some pretty cool, super-detailed all-new and revised maps of the Early Phase Britain are in the works even now, parts of which will be published in the upcoming Book of the Warlord — the next publication from Nocturnal. Just hold tight a little longer, lads! We've put so much work into these maps, it's delayed the book a bit — but it will be well worth the wait. How 'bout the names and locations of a couple hundred castles? This is establishing the grand vision for the canonical setting going forward. We're chomping at the bit to get it to you, but still have some work to do finalizing things before we can start production on the book in earnest. But progress is being made daily and the book should be available this Spring.


T.

Just a heads up to say some pretty cool, super-detailed all-new and revised maps of the Early Phase Britain are in the works even now, parts of which will be published in the upcoming Book of the Warlord — the next publication from Nocturnal. Just hold tight a little longer, lads! We've put so much work into these maps, it's delayed the book a bit — but it will be well worth the wait. How 'bout the names and locations of a couple hundred castles? This is establishing the grand vision for the canonical setting going forward. We're chomping at the bit to get it to you, but still have some work to do finalizing things before we can start production on the book in earnest. But progress is being made daily and the book should be available this Spring.


T.


I.....don't.....think......I......can.......wait! I'm excited to see the new Master map but I might go ahead and take a crack at my own before then since it's unlikely to release within the next few weeks. If it's feasible once I get a copy i'll either update my map or just use it instead. My understanding is that ancient placenames are being used instead of english ones. How accurate is that?

My understanding is that ancient placenames are being used instead of english ones. How accurate is that?

Here's the scoop:

For the entire history of the game's publication, Greg was unhappy with seeing all the place-names that are derived from Saxon names. So what we've done — and this was a mammoth undertaking — was go to the root meaning of the place-name (especially Saxon place-names, like -burys, and -wyches, etc.) and offered a plain, modern-English "translation". So "Honiton" becomes "Honeytown," "Sudbury" becomes "Southtown", etc. Since the game is supposed to take place before the Saxon took over the country, it makes sense to de-Saxonize the names.

Now, this is not an absolute rule. In some cases, particularly where they appear in the literature, we've kept the names even when they are of Saxon origin. Examples include Salisbury and Silchester, etc. Greg felt those were too entrenched in the Arthurian tradition (or the game's legacy) to change.

How accurate are they? Let's just say literally scores, if not hundreds, of hours of painstaking and meticulous research went into about a thousand place-names in an effort to be as diligent as possible. We consulted sage tomes like the OXFORD DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH PLACE-NAMES, Wikipedia, and other sources for the translations. Sometimes a place-name is based in a Saxon settlers' name and there's no way to translate those to anything non-Saxon, so we just invented names.

The end result will be embraced by some, who accept the logic of purging Saxon names from a pre-Saxon map. Others will be less sanguine, not wanting to change all the place-names in their established campaigns. That's certainly understandable. For these folks we're planning two-way conversion lists as an appendix in every book so that can stick with the traditional place-names and maps if they want to.

But this is Greg's long-running vision for the game, which he only now has been in a position to implement. It's going to be a big change, but I for one am excited about it because the same problem with the Saxon names struck me immediately when I first started familiarizing myself with the game and the GPC a number of years ago.

Anyhoo, I just tonight received the final typescript for WARLORD, so will begin the page layout process soonish. Still hopeful of having the book out this Spring.


Best,


T.

Here's the scoop:

For the entire history of the game's publication, Greg was unhappy with seeing all the place-names that are derived from Saxon names. So what we've done — and this was a mammoth undertaking — was go to the root meaning of the place-name (especially Saxon place-names, like -burys, and -wyches, etc.) and offered a plain, modern-English "translation". So "Honiton" becomes "Honeytown," "Sudbury" becomes "Southtown", etc. Since the game is supposed to take place before the Saxon took over the country, it makes sense to de-Saxonize the names.

Now, this is not an absolute rule. In some cases, particularly where they appear in the literature, we've kept the names even when they are of Saxon origin. Examples include Salisbury and Silchester, etc. Greg felt those were too entrenched in the Arthurian tradition (or the game's legacy) to change.

How accurate are they? Let's just say literally scores, if not hundreds, of hours of painstaking and meticulous research went into about a thousand place-names in an effort to be as diligent as possible. We consulted sage tomes like the OXFORD DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH PLACE-NAMES, Wikipedia, and other sources for the translations. Sometimes a place-name is based in a Saxon settlers' name and there's no way to translate those to anything non-Saxon, so we just invented names.

The end result will be embraced by some, who accept the logic of purging Saxon names from a pre-Saxon map. Others will be less sanguine, not wanting to change all the place-names in their established campaigns. That's certainly understandable. For these folks we're planning two-way conversion lists as an appendix in every book so that can stick with the traditional place-names and maps if they want to.

But this is Greg's long-running vision for the game, which he only now has been in a position to implement. It's going to be a big change, but I for one am excited about it because the same problem with the Saxon names struck me immediately when I first started familiarizing myself with the game and the GPC a number of years ago.

Anyhoo, I just tonight received the final typescript for WARLORD, so will begin the page layout process soonish. Still hopeful of having the book out this Spring.


Best,


T.


That sounds....wonderful. Replacing the Saxon names with more conventional ones seems like a fine idea. It's probably better than forcing the players to pronounce things like Sirovonundum or Rhydychen. This makes me reconsider if I should just use the regular map for the starting game and then transfer over to the Warlords map when it is released, ooooorrrr I can just make my own map based on the regular one and maybe change it over to Warlords once it's released. Decisions decisions.... I'll probably take a crack at making my own for right now and see what happens.

Any general advice for the first time running GPC? I think I have a basic idea of how the first three sessions will go.

Any general advice for the first time running GPC? I think I have a basic idea of how the first three sessions will go.


Definitely read ahead a few years for each year you run. You may find things coming up that you can shadow.

I'd also recommend having a website or portal of some kind to keep the campaign notes in and have someone, yourself maybe, do write-ups of each year. Countless times I've checked back and seen that someone was born that I can use later or someone wronged someone and I'd forgotten.

I've just started using Obsidian Portal to keep my campaign notes on. It's a neat site and even has the Pendragon character sheet on it. Have a look at my site. https://neals-gpc.obsidianportal.com/

Please bear in mind that I've only been using it for the last few weeks and so it's not as good as I want it to be just yet.

I apologize for my bad English.
In my campaign I use the place names taken from an old text that is currently online. The name of the book is the Cambrian Register, Volume 2, William Owen Pughe. The book is dated but it is full of interesting ideas such as:
- Atrebates (Latin name of the people), Attreviaid (possible Welsh name of the people) Attrevigion (another possible Welsh name of the people) Gwyr Attrev .. Very fascinating!

I'd also recommend having a website or portal of some kind to keep the campaign notes in and have someone, yourself maybe, do write-ups of each year. Countless times I've checked back and seen that someone was born that I can use later or someone wronged someone and I'd forgotten.

I've just started using Obsidian Portal to keep my campaign notes on. It's a neat site and even has the Pendragon character sheet on it. Have a look at my site. https://neals-gpc.obsidianportal.com/

Please bear in mind that I've only been using it for the last few weeks and so it's not as good as I want it to be just yet.


Well that certainly looks useful. I was already thinking making a Wiki or something to that effect would be in order. I might steal a few things from here like those nifty houserules. Alot of the other campaign wikis I'm finding online are useful.


Definitely read ahead a few years for each year you run. You may find things coming up that you can shadow.
Good idea. I definitely want to read the entire period I'm running before hand. My ADD gets in the way and I keep skipping around the years. I'll probably have the whole thing read before long. ;D

One thing I can't seem to find is a full list of the Dramatis personæ in the GPC. Aside from doing a wikipedia search for the characters from the legend is there possibly something like a master list somewhere?



I apologize for my bad English.
In my campaign I use the place names taken from an old text that is currently online. The name of the book is the Cambrian Register, Volume 2, William Owen Pughe. The book is dated but it is full of interesting ideas such as:
- Atrebates (Latin name of the people), Attreviaid (possible Welsh name of the people) Attrevigion (another possible Welsh name of the people) Gwyr Attrev .. Very fascinating!


Cool! I'll definitely be using this, though you're right it is a bit dated hehe. Did you have trouble changing the placenames at all? My plan is to make a map like the map from the PG that will be my main reference.

Any other advice for running my first game? Everything so far has been really helpful.

That sounds....wonderful. Replacing the Saxon names with more conventional ones seems like a fine idea. It's probably better than forcing the players to pronounce things like Sirovonundum or Rhydychen.



Well, don't get too excited — some of the Welsh names, like Rydychan, remain — they have the virtue of being non-Saxon AND legacy material as far as the game goes. Some of the old Roman names also remains, though Sirovonundum isn't one of them, I don't think.



This makes me reconsider if I should just use the regular map for the starting game and then transfer over to the Warlords map when it is released, ooooorrrr I can just make my own map based on the regular one and maybe change it over to Warlords once it's released. Decisions decisions.... I'll probably take a crack at making my own for right now and see what happens.

To complicate things for you a bit, Greg has just agreed to post some of the new maps (not all) to his site. And this may be happening sooner rather than later! Hopefully much sooner than the publication of WARLORD even! We'll let you know when we have something suitable posted.


Any general advice for the first time running GPC? I think I have a basic idea of how the first three sessions will go.

Yes. Make it darker and grittier than what is described in KAP and GPC. Search the forums here using the keywords "Uther Period" or "Dark Ages" for additional ideas, like how to modify a feast events list to be grittier.


T.

It is not a simple thing but it is fascinating. It 'also useful to read the ancient text "Horae Britannicae" that is on-line (on page 111 there is the list of tribes of the Cambrian Register). I strongly recommend you also download the old text "Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales" and consult the Laws of Court. The structure of the royal courts of the Middle Ages and Wales is very interesting and will allow you to do your players a realistic journey into the past

Well, don't get too excited — some of the Welsh names, like Rydychan, remain — they have the virtue of being non-Saxon AND legacy material as far as the game goes. Some of the old Roman names also remains, though Sirovonundum isn't one of them, I don't think.

To complicate things for you a bit, Greg has just agreed to post some of the new maps (not all) to his site. And this may be happening sooner rather than later! Hopefully much sooner than the publication of WARLORD even! We'll let you know when we have something suitable posted.

Even more exciting! I look forward to it!


Yes. Make it darker and grittier than what is described in KAP and GPC. Search the forums here using the keywords "Uther Period" or "Dark Ages" for additional ideas, like how to modify a feast events list to be grittier.

That's the plan. I plan on brightening things up a tad bit when Arthur finally hits the scene. And even then most of the stuff I plan on covering with him are the Boy King Period and Conquest period wars. After that I might be making a few detours to come back later at the end of the Tournament Era.



It is not a simple thing but it is fascinating. It 'also useful to read the ancient text "Horae Britannicae" that is on-line (on page 111 there is the list of tribes of the Cambrian Register). I strongly recommend you also download the old text "Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales" and consult the Laws of Court. The structure of the royal courts of the Middle Ages and Wales is very interesting and will allow you to do your players a realistic journey into the past


I'll look that up as well. Right now I'm debating about how much of the overall structure of courts and laws. If I want to just use what's provided in KAP and GPC or if I want to do some serious in depth research into Celtic law and custom. I'm hoping to at the very least combine some elements.


Here's a side question that might be better suited for a topic of its own:
How "old" is Merlin in 485? I'm interpreting that he was probably no more than 15 in 465 at the time Vortigern brought him to the castle at Snowdon. That must make him only 36 years old or so in 485. Isn't that a bit young to be described as an "old man" in his first appearance? I mean the easy route would be to say that he uses magic to appear older, or that he doesn't appear old at all. But neither of those explanations are all that satisfying. How do I solve this dissonance?

I'll look that up as well. Right now I'm debating about how much of the overall structure of courts and laws.

That's something that will be probably covered in more depth in the upcoming Book of Uther.

Here's a side question that might be better suited for a topic of its own:
How "old" is Merlin in 485? I'm interpreting that he was probably no more than 15 in 465 at the time Vortigern brought him to the castle at Snowdon. That must make him only 36 years old or so in 485. Isn't that a bit young to be described as an "old man" in his first appearance? I mean the easy route would be to say that he uses magic to appear older, or that he doesn't appear old at all. But neither of those explanations are all that satisfying. How do I solve this dissonance?


Great question. Start a new topic, please.


T.

Here's a side question that might be better suited for a topic of its own:
How "old" is Merlin in 485? I'm interpreting that he was probably no more than 15 in 465 at the time Vortigern brought him to the castle at Snowdon. That must make him only 36 years old or so in 485. Isn't that a bit young to be described as an "old man" in his first appearance? I mean the easy route would be to say that he uses magic to appear older, or that he doesn't appear old at all. But neither of those explanations are all that satisfying. How do I solve this dissonance?


Great question. Start a new topic, please.


T.


Will do. I'll hope to keep this thread going if anyone has anymore helpful advice.

One thing I can't seem to find is a full list of the Dramatis personæ in the GPC. Aside from doing a wikipedia search for the characters from the legend is there possibly something like a master list somewhere?


There's only this http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/15749/Pendragon-Gamemaster-Characters?it=1 that I know of. It's a the main characters from the GPC all stated out.

There isn't a master list as such anywhere. I think the best plan is to make a note of characters that are coming up and what years they are doing stuff and then you can plan out what they are up to if that's what you're after.

As far as I can tell, the Gamemaster Characters is simply a stand-alone of the GPC addendum of the same name. So if you already have GPC, you already have the Gamemaster Characters.