Pendragon: Gamemaster’s Handbook by Greg Stafford

Seth Stauffer

Chivalry, glory, romance, and adventure. What more could someone expect from the Arthurian tabletop roleplaying game, Pendragon? Managing a table full of players can be tricky, and Chaosium has released a new Gamemaster’s Handbook for this classic TTRPG. No matter how noble a knight is, managing a group of gamers is heroic.

This handbook is a gorgeous full-colour supplement. It is laid out in an easy-to-read way, with vibrant, period-specific art throughout the text. Visually, the book captures the historical nature of the content nicely.

The meat of the text fleshes out the game in several ways. There is some great lore outlining the historical setting. It isn’t as detailed for running the game as it could be; the section on feudalism is very short, maybe a page long, but it’s essential information. Pendragon stands apart from many other games because it straddles history and fantasy in equal measure. It’s vital to ensure the GM is equipped to understand what that means for the setting.

Additional rules exist for aspects of the game like jousting. Even though this is a gamemaster resource, everyone should read it. Most of this book felt like an extension of the core rules. Anyone who wants to play Pendragon should consider spending time on it. 

All gamers should appreciate the impressive bibliography of works in the appendices regarding all things King Arthur. The works selected represent various types of writing, from classic chivalric romances to academic studies of the time. It’s a substantial reading list and shows the depth to which source material was studied to build the game. It was, beyond a doubt, a labour of love to create Pendragon.

Rounding out the Gamemaster Handbook are modules designed to teach people the game. These small one-shot ordeals were prepared to give new players an idea of what Pendragon is all about. There is more than one of these modules, along with all the NPCs and stat blocks for various creatures, so the book is comprehensive.

This book doesn’t necessarily feel like a resource for GMs. After reading it, I found that only a portion of the content appeared explicitly aimed at GMs. In many cases, e.g., jousting and social events, it seemed more like an extension of the core book. 

Pendragon is a robust and deep game. Chaosium’s Gamemaster’s Handbook is a needed complement to the core rules, and will position a GM in a good place to run their sessions. However, it is more than that; it is almost like a supplement to the core rules. As much as it is a text specific to a GM, this is practically required reading for players so that they are fully aware of the grand scope of Pendragon, which makes for hefty reading. Casual players may balk at this, but they won’t be disappointed by what’s available. There is very little filler. The core rules and this handbook should sit on the shelf of anyone wanting to immerse themselves in the world of King Arthur.