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Pendragon: Core Rulebook
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 5, 2024
The people at Chaosium seem to excel at making me exceedingly happy and somewhat disappointed at the same time:
2023: We are bringing back Pendragon! But it is only going to be a Starter Set.
2024: We publishing the rulebook! But it is not really the hoole booke.
None of this is bad per se, but I'd rather have a massive rulebook and a monstrous "The Great Pendragon Campaign" a la 5th Ed--none of which I own--that a large collection of smaller volumes. But I am old, and although I am not wealthy, I know I will find the money somewhere for them. So, having said that I am unhappy with the "dungeonization" of Pendragon, I understand it might limit the risk for the publisher, and make easier bringing young esquires to the table. Which in the end is what matters. So, having complained enough about the slimness of the volume (about 100 pages less than my 4th Ed copy), without magic (overall a good idea), without much background information (less of a good a idea) and no adventures (never a good idea, never mind the Starter Set and "The Grey Knight" are already out)--didn't you say you were done complaining?--I should start talking about what it is actually in the book:
It is probably the best rulebook I have read in a very long time, if not ever. I believe people in the know call it "rules that support the setting", and Boy King they do it well! This is a game about adventuring knights, more fantastic than the actual Middle Ages, but firmly grounded in them: knights are at the top of the food chain, natural healing is poor, weapons of any kind are very valuable possessions, some are better for some purposes than other--and there is no magic, other than some miracle that might happen to you after a pilgrimage. I very much liked the idea, which I am paraphrasing, of "setting the game in the world where the stories where written, and not in the world where they took place." Which means that although the chronology is the same as in previous editions (Arthur becoming King in 510 CE...), there is a decided choice, to focus more on Mallory, and less on the more "Historical Arthur" of Bernard Cornwall, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Valerio Massimo Manfredi...Which is great. I love those other books, and as they like to reinforced in the book, "Your Pendragon Might Vary", but I believe this game works very, very well with knights in shinning armor, and they deserve their chance agains grimdark fantasy and Dark Age antiheroes. Plus, it might open the door to more historically oriented supplements.
By reading this book, I came to appreciate the Starter Set better. This new volume is about five times the Starter's size, and although one cannot say it contains the same material, both products are extraordinarily well integrated. Having read the Starter Set last year (and, to be fair, Pendragon 4ed about eight years ago) this was a very easy read. The Player's book is well organized, can be read from front to back without thinking "I need to see how that works right now." As a plus, no chapter is too long that cannot be read in one sitting. Combat rules are clear, concise, and brutal. Thankfully there are lot of mechanism to precent unnecessary deaths, but people coming from more conventional fantasy RPGs might need to adjust their expectations for when the GM says "you are ambushed by 1d6 bandits." That said, the best part of this book, and what I believe makes Pendragon very unique and their Traits and Passions. Yes, RPGs are about doing what you, the player, wants, but thanks to these tools, you will be able to see the world through your character's eyes better. After all, Arthur is King, and no one voted for him...
So, go ahead and get this book. Or better, go and get the Starter Set, play it--or at least read the three adventures--and then come back for more. Then join me while we all wait for "The GM book", "Knights and Ladies Adventurous", "The Noble's Handbook", the SEVERAL VOLUMES of"The Great Pendragon Campaign."
P.S: More Criticisms. I could not hold myself
1. I really hope the GM book is around the corner (and that includes, if not a fantasy bestiary, at least some human NPCs). Yes, you have some in the Starter Set, at least for a while, but I can easily see a campaign going "It is picts. Again."
2. The Starter Set came with a very diverse group of characters, and I think this book fell short on that score. I can only say good things about how well, and how seamlessly female knights got integrated as a perfectly good choice in an otherwise very Mallorian campaign. There are other things I am less impressed about. I understand the idea of "your first character should be a Briton, and preferably Christian" and give the chance of playing a conventional Knight's Tale at least once. However. I wished the book had more background information, as did 4th Ed, to make easier having other Saxon, Sarmatian, and Syriac characters from the start.
Yes, it is still a five-star book.
2023: We are bringing back Pendragon! But it is only going to be a Starter Set.
2024: We publishing the rulebook! But it is not really the hoole booke.
None of this is bad per se, but I'd rather have a massive rulebook and a monstrous "The Great Pendragon Campaign" a la 5th Ed--none of which I own--that a large collection of smaller volumes. But I am old, and although I am not wealthy, I know I will find the money somewhere for them. So, having said that I am unhappy with the "dungeonization" of Pendragon, I understand it might limit the risk for the publisher, and make easier bringing young esquires to the table. Which in the end is what matters. So, having complained enough about the slimness of the volume (about 100 pages less than my 4th Ed copy), without magic (overall a good idea), without much background information (less of a good a idea) and no adventures (never a good idea, never mind the Starter Set and "The Grey Knight" are already out)--didn't you say you were done complaining?--I should start talking about what it is actually in the book:
It is probably the best rulebook I have read in a very long time, if not ever. I believe people in the know call it "rules that support the setting", and Boy King they do it well! This is a game about adventuring knights, more fantastic than the actual Middle Ages, but firmly grounded in them: knights are at the top of the food chain, natural healing is poor, weapons of any kind are very valuable possessions, some are better for some purposes than other--and there is no magic, other than some miracle that might happen to you after a pilgrimage. I very much liked the idea, which I am paraphrasing, of "setting the game in the world where the stories where written, and not in the world where they took place." Which means that although the chronology is the same as in previous editions (Arthur becoming King in 510 CE...), there is a decided choice, to focus more on Mallory, and less on the more "Historical Arthur" of Bernard Cornwall, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Valerio Massimo Manfredi...Which is great. I love those other books, and as they like to reinforced in the book, "Your Pendragon Might Vary", but I believe this game works very, very well with knights in shinning armor, and they deserve their chance agains grimdark fantasy and Dark Age antiheroes. Plus, it might open the door to more historically oriented supplements.
By reading this book, I came to appreciate the Starter Set better. This new volume is about five times the Starter's size, and although one cannot say it contains the same material, both products are extraordinarily well integrated. Having read the Starter Set last year (and, to be fair, Pendragon 4ed about eight years ago) this was a very easy read. The Player's book is well organized, can be read from front to back without thinking "I need to see how that works right now." As a plus, no chapter is too long that cannot be read in one sitting. Combat rules are clear, concise, and brutal. Thankfully there are lot of mechanism to precent unnecessary deaths, but people coming from more conventional fantasy RPGs might need to adjust their expectations for when the GM says "you are ambushed by 1d6 bandits." That said, the best part of this book, and what I believe makes Pendragon very unique and their Traits and Passions. Yes, RPGs are about doing what you, the player, wants, but thanks to these tools, you will be able to see the world through your character's eyes better. After all, Arthur is King, and no one voted for him...
So, go ahead and get this book. Or better, go and get the Starter Set, play it--or at least read the three adventures--and then come back for more. Then join me while we all wait for "The GM book", "Knights and Ladies Adventurous", "The Noble's Handbook", the SEVERAL VOLUMES of"The Great Pendragon Campaign."
P.S: More Criticisms. I could not hold myself
1. I really hope the GM book is around the corner (and that includes, if not a fantasy bestiary, at least some human NPCs). Yes, you have some in the Starter Set, at least for a while, but I can easily see a campaign going "It is picts. Again."
2. The Starter Set came with a very diverse group of characters, and I think this book fell short on that score. I can only say good things about how well, and how seamlessly female knights got integrated as a perfectly good choice in an otherwise very Mallorian campaign. There are other things I am less impressed about. I understand the idea of "your first character should be a Briton, and preferably Christian" and give the chance of playing a conventional Knight's Tale at least once. However. I wished the book had more background information, as did 4th Ed, to make easier having other Saxon, Sarmatian, and Syriac characters from the start.
Yes, it is still a five-star book.
May 17, 2025
I'd love to say that this is a complete and comprehensive set of rules for Greg Stafford's epic Pendragon TTRPG setting, but alas it makes reference quite a few times to supplementary volumes that are yet to be released. There are some bits of rules (such as battles and feasts, and making characters that aren't from Salisbury) that really would have been handy here. For battle rules, the system from the Starter Box is best, but it does mean you need to make another purchase.
However, this is a lush book with wild marginalia, and Chaosium's usual deep dives into character building are well worth the space they take up.
However, this is a lush book with wild marginalia, and Chaosium's usual deep dives into character building are well worth the space they take up.
December 30, 2024
Super neat rulebook with a clever, unique, and gorgeous design. Some silliness with trying to justify female knights, but the mechanics are crunchy and fun.
April 19, 2025
Drips with its theme. Possibly the best rpg about playing knights.
June 26, 2024
El Pendragón es un juego de rol estupendo. Lo llevo jugando desde que era un crío, y siempre he disfrutado como un enano. Eso de interpretar a un caballero de brillante armadura en los tiempos del rey Arturo, me parece una experiencia maravillosa, y ahora que hago de Director de Juego, me sigue pareciendo igual de genial.
De hecho, esta edición es una pasada: los cambios de reglas son muy oportunos; las ilustraciones, a todo color, una preciosidad, sobre todo los pastiches medievales. Incluso hay alguna que parece sacada de un cuadro prerrafaelita. Se nota el gran mimo que Greg Stafford puso en su creación más querida hasta sus últimos días.
Pero, oigan, esto no es un Core Rulebook. Es un Manual del Jugador.
El por qué Chaosium ha decidido sacar un libro así antes de un Manual del Director de Juego y el primer volumen de la Gran Campaña, en lugar de lanzar los tres simultáneamente, es un misterio para mí. Háganme caso: solo con este libro no se puede dirigir una partida de Pendragón. No hay ni siquiera seis o siete páginas de Bestiario, ni reglas para las batallas (cierto, esas venían en el Starter Set, pero eso no es excusa: yo no tengo por qué haberme comprado esa caja para poder empezar a jugar en cuanto me compro un libro que se autodenomina «Core Rulebook», y si es así, se debería avisar de antemano). En fin, que le pongo un ocho a esta edición simplemente porque no está completa, y, aunque yo lo que estoy haciendo es adaptar materiales antiguos sin demasiados problemas, la gente que no los tenga y haya decidido engancharse al Pendragón con este libro, se va a llevar una sorpresa muy desagradable.
En fin, señores de Chaosium: así no se hacen las cosas.
De hecho, esta edición es una pasada: los cambios de reglas son muy oportunos; las ilustraciones, a todo color, una preciosidad, sobre todo los pastiches medievales. Incluso hay alguna que parece sacada de un cuadro prerrafaelita. Se nota el gran mimo que Greg Stafford puso en su creación más querida hasta sus últimos días.
Pero, oigan, esto no es un Core Rulebook. Es un Manual del Jugador.
El por qué Chaosium ha decidido sacar un libro así antes de un Manual del Director de Juego y el primer volumen de la Gran Campaña, en lugar de lanzar los tres simultáneamente, es un misterio para mí. Háganme caso: solo con este libro no se puede dirigir una partida de Pendragón. No hay ni siquiera seis o siete páginas de Bestiario, ni reglas para las batallas (cierto, esas venían en el Starter Set, pero eso no es excusa: yo no tengo por qué haberme comprado esa caja para poder empezar a jugar en cuanto me compro un libro que se autodenomina «Core Rulebook», y si es así, se debería avisar de antemano). En fin, que le pongo un ocho a esta edición simplemente porque no está completa, y, aunque yo lo que estoy haciendo es adaptar materiales antiguos sin demasiados problemas, la gente que no los tenga y haya decidido engancharse al Pendragón con este libro, se va a llevar una sorpresa muy desagradable.
En fin, señores de Chaosium: así no se hacen las cosas.
February 28, 2025
I'm giving this a CONDITIONAL 2.5 - with the possibility of going up much higher, dependent on the release of the 'Gamemaster's Handbook'.
Pendragon: Core Rulebook would do better to be called 'the player's handbook', as there seems to be a great wealth of information missing from something that bills itself as 'everything you need to play'. I appreciate the system that I see here, and the quality of the book is good (Instead of thin gloss pages, it has thick paper-stock, which might take you aback initially and feel 'less than professional', but once you warm up to it it's actually quite nice), but it's immediately evident this is not a complete ruleset. There is no 'bestiary' of enemies, and the book constantly refers to the yet-to-be-published Gamemaster's Handbook, saying that it will contain details and rules needed to expand your experience beyond the very narrow margin of setting and character creation contained herein.
So, keep all that in mind if you're a potential customer! The Gamemaster's handbook is being advertised as 'To be released early 2025', so, you might want to wait, hold onto your cash, and listen in to hear if that book satisfies everyone.
Pendragon: Core Rulebook would do better to be called 'the player's handbook', as there seems to be a great wealth of information missing from something that bills itself as 'everything you need to play'. I appreciate the system that I see here, and the quality of the book is good (Instead of thin gloss pages, it has thick paper-stock, which might take you aback initially and feel 'less than professional', but once you warm up to it it's actually quite nice), but it's immediately evident this is not a complete ruleset. There is no 'bestiary' of enemies, and the book constantly refers to the yet-to-be-published Gamemaster's Handbook, saying that it will contain details and rules needed to expand your experience beyond the very narrow margin of setting and character creation contained herein.
So, keep all that in mind if you're a potential customer! The Gamemaster's handbook is being advertised as 'To be released early 2025', so, you might want to wait, hold onto your cash, and listen in to hear if that book satisfies everyone.
January 22, 2026
I love this game, but my gosh this isn't a great presentation of it.
It's badly organised, with no apparent sensible order to the information presented (damage rules separated by 50+ pages and three whole chapters), a weird obsessiveness about detail that is often ill-placed or just unnecessary (we don't need to know how much mercenaries are paid in the *introduction*, thanks), and clumsy gaps; despite the blurb this isn't everything you need to play, and the GM book is essential for some procedures.
It's a shame because at heart Pendragon remains a unique and wonderful game, but in revising it, Chaosium seems to have made a mess of it.
(See also Call of Cthulhu 7.)
All that said, it's often a genuinely beautiful book, so at least it looks nice when you're flipping through trying to find a minor exception to a major rule for the umpteenth time this session. Sigh.
It's badly organised, with no apparent sensible order to the information presented (damage rules separated by 50+ pages and three whole chapters), a weird obsessiveness about detail that is often ill-placed or just unnecessary (we don't need to know how much mercenaries are paid in the *introduction*, thanks), and clumsy gaps; despite the blurb this isn't everything you need to play, and the GM book is essential for some procedures.
It's a shame because at heart Pendragon remains a unique and wonderful game, but in revising it, Chaosium seems to have made a mess of it.
(See also Call of Cthulhu 7.)
All that said, it's often a genuinely beautiful book, so at least it looks nice when you're flipping through trying to find a minor exception to a major rule for the umpteenth time this session. Sigh.
January 2, 2025
Had some interesting mechanics that are unique to the game if not overly innovative. I was sorely disappointed that this book does not represent the complete rule set to actually play the game consistently making references to rules that were only available in Gamemaster book that at the time I was reading was not even published yet.
Interesting as a source for Arthurian lore and information but I'd not recommend this edition to anyone. Perhaps if they ever offer a sale on all the core books sold together or consolidated on a sale I'd give it another read but as of now it's basically an incomplete product.
Interesting as a source for Arthurian lore and information but I'd not recommend this edition to anyone. Perhaps if they ever offer a sale on all the core books sold together or consolidated on a sale I'd give it another read but as of now it's basically an incomplete product.
July 12, 2024
Excellent presentation of the player-facing rules of one of the greatest RPGs of all time. Full review: https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...
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