Much like the Miskatonic Repository for Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition and the Jonstown Compendium for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha, The Companions of Arthur is a curated platform for user-made content, but for material set in Greg Stafford’s masterpiece of Arthurian legend and romance, Pendragon. It enables creators to sell their own original content for use with Pendragon, Sixth Edition. This can be original scenarios, background material, alternate Arthurian settings, and more, but none of this content should be considered to be ‘canon’, but rather fall under ‘Your Pendragon Will Vary’. This means that there is still scope for the authors to create interesting and useful content that others can bring to their Pendragon campaigns.
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Friends to Friends, Enemies to Enemies is an extended mini-campaign for use with Pendragon, Sixth Edition.
It is a full colour, twenty-four page, 2.01 MB PDF.
The layout is tidy, though it does need a slight edit.
Where is the Quest Set?
Friends to Friends, Enemies to Enemies is a scenario for Pendragon, Sixth Edition. It does not have a specific year or geographical location, but should ideally be placed near the lands of the Player-knights’ liege lord where there could be two feuding lords whose lands border each other’s.
Who should go on this Quest?
Any type of Player-knight can go on this quest.
The Player-knights should have sufficient standing represent their liege lord. The Trusting and Suspicious Personality Traits will play a big role in the campaign.
What does the Quest require?
Friends to Friends, Enemies to Enemies requires the Pendragon, Sixth Edition Core Rulebook and the Pendragon: Gamemaster’s Handbook.
Where will the Quest take the Knights?
The events of Friends to Friends, Enemies to Enemies take place over the course of four years and concern the allegiance signed between the Player-Knights’ liege lord and Sir Cynwall of Brickwall Manor, who lives relatively close to the liege lord’s lands. The Game Master will need to decide upon the reason why the Player-Knights’ liege lord wants the alliance, but Sir Cynwall seeks the support of the Player-Knights’ liege lord because he has a feud with his neighbour, Sir Ulprus, over land use rights. Unfortunately, this feud will be the source of growing friction between and Sir Cynwall and Sir Ulprus that will be the cause of an actual war between the two knights. However, the situation in Friends to Friends, Enemies to Enemies is not as simple or as straightforward as it may seem. The Player-Knights may realise this early on if they succeed in a roll against their Suspicious Trait, whilst if they instead succeed in a roll against their Trusting Trait, it will be much later on in the campaign that their doubts will be raised.
The campaign begins in Year One with the Player-Knights at the signing of the treaty as their liege lord’s representatives. At the following banquets, they witness a miracle performed by a travelling pilgrim and establish a relationship with one of Sir Cynwall’s friends, Fray Senach. The scenario foreshadows the campaign as a whole, relying upon the Player-Knights’ Trusting and Suspicious Personality Traits to determine its flow and their reactions. Ideally, Year One will end with the Player-Knights having gained Sir Cynwall’s trust. They return to his castle in Year Two to follow up on the signing of the alliance and assess his defences. To everyone’s surprise, Sir Cynwall announces that he and his son, Sir Effin, will go on pilgrimage, but before they can, Fray Senach is found dead. The evidence points towards one of Sir Cynwall’s household as being responsible. This greatly upsets Sir Cynwall and in Year Three, he seeks to end his feud with Sir Ulprus. Tragically, as an agreement is about to be announced at a banquet, Sir Cynwall drops dead! He has been poisoned and surely, Sir Ulprus was responsible. Anger leads to war and Sir Effin lays siege to Sir Ulprus’ castle. By now, the Player-Knights may have their own suspicions as to who might be actually behind this, but may not have proof or their suspicions confirmed. Whether they do or not, in Year Four, they will gain confirmation—or revelation depending upon the players’ rolls—and hunt the villain down.
The campaign begins in Year One with the Player-Knights at the signing of the treaty as their liege lord’s representatives. At the following banquets, they witness a miracle performed by a travelling pilgrim and establish a relationship with one of Sir Cynwall’s friends, Fray Senach. The scenario foreshadows the campaign as a whole, relying upon the Player-Knights’ Trusting and Suspicious Personality Traits to determine its flow and their reactions. Ideally, Year One will end with the Player-Knights having gained Sir Cynwall’s trust. They return to his castle in Year Two to follow up on the signing of the alliance and assess his defences. To everyone’s surprise, Sir Cynwall announces that he and his son, Sir Effin, will go on pilgrimage, but before they can, Fray Senach is found dead. The evidence points towards one of Sir Cynwall’s household as being responsible. This greatly upsets Sir Cynwall and in Year Three, he seeks to end his feud with Sir Ulprus. Tragically, as an agreement is about to be announced at a banquet, Sir Cynwall drops dead! He has been poisoned and surely, Sir Ulprus was responsible. Anger leads to war and Sir Effin lays siege to Sir Ulprus’ castle. By now, the Player-Knights may have their own suspicions as to who might be actually behind this, but may not have proof or their suspicions confirmed. Whether they do or not, in Year Four, they will gain confirmation—or revelation depending upon the players’ rolls—and hunt the villain down.
Friends to Friends, Enemies to Enemies is a scenario that demands that the players respect the rolls made against their Knights’ Personality Traits. Experienced players will probably quickly ascertain who the villain is, if not the motive of that villain, and need to roleplay against this knowledge. This is the scenario’s primary weakness, but good roleplayers should be able to cope.
Friends to Friends, Enemies to Enemies is best run mixed with other scenarios so that the players and their knights can focus on other events and adventures rather than solely on the events of this scenario. This allows its story to shift into the background as the Player-Knights get on with other duties, and then pop out again the next year. This grants the Game Master some flexibility in what she runs parallel to it whether that is single scenarios or parts of an ongoing campaign of her own.
Should the Knights ride out on this Quest?
In places, Friends to Friends, Enemies to Enemies could have been more clearly written. For example, the explanation of the scenario could have been more clearly written for the benefit of the Game Master. However, this does not mean that it is necessarily harder to run, rather that it requires more preparation than it otherwise should. It demands good roleplaying from the players and that they cab keep their knowledge separate to what their Knights know. This can be challenging, but rewards careful play and the pay-off at the end when the villain behind it all is truly unmasked will be all the more delicious.
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