So what's the news with Pendragon?

[Prometheus878]

Howdy ya'll.

Ever since poor Greg Stafford passed on, may he rest in peace, I haven't heard any news regarding Pendragon.

Anybody know how the line is coming along? I understand from this post here that there were more supplements in the pipeline after Book of Sires: http://www.sirlarkins.com/blog/2018/8/6/now-it-can-be-told-or-hear-ye-hear-ye

I unfortunately don't know where to go to get updates about that sort of thing.

Pendragon is one of the all-time greats, and I want to continue supporting it.

[Atgxtg]

1 hour ago, Prometheus878 said:

Howdy ya'll.

Ever since poor Greg Stafford passed on, may he rest in peace, I haven't heard any news regarding Pendragon.

Anybody know how the line is coming along? I understand from this post here that there were more supplements in the pipeline after Book of Sires: http://www.sirlarkins.com/blog/2018/8/6/now-it-can-be-told-or-hear-ye-hear-ye

I unfortunately don't know where to go to get updates about that sort of thing.

Pendragon is one of the all-time greats, and I want to continue supporting it.

Book of Sires is out, and here is probably as good a place as any to look for updates. There are a few things in the pipline, but other than the Book of Magicians, the Book of Castles and the Book of Salisbury, a Pendragon based game set in Feudal Japan, and another set in Ancient Greece, we don't what they have in store for the future. 

[Prometheus878]

1 hour ago, Atgxtg said:

Book of Sires is out, and here is probably as good a place as any to look for updates. There are a few things in the pipline, but other than the Book of Magicians, the Book of Castles and the Book of Salisbury, a Pendragon based game set in Feudal Japan, and another set in Ancient Greece, we don't what they have in store for the future. 

I hadn't heard about the Book of Salisbury. I presume it's to flesh out the default county with estates, characters, history and plot hooks?

[Atgxtg]

1 hour ago, Prometheus878 said:

I hadn't heard about the Book of Salisbury. I presume it's to flesh out the default county with estates, characters, history and plot hooks?

You guess is as good as anybody's at this point. All I can say with any confidence is that it will be book, and Salisbury will have something to do with in. 

[Mankcam]

I have the pdf of this new version of Pendragon. I just wish they had copies of the physical books in the Australian warehouse, as it's just too expensive to order it from Chaosium with the copies being in the overseas warehouses. The book looks beautiful!

Edited April 6, 2019 by Mankcam

[David Scott]

@Prometheus878 David Larkins is our Pendragon line editor - @sirlarkins (Tip - use @ handles to attract a member's attention) He stops by this board regularly, perhaps he will stop by here.

[Prometheus878]

13 hours ago, David Scott said:

@Prometheus878 David Larkins is our Pendragon line editor - @sirlarkins (Tip - use @ handles to attract a member's attention) He stops by this board regularly, perhaps he will stop by here.

Thanks for telling me.

So, @sirlarkins, what's the news with Pendragon?

Edited April 6, 2019 by Prometheus878

[Username]

Actually, though I've heard about much of what's been mentioned, is there any plans to release information on releases/plans/news regularly or even semi-regularly anywhere? If this is already happening somewhere, I must have not seen it.

[Jeff]

David and I are hard at work on Pendragon, but first thing is first - let's get the rest of the KS releases out and then talk about what we're working on.

Edited April 8, 2019 by Jeff

[Username]

Cool, thanks for chiming in! Saying we're working and news will come is good enough for me.

[Wandering Monster]

Whaaaat!?!

Pendragon-based games set in Feudal Japan *and* Ancient Greece!?!

Wow, I am super excited for these!

[TrippyHippy]

I’ve got the physical copy of King Arthur Pendragon, as I backed Aquelarre ages ago, and Prince Valiant and Paladin and the Mort d’Arthur book set. I requested that it could be sent as soon as any shipment made it possible, so it arrived with Prince Valiant. 

I am thankful for that, although I do note lots of people are still waiting on it. 

[DerKrieger]

Pendragon in Ancient Japan works a little too well for me. If we get Sengoku era Pendragon then we are covering one of my favorite periods of history (the other being the Great Heathen Army invading the British Isles).

[Username]

I'm actually playing in a Sengoku period Japanese Pendragon game. It's a ton of fun and works really well. We're samurai for Tokugawa Ieyasu's father. There's a lot of documentation on the period and some excellent timelines online. I have a character sheet made based on some online rules if you're interested. I believe the Pendragon book was going to be the Heian period though, I'm guessing probably Tale of Genji related.

[Atgxtg]

Just now, Username said:

I'm actually playing in a Sengoku period Japanese Pendragon game.

Are you hoseruling it, or do you have some playtest version of the Japanese Pendragon game? I'd be curious to see what you are using. I suspect that about 70% of KAP tranfers over okay, but some of the stuff could be interesting. 

 

[Username]

Sadly no playtest version though I'd volunteer for that. 😉 

http://genpei.pbworks.com/w/page/13885659/FrontPage  

This is the link to the page. My group found it. And we've adapted it. Most of the skills we didn't rename. It seemed pointless, but a few of them we've added or subtracted. Like Tea Ceremony and the like. We did include the Iaijutsu skill because cool rapid draw duels. Mostly it was just a change in focus and setting.

 

[Atgxtg]

8 hours ago, Username said:

Sadly no playtest version though I'd volunteer for that. 😉 

Well there is a Samurai version of KAP in the works. 

BTW, the rules presented on the site look very KAP3-4 ish.

8 hours ago, Username said:

http://genpei.pbworks.com/w/page/13885659/FrontPage  

This is the link to the page. My group found it. And we've adapted it. Most of the skills we didn't rename. It seemed pointless, but a few of them we've added or subtracted. Like Tea Ceremony and the like. We did include the Iaijutsu skill because cool rapid draw duels. Mostly it was just a change in focus and setting.

How do you run Iaijutsu? Historically it was used to both draw and strike with one motion. 

[Username]

We haven't used it yet in the game, but the understanding I have is that it will be the dramatic first strike when drawn from a sheath. You know, like when you're protecting your lord at a dramatic diplomatic conference and an assassin comes in or the draw from a sheath in a duel. There have been some questions as to the necessity of it, but it's very iconic and an important trope of samurai setting media, so it's still in. 

It's definitely KAP 4, I think. In style and age, but we're playing KAP 5 in a GPC campaign, so we're just adapting it to those rules.

[Morien]

12 hours ago, Atgxtg said:

How do you run Iaijutsu? Historically it was used to both draw and strike with one motion. 

Just off the top of my head...

I figure the easiest way would be to make an opposed Iaijutsu contest, and assign +5/-5 to the first round of combat. Assuming that both start with swords sheathed, in a duel situation.

In the case of a surprise attack, allow instant readying of the sword on a successful roll, and hence avoid the +5/-5 rearming penalty, as you are already swinging and defending yourself.

[Atgxtg]

1 hour ago, Morien said:

Just off the top of my head...

I figure the easiest way would be to make an opposed Iaijutsu contest, and assign +5/-5 to the first round of combat. Assuming that both start with swords sheathed, in a duel situation.

In the case of a surprise attack, allow instant readying of the sword on a successful roll, and hence avoid the +5/-5 rearming penalty, as you are already swinging and defending yourself.

Sounds like a plan. I was curious as to if Username was using Iai for attacks or just to draw a weapon in a fight (and avoid the rearming penalty). 

If I were doing it. I'd allow Iai to be used in place of sword for the first round of combat, if the weapon is sheathed, without a penalty. I figure the need to learn a separate skill would make up for the lack of a penalty.

Mechanically, I think Pendragon works okay for a Feudal Japan setting., although I do believe that many of KAP weaknesses (i.e. DEX and APP practically being dump stats) are more pronounced, especially in the latter eras when Samurai become more cultured.  I could also see some of the honor peanlties being more severe on lower ranking Samurai trhan of higher ranking ones. 

[Username]

We were thinking to use it as a first round replacement for sword, and to avoid rearming penalty. But, I personally like Morien's idea. The swordsmans skill with a sword should be factored into those attacks.

I use a modified (and much weaker) form of the old feint attack from the earlier editions and allow characters to choose to use Dex in place of strength for determining damage. With the need for DEX rolls for on foot combat, it makes DEX useful though still a less optimal choice than traditional STR+SIZ. The GM for the samurai game is my brother and he took my house rules over with him. APP is still weak, but we house rule it as a yearly glory trait at 16+ and it gives certain bonuses to skills at 15 and 20. Plus the feast rules help a lot. We also factor it into the rolls for random wives. Honestly though, it's still nearly as useful as STR, SIZ, and CON. Though the changes help it for a social focused knight.

[Atgxtg]

3 minutes ago, Username said:

We were thinking to use it as a first round replacement for sword, and to avoid rearming penalty. But, I personally like Morien's idea. The swordsmans skill with a sword should be factored into those attacks.

Ah. One option you might consider is allowing for Iai to be used in place of sword, but capping the sword attack at the Sword skill. So someone with Iai 20 and Sword 16 would attack at 16, while swomeone with Iai 15 and Sword 22 would attack at 15 on the first round, and continue on at 22.

 

This is how RQ and most version of BRP handle attacks for horseback, capping the weapon skill at the character's ride skill. Pendragon doesn't do it as it would just lead to everybody maxing out their horsemanship over their other skills, but 

3 minutes ago, Username said:

I use a modified (and much weaker) form of the old feint attack from the earlier editions and allow characters to choose to use Dex in place of strength for determining damage. With the need for DEX rolls for on foot combat, it makes DEX useful though still a less optimal choice than traditional STR+SIZ.

That sounds interesting. I wonder if allowing it to sub for either STR or SIZ might not be a good idea for standard KAP? I could help make PIcts nasty again. 

3 minutes ago, Username said:

The GM for the samurai game is my brother and he took my house rules over with him. APP is still weak, but we house rule it as a yearly glory trait at 16+ and it gives certain bonuses to skills at 15 and 20. Plus the feast rules help a lot. We also factor it into the rolls for random wives. Honestly though, it's still nearly as useful as STR, SIZ, and CON. Though the changes help it for a social focused knight.

Some of us have been debating the idea of basing social skills on APP/2 and Dex skills at DEX/2. 

[Username]

3 hours ago, Atgxtg said:

That sounds interesting. I wonder if allowing it to sub for either STR or SIZ might not be a good idea for standard KAP? I could help make PIcts nasty again. 

That's my bad, I meant to say I allow it to be subbed for SIZ. I can't really justify not counting strength in the damage calculations, though arguably there's reason for DEX to count as much as SIZ. 

 

3 hours ago, Atgxtg said:

Some of us have been debating the idea of basing social skills on APP/2 and Dex skills at DEX/2. 

I assume you're saying that as a base skill? That could be good. I can't say for certain, but the only issue I could potentially say is that it would lessen the differences between cultures. Though it would speed character creation. 

 

We've gotten a bit off topic at this point. Is that fine?

[Atgxtg]

11 minutes ago, Username said:

That's my bad, I meant to say I allow it to be subbed for SIZ. I can't really justify not counting strength in the damage calculations, though arguably there's reason for DEX to count as much as SIZ. 

Actually according to one kenjutsu expert there is. Apparently back when AEG was creating the L5R RPG they consulted with an actual kenjustu instruction and he was surprised that damage was STR based.  Apparently you don't cut with force impact, but with the motion of the strike. Think slicing instead of chopping.

Quote

I assume you're saying that as a base skill? That could be good. I can't say for certain, but the only issue I could potentially say is that it would lessen the differences between cultures. Though it would speed character creation. 

Yeah, base skill. It's just something of a thought experiment to help make DEX and APP more useful than they are now compared STR, CON and SIZ (the super stat). One of the major goals would be to make lady characters more useful/playable. The best stat (APP) is practically worthless. DEX is nearly worthless. The armor penalty makes it only useful for a couple of things, with knockdown being the most significant, and SIZ and Horsemanship tend to offset DEX.

Quote

 

We've gotten a bit off topic at this point. Is that fine?

Uh, maybe it's time to get back to what's new with Pendragon.

As far as I know there are a few supplements (Book of the Castle, Book of Salisbury, Book of the Magician) a few spin off RPGs (Hellenistic Greece, and Feudal Japan) in the pipeline, plus maybe a couple of things that they are keeping quiet about until they are further along.

Edited June 13, 2019 by Atgxtg

[fulk]

48 minutes ago, Atgxtg said:

Actually according to one kenjutsu expert there is. Apparently back when AEG was creating the L5R RPG they consulted with an actual kenjustu instruction and he was surprised that damage was STR based.  Apparently you don't cut with force impact, but with the motion of the strike. Think slicing instead of chopping.

 

That is true of many weapons.  Draw or push cuts, depending on direction, are certainly used in Italian Dueling Saber.  In part, hacking at some one leads to less control and less ability to defend yourself during and after the attack.