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Good day gents, I'm new to the forum but I've been planning on running a Pendragon campaign for a long time now, assuming I could ever get a hold of a group of players willing to play with me. Either way, due to my own research into my ancestry (I'm half Dutch with some alleged aristocratic roots dating back to the Middle Ages), I've been thinking of running a campaign specifically set in the Low Countries. It would probably begin at a somewhat later date than the traditional Pendragon campaigns (around 11th century AD, just before the start of the First Crusade), and would be less focused around Arthurian mythology and more around the politics of the the time in that region. So basically my main question is, what ruleset would be better suited to run the campaign with? My instinct says to go with Pendragon and leave Paladin (which I do not yet own) aside, since Pendragon allows for more generic character creation, with universal skills and passions, while Paladin is more specialized and focused around the Charlemagne arc. On the other hand, the landed nobility of the region are largely Frankish nobles as well, especially in the southern regions around Brabant and Flanders. Then again, you also have the Book of Knights and Ladies (which unfortunately does not include any information on Batavian character origins (other than the Frisians, but those are a different story entirely), let alone on the different provinces of the region, which were, and still are, very different from each other in many respects, but I'm sure I could make something up. What do you think. Do you have any other pointers on what I should be looking for?

Hi, Probably I miss something, but during the Paladin QuickStarter, one of the stretch goals unlocked Print-Ready Map PDF. Did this PDF was delivered or it's just the maps in the core book pdf ?

Hi, I wonder if the family patron saint bonus apply to character creation (as family characteristic) or as a in game bonus. From my personal preference it's easier to count it as a character creation bonus but I am not sure.

Hiya. Going out on a limb here but I was wondering if anyone has a link to a pdf (fillable for preference but not necessary) for the Paladin character sheet? I've done the usual searches but my google-fu seems to be letting me down at the moment. Many thanks in advance.

Hi, I created a character for paladin and I created his grandfather and father histories. For some events (raids, siege and battle) I am not sure how many glory should be granted. For simplicity, I ruled that raids and skirmish granted 25 glory, I never doubled it. For siege, when in the event it's written "victorious" or "successful" I granted 100 and when written "unsuccessful" 50. For battle, when in the event it's written "victorious" or "successful" I granted 200 and when written "unsuccessful" 100. But for some events, the description, in the table, is not straightforward. In the following table, I put all my interpretation. Could you share you own interpretation if yours differ from mine ? Thank you. Year Description Type Glory 728 He fought the rebellious Duke Odo of Aquitaine. Roll at –1 on the Combat Survival Table. In the year description it’s written “raids”. (?) Raid (?) 25 728 He fought in Saxony or Frisia. Roll on the Combat Survival Table. If grandfather survived, he gains 1d3 Hate [Saxons]. No help in description so I assume it’s raid. (?) Raid (?) 25 729 He participated in the first (undecided) battle against Gloriant of Saxony near the city of Vauclere. Roll at –1 on the Combat Survival Table. If grandfather survived, he gains 1d3 Hate [Saxons]. Undecided so not victorius. Battle (?) 100 729 He fought at the battle of the Barbel Tower. Roll at –1 on the Combat Survival Table. If grandfather survived, he gains 1d6 Hate [Saxons]. In the year description it’s written : “Berart of Mondidier and some other Frankish knights are sent into Saxony to help Garin and Doon. They arrive at the Barbel Tower to do battle with the Saxons, but they are defeated.”. So I assume that the grandfather was with Francks and so not victorious. Battle (?) 100 731 He fought with Charles Martel at the siege of Oridon. Roll on the Combat Survival Table. In the year description it’s not clear if it was victorious. I assume undecided. Siege (?) 50 735 He fought with Charles Martel against Gerard of Roussillon at the interrupted battle, where he witnessed the divine burning of two battle standards. (50 Glory) Roll on the Combat Survival Table. I assume undecided as the battle was interrupted. Battle (?) 100 736 With Charles Martel, he liberates Arles from the Moors after a long siege. Roll on the Combat Survival Table. If he survived, he gains 1d3 Hate [Moors]. “Liberate” sounds victorious for me. Siege (?) 100 737 He fought in the battle against Gerard of Roussillon. Roll at –1 on the Combat Survival Table. In the year description it’s written : “Gerard defeats Charles Martel in battle”. So it was not victorious. Battle (?) 100 738 He fought with the Lorrainers in the battle of Burgundy against the Moors. Roll at –1 on the Combat Survival Table. If grandfather survived, he gains 1d3 Hate [Moors]. In the year description it’s written : “… the Lorrains engage in battle and crush their enemy.”. For me “crush” sound like “victorious”. Battle (?) 200 749 He participated in a battle in Bavaria. Roll at –1 on the Combat Survival Table. “In Pepin marches to Bavaria, defeats his half-brother …”. Sound like “victorious”. Battle (?) 200 750 He participated in a battle against the Saxons. Roll on the Combat Survival Table. If father survived, he gained 1d6 Hate [Saxons]. “They (Saxons) declare war on the Franks, but Pepin the Mayor kills the Saxon warchief, Justamont, in battle.”. So “victorious” Battle (?) 200 753 He fought at the battle of Mount Viburg. Roll at –1 on the Combat Survival Table. If he survived, he gained 1d6 Hate [Saxons]. “Archbishop Hildegaire is killed at the battle of Mount Viburg.”. For me, that don’t sound like a victorious battle. Battle (?) 100 754 He fought against the allied forces of Carloman and King Aistulf. Roll at –1 on the Combat Survival Table. “Carloman of Burgundy rebels against his brother, Pepin, but is captured and imprisoned”. For me it’s a victorious battle. (?) Battle (?) 200 756 He fought at the siege of Pavia. Roll at –1 on the Combat Survival Table. “Pepin launches a second campaign against the Lombards, whom he defeats at the siege of Pavia”. Sound like “victorious”. Siege (?) 100 763 He defended the castle of La Roche against the two successive besieging armies. Roll at –1 on the Combat Survival Table. “Doon retires to La Roche castle, where he is besieged by Tomile and Malingre. King Pepin arrives with his troops and routs the besieging army. He then takes La Roche and banishes Doon and his nephew Geoffrey.”. Hum, the knight’s father was in Doon army ? That sound like as a defeat but I am really unsure. Siege (?) 50 764 He fought at Bishop Aubery’s side at the second siege of La Roche. Roll on the Combat Survival Table. “Bishop Aubery leads an army to the Ardennes and reconquers La Roche.” I call “victorious” but I don’t get who won in 763. Siege (?) 100 765 He fought at the siege of Hautefeuille. Roll on the Combat Survival Table. “Landri kills the treacherous Sir Grifo at the siege of Hautefeuille.”. It’s sound like “victorious” Siege (?) 100 765 He participated in the battle against the Saxon warlord Brohimax. Roll at –1 on the Combat Survival Table. If he survived, he gained 1d6 Hate [Saxons]. “Landri pursues the Saxons, kills Brohimax and frees Pepin”. “Victorious” again. Battle (?) 200 766 He fought in the army of Prince Charlemagne at the siege of Montpellier. Roll on the Combat Survival Table. “On his way to Frankland, Maugis arrives at Montpellier, where his relative, Ernold, is being besieged by Prince Charlemagne. With Maugis’ help, they capture Ogier, but Maugis himself is taken prisoner by Charlemagne. Fortunately, Maugis’ cousin, Brendan, comes to his aid and in the end the Christians make peace and unite.”. I am not sure, I call a draw. Siege (?) 50 766 He participated in the siege of Aigremont against the pagans led by Vivien. Roll on the Combat Survival Table. If he survived, he was a witness at the baptism of Vivien and Esclarmonde. (25 Glory) “Vivien captures his father Bevis, but is then defeated by his brother Maugis”. Sound like “victorious”. Siege (?) 100+25

So, reading through Paladin, I got pretty interested in the story of Doon of La Roche, which is apparently one of the lesser known chansons. First question: Is there a good English translation of this story that one can acquire relatively easily/cheaply? Alternatively/secondly, has anyone here read Doon de La Roche? If so, are there any details about Doon and/or his family given in the work itself? Like, does it ever detail what Doon did that saw him marrying Princess Olive, or any characterization for the likes of Geoffrey or Doon's cousins? I ask because the House of La Roche struck me as a good fit for an important local house that the Player Knights could all be a part of that isn't too important and well-connected, so I started thinking about possible hooks for a campaign of that nature. In terms of what was already there, I figure giving Sir Tomile a reasonably powerful extended family would be a good start, who would naturally be sore over the recent events of Tomile and Audegour's deaths and the loss of La Roche and Cologne; I might even change things so that, instead of being mutilated and sent to a monastery, Malingre manages to buy/wheedle his freedom from Pepin and perhaps marry into some decently powerful “villainous” family to get the backing to continue to bedevil Landri and his relatives on his own time (which can be yet another source of tension as first Pepin and then Charlemagne are, as in so many chansons, repeatedly prevailed upon to side with the villains against the heroes, or to demand peace be made at the least convenient times). Maybe if the Player Knights make an enemy out of the family of Sir Eingar in “The Adventure of the Jewel,” Malingre manages to bank on that enmity to tie himself to them through marriage to secure more power and connections. Another (or perhaps an additional) possibility for an enemy I had in mind that was also kind of an expansion on the House of La Roche's history and connections to the rest of the Frankish nobility was inspired by the fact that, in the family tree given in the book, Doon of La Roche's grandfather is a “Drogo of La Roche,” about whom no other information is given. So, I decided to look for any prominent historical Drogo who I could draw inspiration and relationships from, and found that there was a surprisingly important and well-connected Drogo who even lived very close by: Drogo of Champagne (c. 675-708), the elder half-brother of Charles Martel and the Duke of Champagne. Said Drogo had four sons: Arnulf, who inherited the duchy; St. Hugh (d. 730), who became archbishop of Rouen; Gotfrid, and Pippin. He seems to have been considered an important figure, as several later imperial annals being their year-by-year accounts with his death, perhaps because it's considered the point where Charles Martel and his branch of the family begins to eclipse that of Drogo. There's a suggestion of at least one attempt at conciliation between these two branches in Arnulf's time, but in 723 Charles had two of Drogo's sons “bound, Arnold [Arnulf] and another who died.” It doesn't say which son died or what happened to Arnulf or the surviving son (since Hugh, as mentioned, died later). Paladin only gives the names and reigns of contemporary dukes of that area, none of whom have names that can clearly be linked to Drogo or his sons, nor does it ever mention this episode. Fertile ground for storytelling, then! So, first off, a bit more background: Drogo of Champagne was married to a certain Anstrudis (or Adaltrudis) somewhere in the late 680s/early 690s; she was the daughter of Waratto (d. 686), who served as Mayor of the Palace in Neustria and Burgundy. Waratto was temporarily ousted by his own son Gistemar, who died fighting for power over his father at some point, and after Waratto's death his successor, Anstrudis/Adaltrudis's first husband Berthar, went to war with Pepin of Herstal (father of both Drogo and Charles Martel) and fled after being defeated and then quarreling with and murdering his mother-in-law over the terms of the peace. Pepin then took over Neustria and Burgundy as Mayor of the Palace and wed Waratto's daughter to his oldest son, Drogo. It's important to note that Waratto's properties were mostly located in the vicinity of Rouen, and that Champagne was on the border between Neustria and Austrasia, reasonably close to Rouen (where, of course, Hugh eventually became archbishop as well as acquiring several monasteries); it might be that, without any male heirs (and the backing of Pepin of Herstal), Drogo was for all intents and purposes the heir of all Waratto's properties, so we could easily imagine some reasonably close connections between the ruling houses of Champagne and Normandy (or at least the County of Rouen) here, for further fun color. This marriage thus served to secure Pepin of Herstal greater power and connections in Neustria, but likely became seen as more of a liability during Charles Martel's reign. My running idea, then: In 723, what happened was that Arnulf and either Gotfrid or Pippin were plotting against Charles, but the third brother and possibly also Hugh of Rouen revealed the plot, which led to the imprisonment of Arnulf and his brother and said brother's death in captivity. Arnulf himself, however, was either restored to his duchy or else was just forced to retire to a monastery in favor of a young heir who could be raised as a hostage. Hugh of Rouen was given charge of Fontanelle Abbey in 723 (and next year was also given the administration of the dioceses of both Paris and Bayeux), which we could spin as a reward for his loyalty, while the other brother was made the first Count of La Roche (probably at least in part to a.) guard against any further disloyalty from the House of Champagne, and b.) provide said house with a powerful “traitor” to focus all their enmity on rather than on Charles himself), and his son Drogo was the Drogo of La Roche given as Doon's grandfather. This probably requires some very young births for the math to work, admittedly, since Doon of La Roche was fathering illegitimate children as early as 733, but I think it adds some interesting possibilities. For one, there's the obvious point that the House of Champagne likely despises their “traitorous” relatives in neighboring La Roche, or at least that there's a simmering feud that flares up at least once a generation. Additionally, remembering that Charles Martel died in 741 and Pepin and Carloman split the kingdom between themselves, with Carloman getting Austrasia, we could suppose that Pepin being the one to marry his sister to Doon (with Cologne as the dowry) the very next year was some calculated attempt to undermine the loyalty Doon should have owed to Carloman, perhaps as a reply to some similar attempt by Carloman to court their distant relatives in Champagne. Or, to make things much simpler, we could change things as written so that it was Carloman who married Olive to Doon to secure his borders (keeping in mind that La Roche is described as the strongest fortress in the Ardennes region in addition to being a border region, at least if we suppose that Champagne has come to be seen as a part of Neustria rather than a border between the two), rather than Pepin the Short. So yeah, that's what I've got so far. Any thoughts/answers/corrections/etc. would be appreciated, as this is kind of new territory for me.