Archetypes. Pendragons. Nobles. Knights

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2 Archetypes At the center of each character card, just below the image of the character token, is a symbol denoting the character s Archetype. The Archetypes are Pendragons; Knights; Nobles; Commoners; Hostiles; Legendary; Ladies; Fay; and Beasts. Archetypes are groups of characters with similar abilities or limitations. Archetypes can be various loyalties. For example there are Loyal knights and there are Usurper knights. Pendragons Pendragons are the pinnacle of Arthurian society. The Pendragons are Arthur, Mordred and Morgana. If your team loses all its Pendragons your team loses the game. Pendragons start with zero helpers, but they may muster up to 4 helpers. A Pendragon may not labor but with Helpers. Pendragons add an additional 1 to Combat when using Excalibur for a total of +2 using Excalibur. Pendragons derive no benefits from taking companions. Players must have one allied Pendragon alive or your side loses. Knights Knights are bound by a code of chivalry. They must answer lawful challenges. They may court maidens and take them as companions. Knights can be mounted or unmounted, Loyal, Usurper or an unknown alliance. Loyalty is indicated by shield color while knights with steeds are shown on horseback. Knights may not Hide. Knights may not take helpers. Nobles Nobles are landed persons. In general nobles may muster and keep helpers. Nobles may not Labor unless they have a retinue or army represented by helper chips. They do not derive any benefit from adding a maiden from the board, but may still cuckold a lady. Nobles may assist Command actions. Nobles are characters which may be accompanied by retinue including laborers or soldiers. Commoners are not so much individual characters as representations of the populace. As such commoners can never really be killed or removed from play. What 1

3 Commoners nobles, commoners (and wolves) have in common is the use of the Helper counter. Helpers A helper is a green counter with a number indicating the number of Helpers. Helpers can be serfs, peasants, men-at-arms, wolves, soldiers or whatever is appropriate for the assigned character. If a character with Helpers is wounded, the helpers are discarded in equal number before any wounds are actually suffered. Helpers only add bonuses to Labor or Combat. Helpers penalized Hide. The number of helpers a character starts with is indicated on his character card. Helpers are placed under the primary character s stack and move wherever the primary character moves. Note that Emperor Lucius is mounted but he has 4 Helpers representing his Legions. Helpers are not mounted and therefore when traveling with his Legions, Emperor Lucius moves as if on foot even when he is mounted. The commoners are peasants, serfs, freemen and townsfolk. They are good at labor and it is the common folk that labor in Arthur s realms. Commoners cannot be killed. When a commoner loses a helper, it retreats. When a commoner loses all its helpers the card is moved to the opponent s deck and takes 4 new helpers. Hostiles Hostiles are foreign nobles with all the same abilities as nobles. Hostiles are known to be treacherous if they enter Logres. Emperor Lucius is known to be treacherous when he appears. The primary hostiles are Caledon the Pict, Cheldrich the Saxon and Emperor Lucius. However, so long as hostiles remain in their homelands, they are immune to attacks or acts of aggression. A Hostile who leaves his homelands is suspect, but not considered an Usurper until crossing a border to enter Logres. When a hostile enters Logres, that character is known to all as a Usurper/invader. 2

4 Emperor Lucius homeland is the Roman Empire so he is known as an Usurper as soon as he makes his first appearance. Ladies A Lady is different from a maiden in that a Lady is a playable character. A maiden from the game s standpoint is a companion token. Although a Lady is a playable character, a lady may not initiate combat and may not Assist others in combat. If a lady is attacked by someone other than a knight the lady perishes on the spot. Knights, even Usurper knights, may not strike Ladies. When a knight scores a hit on a Lady, she is not wounded, but captured. In such event, place her token under the knight who is holding her hostage. The capturing knight s Combat attribute is diminished by 1 when he has a hostage. If a knight with a hostage is attacked the first Wound he suffers in each attack will strike the hostage and not the captor. The Dragon may take maidens hostage. In the same way, the Dragon may take a lady hostage. Beasts Beasts are animals of the realms. Beasts do not Charm, Quest, Command, Assist, or Labor. Beasts ignore boundary colors and move over mountains and through forests at the same rate as over any other realm. Beasts come in two varieties: Aggressive and Skittish. Aggressive characters attack as soon as they are revealed and in some cases pursue those who reveal them. Skittish beasts will not initiate Combat. Skittish characters take Wounds normally, but when Combat is ended they retreat from the space where they were attacked. The opposing player or team chooses an adjacent space for the retreat, but skittish characters always prefer to retreat to vacant spaces. When that is not possible, they retreat to the space with the fewest number of characters. Fay Fay are magical creatures not from our world. They are from Fairyland, a place not far from Arthur s realm but far from our world today. Nimue, also called the Lady of the Lake, and Mab, known to many as the Fairy Queen, are fay. Fay share a number of powers and a few limitations. Fay are neither good nor evil, 3

5 Loyal nor Usurper. Instead fay follow their own path changing loyalties and moving from deck to deck as the game progresses. Fay are fickle, but each Fay has a favored character. The Lady of the Lake favors Arthur. The Fairy Queen favors Morgana. The Lady of the Lake begins the game in the Usurper deck. Mab the Fairy Queen is introduced by a Questing event. Favored Characters The Fairy Queen favors Morgan Le Fay. The Lady of the Lake favors King Arthur. No matter who is controlling which domain fay, neither of them will charm or attack their favored characters. In addition, fay may use an Action to automatically and completely remove any wounds or charms from their favored characters. To so heal a character, the fay must be in the same space as the favored character. Nature of Opposition When in play the Fairy Queen Mab and Nimue are opposite decks and at each shuffle of the cards they switch decks. A no point in any game should Mab and Nimue be in the same deck. If this ever happens by accident, immediately put Nimue in the Loyal Deck and place Mab in the Usurper Deck. If this pulls cards from the hands of players, replenish character cards to players. Shuffle Characters One of the fay s most important and most powerful abilities is the ability to shuffle character cards. Using an Action a Fay can force an immediate shuffle of character cards. The player taking this action can move before or after the shuffle, but he is only allowed 1 move. Each time this action is used, the fay is swapped to the opposing character deck. If Nimue takes this Action and the Fairy Queen is not in play, her card now enters play in the deck which Nimue left. After the shuffle, turn order continues and players place new character at their first available turn. Alter Quests Fay may use an action to move quest chips to or from spaces. They do this by swapping stacks, which means they can move one stack of chips to one space and another stack of chips to that space. A stack of chips can be 0, 1 or any number of chips, but the stack includes every Quest token in the space. Fay can swap any stack of chips in their current space to any space in their domain. This action is not allowed at the Lake. Moving Others As an Action fay can move another character to or from their associated Feature. In other 4

6 words, Mab the Fairy Queen can move a character from the Enchanted Forest or to the Enchanted Forest. Nimue can move characters to or from the Lake. This power is limited in that the target must start and end the Action in the fay s domain. As an example, this means that Mab can move a character in a forested space to the Enchanted Forest. Or, Mab could move a character in the Enchanted Forest to any space that has forest. By the same token, Nimue can move any character in a space bordering the water to the Lake. Or Nimue can move any character at the Lake to any other space bordering the water. Characters These character notes are summed up at the bottom of each character card. When playing your first game, there is no reason to worry much about these rules. In subsequent games, these rules can bring about unique scenarios and options for both teams. To play a basic game, use the limited Loyal and Usurper decks suggested in the Your First Game section. Sir Agravaine Usurper Agravaine is a handsome man and a capable fighter, but unlike his heroic brothers Gawain and Gareth, Agravaine has a reputation for malice and villainy. Agravaine would like to see the downfall of Arthur and thus he will try to reveal Lancelot s affair with Guinevere. Therefore, Agravaine can use his action to move either Guinevere or Lancelot on space. The only limit on this ability is that the movement must cause the pair to get closer to one another. Sir Alymere Knight of the Realm Alymere is a minor knight of limited ability who will join whichever side reveals him. Annowre Usurper Annowre invested most of her magic in a spell to lure King Arthur to her. It was her presumption that once he was in her presence she could seduce him. But King Arthur rejected her and would not lay down with her. For this she hates and despises him. Although she was not able to seduce him, she still has the power to call to him. Annowre uses this power to lure Arthur into dangerous places where Usurper knights, or worse, may attack him. On her turn, Annowre can use her Action to move Arthur one space. When so moved, Arthur ignores closed portals and enters or exits through secret passages that only Arthur knows. 5

7 King Arthur Loyal Arthur is the king of Logres and is married to Guinevere. His best friend is Lancelot du Lac. His bastard son is Mordred. Morgan Le Fay is his half-sister and the mother of his son Mordred. If Arthur is killed or charmed the Loyal players lose the game. Arthur is a Pendragon which means he is of royal blood and some say descended from dragons. Arthur is a skilled warrior, bested only by Lancelot. In fact, when he is wielding Excalibur no man including Lancelot is his equal in battle. Despite his impressive combat ability, Arthur s best position is not in melee. In fact, the king is far too valuable to risk in most fights. Arthur s best position is leading the troops especially from his throne at Camelot. Sir Balyne the Poor Loyal Sir Balyne is an impoverished but Loyal knight. His is impoverished because he has spent his fortune and time seeking the Lady of the Lake. Balyne believes the Lady of the Lake killed his mother and will attack her if he begins his turn in the same space as her. The Basilisk Usurper The Basilisk is a magical 8-legged beast which is revealed by quest. Because the beast is aggressive it attacks anyone who reveals it. Any target wounded by the basilisk is turned to stone. The card of the petrified character is immediately removed from play. However, the playing token stays on board and is marked with a Petrified counter. After the initial attack basilisk card is put in Usurper deck. The Bear Beast The Bear is an Aggressive Beast and attacks the quester that reveals it. Upon reveal the Bear is not put into any deck. The Bear is instead paired with the character that revealed the Bear. The Bear attacks the quester again when quester is next active and continues to do so each time the quester takes an action. The Bear moves when and where target moves until target or bear is dead. Anyone who defeats the Bear gains 1 Boon. Constable Bedevere - Loyal Bedevere is the constable of King Arthur. Bedevere is extremely good at preventing Mayhem. Add any helpers he has, plus any Commoner helpers to the defense when his space is looted or pillaged. The Black Knight - Usurper The Black Knight prefers not to speak. Instead, he lets his combat skill speak for him. The Black Knight is skilled at combat but he has focused his training on the attack. When attacking he is +4, which makes him the equal of King Arthur or Prince Mordred. 6

8 The Boar - Beast The Boar is an Aggressive Beast, neither Loyal nor Usurper. If the Boar is wounded it retreats to an adjacent vacant space as a skittish beast might. (The opponent chooses the retreat.) Any character who defeats the boar gains 1 Boon or 2 Provisions. Sir Bors the Younger - Loyal Bors, recognizable by a distinctive scar on his forehead, is one of the Round Table s finest knights. It is a said that he was worthy to witness the Grail s mysteries alongside Galahad and Percival. A maiden once approached Bors vowing to commit suicide unless he spends the night in her arms. Bors, having taken a vow of celibacy, refused her, so the maiden leaps off a castle wall, presumably to her death. However, the leaps reveals the maiden as a demoness capable of flight. Bors is immune to the charms of the Succubus. During an adventure, Bors was forced to choose between rescuing either his brother Lionel and saving a young girl from Tarquine the Cruel. Bors chose to help the maiden, so when Lionel escaped he tried to murder Bors. When he is set upon by Lionel, Bors refused to raise a weapon against his kinsman. Bran McMorn - Usurper Bran McMorn is a petty caster, not much of a threat to Merlin and not much of a caster compared to Morgana. He is better at Mayhem (looting and pillaging) than he is at spell casting. He has some healing abilities, but is perhaps best used in support. Bran s token starts the game in the Pict Lands prior to initial deployment. As an inactive character he can assist or defend himself like a normal character. Sir Breunor - Loyal Sir Breunor le Noir was nicknamed La Cote Mal Taillée ( of the badly-fitting coat ) by Sir Kay. When Sir Kay made this comment, he did not not know that Breunor was wearing Breunor s father s badly fitted and blood-stained armor. Breunor was knighted after saving Guinevere from an escaped lion. Duke Cador - Loyal Duke Cador is said to be a Roman, loyal to Arthur. Guinevere was raised as his charge. Cador has organized an army of 4 Helpers which he intends to use against Emperor Lucius. Caledon the Pict - Usurper Caledon is a Pict leader chief who is hostile to the rule of Arthur. Caledon starts the game with 1 Helpers representing his Pict warriors. As the game progresses Caledon may muster additional helpers or Caledon can also gain helpers as revealed by Quest cards. It s possible for Caledon to return to 7

9 the game after he has been killed. This is because some Quest cards may call for the return of Caledon to the game. When this happens another Pict warlord has picked up the cause of the Picts. Chief Cheldrich - Usurper Cheldrich is a Saxon chief who is opposed to the rule of Arthur. He starts the game with 2 Helpers representing his Saxon allies. As the game progresses he may muster additional helpers or Cheldrich can also gain helpers as revealed by Quest cards. It s possible for Cheldrich to return to the game after he has been killed. This is because some Quest cards may call for the return of Cheldrich. When this happens, Cheldrich s son, or another Saxon chief, has picked up the cause of the Saxons. Sir Dagonet the Jester - Loyal Sir Dagonet is Arthur s jester. As the fool of court he is beloved by many and respected by few. Arthur admires Dagonet s loyalty and for this loyalty Dagonet was knighted. Dagonet takes his knighthood seriously and endeavors to serve Arthur as best as he may. Sir Dalides the Rash - Knight of the Realm Dalides is renowned for his quick thinking but not for his deep thinking. He will join whichever side reveals him. Sir Dinadan - Knight of the Realm Dinadan is a minor knight of limited ability who will join whichever side reveals him. Dinadan is the brother of Sir Breunor. Dinadan is known for his good humor and his preference to avoid a fight when possible. The Dragon - Usurper The dragon is an aggressive legendary beast that immediately attacks whomever rouses him. The dragon enters the game when revealed by quest. When the dragon is revealed he is not added to the Usurper deck. Instead the dragon is immediately added to the hand of the next active Usurper player. This player is granted no extra actions or moves, but he may make immediate use of the dragon. The dragon will never quest but he can use his quest ability to seek hidden foes. The dragon will never Assist. The dragon can suffer 3 grazes (which means 2 extra wounds) before he is hurt. Elaine of Astolat - Loyal Elaine of Astolat is a Loyal character and a skilled healer. Also called the Lady Shalot, she is hopelessly endlessly in love with Lancelot du Lac. That love is unrequited. When she is active she must move closer to Lancelot, or she suffers a wound. This is not a bonus movement and this move consumes the player s Movement. 8

10 Eventually, such movement may put her in the same space as Lancelot. If she ever reaches the same space as Lancelot, his token is immediately moved out of that space. When he leaves her space, she suffers a Wound. Lady Elaine may not heal or restore herself. If such an event causes Lancelot to move then the player with Lancelot in his hand chooses where to move Lancelot. If Lancelot is not an active character, the Usurpers choose where to move Lancelot. If Elaine is killed or dies, Lancelot suffers a Wound and a Charm. Sir Erec - Loyal Erec met Enide while on a quest to defeat a knight who had mistreated one of Guinevere s servants. Enide and Erec fell in love and married, but soon after rumors spread that Erec no longer cared for knighthood. To prove to his wife that he was not domesticated and retired from adventure, Erec brought Enide on a long, tortuous quest. The pair survived a number of adventures that proved both Erec s love of Enide and his value to Arthur. The Faerie Knight - Usurper The Faerie Knight, though he hates to admit it, is only half fay. The Faerie Knight is half human but he does not much care for human company and will not assist human allies. The Faerie Knight draws his power from the Fay Queen and the forest. When he is in her space he may collect a boon whenever he does not take an Action or grant an Assist. Each turn in the forest he may similarly take one boon if he doesn t act or assist. When in a forested space with the Fay Queen he may take 2 boons in one turn. Add these chips to his stack and expend them as normal boons. Using this action the Faerie Knight may never collect more than 4 chips at a time. As an Action the Faerie Knight may move a character from his space to any adjacent space in the forest. Neither the Faerie Knight or his target are required to be in a forested space to take this action, but the target of this Action must end up in a forested space. The destination space must be adjacent to the character s original position. The Faerie Knight is not a Domain Fay. Sir Faradien - Knight of the Realm Faradien is a minor knight of limited ability who will join whichever side reveals him. Florisdelfa - Loyal Florisdelfa was trained by Merlin. He was intrigued by her beauty but was eventually repelled by her morose brooding temperament. Florisdelfa is concerned with things beautiful and she likes to believe that she is one of the fairest ladies in the land. Florisdelfa is indeed fair. But she does not 9

11 know how fair she is. Therefore, Florisdelfa is compelled to look upon the face of Isolde the Fair to see if Isolde really is as fair as they say. Isolde is more fair than Florisdelfa can possibly imagine and if she ever gazes upon the face of Isolde, Florisdelfa will kill herself. When Florisdelfa reaches Isolde s space, Florisdelfa is removed from play. Florisdelfa may not start in the same space as Isolde. Florisdelfa may not begin in any space adjacent to Isolde. Isolde may not begin the game in Florisdelfa s space. Mordred secretly pines for Florisdelfa. Her death will strike him with one Wound. If Mordred is not yet in play when Florisdelfa perishes, the Usurper team places him on the board as a normal placement and there mark him with 1 Wound. The Free Men - Loyal Free men are fine at providing labor. In addition Free Men can move their helpers to any other character who is eligible to take Helpers. For example, if Cador s army is depleted through battle, Free Men can replenish his ranks. Sir Gaheris - Loyal Gaheris is enjoys the company of maidens. He took Blanchefleur as a companion, but that did not prevent him courting other beauties. Because of his weakness for the fairer sex, Gaheris understands Lancelot s temptations and can therefore help prevent Lancelot from getting caught by Arthur. For this reason Guinevere does not tempt Lancelot when Gaheris is in the same space as Guinevere. When Gaheris is in the same space as Lancelot or Guinevere, Agravaine may not move Lancelot. Sir Galahad - Loyal Some call Galahad the perfect knight and one of Arthur s most valuable subjects. In our game Galahad has a powerful combination of questing, discipline and combat skill that make him ideally suited for the Grail Quest. Sir Gareth Beaumans - Loyal Gareth as an exemplar of chivalry, devoted to his king and to Lancelot. Gareth is a better than average warrior with excellent Discipline. When Gareth first arrived in Camelot Sir Kay confused him for a kitchen boy. As such Kay nicknamed him Beaumains because the kitchen boy had good hands. Gareth accepted the tasks assigned him, and later Kay was embarrassed to learn that Gareth was a knight in good standing. Gareth later went to the aid of Lunete to save her sister Lyonorr from the Red Knight of the Red Lands. Lunete also mistakes Gareth for a mere kitchen boy and derided him as such. On his quest to save Lyonorr, Gareth defeated the Black Knight, overcame the Green Knight and defeated the Red Knight. 10

12 Sir Gawain - Loyal Sir Gawain is a Loyal knight known for his great courage. He is immune to the effects of fear. Gawain is one of Arthur s most powerful subjects because he has a broad base of talents and is fiercely Loyal to his king and family. Gawain is known as a compassionate warrior because he is a defender of the poor, the weak and women. Gawain makes it a point to befriend to young knights. Gawain s knowledge of herbs makes him a great healer. Sir Geraint - Loyal After the death of his his wife, Geraint came to King Arthur seeking adventure. Sir Geraint is older than most of the other knights, but he is still eager to prove his worth to Arthur. The Ghost - Usurper The ghost is a dark spirit who is cursed to haunt a place which is revealed by quest. Anyone who suffers a wound from a ghost is also afflicted by Fear and must retreat from the space. The ghost may not move or leave his current position. If the ghost is defeated the victor gets 3 boons. Sir Girflet - Loyal Girflet has known and been friends with Arthur since they were young squires. Girflet s loyalty is unquestioned and his advice is heeded by Arthur. Girflet is useful granting an Assist to Arthur s command Action. The Green Knight - Usurper Bertilak the Green Knight is an Usurper by enchantment rather than by choice. As a result of the spell cast upon him, the Green Knight will not take a Wound when struck by a good character. If a Loyal character scores a Wound upon the Green Knight, the Green Knight retreats to an adjacent space of the Green Knight s choosing. Queen Guinevere - Loyal Queen Guinevere s is Arthur s wife and Queen. She is the fairest lady in all the lands and few can resist her charms. Guinevere has very limited and weak magical abilities and she can heal allies but these abilities are not allowed in the basic game. As a Lady, she may not initiate combat and may not Assist others in combat. If Guinevere is attacked by someone other than a knight she perishes on the spot. Guinevere is a Lady. Knights, even Usurper knights, may not strike Ladies. When a knight scores a hit on a Lady such as Queen Guinevere, she is not wounded, but captured. In such event, place her token under the knight who is holding her hostage. The capturing knight s Combat attribute is diminished by 1 when he has a hostage. If a knight with a hostage is attacked the first Wound he suffers in each attack will strike the hostage and not the captor. 11

13 Example Tarquine has taken Guinevere hostage. Gareth strikes Tarquine scoring 2 wounds. One wound strikes Guinevere, the second wound strikes Tarquine. Later, Gareth and Tarquine fight again. This time Gareth scores 3 hits on Tarquine. Guinevere suffers another wound, but two hits are scored on Tarquine. The capturing knight may release his hostage at any time at his sole discretion or he will release her when he perishes. While she is hostage the Queen is allowed no actions and cannot tempt Lancelot. Prince Mordred is not a knight. He is a Pendragon. He may take the Queen hostage, or if he wishes he may simply attack and kill her. Taking the Queen hostage is treason and of course reveals the captor as an Usurper. Loyal characters may not take the Queen hostage. Sir Hagueniax - Knight of the Realm Hagueniax ( AG-wen-yax) is a minor knight of limited ability who will probably join Arthur and the Loyals. Sir Hector of the Marsh - Loyal Sir Hector of the Marsh is an excellent scout. He is the half-brother of Lancelot and friend of Gawain. Because of his great skill as a scout and because he is from the Fens, Hector can find characters who hide in the Fens. Duke Horel the Bruse - Loyal Horel is a staunch ally of the crown, a noble from Brittany who has proven himself to be a capable general and a respected ruler. When Horel s niece is raped and killed by a giant, and Horel travelled with Kay and Bedivere to exact revenge. Isolde the Fair - Usurper Isolde the Fair is one of the fairest ladies in the lady and plays an integral part in the vignette of Tristan and Isolde. At the start of the game Isolde must move toward Tristan or suffer a Charm. (This is more fully described in the Tristan and Isolde Vignette.) Sir Kay the Seneschal - Loyal Sir Kay is a sharp-tongued knight and a sort of older step-brother to Arthur. Though his brusque ways sometimes annoy, his loyalty is never questioned and he is a great friend in support. When Sir Kay lends and Assist the result is +2 rather than +1. Sir Lamorak - Loyal Sir Lamorak is a Loyal knight known far and wide for his strength and his fiery temper. Lamorak is said to have successfully battled great numbers of knights and there are 12

14 some who claim he is the equal of Lancelot in battle. Lamorak is much better in offense than defense and adds +2 to his Combat when on attack. Lancelot Du Lac - Loyal Lancelot is the greatest swordsman in all the land. He is a Loyal subject to Arthur and his Queen Guinevere. The Loyal players should take care to keep Lancelot out of Guinevere s space, lest they lose both characters. This is described in further detail in the Betrayal. Sir Lionel - Knight of the Realm Lionel will join whichever side reveals him. Lionel was once captured by Tarquine the Cruel who whipped him with briars and threw him in the dungeon. Lionel also is the brother of Bors the Younger, but Lionel lacks Bors talents and discipline. Sir Lovel - Knight of the Realm Lovel is a minor knight of limited ability who will join whichever side reveals him. Emperor Lucius - Usurper Emperor Lucius is a foreign hostile who is eager to reconquer Britain and return her to the yoke of the Roman Empire. Lucius has 4 Helpers to represent his Roman Legions. Emperor Lucius is mounted but travels if on foot when with his helper. Lucius is known as a Usurper when he appears in the game. Lucius may not Muster troops. Mab the Fairy Queen - Fay Mab the Fairy Queen is introduced to the game by Quest. Mab can also enter the game if Nimue forces a shuffle of character cards. The domain of the Fairy Queen includes all spaces that contain forest and her associated feature: the Enchanted Forest. Domainbased fay can never leave their own domain. The Fairy Queen crosses green borders as if they were white. Read more about Domain Fay in the Archetypes section. Maldue the Hedge Mage - Loyal Maldue s knowledge of magic comes from studying ancient texts. His Magic is slightly stronger than either Bran or Skald, but he is very awkward in combat. King Mark - Neutral Noble King Mark begins the game in Cornwall at the south western tip of Britain. At the beginning of the game he is a neutral character who may not be attacked, will not attack and will not assist. King Mark only enters play after the love of Tristan and Isolde consummated. When Tristan and Isolde s love is consummated they will jointly join either the Usurpers or the Loyals. Mark will join the opposing side as described in the Vignette of Tristan and Isolde. 13

15 Sir Melagant - Usurper Sir Melagant is an Usurper who sat at the round table. He specializes in taking others hostage. If he scores a hit on an opponent the defender takes no wound but is instead taken as a hostage by Sir Melagant. Place the hostage under his token. Melagant may release the hostages at his whim or he may move about with hostages from space to space. If Sir Melagant is attacked when he has one or more hostages, his Combat is diminished by one for each hostage he has. His Labor is equal to the number of hostages he has. Melagant may disregard one Wound for each hostage he releases. It is the player s choice whether to release a hostage or suffer a wound. If Melagant is not controlled by any player, he will release captives before suffering wounds. Example Melagant is holding two hostages when he is set upon by Lancelot. Melagant s Combat is normally a +4 but he is only a +2 because he has two hostages. Lancelot strikes him scoring three hits. The player controlling Melagant opts to suffer 2 Wounds and release one hostage. The tokens of freed hostages are placed in the same space as Melagant and the character cards of the freed characters are given to the player who rescued the characters. If Melagant releases his hostages willingly, not as a result of combat, then the characters are returned to the players from which they were taken. Merlin the Magician - Loyal Merlin can effectively and reliably cast every single spell in the game. Because casters can use Magic to perform mundane tasks, Merlin is essentially a +5 in everything. When the game starts, all characters are presumed to be friendly king-loving lawabiding subjects. Merlin s foresight pierces this veil of propriety and he can see who is traitor and who is Loyal from the outset. Merlin can use an Action to reveal a traitor for whom he (or she) is. Once Merlin reveals a character as a traitor all players and character know that character is an Usurper. Merlin has a weakness though, and that weakness is young and fair women. He has trained many young maidens in the dark arts and this generally has not worked out well for Merlin. Merlin is no fool, and once he realizes that his student is not of good character or not interested in him, he ceases his training -reserving the most powerful secrets for himself. But, Merlin is a fool for one woman. Merlin was locked in ice, or in a tree, or otherwise imprisoned by Vivien, the woman whom he loved even after she betrayed him. Prince Mordred - Usurper Mordred is King Arthur s son by Arthur s half-sister Morgan Le Fay. His conception 14

16 was a result of a dark enchantment to a mother who learned sorcery under Merlin. Though he has not studied Magic he has some skill in its usage. Mordred is a Arthur s equal in battle but he also is gifted in healing. He will grudgingly heal allies but he thinks the Assist is beneath his station. Mordred will only grant an Assist to his mother, Morgan Le Fay. Morgan Le Fay - Usurper Morgana is Arthur s half-sister. She was trained by Merlin until he realized that her heart was wicked. What she did not learn from Merlin, she taught herself with the help of her patron, Mab the Fairy Queen. Morgan Le Fay is a Pendragon. This means that if Mordred is lost the Usurpers can still hold hope that Morgan Le Fay can win the game. If both Morgan and Mordred are lost, then the Usurpers lose the game. Nimue the Lady of the Lake - Fay The Lady of the Lake is not an Usurper, but her card begins the game in the Usurper deck. If her card is drawn by an Usurper player he may of course act with her as he pleases so long as she doesn t attack or beguile Arthur. When the character cards are shuffled the Lady of the Lake moves from one deck to the other. The domain of Nimue is the Lake and every space adjacent to water or her associated feature: the Lake. Read more about Domain Fay in the Archetypes Section. Sir Palamedes - Loyal Palamedes is a Saracen; though he is a foreigner his is a Loyal knight. Palamedes is a respectable warrior but he is especially skilled at killing beasts and is deadly when fighting dragons. There are no dragons in the basic game. The Peasants - Loyal The Peasants represent the hardworking people that are the backbone of Arthur s kingdom. While peasants are not good at questing, fighting or commanding they are very good at Labor. This Labor can be put to great effect growing food, repair structures or creating embattlements. Like all Commoners they cannot ever be killed because there are too many of them. Instead of taking wounds, Peasants lose Helpers. When all their Helpers are gone they switch decks and take 4 new Helpers. King Pellinore of Listenoise - Loyal King Pellinore battled King Arthur until he was enchanted by Merlin. Pellionore is now a trusted friend of Arthur. He begins the game with no helpers because his retinue is in Listenoise. During the course of the game Pellinore may muster up to 2 Helpers. Sir Percival - Loyal Percival is a commoner who was raised to squire and then to knight because of 15

17 his great valor and skills. Some say that Percival found the Grail, others say that he only searched for it. Though he was a commoner, he is as chivalrous as any Round Table Knight. He is a dependable, well-rounded character. The Red Knight - Usurper The Red Knight is a bit of a bully and prefers to fight peasants and commoners rather than fight other knights. He was bested in combat by Percival and lost his armor in a joust to Percival. The Serfs - Usurper The Serfs represent the malcontents commoners who support the rise of Prince Mordred. These useful idiots believe that there lot in life will be improved with new leadership. Serfs are not good at questing, fighting or commanding but they are very good at Labor. This Labor can be put to great effect growing food, repair structures or creating embattlements. Like all Commoners they cannot ever be killed because there are too many of them. Instead of taking wounds, Peasants lose Helpers. When all their Helpers are gone they switch decks and take 4 new Helpers. Skald the Warlock - Usurper Skald is a bard and teller of sagas. He has learned bits and pieces of magic by retelling old pagan tales. Skald is a better warrior than he is a magician and like Bran his magic is best used in support. Skald s token starts the game in the Saxon Lands prior to initial deployment. As an inactive character he can assist or defend himself like a normal character. The Stags - Beast The Stag and the White Stag are Skittish beasts hunted for sport and Provisions. The stags are neither Loyal nor Usurper and do not go in any deck. They retreat as per the rules for Skittish beasts if they are wounded. The Succubus - Usurper The Succubus is a demoness who makes herself appear as a beautiful and helpless maiden. Her kiss drains life energy and thus she may use her Charm to attack and cause Wounds, as well as to tempt loyalties. The player controlling the succubus must declare whether the character is charming or wounding prior to rolling dice, or the result defaults to charm. Whether she is charming or wounding her opponent the defender still rolls Discipline. Tarquine the Cruel - Usurper Tarquine enjoys torture. His reputation for cruelty and his proclivity for torture has earned him a nasty reputation. Because he is feared far and wide, if he scores a Wound on an opponent that opponent will flee in Fear 16

18 As a result the affected character is immediately moved to an adjacent space and marked with a Fear token. The player controlling the affected character chooses the destination of the retreat. If no one is controlling that character, Tarquine chooses the destination of the retreat. Thereafter on subsequent turns, the character will continue to avoid the Tarquine. This means that the character cannot move into the same space as Tarquine. Additionally, if Tarquine moves into the same space as the character, the affected character will retreat as described above. This character remains afflicted with Fear until the Wounds have been healed. Taulurd the Giant - Usurper Taulurd the Giant is no knight. He is a wretched oaf possessed of great strength. Legend says that Taulurd was killed by Sir Marhaus when he wandered near a mire and was slowed by mud. Taulurd s defense is diminished by 1 when he is at the Lake on in the space surrounding the Lake. Because Taulurd is not a knight, he is known as an enemy to Arthur and Logres when he makes his first appearance. Taulurd can suffer 1 extra wound (2 grazes) before he is hurt. Taulus the Giant - Usurper Like his brother Taulurd, Taulus is a giant. Taulus is revealed by Quest and is placed into the Usurper deck only when revealed. He is otherwise just like Taulurd. Like his brother, Taulus may suffer an additional wound before he is hurt. Tom Thumb - Loyal Tom Thumb is a comical character of English folk-tales. Although his tale is closely associated with the Arthur legend, some players will not enjoy the addition of this character. If Tom is not to your tastes, do not add him to play. Tom Thumb, though he is loathe to admit it, is half-fairy. Tom s most remarkable feature is his size. Namely he is no bigger than a man s thumb. Though small of stature, Tom is big of heart and full of luck. Tom starts the game with 3 boons. He is spry and lively and is well known for charming the ladies. He has tilted at the lists and has a measure of success. In combat, Tom is +4 on defense owing to his great dexterity and tiny size. Because of his tiny size, giants may not attack Tom. On the other hand, a single wound will kill Tom Thumb. Tom may not take a move from space to space as normal characters do. This is because the spaces are far too large for him. However, Tom can hitch a ride. Anytime an ally leaves his space, Tom may move with that character. In this way, Tom can quickly and easily move around the board. Tom may not hitch a ride unless he is an active character. 17

19 Townsfolk - Loyal Townsfolk, like Peasants, are hard-working souls of Arthur s kingdom. Because of their skills with repairing armor, crafting swords and tending for steeds and people, Townsfolk have some limited healing abilities. Sir Tristan - Loyal Sir Tristan is a Knight of the Round Table, but also the nephew and champion of King Mark of Cornwall. As a commoner Tristan was a huntsman. He still has great skill with the bow. Legends say that Tristan was killed by King Mark, because Tristan stole King Mark s bride away. This a story is represented by the Tristan and Isolde vignette. The Unicorn The Unicorn is revealed by quest. The Unicorn will defend an allied Lady if she is in the same space. Any attack on the Lady is an attack against the Unicorn. A Lady may not be taken hostage while the Unicorn is present. Vivien the Sorceress - Usurper Vivien is Merlin s greatest temptation. She is a young and beautiful enchantress who also apprenticed under Merlin. Merlin may not reveal Vivien as an Usurper even if she attacks him. Unless another character witnesses her treachery or her attack against Merlin, her treachery is unknown. Merlin will never speak ill of her. Vivien is +1 to all Actions when confronting Merlin. This is because he still believes that she truly loves him. She will never love Merlin. If she manages to charm him, he is imprisoned in ice. When he is imprisoned, leave Merlin s token in play where it stands, but he cannot take any Actions or move for the remainder of the game. Wolves - Usurper The hungry wolf pack is an Aggressive Beast added by Quest. Wolves have 4 helpers indicating the strength of the pack. The wolves go into the Usurper deck. Anyone who defeats the wolves gains 1 Boon. Sir Uwaine - Loyal Uwaine is a Loyal knight who is good at questing but probably not quite up to the task of fetching the Grail. 18

20 Actions Summary v means Arthur-dice. Assist Adds 1 to target. Attack v + Combat vs. v + Combat to determine the number of Wounds inflicted. Besiege Structure points removed = Combat + v minus 1 per defender in structure. Charm Attacker s v + Charm vs. Defender s v + Discipline to determine the number of Charms inflicted. Command Command + v = Bonuses.. Cuckold If Charm + v exceeds defender s Charm + v remove companion from defender s stack and place in same space. Heal 2 Provisions consumed = 1 Wound removed. Hide To hide, roll v + Hide Against seeker s v + Quest roll. If the Hide is successful the character moves to any vacant adjacent space. Labor v + Labor = Provisions created or Structure Points restored. Loot v + Mayhem minus number of opposing characters or serfs in space = Provisions stolen. Move Additional Movement is an Action Quest v + Quest = Quest chips removed. Pillage v + Mayhem - number of knights in space to determine the Provisions destroyed. Magic Summary Romance Difficulty equals the number of ladies already with suitors. Suitor must roll v + Charm greater than the number of companions to gain a companion. Open/Close Door Closing or opening a door costs an action. Reinforce Obtain new characters. Return 2 of your character cards to deck and take 2 new character cards. At the same time, next active opponent also draws 1 additional character card and adds it to his hand. Restore v + Restore = Wounds removed. Test Loyalty Reveal a knight in the same space. Assist m can assist at range of 1. Attack m can attack, defend, or besiege exactly as Combat. Buff m + v = the number of boons or banes created. Buff at range by subtracting 1 chip for each boundary crossed en route to the target. Cause Fear v + m vs. Discipline + v = number of turns Target flees away from caster. Despoil m + v equals number of Provisions destroyed. Fireball Attack multiple targets and/ or at range. Fly m + v = number of turns target may fly. Invisibility Subject may not be attacked or seen until subject takes an offensive action or chooses to be visible. Infiltrate Caster or a willing ally in the same space can move into an adjacent space or feature bypassing a secured door. Obscure m + v = Quest chips created in current space. Portend the Future Draw m + v + 5 cards from Quest Deck then order them as desired and return to deck. Revitalize m + v = Wounds removed. Scry No enemies may hide in this space or feature for a number of turns equal to v + m. Also reveals next Quest card to caster. Sleep Causes a character to lose a turn. Sleep is instantly canceled if the character is attacked. Only target casters can defend. v + m vs. v + m for the sleep to take effect. Summon Return 1 character card in your hand to deck. Draw m + v number of characters. Keep one of drawn cards and return the rest. Teleport m + v = number of borders target may cross. If the target is willing, spell is automatic. Subtract 2 if unwilling subject. m means the Magic Attribute. 19