GPC Spoilers - Changing One Name

[SaxBasilisk]

If you're about to participate in a Discord Pendragon campaign, please ignore this.

 

 

 

So... I'm getting ready to run the GPC, but I want to make one minor change...

The son of Uther, Madoc, will be named Arthur instead.

After his son's death at Terrabil in 491, Uther decides to give his new son the same name. Everything else proceeds as normal.

The upside of this is that it will definitely be a shock to the players and lead to more focus on the game itself and less ancillary material.  The two Arthurs are chronologically apart enough in the game that I don't think there's much a chance of confusion.

What do you think?

[jeffjerwin]

4 minutes ago, SaxBasilisk said:

What do you think?

It's not really that weird, from an overall medieval history standpoint. Sometimes 'family names' were given concurrently, so you had 'John the elder' and 'John the younger'. This even happened among the Welsh (the Cymry).

It was more common for when you had children by a second marriage, but that's pretty close to what you're describing.

[Leingod]

Sounds good. Stuff like the Warlord Chronicles has previously shown an Arthur who actually knew his father and was acknowledged as his (illegitimate) son from the start and was already an established and well-known figure at the time of his death, so if you play your cards right it'll be easy to lead them to believe that that's what's happening here, only to pull the rug out from under them.

[Cornelius]

I see no problem. As you stated the two are far apart enough to have almost no confusion.

On the other hand: Some confusion is not bad. It would only elavate the position of the younger Arthur when people think he did things the elder did.

The shock of the elder Arthur could be devestating when the players think he is to be the real Arthur. You could as a GM state that this was not entirely planned, but you will see how it plays out. When the real Arthur appears they may be jumping on the bandwagon that much sooner.