Legends of Excalibur Knight's Handbook.pdf

Charles Rice

Contributions by

Paul King, Chris Davis

Cartography

Clayton Bunce

Cover Design:

Jeremy Simmons

www. RPGObjects .com

Artwork:

Rackham, Arthur (1867-1939),

Brickdale, Eleanor (1872-1945),

Flint, William Russell, Sir (1880-

1969),

Rhead, George Wooliscroft (1854-

1920) & Louis (1857-1926)

Editing:

Charles Baize

The ‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are Trademarks

owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to

the terms of the d20 System License version 1.0a. A copy

of this License can be found at www.wizards.com. Portions

of this work are derived from the d20 System Reference

Document.

Layout:

Chris Davis

Play Testing:

Charles Baize, Chris Derner, Chris Hoover,

Ryan Kelley, Ethan Ripplinger, Aaron

Wiggins, Tom Hanlin, Paula Rice, Andrew

T. Smith, Jeremy Summers, Ron Festa, Chris

Villanueva, Bill Hawkins, Glenn “Zen”

Linder’.

Introduction

Welcome to an England

that never was, and a

time there will never

be. In the 13 th century,

a growing fascination

swept Europe centering

on the court of a

legendary king: Arthur.

He had a Round Table

surrounded by the best

knights in the entire

world, he ruled England

with wisdom and justice,

repelling both Roman

inluence and Saxon

invaders with equal

strength. He sought the

Holy Grail, illed with

the blood of the divine,

and he was one with the land of his kingdom. And all was

undone over the betrayal of the two people he loved best in

the world. Since Chretian de Troyes irst wrote of the San

Graal in the 13 th century, each generation has added its own

tales to the Arthurian cycle, from Sir Gawain and the Green

Knight, written anonymously around the 14 th century, to Sir

Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, and the 19 th century’s

Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Even today,

Arthurian legend continues to be crafted, in movies such as

Excalibur, and every week in newspapers around the world

with Prince Valiant. Arthur may be, as T.H. White called

him, the “Once and Future King”, but in many ways, the boy

who never existed has never stopped being king since he irst

appeared in our consciousness.

And down a streetway hung with folds of pure

White samite, and by fountains of running wine,

Where children sat in white with cups of gold,

Moved to the lists, and there with slow sad steps

Ascending, ill’d his double-dragon’d chair.

written by an unknown

medieval writer. Malory is

the template for this tradition

because he used all the other

contemporary sources in his

telling, but the other works

are interesting for a different

perspective. In Sir Gawain

and the Green Knight , for

example, King Arthur is

bumbling, childlike, and

cruel. Quite a different take

on the boy king of romance.

He glanced and saw the stately galleries,

Dame, damsel, each thro’ worship of their Queen

White-robed in honor of the stainless child,

And some with scattered jewels, like a bank

Of maiden snow mingled with sparks of ire.

-Alfred Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King

Victorian

Tradition

This tradition, though riddled

with works dripping with

sentimentality, inds its ultimate expression in Alfred Lord

Tennyson’s Idylls of the King , which provides a startlingly

realistic, in some cases stark, telling of the tale. There is

no ruse with Uther changing shape to seduce Igraine in

Tennyson. When her castle is taken and her husband is dead,

Tennyson points out that Igraine had no one to call to for

aid but Uther, and this depiction of Arthur’s birth in rape

provides an important context to this version of the tale.

Modern Tradition

Modern tales of Arthur have focused on different aspects of

the story never explored in earlier traditions. In both Malory

and Tennyson, for example, Arthur appears more or less

“fully formed”, with the stories beginning with his ascension

to the throne. Modern works such as T.H. White’s The

Once and Future King , and the children’s movie based on

it, The Sword and the Stone deal extensively with Arthur’s

upbringing and education. In addition to the previously

cited works, those interested in a rich, vivid telling of the

tale should also see the movie Excalibur , which does an

excellent job of giving you the whole tradition in a short

time span, and reconciles some of the differences between

the various traditions in interesting and innovative ways.

Lastly in this category I would be remiss if I did not mention

Prince Valiant , originally created by Hal Foster, but still in

print today in newspapers around the world. These stories

are of particular interest to any potential GM of Arthurian

adventure, because they provide an example of the richness

of the setting, while using the established major characters

very sparingly, with Valiant and his companions traveling

much of the world, interacting with desert nomads in the

Sahara, whaling tribes in Greenland, and visiting the exotic

East of India and China.

Arthurian

Traditions

There are many versions of Arthurian legend, to the extent

that it would be dificult to even list all versions of the

tale here. However, through the course of this work, three

traditions have been used again and again, and would be as

useful to players and game masters of this game as they were

to me.

Late Medieval Romance

Tradition

This work achieved its ultimate under Malory’s Le Morte

d’Arthur , but also inds expression in the French tales of

Lancelot, and the brilliant Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ,

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Chapter 1: Characters

Author’s note about “the real ”

Arthur

There are hundreds of books written each year seeking

the “real King Arthur”. Many people wonder if there is a

real boy king, a real round table, a real Camelot. Arthur is

mentioned as a real king in historical texts, which place his

reign somewhere in the 5 th century. This was where Malory

set his tales, in the time of Saxon invasions and departed

Roman leaders. However, the tales were not written as if

set in the 5 th century, and Arthurian legend was not written

that way either. Malory wrote his tales as if they were taking

place in the England of the 15 th century in which he lived,

with heavy cavalry, kings and dukes and English feudalism.

To this he added many things that never existed, such as

giants, witches, demons, and maids who lived underwater.

So, as interesting as the search for a real Arthur (if there

ever was one) might be, I wrote this game in the spirit of

the legends, illed with magic and historical anachronisms.

Arthurian England is as much a real place as Oz, and

historical commentary has as much interest, and as much

use, in sorting it out.

-Chuck

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Chapter 1: Characters

Bloodline

to the dump in wheelbarrows, a job no one would want if

they had any other means of survival because of the rampant

disease suffered by those who do it.

Religion: Criminals are outside the societal structure, and

as such face less pressure, peer and otherwise, to conform

to standard religious practices. Where a serf might face the

displeasure of his peers or even a beating from a superior

for not attending Mass, a criminal would not be allowed in a

church anyway. So if criminals practice religion it is alone,

in small groups among their own kind or at the behest of a

missionary. When a missionary comes, since he might be

bearing alms (gifts given to the poor), a strong religious

showing will be seen, however.

Adventurers: If a criminal is to improve his station,

adventuring is one of the only ways to do so. Although some

have family that they seek to bring up out of abject poverty,

most criminals who succeed as adventurers want nothing

to do with their background and former life. Rogue is by

far the most common profession among adventurers of this

background, although not usually by a conscious decision.

Rather, these folk tend to fall into petty crime and if they

have talent, work their way out of the shantytowns and

dumps.

A bloodline represents the lineage a character holds, not

just from his mother and father, but a heritage handed down

from ages and ages past. In Arthurian legend, bloodline is

not just an accident of birth, but a combination of destiny,

opportunity, and determination. Characters rise from the son

of a lowly blacksmith or dishwasher to become a Knight of

the Table Round, and mighty kings are led into desolation

and servitude.

Effects to starting wealth: In Excalibur, a character’s

starting wealth is determined by his bloodline, not his

profession. Each bloodline rolls a set number of dice

for starting wealth, then multiplies that roll by the

character’s nobility. Since both nobility and wealth are

determined randomly, this makes for large swings in wealth

representative of the middle ages. A middle class character

could begin play with more wealth than a peer (though this is

unlikely).

Base/Criminal Lineage

You are the lowest of the low, completely without standing.

If you died tomorrow no one would notice. You deal with

garbage and burial of the dead, if you can ind an honest

means of sustenance at all. Even the life of a serf would

seem a paradise to you.

Personality: Criminals tend to keep to themselves, only

interacting with their own kind. Usually they have no choice

in this, since their betters want to deal with them as little as

possible. However, criminals prefer to avoid their betters

whenever possible, since the slightest misstep could lead to

the harshest punishment, and there is no recourse to redress

wrongful punishment. When criminals must deal with those

of high station, they will say as little as possible, speaking

only when spoken to.

Physical Description: Criminals are ilthy and

bedraggled, living in shantytowns or garbage dumps that are

both home, place of work (if any is to be had), and source of

food (if you can call it that). In larger cities, such as London,

these lost souls can be seen wandering the streets, begging,

looking for scraps, or simply lost in their own world.

Relations: Criminals have little in the way of relations

with other bloodlines. Even serfs want nothing to do with

this scum, many of whom led serfdom for a perceived better

life in the city. To the serf, these miscreants serve as a bitter

reminder that, although their lot is hard, could be much

worse, and that there is a natural order to things that is best

obeyed.

Lands: The closest things criminals have to “lands” are

the garbage dumps found near large cities. Those that ind

work are frequently paid to haul garbage and dead bodies

Lineage Traits

1 bonus feat at 1 st level.

1 bonus feat from the following list: Acrobatic, Agile,

Alertness, Deceitful, Deft Hands, Nimble Fingers, Self-

Suficient, Stealthy.

Survivor: +2 bloodline bonus to Survival, Spot, and

Search checks. A quick eye and a determination to rise above

have kept you alive this far.

Illiteracy: You must spend 2 skill points before being able

to read and write all the languages you speak.

Limited Resources: You receive 2d6 times your nobility in

starting funds. The minimum starting wealth for a criminal

is 22 gp (2x11), the average is 105 gp (7x15), and the

maximum is 240 gp (12x20). Charisma modiiers to nobility

could further adjust these numbers up or down.

Nobility: Base Lineage starting nobility is 11-20

+2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma: you have grown up nimble and

quick, but no one wants to be associated with you.

Favored Class: Rogue.

Common/Serf lineage

You are descended from common workers, the serfs and

tenant farmers that make up the majority of the population.

Your family might own a small plot of land, but you are still

required to provide service to your lord.

Personality: Commoners tend to be reserved when

around their betters. However, these folk are lively and

spirited when among their own kind, prone to dancing,

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Legends of Excalibur

Chapter 1: Characters

TABLE 1-1: BLOODLINES

Bloodline

Ability Adjustments

Favored Class

Base/Criminal

+2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma

Rogue

Common/Serf

+2 Constitution or +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence

Any

Middle Class

None

Any

Lesser Nobility/Peerage

+2 Constitution

Priest, Knight

Nobility/Royalty

+2 Charisma, -2 Strength

Noble

making music of every description, singing, and telling jokes

(usually bawdy). Although the labor these folk do is often

backbreaking, their spirit is undimmed, and the slightest

excuse is reason enough to have a feast or at least a dance in

time of plenty. The viewing of a saint’s bones can lead to a

carnival atmosphere, and social structures are strong at this

level of the medieval hierarchy, perhaps stronger than at any

other.

Physical Description: Commoners tend to be rustic in

appearance, wearing clothes made from the animals grown

on their lord’s land, the land that provides for all their other

needs, and serves as their home. For most, it was where they

were born, and it will be where they die, and they couldn’t

imagine living any other way. Despite their rustic appearance

and usually threadbare clothing, however, these folk take

pride in their appearance, and any holiday, carnival, or visit

from one of their betters will see these folk dressed in their

inest clothes.

Relations: Serfs tend to have good relations with most

social groups, especially the peerage and the nobility. The

Peers rely on these folk for the labor that feeds them on a

day-to-day basis and treat them with respect (though always

with a clear understanding of who’s in charge). Nobles

rarely see or think about the commoners, but do show them

a distant respect, at least for appearance’s sake. Commoners

tend to dislike the middle class and the criminal bloodlines,

however. The middle class is an unknown quantity, and tales

of their wealth will occasionally draw a young serf off the

manor and to the city (usually with disastrous consequences

according to conventional wisdom). This makes the middle

class the medieval equivalent of a “hippy” from the 1960’s.

Criminals are beneath the commoner, a status they enjoy

rarely. As such, many commoners do not want to be seen

associating with such rabble. Criminals and the middle class

have one thing that unites them in the commoner’s mind

that cements this dislike: the city. Just as today, urban and

rural cultures have different values and cool attitudes toward

each other, in the medieval period this distinction was more

pronounced. Commoners might not always get along with

the peerage or the nobility, but they are all part of the same

system. The city (and by extension the criminal and middle

class bloodlines) is something alien, which will continue to

grow in inluence until, in the far future, it will completely

replace the farm as the center of life and society.

Lands: Although the majority of the population (close to

85% in fact), Commoners own little of the land on which

they live. Some hold small plots of their own as a gift from

their lord, which they pay for by providing labor at harvest.

However, most simply work land owned by their lord in

return for the right to a modest existence.

Religion: Religion is very important to commoners, for

the structure it provides, the sense of wholeness in terms

of the “great chain” hierarchy of the universe, and as a

wonderful reason for festivals and celebrations.

Adventurers: Common adventurers tend to begin life

either in war or disaster, or, if of a rebellious nature, simply

leave the manor in search of adventure and excitement.

Lineage Traits

1 bonus feat at 1 st level.

1 bonus feat from the following list: Alertness, Animal

Afinity, Athletic, or Endurance.

Worker: +2 bloodline bonus on all Craft skill checks.

Illiteracy: You must spend 2 skill points before being able

to read and write all the languages you speak.

Limited Resources: You receive 3d6 times your nobility in

starting funds. The minimum starting wealth for a commoner

is 63 gp (3x21), the average is 250 gp (10x25), and the

maximum is 540 gp (18x30). Charisma modiiers to nobility

could further adjust these numbers up or down.

Nobility: Common lineage starting nobility is 21-30

Fealty: Unlike criminals, who are outside the feudal

system, you owe allegiance to a superior, usually a member

of the Lesser Nobility. You must take the Fealty allegiance

at irst level, applied to a member of the lesser nobility or

royalty. See the allegiances section for more information.

+2 Strength or +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence: You

are used to hard work for long periods of time, but your

education opportunities have been severely limited and

independent thinking is not something encouraged among

your kind (as opposed to a criminal who receives even less

formal education, but far more practical life experience).

Favored Class: Any

Middle Class

The middle class is something new. Specialists, not laborers,

not nobility, of every description are rising to prominence

in the cities that seem to grow in power and wealth with

every day. Middle class citizens are guildsmen, merchants,

religious leaders, entertainers, moneylenders, and specialists

of every stripe. Although technically illegal and outside

the normal feudal system, kings and lords look the other

way at these escapees from the manorial system due to the

tremendous wealth they generate.

Legends of Excalibur

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