Salisbury in the Sword Campaign
Using the Pendragon Starter Set with the Core Rulebook
Now that the Pendragon Starter Set and Pendragon Core Rulebook are both out in the wild, I’ve had a couple folks ask me for my recommendations on using the adventures in the former’s “The Sword Campaign” with characters created using the latter. Likewise, for reasons I’ll get into, groups beginning with the Starter Set might wish to center the county of Salisbury more prominently in their early adventures.
First, a general note: Greg wrote “The Sword Campaign” specifically as a standalone introduction to the game, whereas (as with 5th Edition) the characters you create with the Core Rulebook are intended to fit in with the narrative of the much larger Great Pendragon Campaign, which centers Salisbury County as the default “homeland” for Player-knights. Furthermore, Core Rulebook characters are assumed to attain knighthood in 508 to fit in with the two introductory scenarios appearing in the forthcoming Pendragon Gamemaster’s Guide, whereas the characters from the Starter Set are assumed to start out in 510. So there are some minor differences in need of bridging. What follows are my suggestions for doing just that.
Core Rulebook→Sword Campaign
Let’s say your group has created their own characters using the Pendragon Core Rulebook. First and foremost, you will need to settle the matter of character age. The simplest solution is to go with the rules as written, assume everyone was knighted in 508, and then have the Player-knights go through two full Winter Phases, including one Solo Scenario per character for each year, before starting “The Sword Campaign”. Assume their first couple years of knighthood have been relatively quiet. Just make sure you don’t hand-wave their knighting ceremony in 508!
If your group dislikes the idea of starting out a couple years older in a game where that can make a significant difference in the long run, there shouldn’t be too many issues with adjusting various milestones given under “Quick Family History” (PCRB, p. 40)—the only conflict being the character’s parent would not have attained knighthood in time to participate in the Battle of Mount Damen in 484. If someone rolls that event as part of their history, either have them reroll or assume their parent was present as a squire and distinguished themselves on the field of battle. Of course, if you simply opt for rolling (6D6x100)+2,000 Glory and calling it a day, you don’t need to worry about your parent’s chronology at all!
So much for mechanics. The main challenge for the Gamemaster lies in elevating Salisbury County, Count Robert, and his household knights (i.e., the Player-knights) to a more prominent role in the events of “The Sword Campaign”.
But first, a pause for a mild spoiler warning! Of necessity, I’ll be discussing some of the events taking place during “The Sword Campaign”, particularly in the first adventure. I’ll try to give away as little as possible, but if you wish to play (rather than run) these scenarios, consider yourselves warned!
“The Adventure of the Sword Tournament” assumes the Player-knights are all attending the Londinium Tournament either as lordless mercenaries or with their own lord’s retinue, and bond after fighting in the tournament melee under King Leodegrance and witnessing young Arthur pull the sword from the stone.
With Salisbury knights, they are of course attending the tournament with their lord, the young Count Robert. (Indeed, Robert and his mentor, Dame Aspara, have a small cameo in the Starter Set’s SoloQuest!) In 510, he has only held his title for a year, and this is his first great adventure so far from home; there should be plenty of opportunities for the Player-knights to introduce themselves and get to know their lord through your roleplaying. (My recommendation is to play him as youthful and brash, with a seething hatred of Saxons and a rather high opinion of himself, but also as someone who has very little guile and a great deal of bravery, but you’re free to present him as you wish—YPWV, after all).
The Player-knights, of course, fight in the melee as part of Robert’s conroi, though still on Leodegrance’s team. Later, when Leodegrance swears himself to Arthur, young Robert is quick to follow (simultaneous to the Player-knights who choose to bend the knee as well).
Of course, if you’re kicking off the campaign with “The Adventure of the Sword Tournament”, your characters will still be squires. In this case, describe the events of the tournament melee from the perspective of a squire, as they ride behind their knights in Robert's service, standing ready to resupply broken lances, remount fallen knights, and escort injured knights from the field—rolls for Awareness, Battle, First Aid, or Horsemanship may be in order, depending on how much time you want to spend on the event. Regardless, the conclusion of the first act presents a very memorable moment for their knighting ceremony, with Robert asking the Boy King to knight his loyal squires!
With Count Robert one of the “Eager Vassals” who swears homage to the Boy King right away, it makes sense for him to “lend” the Player-knights to the cause of Arthur defending his crown. At other times, substitute Robert for other Gamemaster characters. For example, at the Battle of Carlion, the Player-knights fight under Count Robert instead of King Leodegrance, and so on.
The events of “The Sword Campaign” continue to center on King Arthur’s court (as does The Grey Knight, for that matter), with most of the action taking place in Carlion, Londinium, and Cameliard, but then much of the Boy King and Conquest Periods draw Player-knights away from home time and again, no matter their homeland. Through including Count Robert in the narrative, you maintain a connection to Salisbury that will pay off in the game-years ahead.
Starter Set→Salisbury
Bringing the pre-generated characters from the Pendragon Starter Set into the orbit of Salisbury is even easier. Indeed, one character, Cadwallon, already hails from Salisbury! Both he and Lynelle could attain their knighthoods through Count Robert, binding their service to his household.
Many of the other characters are sell-swords in need of a lord, and could either start the campaign riding with Robert as mercenaries, or later swear homage to him if given sufficient reason to do so. Sir Avalloc, Dame Tamura, Dame Cwenhild, and Sir Asterius all owe homage to their respective lords, of course, but this doesn’t preclude them from swearing fealty to Count Robert; motivations might include Robert saving the knight’s life in battle, the knight pursuing a potential spouse from Salisbury, or simply a wish to serve for a time alongside other Player-knights who do swear homage to the count.
And if, say, Lady Vivienne or Emperor Anastasius wish their loyal subject to do a bit of spying at Robert’s court, then so be it…
Wait, who said that?