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La Table Ronde |
| 2021-05-18 |
La Table Ronde
Our national television aired Excalibur one Monday night in the 1980s. I was in primary school, I can still remember my classmates commenting it the next day. I could probably not watch it on that night, but it was safely taped on VHS for my later enjoyment.
I guess it was my first exposure to Carmina Burana, "O Fortuna"!
The first RPG I bought new was "Légendes de la Table Ronde", the first I had bought, was second-hand, and it was Star Frontiers. By acquiring "Légendes", I was pursuing my Excalibur fetish. I had limited information and access about role playing games at the time, but I seem to remember I knew about Pendragon by a friend and somehow felt like purchasing a second-best. But well, there was Arthur drawing Excalibur on the box.
Now, all regrets are gone. Whereas Excalibur the movie was inspired by Le Morte d'Arthur, Légendes de la Table Ronde is based on Chrétien de Troyes. Whereas Excalibur dresses its knights in fifteenth to sixteenth century full plate armors, La Table Ronde embraces the twelfth century mail and helms. Both items have not much to do with a historical Arthur, they can't be blamed, they take root in essential pieces of litterature and art.
La Table Ronde presents a twelfth century northern France transposed to the British Isles. It felt a bit of a twist, a post-Norman culture clothing a pre-Saxon Britain. A few years earlier I had read Ivanhoe and had learned about Normans and Saxons.
(While re-reading material, I found a scenario called "Le Charognard" (Not Grognard, Charognard, Scavenger). Interestingly, it's not set in the British Isles but in twelfth century Reims and sets in motion a plot fight between the Holy Roman Empire and one of his Bishops)
In high school I was confronted again with the Arthurian legends, we studied Chrétien de Troyes, it wasn't that easy as Chrétien's is eight centuries old. We also watched and were exposed to the themes in Excalibur. I wish I could meet that teacher again and ask more questions.
Légendes de la Table Ronde is an excellent role-playing game, it gave us hours of fun. I want to reproduce here its "background tables". They can be useful in other games that target the western twelfth century. It is not a bad target at all, the northern France is close to Britain, the Flanders, Lyon, the Holy Roman Empire.
I am currently playing a game set between Britain and Norway and powered by Wolves of God. I reproduce here the background table that comes with that Sine Nomine game.
Below is the background table used by Légendes de la Table Ronde. It is followed by a rank table for the Noble background. There is a seniority table for male children.
The last five tables determine the occupation of the father of the character. Occupations marked with a star are actual game classes.
A background gives status points to the character and the father occupation further modifies that status point. Those points are used to acquire skills later in the character creation.
# Background tables for Légendes de la Table Ronde
d100 background sta d100 rank sta d100 seniority
-------------------------------- ------------------ --------------------------
01-05 Serf (Slave, Thrall) 0 01-40 Knight 7 01 Bastard
06-20 Peasant 1 41-65 Baron 8 02-05 Legitimized Bastard
21-45 Village/City dweller 3 66-85 Count 10 06-30 4th child
46-70 Burgher 5 86-94 Marquis 10 31-55 3rd child
71-00 Noble * 95-99 Duke 12 56-80 2nd child
00 King 15 81-00 1st child
# Father occupation tables for Légendes de la Table Ronde
Serf Peasant Village/City Dweller Burgher Noble
d100 sta d100 sta d100 sta d100 sta d100 sta
------------------------------ ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------
01-10 Weaponsmith Assistant +1 01-13 Lumberjack - 01-03 Weaponsmith +2 01-03 Apothecary +1 01-15 Alchemist ★ +2
11-25 Blacksmith Assistant +1 14-26 Charcoal Maker - 04-06 Innkeeper - 04-06 Architect - 16-30 Astrologer ★ +2
26-40 Carpenter - 27-39 Breeder - 07-09 Barber - 07-09 Treasurer +2 31-80 Knight ★ +3
41-55 Servant - 40-52 Farmer - 10-12 Butcher - 10-12 Banker +2 81-95 Enchanter ★ +2
56-70 Farmer - 53-65 Market Gardener - 13-15 Baker - 13-15 Changer - 96-00 Sorcerer ★ -
71-85 Stable Servant - 66-78 Miller +1 16-18 Bricklayer - 16-18 Shipwright -
86-00 Herd Keeper - 79-91 Fisherman - 19-21 Carpenter - 19-21 Cabinetmaker -
92-00 Hermit ★ +2 22-24 Wheelwright - 22-24 Public Writer -
25-27 Coppersmith - 25-27 Scholar +1
28-30 Peddler - 28-30 Parchment Maker -
31-33 Shoemaker - 31-33 Rope Maker -
34-36 Cook - 34-36 Jeweler +2
37-39 Servant - 37-39 Luthier +1
40-42 Falconer +2 40-42 Goldsmith +2
43-45 Blacksmith +1 43-45 Perfumer +1
46-48 Mason - 46-48 Painter -
49-51 Farrier - 49-51 Poet/Writer -
52-54 Beggar - 52-54 Sculptor -
55-57 Joiner - 55-57 Glass Blower +1
58-60 Miner - 58-60 Taylor -
61-63 Potter - 61-63 Dyer -
64-66 Water Carrier - 64-66 Weaver -
67-69 Saddler - 67-70 Alchemist ★ +2
70-72 Stonecutter +1 71-72 Astrologer ★ +2
73-75 Tanner - 73-75 Enchanter ★ +2
76-78 Tavern keeper - 76-77 Hermit ★ +2
79-81 Cooper - 78-79 Spy ★ -
82-83 Assassin - 80-85 Man-at-arms ★ +1
84-85 Mountebank ★ +1 86-90 Trader ★ +1
86 Non-noble Knight ★ +3 91-94 Physician ★ +2
87 Enchanter ★ +2 95-96 Sorcerer ★ -
88 Hermit ★ +2 97-00 Minstrel ★ +2
89-90 Spy ★ -
91-92 Man-at-arms ★ +1
93-94 Trader ★ +1
95-96 Sorcerer ★ -
97-98 Minstrel ★ +2
99-00 Thief ★ -
I have the impression that both in Wolves of God and in Légendes, social classes are "equalized", serfs and peasants are not over-represented. The table reflect a sample more exposed to the hooks of adventure.
I would like to write more posts about Légendes de la Table Ronde. Its author Anne Vétillard was interviewed in the last Casus Belli, maybe there will be a re-edition of Légendes. I simply wish my copy of Légendes de la Table Ronde is still waiting for me in my parent's attic.
This post is part of a serie about Premières Légendes (especially its La Table Ronde instance):
- 2021-05-18 La Table Ronde - background tables - (the post above)
- 2021-05-20 First Legends - resolution system and skill system
- 2021-05-24 First Legends Combat - combat resolution system
