u/MrJABennett

My next session will be a big battle, maybe even two days.

What are your best pieces of advice to make a war in Pendragon fun, engaging and memorable?

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I recently started my first Pendragon campaign and really wanted the players to be connected to Sarum and the County of Salisbury. I introduced a set of interim household offices for the players to choose to help iut Lady Salisbury and Lord Robert and make the players care about aspects of the Castle of the Rock.

The veteran "Old Wolves of Salisbury" are away campaigning against the Saxons, so the younger knights have been entrusted with running the estate in their absence.

I wrote each on a card and laid them out and deliberately made more than there are players so there was some consequences for the areas that weren't chosen.

The roles:

* High Marshal of Salisbury: Commands the garrison, patrols and military readiness.

* High Steward of Salisbury: Oversees the manor, stores, finances and household.

* Master of Horse: Manages the stables, warhorses and mounted squires.

* Keeper of the Faith: Guides the spiritual life of the household and supports the chapel.

* Field Hospitalier: Organises the care of the wounded and medical supplies.

* Master of Scouts: Directs border patrols and gathers intelligence.

* Master of the Hunt: Manages the forests, hunts and game lands.

* Keeper of Justice: Hears disputes, investigates crimes and upholds the lord's peace.

Giving each player responsibility for one aspect of Salisbury has encouraged them to engage with the setting in different ways. The High Steward naturally asks about stores and harvests, the Master of Scouts wants reports from the borders, and the Keeper of Justice is interested in disputes among the villagers.

The players really engaged well with the discussion of who should do what then they told us what they were taking care of in the castle town. One player ensured medical supplies were prepared and another failed at making the plans for an annual market festival. Each player had an encounter in their domain of responsibility. It worked really well!

Do you think the names are good enough? What roles am I missing? What would be good encounters/conflicts/scenarios for the Keeper of the Faith? Not as many are coming to mind for that role compared to others.

Thanks!

To rev up the players and give them a sense of the flavour of the characters I'd like them to become, I wrote and sent them this before our first session:

You are the new Knights of Salisbury, yet to make your mark. You stand in the shadows of the Old Wolves, the long-serving loyal Knights of Lord Robert of Salisbury.

As squires, you watched them ride through Salisbury's gates. You heard the cheers of the people of Sarum and the songs sung in the halls of the Castle of the Rock. You dreamt that one day you might stand among them.

The Old Wolves of Salisbury. Their names are spoken with awe from the cottages of Sarum to the halls of the Castle of the Rock. The common folk call them Britain's greatest champions. Lords seek their counsel. Enemies curse the thunder of their hooves.

They ride still, fierce as ever. They hunt Saxons, slay monsters, settle feuds and keep the peace where others dare not venture. To witness an Old Wolf in battle is to watch legend take flesh.

Now you have earned your spurs. You are ready for your first quests.

Ride beside the Old Wolves if fortune allows. Win honour, uphold your oaths and carve your own names into Britain's story.

For one day, young squires may dream of following your footsteps.

What do you think?

The Old Wolves off fighting the Saxons now and next session the players will find out that the Old Wolves are dead and the new knights are the only hope of protecting Salisbury.

I'm loving this game.

Last week we created characters starting with parents. We are all new Knights of Salisbury.

This week, we took part in the Grand Melee, the Tournament of the Sword.

This game works so well because of the mix of history and myth.

I can research true knights and the economy of post-Roman Britain and enjoy the retelling of the life and death of King Arthur. The setting feels grounded and exalted. The players enjoy that the setting is historical and not silly or absurd (like D&D) and the touch of the mythic fills the scenarios with interest and engages with a story they are all familiar with and therefore find resonate.

I enjoyed adding a few things to the starter set to engage the players.

What aspect of Pendragon do you think makes it so special?