The Crusades: Campaign Sourcebook (AD&D 2nd Ed Historical Reference, Book and Poster, 9469)

106 Pages·1994·0.74 MB·English

by  Allen Varney

Introduction ......................... .2
Knights, your salvation is secure,
Chapter 1: Through Crusaders’ Eyes .... .4
Since God has called you to combat
Chapter 2 The Saracens ................ 8
The Turks and the Almoravids
Chapter 3: Characters ................ .16 Who have done Him deep dishonor. ...
Chapter 4 Military Orders
and Crusading Warfare ..... ..... Over those who follow Louis
31-
Chapter 5 Outremer ......... .....4 2 Never will Hell have power,
Chapter 6: Magic, Monsters, Each soul will go to Paradise
and the Supernatural. ............... ..55 With the angels of our Lord.
Chapter 7: Tales of the Crusaders ....... 70
Chapter 8: Adventuring Ideas ......... .86 -Anonymous French song
Appendix: Annotated Bibliography ..... 94 of the Second Crusade (c. 1145)
The Crusades campaign sourcebook is a
historical reference for the ADVANCED
Credits DUNGEONS & DRAGONSmg ame. The mate-
rial in this book draws from European and
Middle Eastern history from the start of the
Design: Steve Kurtz
First Crusade in 1095 to the conclusion of the
Editing: Allen Varney
Third, in 1192. Although this setting stands
Illustrations and Icons: Roger Raupp
on its own, it can also supplement an existing
Maps and Diagrams: David C. Sutherland III
fantasy campaign. Both players and Dungeon
Color Map Design: David C. Sutherland 111
Masters (DMs) can use this book.
Typography: Nancy J. Kerkstra
When the Crusades were first launched at
the end of the 11th century, Western Europe
was emerging from a period of cultural stag-
nation known as the Dark Ages. The Cru-
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, AL-QADIM,
DUNGEON MASTER, and MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM are regis- sades helped the West define a new cultural
tered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. MONSTROUS MANUAL and the
and religious identity. The Church moderated
TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, charac-
ter names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned and redirected the destructive tendencies of
by TSR, Inc.
01994 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. barbaric knights, forcing them to serve higher
goals. The West’s exposure to sophisticated
Random House and its affiliated companies have worldwide distribu-
Eastern philosophy, art, and science during
tion rights in the book trade for English language products of TSR, Inc.
Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR, the era of the Crusades helped lay the foun-
Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.
dations for a new age of cultural rediscovery,
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of the Renaissance. At the same time, confronta-
America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or
artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written con- tion with Islam changed the policies and
sent of TSR, Inc. direction of the Western Church forever, giv-
ing birth to a period of religious fanaticism
ISBN 1-56076-858-4 9469 that spawned the terrible Inquisition and the
religious wars that ravaged Europe during
the Elizabethan era.
The Crusades thus stand at an important
TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd
POB 756 120 Church End crossroads in Western European history, dur-
Lake Geneva Cherry Hmtnn
ing a period known as the Middle Ages or the
WI 53147 Cambridge CB13LB
IJSA United Kmgdom medieval era. When the Crusades began,
2 Introduction
Western Europe was an agrarian, feudal soci- To make best use of this sourcebook,
ety dominated in political affairs by a military gamers need the DUNGEOMN ASTER@Gu ide,
aristocracy and in religious matters by the Player’s Handbook, and the basic MONSTROUS
Latin Church of Rome. Most of the DoDula- MANUAL^^ tome. To heighten the Islamic flavor
tion lived in rural farming communk<s. An of the campaign, see the AL-QADIM@A rabian
affluent bourgeoisie, or middle class, of mer- Adventures rulebook for an invaluable source
chants and tradesmen was emerging in the of Arabian character kits, magic, and cam.
towns and cities, but they were still a minor- paign ideas. The MONSTROU CSO MPENDIUM^
ity in a society dominated by nobles, priests, AL-QADIM Appendix includes many monsterK
and peasants. with an Arabian flavor appropriate to a Cru-
The first Crusades joined all of these parts sades campaign. This book’s Chapter 6
of society in an endeavor to reach, conquer, (”Magic, Monsters, and the Supernatural”)
and hold the Holy Land against the forces of discusses spells from the Tome ofMagic. Chap-
Islam. Despite this beginning, however, later ter 3, on character creation, reviews kits from
Crusades became increasingly misguided the PHBR Handbooks (The Complete Fighter’:
and disastrous. By 1291, the last Christian Handbook, Complete Wizard’s Handbook, and
bastion in the Holy Land fell to the forces of the rest).
Islam, never to be regained.
This Sourcebook focuses on the first three
Crusades, when the future outlook for Out-
remer (Christian Palestine) seemed bright-
est. Although early Crusades were often
marred by episodes of brutality and reli-
gious intolerance, they also produced tales
of lofty ideals, courage, chivalry, legendary
relics, and divine visitations that are absent
from later Crusades. Adventurers could
thrive in a strange and alien land, and people
fervently believed in the power of miracles
and the supernatural.
The historical backdrop of the Crusades is
an ideal setting for the AD&D@g ame. Cham-
3
pions could seek religious relics, establish a
rich fiefdom, or explore the mysterious world
of Islam. The Crusades provided limitless
opportunities for the devout, the strong, and
the courageous in all classes of society. It was
a time of legends, miracles, and, above all,
adventure.
The Crusades campaign sourcebook lets
gamers run a Crusades campaign in the Holy
Land. Though Crusades took place in Spain,
Eastern Europe, and even southern France
during the same era, this book focuses
entirely on Palestine during the 11th-12th
centuries.
Introduction 3
“Tkefiue is not daunted by the quantity of wood lines the theological principles of a Christian
to bum.” holy war, the romantic ideals of the secular
-Reynald de Chgtillon, knighthood, and the simple aspirations of a
before the Battle of Hattin, 1187 common pilgrim. The following sections
view the Crusades through Frankish eyes.
The Crusades comprise eight major holy wars
and countless lesser conflicts from the 9th to
Holy War
11th centuries. Christians of Western Europe
tried to conquer or maintain possession of The Crusades were not the first European
Jerusalem and the lands of the Bible, held at wars against Muslim opponents. The Spanish
that time by the forces of Islam. The Franks kings, for instance, had been fighting an inter-
(western Europeans who were once a part of minable war against the Moors since the Sara-
Charlemagne’s empire) captured the Holy cens captured the Iberian peninsula during
Land and established the first Crusader the 8th century. Four years before Pope
States. These conquerors easily adopted the Urban’s call to the First Crusade, the Norman
idea of a holy war, not only because of reli- adventurer Count Roger I of Hauteville con-
gious arguments but also because their popu- quered Sicily, which had been under Muslim
lar culture and proud history embraced rule since the 9th century.
warfare. In the modern age, politics and reli- When Urban I1 called for Christendom to
gion have split into separate issues, but at the take up the cross and liberate the Eastern
time of the Crusades these two aspects of life Church from the ”barbarians,” he invoked
were inextricably intertwined. Even a nefari- the concept of a holy war. Acting as the suc-
ous adventurer and opportunist like Reynald cessor of St. Peter, and claiming the direct
de Chgtillon could eagerly join a Crusade for authorization of Christ, the Pope supported
both religious and secular reasons: to fight for the First Crusade like no war before it. Fol-
Christ and also carve out a principality in the lowing the example of their spiritual leader,
Holy Land. bishops and priests across Europe portrayed
Though there were certainly a few excep- the Crusade as an honorable and Christian
tions, the vast majority of the Crusaders act of love and liberation.
were genuinely motivated by religious ideal- By the time of the Crusades, the Latin
ism. They believed that they were fighting a Church had already developed a theological
just and holy war, officially sanctioned by basis for sacred warfare. The devout knights
the Pope. The terrible hardships of the grim, and warriors of Western Europe found a
3,000-mile journey from Western Europe to moral justification for violence extremely
Palestine required not only the strongest of important, inasmuch as Jesus was clearly a
religious faiths, but also a considerable pacifist in word and deed. As recorded in
amount of material treasure to complete; the New Testament, Jesus exhorted his fol-
many knights sold or mortgaged their lands lowers to love their enemies and to turn the
to go. The Crusades were sponsored by the other cheek when they were attacked. When
wealthiest members of medieval society- arrested for heresy and treason, Jesus did
the church and state-for religious, not tem- not verbally defend himself-he even
poral, gain. rebuked one of his own disciples for attack-
Other AD&D game resources, such as the ing the authorities with a sword. St. Paul,
Castle Guide, detail the structure of feudal who spread the religion to the Roman
society in Europe. This chapter provides a Empire, reaffirmed the pacifistic tenets of
Western perspective of the Crusades and out- Christianity.
4 Chapter One
The Greek Orthodox Church regarded
The Legacy of Charlemagne
violence as deplorable and unchristian. Dur-
ing war, Byzantine warriors were forbidden While the clergy pondered theological jus-
the holy sacraments. The Empire further tifications for violence, the typical knight of
distanced its citizens from violence by hir- the Crusading period looked increasingly to
ing foreign mercenaries for its defense. The the ancient legends of Charlemagne and
Eastern Church had the luxury of develop- Roland for role models. Duke Godfrey de
ing behind the shield of the powerful and Bouillon of Lorraine, the first ruler of the
stable Byzantine Empire. The Western Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, could trace his lineage
Church, however, faced several barbarian back to Charles the Great, who also made a
invasions during the Dark Ages and devel- pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the Dark
oped a theology permitting warfare in order Ages. During the First Crusade, Godfrey was
to save itself from extinction. careful to trace Charlemagne’s intended route
As early as the 5th century, St. Augustine to Palestine, following in the footsteps of his
reasoned that violence was a morally neutral legendary forebear. At the time of the First
act, shaped by the attacker’s intent into a Crusade, a common knight did not look to
good or evil deed. Violence committed out of the romantic ideals of chivalry and courtly
anger, hatred, or animosity was sinful and love for inspiration; the knights and militant
evil. The same violent act, committed in the nobility of the late 11th century were only
spirit of Christian love, was morally justified, beginning to develop a formalized code of
just as when a father punishes his son for his ethics, due mostly to urgent prodding from
own good, or when Jesus drove the money- the Church.
lenders from the temple of Solomon. After the disintegration of Charlemagne’s
Although St. Augustine considered a war empire in the 8th and 9th centuries, the politi-
against Christians wrong, he found a holy cal structure of France fragmented into
war against pagans perfectly justifiable. The increasingly small domains and fiefs, each
Christians, who believed (at first) that the dominated by a strong, centralized family.
Saracens were all pagans and heathen bar- Knights owed fealty and homage both to
barians, could thus fight a holy war against their liege lord and to their family. They
them. swore to uphold the family honor, and their
It is unlikely that most of the knights in lord’s, at the cost of their lives. Bloody feuds
Pope Urban 11’s audience would have between noble families were extremely com-
understood the convoluted and complex mon during this era. These vendettas tended
reasoning of St. Augustine. Instead, the to escalate in an ever-widening cycle of vio-
Pope appealed to the Norman knights of lence and could span many generations. The
France in simpler terms that they could unfortunate commoners suffered as well,
understand. Urban spoke of a vendetta, when their plowed fields became a recurring
calling on the knights to avenge the dis- battlefield. Agricultural yields plummeted,
honor of Christ and the greater family of and peasants starved.
Christianity. The knights of Europe still During this violent time, the Church des-
clung to their primal views of honor and perately tried to convince the vengeful
revenge at the start of the First Crusade, knights to adopt more ethical, Christian
although they were exploring a new iden- behavior. The knighthood slowly began to
tity which embraced both Christianity and seek a new identity, and looked back in his-
the noble values of their antique, warrior tory to the glowing legends of Charlemagne.
heritage. Around the time of the Crusades, medieval
Through Crusaders’ Eyes 5
troubadours composed chansons de geste, takes out his sword, Almace, and continues to
songs of epic feats or heroic deeds about hack at Saracens until the tide of infidels
Charlemagne and his legendary Peers, the finally overcomes him. The Song of Roland
first paladins. portrays the union between Christianity and
The Song of Roland, composed in Europe violence, in language that even a dim knight
just after the fall of Jerusalem, vividly cap- could comprehend.
tures both the Crusading mentality and por- Though Roland’s suicidal bravery in the
trays a chivalric ideal that contemporary poem seems reckless and irresponsible from a
knights were to admire and emulate. During modern perspective, the Crusades saw far too
778, Charlemagne’s rear guard was slaugh- many examples of this behavior. In 1118,
tered by Gascons and Basques as the emperor Baldwin I, King of Jerusalem, invaded Egypt
withdrew from Spain across the Pyrenees. In --one of the richest, most powerful countries
the Song of Roland, however, the archenemy of Islam-with only 216 knights and 400 foot-
becomes the Saracens, the hated enemy of the men! The Franks often placed their trust in
Crusades, and the poem becomes an epic God and threw caution to the wind. In many
struggle between Christianity and paganism. pitched battles, the Crusaders fought against
The hero of the poem is Roland, a paragon impressive odds. Frequently their immovable
of knightly virtues: A knight should have suck faith and fanatical determination helped
valor, who bears arms and sits astride a good them persevere and triumph on the battle-
horse. In battle he is strong andfierce, or else he is field. On many other days, their bravery
not worth four pence. Roland may not be ter- brought disaster.
ribly bright, but he is definitively strong and As we will see in Chapter 6, Lady Eleanor
fierce, slaying Saracens by the score on the of Aquitaine, and her son, King Richard Lion-
battlefield with Durendal, a holy sword of heart, added the romantic dimensions of
terrible destruction. The poet takes great artistic grace and courtly love to knighthood
pains to describe how Durendal’s hilt is inlaid during the Second and Third Crusades.
with Christian relics: Saint Peter‘s tooth and Richard displaced Roland as the new paragon
some of Saint Basil’s blood; some hair from the of knightly virtues, not simply because of his
head of my lord Saint Denis and part of the rai- legendary military prowess but also for his
ment of the Blessed Virgin. In the poem, the talents at poetry, dancing, singing, and the
Archbishop Turpin fights side by side with lute. In Lady Eleanor’s tradition of courtly
Roland, dealing a thousand blows or more to the love, a true knight regarded his beloved lady
Saracens. When the priest’s lance shatters, he like a porcelain statue and worshiped her
from afar. The Crusades played a pivotal role
in the transformation of knighthood from a
ruthless and vengeful aristocracy into a more
noble, religious, and somewhat romantic
caste of warriors.
Land of Milk and Honey
The Crusades affected all elements of West-
ern society. The Church mobilized to morally
justify and spread news of the expeditions
across all of Europe. The aristocracy embraced
a new ethical code, based partly on Church
6 Chapter One
teachings and partly on the romantic legends gence, a document that absolved the bearer
of the Carolingian dynasty. The most lowly from all Earthly sins and crimes.
peasant became a soldier in Christ’s army. Others were convinced by secul
From the outset of the crusading move- Some preachers used a feudal argument in
ment, Pope Urban made it clear that everyone favor of the Crusade: Just as serfs were obliged
(except monks) could participate in the libera- to fight in their lord’s service, so too could
tion of Jerusalem and save the Holy Sepulcher Christians be called to fight for Christ. Some
from the Saracens. Pilgrims were as numerous viewed the Crusade as a feudal obligation to
as soldiers on the first crusades. In some cases, God.
such as the ill-fated People’s Expedition of Those living in Europe had difficulty distin-
1096, pilgrims even outnumbered soldiers. guishing between the physical Jerusalemi n
Impoverished and sponsorless, the majority Palestine and the spiritual capitol proclaimed
could not hope to make the long, difficult in the Bible. Many embarked on the Crusades
journey without the constant charitv and envisioning a rich land of flowing milk and
almsgiving of the aristocracy. honey, where bread fell from Heaven, far
Parish priests and traveling preachers spread away from the famine, disease, and misery at
news of the Crusade everywhere in Western home. To the naive peasant, the Holy Land of
Europe. The Crusades became extremely pop- the Bible promised a new beginning for both
ular among the conunon elements of medieval their spiritual and temporal lives.
society, because every member of the Christian Before the expeditions to the Holy Land,
community felt as though they could con- Europe was struggling to shake off the stag-
tribute to this glorious cause. Even if they did nation, decay, and destruction of the Dark
not make the journey themselves, villagers Ages. With the Crusades Europeans became
might pool their resources to send a single the Champions of Christendom and the
member of their tiny hamlet. At the least, they Defenders of the Holy Sepulcher. Perhaps the
showed generous hospitality to Crusaders key to this startling transformation lies in the
who traveled through their village. They creation of an archenemy: the Saracens.
donated their wealth to the Military Orders,
the defenders of the Holy Land.
By participating in a Crusade, even a hum-
ble serf could ensure the eternal salvation of
his or her soul. Pilgrims from as far away as
England and Norway left the nameless vil-
lages of their birth and traveled thousands of
miles to a magical and legendary country her-
alded in the Bible. Unless they came from a
large town or city, the majority of pilgrims
had never strayed more than a few miles
from home. They had no concept of the vast
distance separating Europe from Palestine.
Despite the hardships and uncertainties of
travel, thousands of men and women trav-
eled the entire distance on foot, upholding
this holy enterprise.
People clearly thought about the Crusades
in many ways. Some sought a papal indul-
Through Crusaders’ Eyes 7
m
The Scaracens
"How dare you slumber in the shade ofcompla- that they are descended from Abraham',
cent safety, leading lives asfiivolous as garden Ishmael, and even today still refer to them-
flowers, while your brothers in Syria have no selves as the Sons of Abraham.
dwelling place save the saddles of camels and the Islam also maintains that Muhammad is the
bellies of vultures? Blood has been spilled! Beauti- Prophet of God. Muhammad ibn Abdullah
fil young girls have been shamed, and must now founded the religion of Islam in the early 7th
hide their sweetfaces in their hands! Shall the century A.D. Muslims believe that God con-
valorous Arabs resign themselves to insult, and tacted Muhammad in a series of overwhelm-
the valiant Persians accqt dishonor ing revelations. The Prophet learned these
revelations by heart, and afterward recited
them to his followers. During the mid-7th
century Muhammad's literate disciples tran-
tne Crusades either do scribed these accounts into the Quran ("recita-
tion"), the holy book of Islam.
About two centuries after Muhammad's
death, his followers compiled accounts of the
in distinguishing be Prophet's life, including all his words and
,A rabian, or Moori actions, in a body of work known as the
Sunna ("the way"). Together with the Quran,
the Sunna forms the foundation of an ethical
personal life for a pious Muslim. In addition
seldom overcame their ignorance, to guiding the personal life of a Muslim,
after the unprovoked Christian as Islam also provides a complete guide for sod-
northern Syria and Palestine, most
rarely encountered these blond, fai
warriors-these Franj.
This chapter provides a vrlef ov the five Pillars of Faith. The first is a
the Islamic world's history, religio ion of belief. ("There is no god but
and political structure at the ti d Muhammad is the Prophet of
is is all that Islam requires for offi-
;i t does not practice baptism
or similar initiatory ceremonies. The second
Islam
Pillar stipulates that a Muslim should pray
Islam is one of the three great a day (45 minutes to an hour before
tic religions of the world, along w n, midafternoon, sunset, and night-
and Christianity. The word isl in the direction of the holy city of
means "submission"; its follow rshipers must wash their head,
lims, submit themselves to the feet before prayer, and they must
the omnipotent God. The first ic. Traditionally the sick, travel-
is that there is no god but awaiting battle, and pregnant
founded on the monotheisti xempt from the obligation to
Judaism and Christianity,
regard Allah as identical to the Christian s require the devout Muslim to
God. In the Book of Genesis, he poor on a regular basis (a
Abraham that He would egal tax called zakat, "purifica-
nrogenv intn 8 great natio ote the first mnnth nf the Mus-
I
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TheSaracens 9