Presentist Fantasies of the Middle Ages - A Case Study of Two Pen-and-Paper Role-Playing Games Based on Medieval Literature

Oct 17, 2026

A scholarly case study examines how presentist medievalism is translated into pen-and-paper role-playing systems through two recent games that explicitly allude to medieval epics. Framing role-playing narratives as world-based improvisational generators, the study investigates how medieval genres, tropes, plot elements, and characters are reshaped into game mechanisms. It analyzes The Green Knight and Beowulf: Age of Heroes by comparing their narrative and poetic features to their function in gameplay, including how they connect the medieval past to players’ experiential worlds via continuity and alterity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Green Knight: A Fantasy Role-Playing Game

Beowulf: Age of Heroes

Müller, Anja Presentist Fantasies of the Middle Ages : A Case Study of Two Pen-and-Paper Role-Playing Games Based on Medieval Literature In: Susan Brähler; Kerstin-Anja Münderlein (Hrsg.),“When men are unprepared and look not for it”•: in Memoriam Christoph Houswitschka, Bamberg: University of Bamberg Press, S. 249-262. DOI: 10.20378/irb-96531 Beitrag im Sammelwerk-Verlagsversion DOI des Beitrags: 10.20378/irb-105201 Datum der Veröffentlichung: 04.12.2024 Rechtehinweis: Dieses Werk ist durch das Urheberrecht und/oder die Angabe einer Lizenz geschützt. Es steht Ihnen frei, dieses Werk aufjede Art und Weise zu nutzen, die durch die für Sie geltende Gesetzgebung zum Urheberrecht und/oder durch die Lizenz erlaubt ist. Für andere Verwendungszwecke müssen Sie die Erlaubnis der Rechteinhaberinnen und Rechteinhaber einholen. Für dieses Dokument gilt die Creative-Commons-Lizenz CC BY. Die Lizenzinformationen sind online verfügbar: [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Presentist Fantasies of the Middle Ages: A Case Study of Two Pen-and-Paper Role-Playing Games Based on Medieval Literature Anja Müller, University of Siegen 1. Introduction Role-playing games are among the most popular (neo)medievalist cultural practices. David Mackay defines role-playing games as rule-bound, episodic, participatory narrative systems, in which players and gamemasters1 collaboratively generate narratives through descriptions and performative representations of events, characters and actions (Mackay 4-5) . Generally speaking, narratives in role-playing games are world-based rather than story-based. According to Ryan (2015) and Wolf (2012), world-based narratives offer frames for the continuous generation of new narratives which, in turn, function as gateways into the respective storyworlds. Within a storyworld, individual stories may exist independently and/or converge at certain moments, provided the storyworld retains its inner consistency. To facilitate improvisational play, storyworlds in role-playing games often rely on already existing narrative constituents (for example setting, character types, or plot patterns) from either cultural products (e.g. texts, movies or videogames), myths or even history. (Neo)medievalist elements have informed pen-and-paper role-playing game systems from the very beginning of the genre. J. R. R. Tolkien’s works served as a core reliance for Gary Gygax when devising the first edition of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D; see Tresca 61). The collaboration of players in a fellowship of characters representing different races and classes is unmistakably indebted to Tolkien. So are the typical adversaries, such as orcs, goblins, or dragons; even if the scope of antagonistic characters and creatures has quickly expanded. If most pen-and-paper role-playing games are set in pseudo-or neomedieval fantasy worlds, occasional systems emphasize more decisively a connection to medieval literature. My chapter is going to scrutinize two recent systems explicitly alluding to medieval epics: The Green Knight: A Fantasy Role-Playing Game (2020) and Beowulf: Age of Heroes (2021), exploring the various strategies of transforming their medieval literary models into the medium of pen-and-paper role-playing games. The individual analyses will gauge in how far the systems are informed by genres, tropes, plot elements or characters of their medieval reference points. How do the systems transform narrative and poetic features into game mechanisms? How do they relate the medieval past to the players’ experiential world in 1 Other terms may be dungeonmaster, storyteller or referee, depending on the specific profile this hub player is taking (see also Schallegger 72-84) . A Case Study of Two Pen-and-Paper Role-Playing Games Based on Medieval Literature terms of alterity or/and continuities? In other words, this essay seeks to explore the cultural work those pen-and-p

FAQs

How does the chapter define role-playing game narratives?

It characterizes role-playing games as rule-bound, episodic, participatory narrative systems where players and gamemasters jointly generate narratives. It distinguishes world-based narratives from story-based ones and treats storyworlds as frames enabling continuous new narratives.

Which two role-playing games are analyzed, and what do they reference?

The chapter focuses on The Green Knight: A Fantasy Role-Playing Game and Beowulf: Age of Heroes, both of which explicitly allude to medieval epics. The analysis evaluates how each transforms medieval literary models into tabletop play.

What key themes are discussed for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?

The discussion centers on chivalric ideals of honour and modesty and Gawain’s failure to fulfill them. It also addresses reconciliation through recognition of disloyal behavior and the role of enchantment in shaping the Green Knight episode.

Oct 17, 2026

Uploaded by Supernature