Legends of Excalibur Arthurian Adventures Part 1.pdf

Charles Rice

Cover Design:

Jeremy Simmons

Interior Artwork:

Rackham, Arthur (1867-1939),

Rhead, George Wooliscroft

(1854-1920) & Louis (1857-1926),

Brickdale, Eleanor (1872-1945)

Editing:

Charles Baize

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’.

www. RPGObjects .com

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.

Chapter 1: Characters

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Priest

New Skills 53

New Feats 54

Metamagic Feats 55

Nobility 57

Base Nobility 57

Transgressions 58

Virtues 59

Social Promotion and Demotion 60

Renown 60

Fate and Destiny 60

Uses for Fate and Destiny Points 62

Knightly Orders

Robber Baron

Chapter 1: Characters 4

Bloodline 4

Base/Criminal Lineage 4

Common/Serf lineage 5

Middle Class 6

Nationality (Optional) 7

Lesser Nobility/Peerage 7

Nobility/Royalty 8

Classes 9

Classes from the PHB 9

Prestige Classes from the DMG 9

New Core Classes

Skald

Yeoman

New Prestige Classes

Alchemist

Berserker

Changeling

Court Mage

Crusader

Enchantress

Lady of the Lake

Quest Knight

Equipment

Saint

Chapter 2: Magic

Fool

Black Knight

Spell Points

Hedge Mage

Blue Knight

Recharging Spell Points

Hermit

Green Knight

Sources of Power

Knight

Purple Knight

Spell List

Minstrel

Red Knight

New Spells

Noble

White Knight

Introduction

Arthurian

Traditions

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.

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 , written by an unknown

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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.

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.

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.

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

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.

-Chuck

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.

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

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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.

Bloodline

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 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

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.

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.

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,

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Chapter 1: Characters

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.

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

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.

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, 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

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

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