First things first...what this game ISN'T...

This is not any form of D&D, or an old-school retro clone. This is not high magic fantasy. This is not level-based D20.

What it is, is a game of Arthurian fantasy filled with knights, damsels in distress, mysterious magic and an elegant system for backing up role play with mechanics. The Passions and Traits are a beautifully simple way of having consistent (well, consistent-ish) characterization while not feeling intrusive during play.

The game's mechanics are simple, but not simplistic. Combat is realistically brutal and harsh, but not arbitrary. When you win, you won with skill, and when you lose, you lose because your opponent was likely more skilled. I like too that the damage dealt with hand weapons is based more on the character than on the weapon type, with modification made for the type. It feels more right to me.

Character creation can be long, but as a process in itself is fun. It isn't just a case of slapping down stats and then figuring out where you fit in the world. You truly build a character from the ground up with a background, history and a place in the rich campaign world that is part and parcel of the Pendragon system.

And speaking of that campaign world, it is richly detailed within the book, and well supported by the author and the community with many additional books and adventures. But that said, it would be convertible to other realms. I'd prefer this system to run a Middle Earth campaign.

I will say that I went with 4th edition over 5th because this edition includes magic rules, which the 5th doesn't. Personal preference but I like to have the magic rules. But I really like the fact that the changes between editions are evolutionary not revolutionary so there's a lot of compatibility even back to the 1st edition!

This is the game I've been looking for since I got my 1st Ed AD&D books and wanted to play a chivalric knight.

Pendragon is roleplaying in King Arthur's Britain. This means that it is historical, to a point (in the chronology, right up to about 485AD...) where it begins to deviate.

The setting is predominantly driven from Sir Thomas Mallory's views, but allows for many other influences, both upon the designer and the GM. Greg Stafford has blended a variety of variations on the Arthurian legend, into a cohesive, and yet still flexible setting.

This is coupled to a simple, elegant system, using only D20's and D6's. Characters start with some history, and gain more. It is NOT the D20 system. It is a simple and elegant system, with a personality trait system, which can be used to guide actions, and responds to chosen actions.

4th edition is probably the most useful edition. Not only does it support knights from throughout the Isles, but it also includes Ladies, Spellcasters, and certain non-noble warriors. (Other editions support lesser, and only 4th edition includes a magic system.)

The key element about pendragon is that time flies. In general, each adventure is the high-point of a year. Sometimes, two adventures in one year occur, but that really is not the norm. Experience is applied during the winter (when nobody does much of anything), and rewards what you've used, sometimes for the worse.

Magic is slow, powerful, and cumbersome, paid for with weeks of preparation, weeks of magical sleep-like stupor, or both, and strongly recreates the feel of magicians as portrayed in myth and legend. You won't be casting fireballs... unless you want to sleep for weeks to pay for them. Several weeks per each. Oh, and if you delay the onset of that sleep, you age.... rapidly. Despite it's limits, Pendragon's magic system is VERY flexible, and fairly powerful. And it works. Quite well. (i've had players play spell casters... they needed a second character due to social and sleep restrictions, but they were playable and important characters.)

The combat system is fast, brutal, and lends itself to GM narrative responses. It provides brutal and realistic outcomes, while still allowing for heroic behavior. Fight without your armor, and you get bonuses... but you're likely to die anyway, unless they are also unarmored.

And, for the big battles where thousands clash, there are methods of resolving those, too. And PC's not only can make a difference, but can also become wealthy... or broke... by their own chosen actions.

This is, without a doubt, well worth the money. I've gotten hundreds of hours of play out of Pendragon, and the fourth ed rulebook plus some dice and pencils is all one needs.

But I'll also put some warnings here: you can't do the walking artillery piece wizards of D&D, and you won't find Mordred as a hero. Most priests can barely bless. Most knights can't read. And most characters are knights. Religion, both christian and pagan, plays an important role in the setting. And the personality trait system sometimes is used by the GM to determine what actions a character may take, as well as determining how the character should act; choose your traits well, for they are going to define the character.

This is a narrativist fortune-based system, with some simulationist elements.