King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Components
- Rules of Play
- Knight Characteristics
- Fortune Cards
- Quests and Encounters
- Followers
- Combat
- Jousts
- The Civil War
- Artefacts and Fiefs
- The Board
- The Knights
- Encounter Tables
- Encounter in the Wilds (roll two d10 and add the results)
- Encounter in the Forest (roll two d10 and add the results)
- Encounter in the Mountains (roll two d10 and add the results)
- Encounter in the Town (roll two d10 and add the results)
- Encounter in the Fortress (roll one d10 once on arrival)
- Encounter on Christian Land (roll one d10 once on arrival)
- Encounter at the Cromlechs (roll one d10 once on arrival)
- Annex 1: Combat Reference
- Annex 2: Enemies and Opponents
- Annex 3: Character Sheet
- Translator's Notes
Components
- A game board, made of six pieces to be assembled like a jigsaw puzzle (see the photo at the end of the rules).
- One ten-sided die.
- 114 player counters (6 × 19), one colour for each of the six players:
- Mounted Knight (×2)
- Knight on Foot (×2)
- Follower (×15)
- 98 equipment counters (all yellow):
- Horse (×12)
- Sword (×19)
- Sword of Light (×14)
- Greatsword (×4)
- Battle-axe (×6)
- Lance (×19)
- Chain Mail (×12)
- Plate Armour (×12)
- 43 action counters (all yellow):
- Curse (×15)
- Potion of Healing (×14)
- Prayer of Healing (×14)
- 25 Fief counters (all yellow):
- Fief with Town (×11)
- Fief with Castle (×14)
- 5 markers or counters:
- Cycle counter
- Round counter
- Court marker
Rules of Play
Terms Used in the Game
All players are knights in the service of King Arthur. They may be knights created by the players themselves, or chosen from the major heroes presented at the end of this page. All knights have the following characteristics:
- RANK: there are three ranks: Minor Knight, Major Knight and Companion of the Round Table. All players begin as Minor Knights. Promotion depends on the Honour they gain by completing Quests. On promotion the King grants the knight an additional fief and their Combat Strength increases.
- COMBAT STRENGTH: evaluates the knight's power in combat. It increases by 1 at each promotion.
- CONSTITUTION: the number of wounds a knight can endure in combat without dying.
- RESOLUTION: the determination and experience of a knight in combat. It is used to determine initiative in a fight, and it increases each time a knight wins a combat.
- RELIGION: there are two types of religion, Christianity and Druidism. A knight must choose a religion according to their inclination. In some cases the legend imposes a religion; for example, Galahad must be a Christian. Religion matters because it allows some specific Quests to be undertaken and allows certain artefacts to be handled.
- HONOUR: evaluates the esteem the knight enjoys among their peers and allows promotion. Honour can only be gained by completing Quests or winning jousts.
- FIEFS: each knight starts with one fief and gains one more at each promotion. Fiefs provide income and refuge and are strategically important during the civil war. A fuller explanation is given later in these rules.
The Die
The ten-sided die is numbered 0 to 9, and 0 always counts as 10. It is used in several ways:
- Rolling under a characteristic. For example, in combat a knight must roll under their Combat Strength. If that is 5, a roll of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 hits your opponent.
- Percentage rolls. In some Quests there may be a 60% chance that an event occurs. If your roll is 6 or less, the event takes place.
- Encounters. If during a Quest you are told to have an encounter, roll the die twice, add the two results together and read the result on the appropriate encounter table.
Playing the Game
Creating a Knight
- Use the character sheet (see the end of the page).
- Choose one of the knights presented in the rules (at the end of the page).
- Write the name and starting values of the characteristics in the spaces provided.
- Take the starting equipment (a horse, a lance and a sword) and the fief given in the description of the knight.
You are now ready to set out on a Quest.
One person, preferably the player who knows the game best, is designated referee. Their task is to make sure things proceed normally and in the correct order. In particular, the referee must:
- Announce cycles, rounds and phases: when they start, what form they take, and who does what and when.
- Control promotions.
- Rule on disputes about the rules.
Setup
Prepare the board. Each player must have their character sheet in front of them. Place the Crown counter on Camelot.
Each player chooses a set of coloured counters and takes a Mounted Knight counter from it to represent their character. Every knight starts at Camelot, so all players place their counter there on the map. Each knight then takes a horse, a sword and a lance.
Shuffle the Fortune deck and the Quest deck. Each player draws two Fortune cards. Following the rules in the section Quests and Encounters, the players then draw their Quest cards.
Place the first counter on Cycle 1 of the Cycle Table and another on the first Quest round of the Round Table. Roll the die to determine who begins.
You are now ready. The first player chooses a Quest from those available and, during the movement phase, leaves Camelot to carry it out. The game then enters an action phase, as explained below.
Game Time
The game is divided into cycles, rounds and phases. The referee keeps track of the course of the game and informs the players.
Cycles. The Quest game is divided into 10 cycles, each of 8 rounds. Each time you return to the first Quest round, move the counter on the Cycle Table forward one space.
At the start of cycle 7, the referee rolls the die. If the result is 1 or 2 (a 20% chance), the Quest game ends and the civil war begins. At the start of each following cycle, roll the die against the civil war percentage shown on the Cycle Table. At the end of cycle 10, the civil war begins automatically.
Rounds. Each cycle consists of 8 rounds.
- First Quest round: knights may move and take one action (see the actions below).
- Second Quest round: knights may move and take one action.
- Third Quest round: knights may move and take one action.
- Fourth Quest round: knights may move and take one action.
- Fifth Quest round: knights may move and take one action.
The last three rounds of a cycle are called Court rounds. Only knights present at court may take part in these rounds. Knights who are not there may move and take an action, or may try to return to court to take part in the later rounds.
- First Court round: audiences. King Arthur rewards valiant knights by granting them a promotion and an additional fief. Impoverished knights may sell their fiefs back to the crown. Companions may buy fiefs from the crown, up to a limit of five fiefs.
- Second Court round: the tournament. See the rules detailing the Joust.
- Third Court round: meeting of the Round Table. All knights present at court must attend. During this meeting the following matters are settled:
- a) King Arthur announces new Quests. Deal new Quest cards to each knight present at the start. Knights may then choose a new Quest according to their rank, if they have none in progress. For each rank, the knight with the highest Resolution chooses first. The remaining Quests are kept available for knights who have no Quest during the Quest rounds.
- b) Playing Fortune cards. Knights may play Fortune cards against their peers, provided this is compatible with the instructions printed on the card.
- c) Negotiating Fortune cards. Knights may negotiate or exchange their Fortune cards, Quest cards or fiefs. This kind of action may only be carried out at this time.
- d) Drawing Fortune cards. All knights present draw one Fortune card.
- e) Next location of the court. In the first cycle the court is at Camelot, and afterwards it returns there every second time. To determine the court's location during the other cycles, the most important knight present rolls the die: 1, 2 or 3 means Londinium; 4, 5 or 6 means Caerdeon; 7 or 8 means York; 9 or 10 means Nottingham.
At the start of each Quest round of the next cycle, the court moves one town towards its next location. If more than one route is available, the referee chooses. The court's position is marked by the Crown counter.
Phases. Each round has the following phases:
- Movement phase. All knights wishing to move may do so, in turn. Players who pass their turn may not move.
- Action phase. Once all players have moved, each may perform one of the following actions:
- a) carry out all or part of a Quest as shown on the relevant card;
- b) collect part of their income, or heal faster by visiting one of their fiefs;
- c) pass a turn, if the game allows it;
- d) increase their Religion by 1 point if they pray at a consecrated site (see Religion);
- e) have an encounter, if they are not at court or if they have not done any of the actions above. Make sure the encounter matches the type of terrain, for example forests, mountains or wilds. If in a town, the knight may go to the market or have a town encounter instead;
- f) draw a Fortune card, if the knight is at court and it is not a Court round;
- g) carry out a task, if the knight claims a major artefact.
Once all knights have carried out their action, the round ends, the marker is moved one space and the next round begins.
Movement
- Moving. A knight may move on their turn during the movement phase of each round, up to the maximum allowed. The unit of movement is one zone on the board. A player may move their knight and followers in each movement phase.
- Maximum allowed. Knights may travel by the road or across the country. The maximum movement allowed is:
- Road: 9 zones if mounted, 3 zones on foot.
- Country: 3 zones if mounted, 1 zone on foot.
- Splitting movement. On horseback a knight may divide their movement between the road and the countryside, at a ratio of 3 to 1. Fractions are rounded to the nearest whole number. For example, a knight with two movement points left on the road may move one zone into the countryside.
Knight Characteristics
Each knight has characteristics that increase over time. Use your character sheet to keep track of them. All characteristics have important consequences during the civil war, so keep this in mind when setting out on Quests, since these determine a starting position in the civil war. Knights may not negotiate or exchange characteristics.
Rank and Honour
- The three ranks. Every knight has a rank: Minor Knight, Major Knight or Companion of the Round Table. All knights begin the game as Minor Knights.
- Promotion. To be promoted to a higher rank, a knight needs a certain number of Honour points. At each promotion, their Combat Strength increases by 1 point.
| Rank | Minimum Honour | Combat Strength increase |
|---|---|---|
| Minor Knight | All knights begin as Minor Knights | — |
| Major Knight | 10 | +1 |
| Companion | 20 | +1 |
Knights may only be promoted by King Arthur, at the First Court round.
- Loss of Honour. If a knight's Honour falls below the minimum shown above for their rank, they are demoted one rank, lose 1 Combat Strength and return one fief to the crown, until their Honour is again above the minimum required.
- Privileges of the Companion rank. Companions of the Round Table have the following privileges:
- a) only Companions may undertake Companion-level Quests;
- b) only Companions may buy fiefs from the crown.
- Gaining Honour. Honour can only be gained by completing Quests or by distinguishing oneself in a tournament. Players may not sell, trade or deliberately lose Honour points.
Religion
- Types of religion. Knights may choose between Druidism (evaluated in Knowledge, Savoir) and Christianity (evaluated in Virtue, Vertu). Each knight must choose their religion as soon as they know where their starting Religion points are assigned (these depend on the chosen knight, and some knights have no choice) and what their Quest and Fortune cards are. Otherwise the player may choose according to their inclination.
- Recording Religion. When a knight chooses their religion, write their starting value in the Knowledge or Virtue space on the character sheet. Each time a knight gains Religion points through a Quest or an encounter, these are added to the total.
- Religion and Quests. Some Quests may only be undertaken by knights of a certain religion. Likewise, some followers will only rally to a knight of a specific religion. The Quest cards state these details.
- Religion and the civil war. When war is declared, the total of Religion points determines the number of followers the knight may recruit and which major artefact they may carry.
- Visiting consecrated sites. A knight may gain one additional Religion point by visiting a site of their religion and remaining there for one full round.
Fiefs, Income and Equipment
A knight who serves his king honourably may hope to benefit from that loyalty, and so be granted fiefs by the king. These lands give the knight a reasonable income, which they may spend on equipment or keep for other purposes.
- Fiefs. Each knight possesses one fief at the start of the game. When a knight is promoted by one rank, they receive one additional fief from those remaining. A knight may not hold more than 5 fiefs.
- Income. Each fief yields the income marked on its counter. At the First Court round, each player may collect this income from their fiefs.
- Visiting fiefs. When a knight visits one of their fiefs, they gain the following benefits:
- a) they may collect half their normal income, rounded up. This may only be done once per cycle, per fief;
- b) they heal twice as fast;
- c) a knight does not have an encounter while in their fiefs.
- Followers. A follower must be sent, or escorted, to a fief after being recruited. Once in the fief, they are immune to attacks by other player knights.
- Trading fiefs. Fiefs may be freely traded between players. Companions may buy fiefs from the crown in the Round 5 (assuming they are at court). The price is 5 besants + 1d10. Knights may resell their fiefs to the crown for 1d10 minus 3 besants.
- Equipment. The pieces of equipment a knight may own and use are:
- Swords. Each knight is allotted a sword. However, Swords of Light are of superior quality and more effective. Try to keep a pair with you.
- Greatsword. This two-handed weapon is forged from the finest steel. It is rare and of great value. However, it reduces your Constitution because it rules out the use of a shield.
Fortune Cards
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Gaining Fortune cards. A knight may gain Fortune cards in several ways:
- a) each knight receives two at the start of the game;
- b) each knight present at a Round Table meeting may draw one at the end of the meeting;
- c) each Quest action phase spent loitering at court allows the knight to gain a Fortune card;
- d) a knight may gain Fortune cards through their Quests, or through encounters, as indicated.
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Playing Fortune cards.
- a) Most must be played at Round Table meetings; the others may be played at any time during the Quest part of the game.
- b) When a card concerns a specific knight who is not in use, a player may use the second choice printed on the card, below the first.
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Discovering an artefact. To discover an artefact, a knight needs a set of three cards:
- a) an artefact card;
- b) a location card, neutral or appropriate to the religion of the artefact;
- c) a task card, neutral or appropriate to the religion of the artefact.
When a player holds these three cards, they may go to the location indicated and, after carrying out the task (treated as an action in a Quest round), claim the artefact and take its marker. See the rules on the civil war for the use of artefacts.
Example: Avalon. A knight may discover a druidic artefact here.
Quests and Encounters
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Gaining a Quest. At the start of the game, King Arthur deals a number of Quests according to the number of players:
Players Quests 2 3 3 5 4 6 5 8 6 9 These cards are placed face up along the board. Quests reserved for Companions are placed on the other side of the board, and new cards are drawn to replace them. Each player chooses a Quest in turn. Only one Quest may be undertaken at a time. The remaining cards are available for knights who have completed or failed the Quest they were pursuing and have returned to court.
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New Quests. The King announces new Quests at the Round Table meetings. New Quest cards are drawn and placed face up, up to the maximum number indicated above. Knights present at the meeting who have no Quest may choose one, according to their rank and Resolution.
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Companion-rank Quests. Quests of Companion rank are set apart from the normal cards. Any knight promoted to that rank may choose a Quest from among them.
Followers
Knights defeated in fair combat surrender and ask their victor for mercy. Generally the defeated knight swears an oath of allegiance or promises service to the victor. The wise knight accepts.
- Gaining followers during an encounter. Throughout your travels, knights may offer their services in return for money. If you wish to recruit them, you must pay the sum demanded.
- Gaining followers during a Quest. If you defeat an opponent in a Quest (reducing their Constitution to 1), they will generally offer themselves as a follower (see the Quest cards for details).
- Recruiting a follower. Once allegiance has been accepted, place a Follower counter at the place where it was recruited. In later movement phases, the follower heads for a fief at normal movement speed. Throughout the journey it may be attacked by other player knights. Once in the fief, it is safe from any attack. The Follower counter is then placed under the Fief counter on the knight's character sheet.
- Attacking a follower. Player knights located in the same zone as a follower may challenge it. The follower then fights with a Combat Strength and a Constitution of 2. A follower cannot swear allegiance to more than one lord, so the attacking knight must kill it if they win. This removes it from the army of a potential rival to the throne. It is regrettable but necessary! A follower located in the same zone as its liege may not be challenged by another player knight.
Combat
It is the national sport of the knights, in which each shows his love and respect for the other by splitting his helm until the brains fly out and he tumbles from his horse in a spray of blood. Original and amusing indeed. Unfortunately, not everything is so funny. In the course of your Quests you will have to defeat many opponents. Some will become your followers, while others, of a less pleasant disposition, will fight to the death.
Combat Strength and Constitution
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Combat Strength. Each knight has a base Combat Strength (CS), which evaluates their quality in a clash. Most player knights begin at 4, a few at 5. At each promotion, the Combat Strength rises by 1. Fine weapons increase your Combat Strength.
Weapon Bonus to Combat Strength Sword — (no bonus listed) Sword of Light +1 Greatsword +3* Battle-axe +2* Lance +1 (charge only) * These weapons are wielded in both hands, so a knight using them cannot carry a shield. Their Constitution is therefore reduced by 1 point.
During a battle, you must roll a result less than or equal to your Combat Strength to hit your opponent.
Example: a knight with a base Combat Strength of 4 uses a Sword of Light, which raises it to 5. In combat, on a roll of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, he hits his opponent.
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Constitution. A knight's Constitution is the number of blows they can endure before dying. The base Constitution is equal to the base Combat Strength (before counting weapons). At each promotion, the Constitution increases by 1. In addition, armour increases the Constitution:
Resolution
- Resolution. Resolution measures a knight's determination and experience in combat. It increases by 1 each time a knight kills an opponent in combat or forces one to surrender (excluding jousts).
- Resolution and initiative. In a melee, the knight with the higher Resolution always strikes first in a combat round. If that blow results in the death or surrender of the knight with the lower Resolution, the latter cannot strike in that round. If the combatants have the same Resolution, they roll the die at the start of each round to decide initiative.
Combat Rules
- Chivalrous opponents ("Sire" someone or something). They are always mounted and carry a lance. Combat always begins with charges (see below) until one of the knights is unhorsed or his lance is broken. If a player knight has no lance, they lose 1 Honour point for unchivalrous conduct, and the combat begins in melee.
- Scoundrels (brigands, Saxons, etc.). They are never mounted, and the combat begins in melee.
The Charge
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Weapons. Only the lance may be used in a charge. It adds +1 to the base Combat Strength. When charging, a knight may aim the lance at one of the following parts of the opponent:
Target Roll needed to hit Combat Strength modifier Shield Combat Strength none Body Combat Strength -1 -1 Helm Combat Strength -2 -2 Example: a knight with a Combat Strength of 5 uses the lance, which raises it to 6. Before charging, he must choose the part of his opponent he will try to hit. To hit the shield he must roll 6 or less; to hit the body, 5 or less; to hit the helm, 4 or less.
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Lance damage. If a knight hits their opponent during a charge, they roll the die and consult the following table to determine the damage:
Roll Shield Body Helm
Melee
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Choice of weapons. Before combat, player knights must choose a melee weapon from among those they carry.
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Combat rounds. Combat is divided into rounds. In each round the following sequence applies:
- a) The combatant with the higher Resolution strikes first. In case of a tie, roll the die; the knight who rolls the higher number strikes first.
- b) The player rolls the die. If the result is less than or equal to their Combat Strength, modified by the weapon used, the knight hits their opponent.
- c) If hit, the wounded combatant reduces their Constitution by 1 point.
- d) If a combatant hits their opponent, the opponent reduces their Constitution by 1 point.
The combat continues until one of the knights is killed or surrenders.
Remember:
- calculate the Combat Strength of opponents by adding the bonuses of their weapons to their base Combat Strength;
- calculate the Constitution of opponents by adding the bonuses of their armour to their base Constitution;
- reduce by 1 point the Constitution of any knight who is hit.
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End of combat. A melee combat may end in several ways:
- a) A player knight whose Constitution has been reduced to 1 may surrender, unless their opponent is an evil knight. In that case, they fight to the death.
- b) A player knight who has reduced their opponent's Constitution to 1 may accept the opponent's allegiance and recruit them as a follower. An evil knight never surrenders and fights to the death.
Example of combat: Sir Galahad (base Combat Strength 5, Resolution 4) fights Sir Bedivere (base Combat Strength 4, Resolution 7). Sir Galahad uses a Sword of Light, which raises his Combat Strength to 6. Sir Bedivere uses a sword. Both wear chain mail, which raises their Constitution to 6 and 5. Sir Bedivere has the higher Resolution and always strikes first. The combat proceeds as follows:
| Galahad's roll | Bedivere's roll | Comment | Galahad's Constitution | Bedivere's Constitution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Strength 6 | Combat Strength 4 | Start | 6 | 5 |
| 5 | 7 | Galahad hits | 6 | 4 |
| 1 | 2 | Both hit | 5 | 3 |
| 3 | 1 | Both hit | 4 | 2 |
| 9 | 0 | Neither hits | 4 | 2 |
Sir Bedivere surrenders and the combat ends there. Sir Galahad's Resolution increases by 1.
Jousts
When they are not in the service of the king, knights love nothing more than to clash under the eyes of their favourite damsel. Bound by ties of friendship and the wish to appear sporting in the eyes of these ladies, the aim is not so much to humiliate your fellow knight as to unhorse him and send him rolling in the dust of the field.
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Calling a joust. When the round marker reaches Round 7, the referee calls a joust. A minimum number of candidates is needed for the joust to take place:
Number of players Minimum number of candidates 2 2 3 2 4 3 5 3 6 or more 4 -
Prizes. King Arthur rewards the winners of a joust according to the number of participants:
Participants First prize Second prize 2 2 besants and 4 Honour points —
Example: at the start of a joust, the knights are at the edge of the field. Knight A, who carries a lance, writes D3 as his movement order. Knight B, who uses a Sword of Light, writes E4. At the end of the movement they are within weapon range and decide to fight. Knight A, with Resolution 6 and a base Combat Strength of 5, rolls a 6 and misses his blow. Knight B, with Resolution 5 and a Combat Strength of 5+1 for his Sword of Light, rolls a 4. He hits A, who is unhorsed.
At the start of round 2, B writes D3, hoping to trample A. A writes E4, hoping to avoid B. C, who is armed with a lance, anticipates B's move on A and charges to D4. At the end of the movement, knights C and A, both with Resolution 5, strike simultaneously. C, with a Combat Strength of 5+1 for the charge, targets B, rolls a 2 and unhorses him. B rolls a 9 and misses C. A, eager for revenge, chooses to strike B. He rolls under 5-1 (unhorsed against mounted) and rolls an 8, and so on. (The source example ends here. Diagrams are not reproduced.)
The Civil War
The aim of the civil war is to be declared the legitimate heir of King Arthur. To achieve this, one must hold the important towns, win battles and carry major artefacts such as Excalibur.
Start of the War
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Outbreak of the civil war. As the kingdom slides into anarchy, the chance that a civil war breaks out increases. It is 20% at the start of cycle 7 and 100% at the end of cycle 10.
Timing Chance Start of cycle 7 20% Start of cycle 8 40% Start of cycle 9 60% Start of cycle 10 80% Start of cycle 10 (second entry as printed; see Translator's Notes) 100% -
Recruiting followers. Once the civil war has broken out, the Quest rules are no longer used, and players recruit followers using the formula below (fractions are rounded to the nearest whole number):
Number of followers = (Religion + Resolution + Honour + Quests completed) / 5
New followers need to be equipped. The cost is 3 besants per follower. Deduct this money from your treasury. A knight may only recruit followers within the limit of the funds available to them. The knights then place them in their fiefs, the most powerful player going first and the weakest going last.
Example: at the end of the Quest game, Sir Mordered has the following characteristics:
Winning the War
To win the civil war, a player must, as they choose:
- a) have accumulated 12 succession points at the end of a civil war round;
- b) eliminate all the other candidates to the throne;
- c) if two players each have 12 succession points in the same round, they must fight to the death, one against one, to become heir.
Course of the War
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Rounds and phases. The civil war is divided into rounds. Each round contains the following phases:
- a) Income phase.
- b) Movement phase.
- c) Battle phase.
- d) Recruitment phase.
- e) Succession points phase.
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Income phase. Each player collects the income of the fiefs they still hold.
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Movement phase. To begin, initiative is determined by rolling the die and adding the Resolution of the knight. The player who obtains the highest result begins and may choose which position they wish to head for. Then the knight with the next highest result chooses, and so on. The players then move their forces. Each knight may move 9 zones along the road or 3 across country, or may split their movement exactly as usual.
When a force moves into a zone occupied by an enemy force and challenges it to battle, the latter may not move and must remain in place to fight.
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Battle phase. Opposing armies in the same zone fight. See the rules below.
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Recruitment phase. Players may recruit new followers up to the number of enemies they have killed in battle. These must be equipped at a price of 3 besants per follower. They may be recruited into any fief held by the player. If the player holds no fief, they may not recruit.
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Succession points phase. Points are calculated and distributed as indicated below.
Succession Points
Succession Points are gained at the end of a civil war round and are cumulative. The first player to gain 12 points is declared heir of King Arthur. Points are distributed as follows:
- 2 points if the player holds London or Camelot; 1 point for each of the other court towns.
- 1 point if the player wins a battle (winning means having inflicted more losses on the enemy than the enemy inflicted on you).
- 1 point each for holding Excalibur, the Lance of Longinus or the Dragon Banner.
Fighting a Battle
When opposing forces occupy the same zone at the end of the movement phase, they must fight a battle. This is when the major artefacts show their power and inspire your followers.
- Engaging. When two armies occupy the same zone, they must fight. There may never be more than two forces in one zone.
- Battle. Before fighting, each player announces the Combat Strength and Constitution of their followers and of their knight, if the knight takes part in the fight. The battle is divided into rounds, as follows:
- a) Each player rolls a die and adds their Resolution. The highest total strikes first in that round.
- b) The attacker rolls a die for each knight in their group. If the result is less than or equal to the Combat Strength of their knight, an enemy is hit.
- c) When an enemy knight suffers a blow from the attacker, they must reduce the Constitution of one member of their troop by 1 point. The player may choose who takes the blow: one of their followers or their knight.
- d) Once the attacker has made all their rolls, it is the other player's turn to attack. When both have finished, the round is over and the initiative rolls begin again.
- e) A battle lasts at least 5 rounds, after which either side may withdraw from the field.
- Combat Strength. Player knights fight with their Combat Strength from the Quest game. Followers have a base Combat Strength of 2, modified by artefacts as described below.
- Constitution. Player knights have their Constitution from the Quest game. Followers have a Constitution of 1, modified by artefacts as described below.
- Curses and surrender. Player knights may use their curses in combat. It is impossible to surrender during the civil war: all combats are to the death! Potions and Prayers of Healing no longer have any effect.
Example: Sir Gawain moves first in a civil war round. He is accompanied by six followers and enters Londinium, currently held by Sir Perceval and four followers. Sir Gawain carries Excalibur. He offers battle, and Perceval is obliged to accept.
The characteristics of each side are:
| Perceval | Gawain | |
|---|---|---|
| Player's Combat Strength | 7 | 8 |
| Player's Constitution | 7 | 7 |
| Player's Resolution | 11 | 10 |
| Followers' Combat Strength | 2 | 3+1 (Excalibur) |
| Followers' Constitution | 1 | 1 |
In the first battle round, Gawain rolls a 3 and Perceval a 9, so Perceval's army attacks first. His rolls are: followers 2, 3, 2, 6; Perceval 6. He hits three times. This bodes ill for Gawain, who chooses to lose one of his followers and 2 Constitution points himself.
He attacks in turn and obtains: followers 2, 8, 7, 7, 6; Gawain 8. He hits twice, and Perceval prefers to lose two followers, hoping to be able to beat Gawain in single combat.
In the next round, Perceval again manages to attack first and obtains: followers 5 and 1; Perceval 8. One single hit and one follower lost. On his turn he attacks and obtains: followers 8, 1, 4, 1; Gawain 6. Three blows are struck, Perceval loses all his followers, and his Constitution is reduced by 1 point.
Three rounds later, all of Gawain's followers are dead, but by then Perceval is so weak that he is easily killed.
During the recruitment phase, Gawain may recruit 5 more followers, and he gains succession points for taking Londinium, for his victory in battle and for holding Excalibur.
Artefacts and Fiefs
Major artefacts have the power to inspire your followers, who will fight at your side with greater enthusiasm. Artefacts work in different ways and are linked to certain religions, as shown below.
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Carrying an artefact. During the civil war, artefacts must be assigned to an army or to a fief by placing the artefact counter on the board. To be effective, the artefact must be on the battlefield and assigned to a particular knight. The artefact counter is then placed under the knight's counter.
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Effects of artefacts. Artefacts only affect followers. An artefact modifies the Combat Strength or the Constitution of each follower in the battle by adding 1 to that characteristic. An artefact may only be carried by a player knight of the appropriate religion.
Artefact Religion of the player knight Bonus to followers: Combat Strength Bonus to followers: Constitution Excalibur Either +1 — Adventurous Shield Either — +1 Lance of Longinus Christian +1 — Holy Shroud Christian —
The Board
The board depicts the kingdom of Arthur (actual size 58 × 61 cm). Along its edge, a number of tables allow the game to run smoothly. The kingdom is divided into forests, mountains and wild lands. The towns where Arthur will hold court during the game are marked with a cross. Like the towns marked with a circle, they are market towns, where knights may buy and sell pieces of equipment.
At the top of the board is a lists, where the jousts take place. At the bottom are two tables: the one on the left shows which cycle the game is in, and the one on the right shows which round. On the right-hand side, a table allows the Constitution points of opponents to be counted when knights fight. Finally, scattered across the board are the castles, chapels and other sites where the Quests, adventures and battles in which the knights take part take place.
The Knights
Each knight below is described with the starting characteristics given in the source. Base Combat Strength is abbreviated as CS.
Sir Gawain
Eldest son of King Lot of Orkney and nephew of Arthur, Gawain led the Orkney clan, which was influential at court. This group consisted of his brothers Agravain, Gaheriet, Gareth and Mordred, as well as his own sons. He was one of Arthur's first knights, fighting alongside Kay during the wars of succession. Before Lancelot's arrival, he was so close to the King that for a time he kept Excalibur and was the designated heir to the throne. Son of Morgause and nephew of Morgan le Fay, he has a natural affinity with druidism.
Starting characteristics of Gawain: base CS 4; Constitution 4; Resolution 2; Knowledge 3; Honour 5; Besants 5; Fief: Caesaromagus.
Sir Kay
Half-brother of Arthur, Kay was the first of his companions, swearing allegiance to him immediately after he drew the sword from the stone. He fought with great valour during the wars of succession and covered himself with honour. However, his prowess in arms diminished over time, to the point that at one moment he and Lancelot exchanged armour and shield. He gained a little more respect at Lancelot's expense, as their reputations as warriors were opposed. Kay was Arthur's seneschal, that is, the castellan of Camelot and responsible for running the court, the chivalric orders and so on. He is often portrayed as a gruff, even coarse, character. For example, when Gaheriet (Gawain's brother) arrived at court, Kay sent him to the kitchens instead of giving him a knight's training.
Starting characteristics of Kay: base CS 4; Constitution 4; Resolution 2; Religion 4; Honour 5; Besants 6; Fiefs: Castle Acre and Corfe.
Sir Perceval
Perceval the Welshman was the son of King Pellinore. Perceval's adventures, like Galahad's, are marked by an epic struggle between good and evil, harder than for many other Knights of the Round Table. His early adventures seem to have been the preparation for his greatest task, the Quest for the Grail, which he completed together with Galahad and Bohor.
In another legend, Perceval is the knight who recovers the Lance of Longinus during a fight in the fortress of a felon paladin. He then returns it to its rightful place, the monastery of the Warrior Monks who are its guardians.
Because of his great Christian faith, Perceval cannot be played as a druid.
Starting characteristics of Perceval: base CS 4; Constitution 4; Resolution 4; Virtue 3; Honour 2; Besants 3; Fief: Malton.
Sir Gaheriet
Gaheriet belonged to the Orkney clan, brother of Gawain, Agravain, Gareth and Mordred. On his arrival at court, Kay put him in the kitchens for a year, until Arthur accepted his request to be dubbed a knight. He unhorsed Kay and went, in his first Quest, to challenge, among others, the Black Knight, the Green Knight and the Knight of the Red Lands.
He was a truly powerful fighter and had a generous character.
Starting characteristics of Gaheriet: base CS 4; Constitution 4; Resolution 3; Knowledge 3; Honour 3; Besants 2; Fief: High Cross.
Sir Palomides
In all accounts Palomides is considered a Saracen, although this term may mean Persian, Asian or African, which is not specified. In every case this prince was drawn by the glory of Arthur's court, where he accomplished many great deeds and Quests. A lasting rivalry existed between him and Tristan for the favours of Iseult, the wife of King Mark of Cornwall. Despite this last point and his violent temper, he and his brother Sir Safer were popular at court. Palomides refused baptism, feeling himself unworthy of it. This, together with his education at a pagan court, suggests that he may follow one religion or another.
Starting characteristics of Palomides: base Combat Strength 4; Constitution 4; Resolution 3; Religion 3; Honour 3; Besants 3; Fief: Lincoln.
Sir Mordered
Mordered is the legitimate son of Arthur and his sister Morgan. Raised in the house of King Lot of Orkney, Mordered imagined himself to be that king's son until he discovered the truth, shortly after joining the court. From then on Mordered spent his time plotting to seize power. It was he who, in the shadows, unveiled the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere and so precipitated the civil war. While Arthur was in Brittany, he proclaimed himself king, but he was killed by the hand of his own father in a desperate battle. Mordered must be played as a druid.
Starting characteristics of Mordered: base Combat Strength 4; Constitution 4; Resolution 4; Knowledge 5; Honour 2; Besants 4; Fief: Godmanchester.
Sir Bohor de Gannes
Bohor was one of the noblest and most faithful knights of King Arthur. Brother of Sir Lionel and cousin of Lancelot, he was a member of a family often in opposition to the Orkney brothers. His loyalty earned him the post of personal guardian to Arthur. A fervent Christian, he practised chastity, celibacy and the rejection of earthly pleasures and comforts. It is therefore no surprise that he is among the few knights who completed the Quest for the Grail. Despite his devotions, Bohor had a relationship with Helen le Blank, by whom he had a child. Bohor must be played as a Christian knight.
Starting characteristics of Bohor de Gannes: base Combat Strength 4; Constitution 4; Resolution 3; Virtue 4; Honour 4; Besants 4; Fief: Usk.
Sir Galahad
Son of Lancelot and Elaine, Galahad is considered the best of the Knights of the Round Table and the embodiment of the ideal of the Christian knight. During his brief stay at court, he accomplished a series of Quests that apparently only he could complete. In legend, Galahad left very early on the Quest for the Grail, which he fulfilled in the company of Bohor de Gannes and Perceval.
Galahad must be played as a Christian knight.
Starting characteristics of Galahad: base Combat Strength 5; Constitution 5; Resolution 3; Virtue 4; Honour 3; Besants 2; Fief: Kinvaston.
Sir Lancelot
Undoubtedly the most famous of Arthur's companions, Lancelot was a complex and fascinating man. Excellent in every form of combat, he earned the title of greatest knight in the world and became the Queen's champion. Nevertheless, his doubts and his hesitant spirituality made him far more often the prey of powerful women. He was the lover of Morgan le Fay, of Elaine and, worse still, of Guinevere, not to mention his many captures by greedy women. Despite his position at court, he became the victim of the plot by Agravain and Mordred that led to the civil war.
Starting characteristics of Lancelot: base Combat Strength 5; Constitution 5; Resolution 3; Virtue 3; Honour 4; Besants 3; Fief: Vagon.
Encounter Tables
Tables marked "two d10 added" use the sum of two rolls. Tables marked "once on arrival" use a single roll of the die. Entries marked * refer to Annex 2 for the characteristics of the opponents.
Encounter in the Wilds (roll two d10 and add the results)
| Roll | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 2 | Attacked at night by a demon |
| 3 | Lost in a marsh. Roll the d10. On a result of 1 to 3, you lose a weapon |
| 4 | All your healing potions have turned sour. Discard them |
| 5 | You lose your way in the fog. Go to the nearest town |
| 6 | Attacked at night by wolves * |
| 7 | You fall ill. You lose 1d10 Constitution points (maximum 3) |
| 8 | You meet a druidic priestess on the road. If you are a druid, you gain 1 extra Knowledge |
| 9 | Your pockets have holes. You lose 3 besants |
| 10 | Fine weather. Advance two zones |
| 11 | A companion brings you a rumour. Draw a Fortune card |
| 12 |
Encounter in the Forest (roll two d10 and add the results)
| Roll | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 2-4 | You enter a druidic sanctuary. If you are a druid, you may either recruit two followers or gain 4 extra Knowledge |
| 5 | You bathe in a sacred torrent. If you are a druid, you gain 1 extra Resolution |
| 6 | You meet a druidic priestess. If you are a druid, draw a Fortune card |
| 7 | Attacked by brigands * |
| 8 | You are trapped in a thicket (copse). Move two zones north |
| 9 | You are struck by a violent fever. You lose 2 Constitution points |
| 10 | You meet a mercenary knight whom you may recruit for 5 besants |
| 11 | You come upon a sacred druidic ceremony. If you are Christian, you lose 1 Virtue point. If you are a druid, you gain 1 Knowledge point |
| 12 | You find medicinal herbs. If you are a druid, draw 2 Potions of Healing |
| 13 | Excellent paths. Advance 2 zones |
Encounter in the Mountains (roll two d10 and add the results)
| Roll | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 2-4 | You enter an isolated monastery. A Christian may either recruit two followers there or gain 4 Virtue points |
| 5 | Fall in the mountains. Your Constitution is reduced by 2 until the end of the year |
| 6 | A monk offers you two curses. Only a Christian may accept them |
| 7 | Attacked by brigands * |
| 8 | You meet a hermit. If you are Christian, your Virtue increases by 1 |
| 9 | You meet a priest who will offer a Christian knight a Fortune card |
| 10 | Your horse is lame. You must walk on the next turn |
| 11 | A mercenary knight offers to serve you for 3 besants |
| 12 | You find a pass. Leave the mountains |
| 13 | Two pieces of your equipment slip and disappear into a crevasse. Discard 2 counters |
Encounter in the Town (roll two d10 and add the results)
| Roll | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 2 | Involved in a brawl. Fine of 3 besants |
| 3 | A priest offers you absolution for 2 besants and +1 Virtue, if you accept |
| 4 | You meet a knight ready to hire out his services for 5 besants |
| 5 | Pickpocket. Try to strike at -1 or you lose 4 besants |
| 6-8 | Gambling. Stake 2 besants. Roll a die: 1-3, you lose; 4-7, take 4 besants; 8-0, take 6 besants |
| 9 | Message from one of your fiefs. One of your followers has deserted |
| 10 | You drink from a dirty cup. You lose 3 Constitution points |
| 11 | You are offered a Fortune card for 2 besants |
| 12 | Attacked by two brigands |
| 13 | A knight offers to exchange information. Exchange one of your Fortune cards with one from the deck |
Encounter in the Fortress (roll one d10 once on arrival)
| Roll | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 1 | The fortress passes your inspection |
| 2 | Saxon raiders harry the surroundings. You must fight their champion, whose base Combat Strength is 3 and Resolution 4. He is armed with a sword and protected by chain mail |
| 3 | You spend two rounds supervising the construction of the southern wall |
| 4 | A knight wishes to join your faction. If you recruit him, you lose one Honour point for having stooped to deal with one of the king's men |
| 5 | The garrison needs provisions. Go to the nearest town to obtain them and return to the fortress |
| 6 | You discover that the garrison commander is a crook of the worst kind. Fight him until he surrenders, so that he may be brought before the king's justice. His base Combat Strength is 4 and his Resolution 6. He is armed with a sword and protected by plate armour |
| 7 | You are involved in a duel with the garrison commander. If you must surrender, you lose 1 Honour point. His characteristics are 6 … (the source text is cut off here) |
| 8 | Detestable food. You lose 3 Constitution points |
| 9 |
Encounter on Christian Land (roll one d10 once on arrival)
| Roll | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 1 | No encounter. You may return to court, your Quest complete |
| 2 | At the chapel door, two knights ask to join you. Their price is 4 besants each |
| 3 | You arrive during Mass. You gain 1 Virtue point if you are Christian. You lose 1 Knowledge point if you are a druid |
| 4 | The priest tells you where the Holy Shroud is. Look at the next five Fortune cards and take the Shroud card if it is among them. (Shuffle the cards after looking at them) |
| 5 | A hermit offers to be your teacher. For each round spent here, your Resolution and Virtue increase by 1. However, you must give half of your money to the chapel |
| 6 | You find proof of evil practices. If you are Christian, spend 1 Resolution point to try to exorcise the spirit. You must then roll under your Virtue to succeed. On a failure, make a new attempt the following round. If you are a druid, the Quest has failed |
| 7 | The priest reports a misdeed by another knight. You may ask another player knight to return to court immediately to answer for it before the King |
| 8 | The priest offers you an indulgence. For each besant paid, you may convert one point of Knowledge into Virtue |
Encounter at the Cromlechs (roll one d10 once on arrival)
| Roll | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 1 | No encounter. You may return to court, your Quest complete |
| 2 | A knight asks to join your faction. His price is 3 besants |
| 3 | As you approach the cromlech, you are surrounded by druidic priests. If you are a druid, they release you. If you are Christian, they capture you. Each round, make a roll under your Virtue -3. On a failure, you lose 1 Constitution point. When your Constitution reaches 1, they release you, weakened and exhausted |
| 4 | A druidic priest offers to be your teacher. For each round spent here, your Resolution and Knowledge increase by 1. However, you must give half of your money to the priest |
| 5 | You find proof of evil practices. If you are a druid, spend 1 Resolution point to try to exorcise the spirit. You must then roll under your Knowledge to succeed. On a failure, make a new attempt the following round. If you are Christian, the Quest has failed |
| 6 | While you pray at the altar, a worshipper offers you a Fortune card for 2 besants |
| 7 | The priest reports a misdeed by another knight. You may ask another knight to return to court immediately to answer for it before the King |
| 8 | The priestess reveals where the Dragon Banner is. If you already hold a Fortune card of druidic or neutral location, you may look at the next ten Fortune cards and take the Banner card if it is among them. (Shuffle the cards after looking at them) |
Annex 1: Combat Reference
Weapons (to be added to base Combat Strength):
| Weapon | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Sword of Light | +2 |
| Lance | +1 |
| Battle-axe | +2 * |
| Greatsword | +3 * |
* Reduces Constitution by 1.
Armour (to be added to Constitution):
| Armour | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Chain mail | +1 |
| Plate armour | +2 |
The charge:
| Roll | Shield | Body | Helm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | 3 | 5 |
Effects of the result:
- 1: Nice blow, but no effect.
- 2: Lance deflected. Roll on the body column.
- 3: Unhorsed. Loss of 1 Constitution point.
- 4: Horse killed. Loss of 1 Constitution point.
- 5: Unhorsed. Loss of 2 Constitution points.
- 6: Unhorsed. Loss of 3 Constitution points.
Market prices:
| Item | Knights sell | Knights buy |
|---|---|---|
| Sword | 1 | 2 |
| Sword of Light | 2 | 3 |
| Greatsword | 4 | 6 |
| Chain mail | 4 | 6 |
| Plate armour | 5 | 8 |
| Battle-axe | 3 | 4 |
| Lance | 0 | 1 |
| Potion of healing | 0 | 3 |
| Prayer of healing | 0 |
Turn summary:
- Quest rounds 1 to 5: movement and action, or encounter.
- First Court round: income for everyone; rewards, promotions and knights present.
- Second Court round: joust.
- Third Court round: distribution and choice of new Quests; playing Fortune cards; negotiation between knights; drawing a Fortune card; location of the court.
Annex 2: Enemies and Opponents
Wolves. They are not dangerous enemies, unless your Constitution is low. They attack at night, and you have a 50% chance of being badly bitten. This brings on a bout of bad fever that reduces your Constitution by 2. Even if your Constitution is only 2, this blow is never fatal. Your faithful squire, who travels everywhere with you (I bet you had forgotten), cures you of rabies. Neither Prayers nor Potions of Healing have any effect. You can only recover your 2 Constitution points at court.
Brigands. Low-life scum, small and filthy, creep up behind your noble person and surprise you in the middle of the third verse of "Onward, Christian Soldiers." They have a Combat Strength of 2 and are armed with a sword. They always strike first. You must then make a roll under your Resolution before riposting, so as to show them what wood you are made of.
Demons. They inflict small physical wounds but, through the fear they inspire, can overwhelm even the boldest knights. Their Combat Strength is 3. They always strike first. They faint when they have been hit three times. When fighting a demon, start at 0 on the opponent's Constitution scale. Each round of combat increases it by 1 point. If it becomes greater than your Resolution or your Constitution, one or the other is reduced by 1 point for each blow endured. (It has gashed you severely and you lose your head; you are heard babbling incomprehensible things.) You will then need 2 rounds to recover your wits, after which your Constitution will be 1 and your Resolution will drop by 2 points.
Annex 3: Character Sheet
The character sheet is a blank form for recording a knight's characteristics. The source states: "You may place the equipment or fief counters directly on the character sheet."
Translator's Notes
These notes record where this English text departs from, or cannot fully reproduce, the French source. The rules are otherwise transcribed as printed.
- Source type. The French text is a community transcription on a strategy-games website, not a publisher PDF. Its tables were flattened in the text and have been rebuilt from the page's table markup. Diagrams (the board photo, the joust movement and collision diagrams, the Fortune card art, the character sheet and the component photos) are not reproduced.
- OCR-like slips. The French contains typographic errors such as "D 1O" for d10, "I" for 1 and "lune" for "l'une". These are read as the numbers and words they clearly denote.
- Sword of Light bonus. The weapon table in the main rules and the worked examples give a Sword of Light a Combat Strength bonus of +1. Annex 1 gives +2. Both values are printed in the source; they are shown as printed here.
- Sword bonus. The main weapon table lists the Sword with no bonus value.
- Civil war chances. The source's civil war table lists cycle 10 twice, at 80% and at 100%. The text states that the chance is 100% at the end of cycle 10 and that the civil war begins automatically at that point.
- Crown counter. The components list labels the Crown counter as "unused" (inutilisé), while the setup places it on Camelot to mark the court. Both are printed; the setup use is the one followed in play.
- Joust prizes. The prize table gives no second prize for 2 or 3 participants; these cells are shown as "—".
- Fortress encounter 7. The source text is cut off after "His characteristics are 6".
- Charge chances. The source gives the charge zone table's "chance of success" column without its values. The values used here (6, 5 and 4 for shield, body and helm) are those given in the worked example and match the modifiers printed beside each zone.