Book of Feasts

Authors: David Larkins & James Knevitt
Publisher: Nocturnal Media
Page Count: 46 + Cards
Available Formats: PDF and print
PDF Only – $12.99
Print/PDF Bundle – $24.99

As a long time fan of King Arthur Pendragon RPG, I love anything that enhances the game and the experience of the players. I have first introduced to the original print-and-play version of the cards about a year ago. At that time, the amount of depth it brought to feasts, something that was generally handwaved for convenience reasons, was awesome. The newest iteration of the cards and the accompanying book continue what was started in the first version.

PREMISE:
Book of Feasts allows game masters to no longer hand wave feasts but instead allows them to be a vibrant and integral part of the narrative. The product comes in two parts, first, the PDF of the Book of Feasts provides all the mechanical information that is needed to effectively use the cards. Second, the card deck is where all the magic happens. The magic is all the fun and interesting developments that happen during feasts. Furthermore, these developments can lead to amazing roleplaying moments.

PRODUCT QUALITY:
I own both the digital and physical components. The Book of Feasts appearance and overall layout is identical to the other books in the “Book of” series. The interior art, like the other books, is stylized woodcut imagery that is typical of later historical periods but thematically works for Pendragon. The layout and editing of the book are top notch. I did not note any grammatical issues within the book. Nocturnal Media has continued the use of the red text margin notes to highlight main points within the text itself. I find these helpful, but it does make printing your own copy problematic as it is the only non-black and white content save for the covers. The cards themselves are bold, bright, and easy to read. The symbology on each card, once learned it rather intuitive. The total package, if you purchased physical components too, is a well-done package. The physical cards are standard DTRPG quality and appear to be able to stand up to long-term use.

PROS:
 Allows for new exciting roleplaying prompts
 Adds depth and richness to an overlooked aspect of the game
 Includes JPG/PNG images for creating a card deck in Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds
 Well written rules that make it easier to integrate this supplement into any game
 The physicals cards are solid and durable
 Card symbology is easy to interpret
 Includes one feast scenario
 Historical and contextual content

CONS:
 No physical book (for those that like physical books)
 154 cards – if sleeved it could be a problem at the table

PARTING SHOTS:
When this product first the market several months ago I was ecstatic because I really liked what the original print-and-play version added to the game. After a thorough read through, I’m even happier with what this will add to my King Arthur Pendragon games! While the book is short, it is packed with historical details in addition to the rules needed to use this supplement.  For those that like to cook, there are a few recipes included in the book for you to make the tabletop experience even that much richer.

I am impressed that consideration was given for those of us that regularly play online through the use of VTTs. The main difference between the images prepared for VTT use and those of Print-and-play PDF of the cards (for those that did not buy the physical card deck) is that the images for prepared for VTTs are singular images. This will greatly reduce the time it takes to prepare and import the images to create an online deck.

Many of the existing King Arthur Pendragon supplements have very specific applications like manor management, mass combat, etc. Book of Feasts does as well but it really gives players a richer role-playing experience by allowing them to explore an element of life so integral to the nobles. This is one supplement that will become a staple in my future King Arthur Pendragon games.

~ Modoc

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