“I’m in awe of this game. Really, the best comparison is Pendragon: it matches it in scholarship on the target subject, it matches it on a subtle, evocative blending of history and myth, it matches it in making what you feel matter as much as your abilities, and it matches it in opening up the classic idea of the long-term D&D campaign into a life-long story of time and tide, money gained and spent, battle scars gained, madness tasted, and triumph paid in blood, sweat and years – and it matches all of that with a system that is almost as simple and elegant as the one in Pendragon itself. But don’t think it’s anything like a copy either – Night of the Crusades is very much its own game.”
~ D-Constructions

“It is the setting that glows. Every sentence leaps from the page and stops you. Makes you think. What was it like living back then? What if the One Thousand Arabian Nights were true? To spawn those two questions alone makes the game a success.”
~ The Free RPG Blog

“I love the idea of working in-game storytelling into the mechanics for a RPG. It’s a bit of a ‘Story Game’ wrapped in a traditional roleplaying game – a hybrid that I’m dying to try out.”
~ Game Knight Reviews

“It attempts, rather effectively, to mirror the true effects of battle on a person’s mind. This is an aspect of battle that is rarely discussed in role-playing games. So a game that actually deals with the mental repercussions of fighting and killing other human beings is fairly unique.”
~ Ideology of Madness

LATEST TWEETS

Nights of the Crusades tabletop rpg

Download the free core rules and setting here

Nights of the Crusades is a roleplaying game set in a land and time that is familiar on the surface, but within its cracks lie tales of alchemy, madness and violence. It is a world that could have happened and then been lost to barbarity and time. Players take on characters that can explore its lands and plunder them for wealth, glory or knowledge. The Tale-Weaver is their guide, plunging them into the horrors of war and fanaticism as they pursue their goals. The world is rife with dark cults, creatures that dwell in unseen places and bloodthirsty warriors. This is a time when anyone’s thoughts, from king to slave, are enough to condemn them to death and hell, and many are they that will line up to cheer the execution.

Version 1.2 available
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The setting of Nights of the Crusades is a mixture of the One Thousand and One Nights, the history surrounding the Crusades and both modern and ancient tales of terror. The rules reflect mature and gritty issues, including the psychological impacts of combat and killing. The gameplay also allows for tension in every form of conflict, whether verbal or physical, and wraps the rules of the ‘Real World’ around ‘Story’ interludes. Artist, diplomat and physician characters have as much of a role to play in Nights of the Crusades as do warriors, archers and thieves.

PRODUCTS

The Tower by the Sea - A Nights of the Crusades Chapter

The Tower by the Sea: This is a new Chapter for a Tale. After a perilous adventure, the characters have stumbled into the care of Zainab, a kindly old woman in her tower by the sea. As they begin their journey home, they will pass a nearby village, Nur’Kush, and be confronted with a dark horror. Blame for it falls at the feet of Zainab. The characters must find the truth; or the madness that envelopes Nur’Kush will continue.

100 Travel Encounters - Tales for Dark Roads: Your players have set out on a long journey over the lawless land between cities and villages. During these times of war, petty rulers have their army stretched. They must defend their strongholds but also march out to contain their enemies. This has left the road to chaos. Bandits and worse take what they can, from those who are not swift enough to avoid them, or cannot hold their possessions through force of arms.

RESOURCES

Nights of the Crusades on Pinterest. Contains many boards to provide atmosphere and ideas for your games.

Nights of the Crusades on Spotify. A music playlist infused with dark, oriental themes.

OTHER RULE SYSTEMS

Nights of the Crusades Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Compatible. Evolves the alignments system, adds three new classes and includes an adventure to launch you into the Nights of the Crusades setting using the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rule system.

Ingenero: Nights of the Crusades is included as a module in the Ingenero rulebook. Ingenero is dramatic, action-oriented roleplaying. Authored by Steven Mathers, Ingenero directly supports your characters, and the disparate goals and motivations you give them are the focus of play.

“It is the setting that glows. Every sentence leaps from the page and stops you. Makes you think. What was it like living back then? What if the One Thousand Arabian Nights were true? To spawn those two questions alone makes the game a success.” ~ The Free RPG Blog