How Cruel Should I Be?

[dunlaing]

King Arthur has just taken up his crown. Unfortunately for the Player Knights, during the Anarchy Period, they convinced the countess to swear fealty to King Idres and join Cornwall. With Salisbury's help, Cornwall was able to annex Dorset as well, so Cornwall is pretty solidly entrenched in the south. Young squire Robert (the heir to Salisbury) has sworn fealty to Arthur (Arthur knighted him). Prince Mark is currently in charge of Salisbury, having married Countess Ellen.

The PKs have maintained their loyalty to Prince Mark and Cornwall, although they secretly hope that Arthur will conquer them so they can re-join Logres.

• If I want to be nice to the PKs, I could have Arthur take over Salisbury right away so they can enjoy all of the Arthur-centric events in the GPC.
• If I want to be cruel to the PKs, I could let things run the course they run in the GPC, so they don't become part of Logres for another 35 years or so and miss out on all the Arthur-centric events in the GPC.

What do you think? Should I be nice? Assuming I am nice, how long do you think it would realistically take Arthur, with less of an army than he has in the standard campaign (he doesn't have the troops from Salisbury and Dorset), to take back Salisbury from Cornwall? A year? more?

Do you think Arthur should punish the knights who counselled Ellen to betray Logres and join Cornwall? They've all gained manors over the years, and some of them became Knights Banneret as thanks from Mark for helping convince Ellen and for helping to conquer Dorset.

[ewilde1968]

Lots of possibilities here. I'd go for infighting and treachery within Salisbury, with lots of opportunity for intrigue and the like. Then, after two or three years, Arthur's side wins the day.

YMMV

[Merlin]

This sounds like a whole lot of fun to me! I like the idea of Salisbury splitting - you've got the camp around the Countess and the Players and the camp around Robert. Maybe this is an Old Knight, Young Knight split? Lot's of opportunities for traits to come into play here, and passions.

Personally, I'd be cruel, play out the above, but bring it to an end when its no fun any more. You can always move the GPC events around a bit if you want them to be involved - or even have them working against Arthur in some of these scenes in some way.

One lesson I've learnt through playing GPC is not to let the players have it too easy to soon. Its a long campaign, and they can quickly get too big for their boots if you do * where's that cruel GM emoticon *

[Morien]

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Add my vote for a Salisbury Civil War. Much more fun than 'impersonal' wars in the foreign parts! Build up family feuds that will last the rest of the campaign!

In addition, I'd keep in mind that Arthur will be crushing the Kings rather soon, if you are following the GPC. Hence, you get to have a few years of fun chaos, treachery, backstabbings and ambushes in Salisbury, and once that starts to pale, you have a perfect excuse to bring in Arthur. Also, no one says that they can't participate on the early events... on the other side! Feel the frustration of Lot as Arthur pulls more deus ex machinas out of his... helmet, than are seen in Greek Plays! Organize an attempt to kidnap his young, beautiful bride, Guinevere! The opportunities abound!

And of course, I might repeat my earlier suggestion of putting their heirs in Arthur's camp from the first, just to hedge their bets. This is assuming that they have old enough heirs to do that.

Finally, is there a GM worth his salt who is not grinning with evil intent as he is considering the forfeiture of all those vast estates that the PKs received for turning against Arthur? Muahahahahaa! (Not that I am saying it should be a foregone conclusion, but it is a nice prod to see who of the PKs choose loyalty and honor (their word), and who choose their lands and try to skip ship once the tide starts turning...)

[silburnl]

Pah, call yourself cruel? If you were really cruel, you'd be setting things up for the Cornish faction in Salisbury to seek out an alliance with Cerdic so that they march with the Saxon army to Badon...

Regards
Luke

[Palomydes the Saracen]

Perhaps be neither. Just impartial. the players have driven events in the campaign so far. let them continue. Do the battlesystem from book of battle. If Arthur wins great , if not great. Maybe Arthur never fully conquers salisbury? who knows. Also At court Artnur might invite Nuetral corts or even enemies to speak of truces etc. so players mite attend his events that way? Let the chips fall where they may.

[Xarlaxas]

I agree with Palomydes, don't go one way or the other, let events flow naturally and see where things end up, I've not read the GPC yet but I think that it's better to not railroad the PKs into losing or winning, if they end up being absorbed by Arthur's court through diplomacy or even losing to him it will feel more epic for them especially if afterwards you tell them how far off the official campaign they went but things didn't collapse!

Hope that makes sense, pretty tired at the moment. . . .

[Hzark10]

One of the great things about GPC and Pendragon in general, is everyone knows the 'great' stories, but just how many knights are there involved in them?  How many Knights of the Round Table histories are known completely?  There is lots of room for the PCs to have fun and the scope of the campaign is such that a clerver GM can interweave many, many plot twists along the way.

What you have written so far, I believer, could be the basis of a great campaign.

Just have fun and don't worry too much at this point.
Bob