Welcome to the Companions of Arthur!
These guidelines will help you prepare and publish your material.
What is it?
The Companions of Arthur is a way to publish your own original Pendragon 6th edition content, including original scenarios, background material, alternate Arthurian settings, and more.
Chaosium has created easy to use style templates (in both MS Word and Adobe InDesign) to assist you. When ready, you can upload your PDF to DriveThruRPG.
Can I sell the content I create?
You are welcome to sell your published community content. Any retail sales are split between the creator (i.e. you), OneBookShelf (DriveThru's parent company), and Chaosium. You set the price, which can be a fixed value, “Pay What You Want”, or free. As creator, you get 50% of the sale.
For example, if your product retails on the site for USD $5.00, this is how the split of revenue is made:
- $2.50 to the creator
- $1.50 to DTRPG
- $1.00 to Chaosium
The financial process is fully automated. You can read DriveThru’s notes about this at:
https://help.drivethrurpg.com/hc/en-us/categories/12723215088663-Community-Content-Programs
Note: you may be familiar with the DMs Guild, the community content for Dungeons & Dragons. Companions of Arthur follows the same model in terms of revenue split and general rules.
What rules can I use?
Your Companions of Arthur work can reference any Pendragon 6th edition rules published by Chaosium:
- Pendragon Starter Set 6th edition
- Pendragon Core Rulebook 6th edition
- Other Pendragon 6th edition publications (forthcoming)
You cannot reference rules from Pendragon 1st to 5th edition publications from Chaosium, Green Knight Publishing or Nocturnal Media.
Exception: until the Pendragon 6th edition Gamemaster’s Handbook is published, you may use statistics from Appendix 2: Characters and Creatures from Pendragon 5.2 edition. This appendix is available as a free PDF download from the Pendragon Resources page on Chaosium.com
What setting materials can I use?
Your work can reference setting materials (but not rules) from any Pendragon 1st to 6th edition publications from Chaosium, Green Knight Publishing or Nocturnal Media.
You can reference anything in the public domain, such as Le Morte d’Arthur by Malory.
You may not use setting materials which are copyrighted by any other author.
What can’t I use in my Companions of Arthur product?
You may not use:
- Rules from 1st to 5th edition Pendragon books.
- Any material that infringes on copyright held by someone else.
- Non-Arthurian stories, e.g. no Ancient Greek heroes, French musketeers, New York mafia.
- Rules and setting materials from Paladin: Warriors of Charlemagne, or any future Chaosium game which might use the Pendragon rule system in a non-Arthurian setting.
- Chaosium follows DriveThruRPG and Roll20 Guidelines in regards to AI Writing and Editing: While we value innovation, Roll20 and DriveThru Marketplaces will not accept commercial content primarily written by AI language generators. We acknowledge enforcement challenges, and trust in the goodwill of our partners to offer customers unique works based primarily on human creativity.
- AI Art (e.g. Midjourney, etc.) is not permitted in Companions of Arthur publications. We are concerned about the ethics of AI art and its impact on the livelihoods of artists, and the ability of artists to maintain control over use of their creations.
What art can I use?
The following Companions of Arthur Art Packs are available:
- Companions of Arthur Alphabet Art Pack
- Companions of Arthur Marginalia Art Pack
- Companions of Arthur Player Map Art Pack
All art in the Companions of Arthur Art Packs is licensed for free use in content published under the Companions of Arthur program. You may not use the art in any publication outside of the program.
You must credit the artist of any Art Pack materials you use.
You may not use any art or maps from Chaosium publications which are not included in the Art Packs.
We encourage you to make your own art, commission artists, or source art that is free for commercial use.
You may not use AI art. When searching for stock art, be sure to filter out AI creations.
What kind of products are welcome in the Companions of Arthur?
We welcome original scenarios, background material, stat blocks for Gamemaster characters and monsters, and more.
Material published in the Companions of Arthur must be Arthurian in nature, or pertain to the world and folklore of the era – note “Your Pendragon Will Vary” below.
At this stage we do not recommend extensive rule expansions and variants. Wait until the 6th edition Pendragon Gamemaster’s Handbook and Pendragon Noble’s Handbook have been published, so that you do not inadvertently double up on something that will soon be covered.
Titles using the Roll20 VTT Connection should display the Roll20 Virtual Tabletop badge. Below you will find a Light and Dark PNG of the badge. To learn how to sell Roll20 VTT content on DriveThru, click here.
YPWV (“Your Pendragon Will Vary”) and how this applies to the Companions of Arthur
“Your Pendragon Will Vary” is a long-established principle in Greg Stafford’s games. In a nutshell it means you are free to take what you want from the rich tapestry of myth, magic, history and wonder of the Arthurian cycle.
The “official” canon for the world is found in material published by Chaosium, with what is presented in Pendragon 6th edition publications as definitive. However, canon only matters for official publications by Chaosium and its licensees. While we believe that the standard setting will have a widest appeal to Gamemasters looking for things to add to their existing campaigns, your Pendragon can vary as much or as little as you want for what you create for the Companions of Arthur.
Your Pendragon might be a long way from our canon. You might have a different historical take, or an entirely alternate Arthurian cycle set in another era, be that historical, modern, future, or science fiction. You may remix Arthurian tales and lore as the muse takes you.
What types of content are prohibited?
- Conversions of content from other roleplaying games into Pendragon rules.
- Conversions of content from other copyrighted media.
- Comics or fiction (unless short vignettes in roleplaying game materials).
- Software or apps.
- Products that infringe on the intellectual property of others.
- Crowd-funded content.
In addition:
- Your work must not contain material that a reasonable person would consider libellous, defamatory, racist, homophobic, transphobic or discriminatory; that violates the copyrights or trademarks of another party; or that violates the law.
- Your work must not contain material that the general public would classify as extreme adult content, such as pornography or extreme violence.
Can I create and sell content for previous editions of the Pendragon Roleplaying Game(s)?
The Companions of Arthur program only accepts content designed for Pendragon 6th edition.
If you have written something for a previous edition, you must update it 6th edition for this program.
Can I copy information from current rulebooks and products into my creation?
You can reference information in Pendragon 6th edition rulebooks and products, but please refrain from copying directly from the books. You may not, for example, repackage and resell the rules as reference cards, GM screens, character sheets, bestiaries, NPC guides and so on.
You may reproduce statistics if your scenario requires them, taken from the 6th edition Pendragon Starter Set, Pendragon Core Rulebook, and Pendragon `Gamemaster’s Handbook. Note: Until the latter is published, you may use statistics from Pendragon 5.2 edition.
Who owns material in the Companions of Arthur?
You retain the copyright of any original IP you create for the Compendium. Moon Design Publications owns the IP it provides for use including rules, settings, characters, concepts, plots, storylines etc. outside of those Arthurian elements in the public domain.
How do credits and copyright work?
Our template features the trademark and licensing language you must include on the Credits Page of your work. This acknowledges that Pendragon is a trademark of Moon Design Publications, used with permission. It is usually centred at the bottom of the first page:
Pendragon is a Trademark of Moon Design Publications and is used with their permission via the OBS Community Content program. For more information, please visit Chaosium’s website: www.chaosium.com
You are permitted to use the Chaosium logo, provided you state that:
The Chaosium and Pendragon Logos are used under license.
You should also include a copyright notice of your own: [title of work] [©date] [name of authors].
If you use any art from our Art Packs, follow the crediting guidelines from that pack.
If you use art from elsewhere, ensure that you have clear permission to do so and credit the artist or source.
I am already a Chaosium licensee, how does this affect that?
The Companions of Arthur is a separate element from our licensing structure and does not supersede your existing license – it essentially works separately in parallel.
Companions of Arthur Logo
You must download the Companions of Arthur logo and include it on your cover. The logo must be clearly visible, with a width of 2 inches. You are free to use the full colour logo, the black logo with transparent background, or the white logo with transparent background. You may not alter the logo in any way.
The logo should also be on the preview image on your product page.
You can download the Companions of Arthur Logo Pack here.
How do I prepare the PDF of my title for sale?
There’s a few steps here to walk you through if you’re a creator using DriveThruRPG for the first time. There’s also an additional step for you as a community content creator. After creating your content, go to your account page and look in the "My Content" section. You can use the "Add a new title" link after you agree to the Community Content Agreement.
Create
Lay out your Digital PDF from scratch...
QUICK SPECS (PDF) - To get you started.
QUICK CHECKLIST (PDF) - To be sure you don't miss anything.
Microsoft Word Tutorial and templates
Download MS Word Tutorial - Advice on how to use Microsoft Word, and a few other programs to prepare a DIGITAL ONLY title. POD titles can not be created in Word
Download MS Word Templates - A ZIP file containing Word (94) templates for 6" x 9", 6.14" X 9.21", 6.25" X 10.25", 7" x 10", 8.5" x 11", and 8.25" x 11" products.
InDesign Tutorial and templates
Download InDesign Tutorial - This tutorial will offer you some advice on how to use Adobe InDesign to prepare an optimized digital edition PDF book.
Download InDesign Templates - A ZIP file containing CS4 InDesign templates for6" x 9", 6.14" X 9.21", 6.25" X 10.25", 7" x 10", 8.5" x 11", and 8.25" x 11" products.
Scribus Tutorial and templates
EPUB & MOBI Tutorial and templates
EPUB & MOBI EXPORT TUTORIAL - FROM INDESIGN (PDF) - To show you how to prepare your InDesign file for export to the ePub format, and how to use Calibre to convert your ePub file to the Mobi format.
EPUB & MOBI EXPORT TUTORIAL - FROM MICROSOFT WORD (PDF) - To show you how to prepare your Microsoft Word file for export to the ePub format, and how to use Calibre to convert your ePub file to the Mobi format.
Prepare
You've already created a PDF and want to see if it's upload ready. Our PDF's for Digital Titles are best when a few guidelines are followed. Check the links below to get your files ready!
- QUICK SPECS (PDF) - To get you started.
- QUICK CHECKLIST (PDF) - To be sure you don't miss anything.
Enhance
You've already created your PDF and want to add enhancements.
Ready
Once your print files are ready to upload...
- UPLOAD - Will show you where and how to upload your files for digital download
Note
Do not security-lock your Digital PDF. For our watermarking security process to work, the PDF files must be unlocked (so they can still be edited). We add the watermark at checkout and then lock the file ourselves.
Once content is published, it can be found in the Companions of Arthur section of DriveThruRPG.
After your product is for sale, your account will accrue a 50% royalty every time your title sells. You can withdraw your accumulated royalties via PayPal by going to the My Money section of the Account page. Note that the My Money section of your Account page will not display until you have a balance accrued.
Further guidelines for creating Companions of Arthur content
Style Guides
- Know the ruleset you are writing for and its terminology. For example, Pendragon 6th edition is run by a Gamemaster, for a group of Players. Player-knights seek Glory and Honor, influenced by their traits and passions.
- The Pendragon Style Guide and Pendragon Submissions Guide at the Chaosium website contain helpful guidance for writing and formatting. You are not obliged to follow all these requirements, but doing so will improve the quality of your work.
Setting
- Chaosium’s preferred setting for Pendragon 6th edition adventures is during the Great Pendragon Campaign, which is split into six Periods.
- Scenarios set after 510 in the Boy King phase will appeal to Gamemasters who own the Pendragon Starter Set and are looking for material to use with the Sword Campaign and with The Grey Knight.
- The Romance Period, starting with 529, is a good time for quests. Camelot and the Round Table have been founded and the wars at home and on the Continent have quieted down.
- Your scenario can be set in any location. Setting books published for Pendragon 3rd and 4th edition are useful guides to parts of Britain and beyond.
- Your Pendragon May Vary: you do not need to set your material in Chaosium’s preferred setting. You may write for any time or place, provided it is Arthurian. Examples of Arthurian stories in different settings include the novel The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell, the film The Kid Who Would Be King directed by Joe Cornish, and the comic Camelot 3000 by Mike Barr and Brian Bolland. While you cannot use these copyrighted works as your basis, they are inspirational examples of how to retell the story of King Arthur and his court in a new setting.
Scenario Design Tips
- Good scenarios offer hard choices. Doing something and doing the right thing can be quite different. Help players answer the question, "What kind of a knight are you?"
- Combat in Pendragon is decisive and deadly. A major wound can put a knight out of action until winter. Don’t include fights to fill time. Save combat for key plot points and the scenario climax.
- Greg Stafford recommended that Pendragon scenarios make use of Traits and/or Passions in some manner. The most interesting scenarios often start by building a story around two Traits and how they interact with a situation or challenge.
- Feel free to ignore that! Companions of Arthur is the place to find a wide range of fresh Pendragon experiences. Players also enjoy comedic situations.
- Write for the period. Reading up on daily life in the Middle Ages will help you add flavour and detail to your work.
- Don’t forget the Glory. The scenario should include opportunities for the knights to gain Glory, with clear recommendations to the Gamemaster as to when to award it.
- Playtest your scenario. Feedback always makes things better. What you thought would be an interesting conundrum might be frustrating or obtuse to the players.
Tone
In general, Companions of Arthur has a PG-13 rating in terms of violence and sexual content. However, the content may be written for a more mature audience. Please revisit our content guidelines for what limitations there are on how mature themes can be represented.
If your final work has darker or more mature themes, you must let prospective buyers know by including a clear notice about the themes in the product description on the DriveThru RPG page, and in the first few pages of your publication where it will be included in the PDF preview.
Proofing Tips
Proofread your content before you publish. Look for grammar, spelling, punctuation, or logic errors in the scenario itself. If possible, ask friends to help.
The benefit of digital publishing is that if you find errors after publication, you can always upload an updated version.
Common problems to look for:
- Passive voice: active voice makes writing more exciting. Don’t say “The Player-knights will see a sword embedded in a block of stone.” Instead, use “The Player-knights see a sword embedded in a block of stone.” Or, better still “A sword stands embedded in a block of stone.” The Player-knights will see it well enough when the Gamemaster describes it.
- Spaces: only use one space between sentences.
- Numbers: for non-hyphenated numbers (one, nine, eighteen), spell them out. For larger numbers, use digits instead (“You become a knight at 21”).
- Don’t use a font that is hard to read. Our templates offer suitable fonts.
- Keep things brief. You don’t need pages of backstory. Shorter works are easier to read, easier to run, and leave room for Gamemasters to put their own stamp on it.
Art tips
We encourage you to create your own art, or commission or license art for your publications.
Public domain art is also available. Be mindful about checking the use rights, as not all the images you find are necessarily available for commercial use.
The Public Domain Review is an excellent place to seek artworks that are free for commercial use. Their highly useful Guide to Finding Public Domain Works Online has links to online collections such as Europeana, Internet Archive, Wikimedia Commons, and others. It has good advice on how to search for material which is available under Public Domain 1.0, Creative Commons CCO (No rights reserved) and CCBY (Attribution), and what works require citation. Public Domain usage varies country by country; while artwork may be out of copyright, the digital scan you source might not be.
Please remember that AI-generated art (Midjourney etc) may not be used in Companions of Arthur publications, even if it is later post-processed by you in another art program. Make sure you filter out works which are flagged as created with AI when searching any art database.
Celebrate Joining the Companions of Arthur
We gladly share news of new community content publications via our channels. Tag us on social media when your work appears and we will sound the trumpets for you. Thanks for being part of this.