Hzark10

Sorry to hear that. Recent decision, or old one, if I could ask?

Might not be the complete answer, but the GPC does have the event in 492 that King Lot, King Uriens (Lot's good and loyal friend), and King Nentes of Garloth all come down to Tintagel where Margawse marries Lot, Elaine marries Nentres, Queen Ygraine is very pregnant in a very bit celebration. Pages 25-27 pf GPC gives a quick list of info and some of the North is described there.

I think it depends on what you and your players want and the story you want to weave. The more players there are, the longer the scenarios take, the more in-depth stories can be told, and more angles with the family can come to attention. It getting through the GPC in its entirety is your goal, then a smaller number (4-6) would be best. And 6 is pushing it. If an more detailed arc of the GPC is your goal, then you have the freedom to include multiple characters by each player, court scenes can be expanded, and following up on any winter court events can be done. But this will slow time.

Yes, sorry, I thought you were asking overall. But, if the adventures themselves, what Morien said. The time period is a bit important as well. I find it easier to run Uther and before with little or no magic, whereas it becomes harder once Merlin and ARthur comes on scene.

The fantasy elements can be downplayed very easily, or ramped upwards if that is your desire (but sounds like the former for you). Uther would be a better choice, imho, as magic is not that prevalent. Later on, during the high times of Chivalry, it is easy to bring fantasy elements into the game. You have to decide on the issue of the fae (who they are, and what role they play), but I have run a completely non-magical Pendragon, albeit my last campaign was much more fantastical.

Battles may take a few posts. Initial set up, weapons, inspiration questions, the charge, results and regroup, choices for next round. Exactly how you would run it if face to face, but understanding that not every possible condition can be covered in one post.

One thing I have done is to allow Recognize rolls to see if the the two sides recognize who they are facing. Facing the Butcher of Salisbury would affect the combatants more if they have Sir Robin the coward. But, the overall quality of troops are also inherent in the skills of the combatants.

A bit of a different idea, but,iIf the PK's are in good relations with Bele's wife, and the Countess Ellen, then you can also try to finagle an accommodation that he might be able to swear fealty to the Countess instead. Might not be able to sustain it long term, but perhaps Ellen could get another loyal retainer in a different way.

There is that. And the randomness does have its own unique take because if forces one to think of what else can happen. One reason why I like Pendragon so much, is even though we usually all start at the same place, every game has its own unique flavor. Given how much we talk on this forum, I am still hearing of novel ways various groups play out the events.

It depends on what I am trying to accomplish. If fun, one knight. I see/feel his struggles, his anguish, his triumphs and such. But, as many have already pointed out, could end quickly. If trying to emulate game play, then a family. See how high I can take them before things go awry. But, I am like Morien, I like to bounce things off someone else. Some might consider 1 player & 1 GM as solo, but to me that is 1 person only. With the two, it allows the story to develop more.

And having all these choices does allow replay value as you, as the gm, can modify/concentrate on different aspects of what is available.

Actually, the GPC scripted events should be seen as the default timeline, IMHO. That is, if the players to nothing, these things happen. It is also set up so the gm can involve the Players in certain scenarios, like the Sword Lake adventure in 486, or gives a choice of scenarios like accompanying the King or go on naval raids with the Prince in 487. I have always played that the players can choose their own path. YPMV. Mostly, it is parallel to the default campaign, but I give the players the possibility of changing what is setup. it doesn't always happen, but if you keep up with the various games online, you can see they do differ. @Voord 99 states just above he may allow his players to avoid the treason trial. On such things, the different paths of the campaign(s) hang. So, if the players somehow end up with a war Against Arthur, then they do and will suffer the consequences. However, Arthur is forgiving and these misunderstandings can be smoothed over.

In one of my groups, the Knights of the Sword (ie, those who got the Sword with Merlin) accompanied their Count to battle. Very close to what was in Excalibur, but that is because my knights tended, at this stage in the campaign, to swing first and ask questions later. A second group, more friendly to Ulfius, cautioned for peace. One of them criticalled an orate skill, so got a Truce meeting before the battle and peace was made there. Of course, when that happened, the other scene in Excalibur happened where Uther saw Ygraine here, and not in 490. The request came for the Duke Gorlois to attend the King at the Great Victory Feast in London was a bit more forceful.

For some reason, that is now hard coded into every message. Not sure what happened.

Think of the timing of everything. Tribal, Roman Rule, tribal when they left, Roman rule when they came back, repeat a few times, then Rome saying goodbye. Then Constantin. Then Vortigern, Then Saxons. Greg had his final say on when things happened. But, by the time of Uther, one can argue that the feudalism structure works. But great ideas are coming here.

Think of the timing of everything. Tribal, Roman Rule, tribal when they left, Roman rule when they came back, repeat a few times, then Rome saying goodbye. Then Constantin. Then Vortigern, Then Saxons. Greg had his final say on when things happened. But, by the time of Uther, one can argue that the feudalism structure works. But great ideas are coming here.

The idea of knowing the brothers is a good one. They can be introduced at a couple of points, one of which is pointed out earlier. I have used the scenario a couple of times and not used in another. It depends on what the gm and players campaigns. If the players enjoy a military themed, then this fits the bill. If they don't, you can avoid it if you want. Another aspect is if the players want to move upward in the noble ranks. Yes, there are different versions. Myself, I have taken the various ones and combined them. The Countess' age changes with the different versions so feel free to change that as well. Changing just who she is also is an interesting twist, one I haven't tried yet, but definitely worth thinking about.

But without that armor of courtesy, means the guy with 6D6 will, on the average, cause damage every successful hit. So it does matter.

Agree that this appears to be a nice way. If it fits your story, by all means.

That may very well be true. But, there are many stories where two knights go at it for hours on end. I see those battles being lost by being nickeled and dimed to death, rather than one lucky blow.

Depends on the level I am playing. I have run at different styles/levels of play depending on the wishes of my players. In my Low Dark setting, I only give checks when players get a critical, even in skills. There is almost no magic and what there is, is not for player's hands. Timewise, I tie this into Pre-Arthur where history is still pretty much the rule. The second level is the default Pendragon rules. As the rules are written and houseruled on certain things. This setting is most familiar and can be tied to any period. The third is my high level game. The fae have a major impact, magic is much more common and available to players, checks are given for success. I also have additional rules to make players more powerful. I expect players to hold their own against the named Round Table members and be seen as equals with them and families are meant to be movers and shakers in their areas. But, the old saying goes with this as well, "With great power..."

One last point many might not have considered. Pre-Arthur, and especially Uther, periods have women on the lower tier. Part of what made Arthur special is the elevation of women to equal, or near equal, status during his time. And once Arthur disappears, reality comes roaring back. So, there is a time and place for all thoughts. But, everyone liked Book of Feasts and what it did for the Winter Phase. That phase has progressively gotten more and more emphasis as time has come about. Almost to the point where it can take an entire evening to conduct as well. And if a gm rushes through things, the players will object. I lost one campaign because I tried to stick to the 1 session = 1 year suggestion to get through the GPC in a timely manner. I am sure more info will come out as we get closer to the release date sometime next year.

It is helpful in that it helps SirLarkins and the gang know what perceptions are out there. And what people really like.

I have always played the the Pagan Lustful virtue includes love of life. If you are Lustful, you are bursting with energy for life itself. You throw yourself into everything you do. It is not necessarily physical "Energetic" as that trait applies, but the mental state. Yes, the urge to be fruitful is there, but you do not try to mate with every woman seen. You are not a sexual predator. Since it is a Trait, and is paired with Chaste, many assume that since chaste means abstaining from sex, Lustful means the opposite. I have found that the Christian trait, "Chaste" does not mean no sex, either. It means their is a barrier to achieve that. In the proper circumstances, anything may go.

Again, the rules clearly state that each gm makes their own decision. KAP 5.2 clearly states the traditional role of women. It also, on page 52, details the Non-Traditional Woman where it clearly says, "Your campaign may have room in it for female knights..." If, you want to play a male dominated campaign where women can only get married and have babies, that is fine for your campaign. If someone else, using the same rules, wants to have an occasional woman knight, valkyrie-style, or amazon type female warrior, why should it bother anyone if it is not your campaign? Before anyone jumps off the cliff, it might be a good idea to actually wait and see what KAP6 has in it before making the decision to start burning books. Humbly submitted, Sir Vortimer/Hzark10