Pendragon tabletop RPG blends The Green Knight with Crusader Kings 3

The Green Knight wowed audiences last year with its moody lighting and mystical storyline — not to mention Dev Patel’s outstanding performance. Its authentic portrayal of an Arthurian legend to modern audiences stunned critics. David Larkins (line editor of Chaosium gaming publisher) has taken on the same quest. His mission is to bring back the old tabletop role playing game. PendragonGreg Stafford created the name ‘The Message,’ which was first published in 1985. Speaking with Polygon ahead of this year’s Gen Con tabletop gaming convention, Larkins said fans of the critically acclaimed movie should keep their eyes peeled for when the game finally arrives later this year.

Stafford completed the original draft. Pendragon’s sixth edition before his death in 2018. Larkins said the author, also known for creating the world of Glorantha, called it his “magnum opus.” In it, Stafford cleverly counterposed traditional Arthurian legend against the historical European timeline. In the middle of medieval Britain’s darkest times, players begin as knights. They are little more than armoured thugs serving the royals. Each time players gather at the table to play for three or four hours, they lose a year. Larkins claims that as play progresses into the 13th and 14th centuries, the idea of chivalry begins to emerge, take root, and evolve. Stafford simultaneously weaves in political details from historical events, such as the Black Death, and the 100 Years War. This churns in the background. As new weapons, armor and fortifications are invented, so does the technology of warfare.

Image by Agathe Pitie/Chaosium

Played as a long-form campaign, players will even be able to create and play as characters from their own dynasties — much like the hit strategy game, Crusader Kings 3.

“The Green Knight is actually the perfect sort of aesthetic representation of the last third of the campaign,” Larkins said, “where it’s very gray. There’s just a lot of war and death, and Arthur is this feeble king and he’s dying. And then, of course, you have the Grail quest that kind of restores everything right at the end — prior to, you know, the final battle of Camlann where Arthur and Mordred kill each other.

“It ends on a down note,” he added with a chuckle.

Image: Andrey Fetisov

Everyone at the table will play the part of a knight, and every player in the room will do the same. Crusader KingsYou can draw these knights from anywhere in the medieval universe. Every religion and nationality can play the game. You can choose to be knights of any gender. Although they weren’t always recognized as equals in the formal sense, there were female knights. The only requirement of knights is that they swear fealty to their lord — and that they abide by their traits and passions established during character creation. It’s in those traits and passions where PendragonLarkins believes that it shines.

“I like to say it sort of pushes Arthurian story beats because oftentimes you’ll find yourself acting against your own best interest,” Larkins said, “much like the characters in those classic stories do. Either your hatred of someone will make you call them out when it’s not convenient, or your love will motivate you to take heroic steps in spite. [the fact that] it would have been better to be a little more prudent in that moment.”

Image: Josep Perez/Chaosium

“Everyone plays a knight, but every single knight is different,” Larkins continued. “And really, the game is about discovering what your knight is like. Which knight are you? Are you a knight? Are you chivalrous? Is your spirituality a priority? Do you have these aspirations that you’re trying to live up to but you’re falling short? Are these your aspirations being met? It’s a journey every single time you play.”

The final Chaosium production run was not a success for Chaosium’s team. Pendragon’s 6th edition didn’t make it overseas in time for Gen Con. Visitors in Indianapolis will be able to pick up a hefty introductory adventure for free — one that could make its way online soon.