Pyramid Review
Saxons! (for Pendragon RPG)
Published by Green Knight Publishing
By Roderick Robertson
144 pages, $24.95
When it comes to historical fantasy roleplaying games, only a few stand out as worthy of serious attention. Chief among them is King Arthur Pendragon from Green Knight Publishing (formerly from Chaosium). Over the years, Pendragon has produced some of the best historical fantasy supplements and adventures ever produced. Nearly every one shows an attention to detail and respect for its source material that continues to amaze me. It's little wonder that Pendragon remains a critical (and fan) favorite after a decade and a half.
The latest release for the line, Saxons! Wolves in the Fold of Arthur's Britain, continues in that fine tradition while at the same time highlighting the problems inherent in historical gaming. Saxons! provides plenty of detail on the Germanic invaders who play such a prominent role in Arthurian legendry. Like previous culture books for Pendragon, this one includes extensive details on Saxon culture, religion, and locales, as well as new rules for character generation and magic. As good as these details are, Saxons! is a book in conflict with itself, unsure of whether it's presenting a historical view of its subject, or a mythological one in keeping with Arthurian conventions.
Let's take a look at the supplement's contents and you'll see what I mean. The book begins with an introduction that includes . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: March 17, 2000
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