According to Michael Tresca, "Chivalry & Sorcery" "embraced a realistic approach to medieval France in the 12th century, complete with feudalism and the Catholic Church..." and "was most noteworthy for creating the term "game master." (Actually though, that term had already previously been used in Tunnels & Trolls and Bunnies & Burrows.) "It was one of the first games to place the setting at utmost importance over the mechanics of the game." More focused on medieval chivalry than fantasy, "Chivalry & Sorcery" had from its first version a sophisticated and complex set of rules. The game has been published four times to improve its presentation and to modernize its game mechanics. "C&S" was the first to introduce new concepts like levels for monsters. Players could adventure in a variety of locations instead of being confined to a dark underground dungeon. The action taking place outside the framework of an adventure became very important, especially for magicians, who had to spend many days to learn their spells and enchant their materials.