Ashes of the Imagined King
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 12th-century chronicle The History of the Kings of Britain gives some really great and gameable details about the ashes and resting place of wise King Belinus of Britain. But King Belinus never existed. In any RPG campaign with magic—World of Darkness, Achtung: Cthulhu, Monster of the Week, D&D, Monsterhearts, etc.—you can have […]
A Wedding to Remember: Three Lais by Marie de France
This week we’re going to look at three lais: courtly Medieval short tales of love and adventure. Their author is a mysterious and engaging figure, and their contents are perfect for the gaming table: secret twins, secret parents, schemes, adultery, murder, and werewolves! This post is brought to you by beloved Patreon backer Robert Nichols. […]
Magic Items From Arthurian Myth
Magic items! No fantasy campaign is complete without them – and medieval stories about King Arthur and his knights are full of them. Here, then, are seven enchanted weapons and pieces of armor from Arthurian myth! Bronllafyn Short-Broad, the sword of Osla Big-Knife, from Culhwch and Olwen (ca. 11th-12th century). When the sheathed sword is placed […]
Impossible Tasks From Arthurian Myth
One of my favorite things to do as a GM is to set my players against a problem I don’t have a solution for. The answers they come up with are always cooler than mine, and the lack of a prescribed solution guarantees they’re engaging in fun, creative problem-solving, rather than playing ‘guess-what-Tristan-is-thinking’. Medieval stories […]
The Grail Castle
A remote castle that appears and disappears at will. A bedridden lord who lives like an emperor. And an unknown inhabitant with possibly supernatural attendants – the grail castle in the 12th-century Arthurian tale Perceval is a great way to inject a bit of adventure on the road in your fantasy campaign. On the way […]