Chivalry & Sorcery
In 1977, Edward E. Simbalist and Wilf K. Backhaus stood at a crossroads in the nascent role-playing game industry. They had created a system called Chevalier as a direct response to their dissatisfaction with Dungeons & Dragons lack of realism. The pair intended to present this prototype to Gary Gygax at Gen Con that same year. However, upon arriving at the convention, they met Scott Bizar who wrote out a letter of intent that changed their plans entirely. This encounter prompted them to eliminate the last remnants of D&D from their work, including tables for saving throws. They renamed the project Chivalry & Sorcery and published the first edition through Fantasy Games Unlimited later that year. Their goal was to create a gaming system derived from existing mechanics but grounded in historical accuracy rather than fantasy tropes.
The opening scene of any campaign places players within the feudal landscape of twelfth-century France under the watchful eye of the Catholic Church. A character born into this world might find themselves possessing a randomly determined vocation such as a talented warrior or an inability within a specific role. Magic functions not as a simple spell list but as a complex system where several attributes determine effectiveness. Players navigate a society defined by knights tournaments, courtly love, fiefs, and political influence alongside a hierarchical priesthood capable of performing miracles. The rules include detailed tables for developing exact culinary skills and charts for determining eye and hair color. These minutiae serve to simulate a world where every action has weight and consequence beyond simple combat outcomes.
Fantasy Games Unlimited released the original version of the game in 1977 with rules covering character creation, combat, magic, and wargames. The second edition arrived in 1983 inside a cardboard box containing three booklets of rules without fundamental mechanical changes. This update divided the medieval setting into three distinct periods: Early Feudal, High Chivalric Feudal, and Late Chivalric Feudal each featuring different technology levels. Heavy plate armor and two-handed swords only became available during the Late Feudal period spanning the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Highlander Designs published the third edition known as The Green Book after acquiring rights from the original creators. A fourth edition called The Rebirth emerged in 2000 following the bankruptcy of Highlander Designs and its acquisition by Britannia Game Designs Ltd. Finally, Britannia Game Designs launched a Kickstarter campaign that successfully completed on the 31st of July 2019 before shipping the fifth edition in February 2020.
Greg Costikyan awarded the first edition an average score of six out of nine in the inaugural issue of Ares Magazine in March 1980. He noted that while world-design rules were lacking, the system remained the best full-scale complicated fantasy role-playing game published to date. Eric Goldberg reviewed the same version in September 1980 calling it awkward as an octopus on dry land when actually played. He criticized the production values for consisting of reduced reproductions of typewritten pages with fair to mediocre illustrations. Jon Tindel wrote in October 1981 that the investment of time to learn the complicated rules was worth it for those willing to spend the effort. Rick Swan later described the magic system as a mind-numbing collection of tables formulas and rules that could serve as a grad school text in wizardry. Despite these criticisms, many reviewers acknowledged the game's value as a reference work rather than a casual play experience.
James Maliszewski observed in a retrospective review that while tools were often hard to use, the ideas advanced by Backhaus and Simbalist held significant power within gaming circles. Stu Horvath noted in his 2023 book Monsters Aliens and Holes in the Ground that there is a beauty in complex rules that vividly implies a world few other role-playing games manage. The game won the H.G. Wells award for All Time Best Ancient Medieval Rules in 1979 despite its niche status. Paul Mason concluded in Issue 12 of Imagine that Chivalry & Sorcery would likely shake its popular image as a cult game on the fringes of the hobby mainstream only if it remained a source of ideas for incorporation into other games. Its influence persists through its emphasis on historical detail and its role as a treasure trove of useful information for serious gamers seeking depth over speed.
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Common questions
Who created the role-playing game Chivalry & Sorcery?
Edward E. Simbalist and Wilf K. Backhaus created the role-playing game Chivalry & Sorcery in 1977 as a direct response to their dissatisfaction with Dungeons & Dragons lack of realism.
When was the first edition of Chivalry & Sorcery published?
Fantasy Games Unlimited released the original version of the game in 1977 with rules covering character creation, combat, magic, and wargames.
What historical period does the setting of Chivalry & Sorcery depict?
The opening scene of any campaign places players within the feudal landscape of twelfth-century France under the watchful eye of the Catholic Church.
Which company published the fifth edition of Chivalry & Sorcery after completing its Kickstarter campaign on the 31st of July 2019?
Britannia Game Designs launched a Kickstarter campaign that successfully completed on the 31st of July 2019 before shipping the fifth edition in February 2020.
How did reviewers describe the magic system in Chivalry & Sorcery?
Rick Swan later described the magic system as a mind-numbing collection of tables formulas and rules that could serve as a grad school text in wizardry.