Reading about the possible emergence of a prequel to the GPC, covering the years approx 410 onwards, has made me a tad jealous. My campaign has started (in 484) so there's no going back to the early years for me, however, I have for some time wondered about expanding the official timeline, eg dropping in new adventures from time to time, thereby pushing back everything back. I wonder if that would create any unforeseen problems though. On the face of it, it means that all events would no longer take place during the year listed in the GPC but assuming everything is pushed back uniformly is that a problem? I don't care that Camlann would take place later than 565 or that central characters may live a few years older than they're supposed to as long as I'm not overlooking dire consequences here.

You could always keep going afterwards. As children of the Round Table Knights, fight the losing battle against the enemies your fathers held back, and try to keep their morals and memories alive. Make a link between Arthur's kingdom and Alfred's - if the PCs are successful, then the descendants of the Saxons who they defeated at Badon will assimilate part of their culture, and that 'one brief shining moment' will never end...

That's an interesting idea. My initial thought was that it might seem anti climatic to carry on once the epic tale had faded but perhaps not. If I could just keep things going for another 500 years I could segue into my grand idea of a Cthulhu Dark Ages to Modern Day Campaign... with Arthur and his knights merely sleeping, being a manifestation of the Great Old Ones! Actually, I think Pagan Publishing did a supplement along these lines :)

I like this idea. A huge part of Arthurian appeal is the unfortunate and unavoidable destiny, Guenevere will cheat, Lancelot will betray his king, and in the end Author will die and the Saxons will win. Maybe the best example is Uther when he sires Author. He creates the very person he fears most.

It occurs to be this sort of pathos can be added to the campaign after Author's death. The knights will HAVE TO either turn to serve new masters (ie Saxons) or else lose their land, positions, and possibly their lives. Difficult choices indeed.

I've said this on another thread too, but the Viking invasions of Britain were very similar to those of the Saxons, even if less successful in the long run. Later on the Normans would repeat much of the same pattern, although they came only to rule, not to settle and farm as common people like the Saxons.

The continuing challenge of fighting invaders you know will win leaves lots of possibility for roleplaying. The fact your kids will in all likelihood betray your ideas by joining your enemies is also very Arthurian.

Perhaps there are also opportunities on the continent and beyond? Arthur's surviving knights went on crusade after his death even though the concept wouldn't be around for another few centuries, and I'm sure knights whose lands have been overrun by Saxons would be willing to make their fortunes elsewhere--either to try and gain enough power to retake what's theirs, or to carve out new lands to replace their old ones, a la the Normans in Sicily. This is a bit of a departure from the Arthurian themes, but it sounds like it would also open up opportunities that would otherwise be denied to players in a more Britain-centric campaign. Signing up with condottieri mercenaries in Italy, sailing off to fight the Saracens for Jerusalem, seeking adventure in some war-torn part of the globe and rising to be a new power in the region-- there's plenty of source material out there.

I for one hope to one day see some destitute PCs talked into accompanying some Genoese gentleman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_columbus) on his mad venture to reach the Indies by heading west.

Thinking about my idea a bit further, the Wessex capital was Winchester, which, as we all know, was once Camelot. After Badon, Arthur captured Cerdic and his followers, and I always imagined him teaching them about chivalry then - so that after his death, Cynric became the great hope for civilisation. From there, you have the Kingdom of Wessex, which later becomes the Kingdom of England so (if you're feeling idealistic) Arthur's dream is continued through the dark times to become a great and idealistic nation which will never fail. Alfred the Great, one of my favourite historical people, is a good place to show the rebirth of the Arthurian dream, because he does establish peace and civilisation and set the seeds for the Kings of England.

The problem is that there's about three hundred years between Arthur and Alfred. Continuing for that long more than quadruples the size of the Great Pendragon Campaign!

If you want adventures in other parts of the world, there's great upheaval in Byzantium, in Italy the Roman Senate vanishes about this time, Mohammed invents a new religion, the Sassanids capture Jerusalem, Charlemagne becomes a French Arthur-successor, Baghdad is built and the Arabian Nights stories occur, the Vikings start showing up...

I like this idea. A huge part of Arthurian appeal is the unfortunate and unavoidable destiny, Guenevere will cheat, Lancelot will betray his king, and in the end Author will die and the Saxons will win. Maybe the best example is Uther when he sires Author. He creates the very person he fears most.



Um, it's "Arthur", not "Author".

The problem is that there's about three hundred years between Arthur and Alfred. Continuing for that long more than quadruples the size of the Great Pendragon Campaign!

If you want adventures in other parts of the world, there's great upheaval in Byzantium, in Italy the Roman Senate vanishes about this time, Mohammed invents a new religion, the Sassanids capture Jerusalem, Charlemagne becomes a French Arthur-successor, Baghdad is built and the Arabian Nights stories occur, the Vikings start showing up...

Ignore it. Seriously, a HUGE part of medieval culture involved messing with history. Arthur fought extensively with Muslims even though the religion won't be founded for about sixty years after his death, Biblical figures were always depicted in contemporary dress and arms, etc. Hell, just look at the GPC-- we've got gunpowder, plate armor, and cultural developments that won't be around for almost a millennium, not to mention a huge English empire that never actually existed.

You could always keep going afterwards. As children of the Round Table Knights, fight the losing battle against the enemies your fathers held back, and try to keep their morals and memories alive. Make a link between Arthur's kingdom and Alfred's - if the PCs are successful, then the descendants of the Saxons who they defeated at Badon will assimilate part of their culture, and that 'one brief shining moment' will never end...


Yes. I too think there's great possibilities in a post apocalyptic Britain in this time period. The fading fragments of Arthur's dream in a shattered and broken kingdom, under siege from the encroaching invader.
For me though, darkness inevitably falls and all is lost.

Hi

If you're interested by period after battle of "Salesbi?res" (Camlann) and king Arthur's "dormition", I recommand you the story of Ysa?e le Triste, a medieval novel about a son of Tristan and Yseult... Ysa?e was educated by the dwarf Tronc, son of Morgan la Fay, and knighted with Lancelot's bones (sic !). In his adventure, Ysa?e meets sons and daughters of many Round Table's knights...

I think it would be a good source to continue a Pendragon Timeline

Caball
(Sorry for my english I'm French ;D)

Historically, we know that Briton kings survived in Albion until well after the Norman invasion. Wales, Dumnonia, Strathclyde...

So your PCs are not inevitably doomed. Should they survive the first wave of the Saxon conquest, they too could become kings in the new landscape.

Hi, sorry if I revitalize this old topic.

I am starting my campaing exactly with this looney idea: start at Vortigern times, when Uther is still to come, make the players play their father's history...

I also want to change the figure of the Queen Guenever, which is a fighting queen, like Boadicea, queen of Brigantes, and Lancelot du Lake is not going to cheat her into treason to King Arthur. (I made my own historical researches and I do not consider the French tales as good as other more ancient version of Arthur's history).

One of the main issue for the player will be at first choosing which side to be: for the High King Vortigern or the invaders from Brittany?

I am open to any advice... so please, do not be shy ;)

Hi, sorry if I revitalize this old topic.

I am starting my campaing exactly with this looney idea: start at Vortigern times, when Uther is still to come, make the players play their father's history...

I also want to change the figure of the Queen Guenever, which is a fighting queen, like Boadicea, queen of Brigantes, and Lancelot du Lake is not going to cheat her into treason to King Arthur. (I made my own historical researches and I do not consider the French tales as good as other more ancient version of Arthur's history).

One of the main issue for the player will be at first choosing which side to be: for the High King Vortigern or the invaders from Brittany?

I am open to any advice... so please, do not be shy ;)


You should pick up North of the Wall and Land of Giants. My campaign started with the characters as lesser sons of nobles, without land, who by chance wind up in Denmark to complete the Land of Giants adventures, and it's been really interesting. Depending on how long you want to make your campaign last you can then move your characters (or their kids) onto Ireland, Scotland (home of the Picts in this period), Wales (Cambria), Cubria, and so on before (or after) they arrive in Lorges.

This would also allow you to have a Boadecia-esque Queen on the throne sometime before Uther (maybe Uther's mother or grandmother?). Or perhaps she rallies Britons after Arthur's death, just as Arthur rallied them after Uther's death? In fact, she may even be Arthor's daughter...

IIRC there's a Boadecia supplement by Green Ronin that might have some information you'd find useful.

Although, I like the idea of adding to basic GPC, perhaps I'm a purist, but I think the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot is so classic that you'd be missing something by leaving it out. There is plenty of room in Britain for both Arthor and Boadecia without excluding the traditional Guinevere/Lancelot betrayal. Then again it's YOUR campaign, so do as you like.