Victoriana

[ShelleyCM]

Originally posted by Gary Ciaramella

*trying not to cry*

God... I wish I lived near some of you so I could be in a REAL role playing campain! Regency Hero... Castle Falkenstein... *sigh* You folks are just... awesome.

 

Gosh, you made me blush. The sad thing is that there seems to be one or two of us in any given gaming group -- not enough to make any of us happy, since we tend to be the ones running the historical games, not playing in them!

 

-Shelley

[Vondy]

Originally posted by ShelleyCM

Very cool -- a great addition to any RH game! Just seeing that Dancing skill makes me grin. Maybe he ought to have some disease immunity, having spent so much time in India?

 

[before I read the whole thing, as I scrolled down, I caught the words "yoga," "military," and "Boodles" all in one flash, and it led to a very interesting mental picture!]

 

Oh! I had another idea: "Immunity to Smallpox" for those who've had the vaccine. Another thing to go on the RH list.

 

-Shelley

 

Disease immunity is a good idea!

 

After I made him I got a funny mental picture, too: playing cards at boodles and having some of the older members in the game complain about stiffness, sore joints, whatever, and having him convince them that Yoga would be an excellent remedy. I had this picture of a group of chubby, stuffy english gentlemen sitting around with their legs crossed going "Ohm....."

 

I'm worklng on Antonia now...

[Peregrine]

A question of military rank for the Duke:

 

Isn't Ensign a naval, and not army, rank? Thus wouldn't he have been commissioned as a Lieutenant (Leftenant?)?

[Vondy]

You would think so. The British Army uses Second Lieutenant exclusively today, but during the Napoleanic era they used the rank of Ensign (and Cornet) as well. I couldn't find an exact year for the change, but I'm assuming it occured around 1900 (since WWI sources use the newer rank).

 

Both of the biographies I looked at for Wellington referred to his intial Army commission being at the rank of "Ensign". I found the following chart for British Army ranks on a site dedicated to the Colonial era as well:

 

Rank Grades:

 

Private Man [Trooper-cavalry, but also referred to by type: Rifleman, Dragoon, Guardsman, etc.]

Lance Corporal [Chosen man]

Corporal

Lance Sergeant

Sergeant [Troop Sergeant-cavalry]

Colour Sergeant [created in 1813 to reward deserving Sergeants]

Troop Sergeant-Major [cavalry]

Regimental Sergeant Major

 

NOTE: some assignments carried rank such as Farrier Sergeant in the cavalry or Quarter Master Sergeant in the infantry.

 

 

PURCHASE OFFICER'S RANKS:

Ensign [Cornet-cavalry, 2nd Lieutenant-Rifles]

Lieutenant

Captain

Major

Lieutenant Colonel

 

NON-PURCHASE RANKS:

Regimental Colonel

Major General

Lieutenant General

General

Field Marshal

[Peregrine]

Sonuvagun.

 

Learn something new every day.

[Vondy]

Here are Antonia's game statistics. She's heavily inspired by Sylvia from Brotherhood of the Wolf. I'm about half way through her write up, which I hope to post on the morrow. She needs another 5 point limitation and she's extremely lethal with a blade. Oh - and I edited the Duke (see above) so she wouldn't make him look like such a woosy!

 

My wife was interested in this character, so I may have found something for her to play...

 

ANTONIA VAMPA

Val CHA Cost Roll Notes

10 STR 0 11- 100kg; 2d6

20 DEX 30 13- OCV: 7; DCV: 7

13 CON 6 12-

10 BODY 0 11-

18 INT 8 13- PER Roll 13-

10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3

20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack 4d6

20 COM 5 13-

5 PD 3 Total PD/rPD: 5/0

3 ED 0 Total ED/rED 3/0

3 SPD 0 Phases: 4, 8, 12

5 REC 0

26 END 0

25 STUN 3

 

Total Characteristics Cost: 65

Movement: Run: 6"/12"

Swim: 2"/4"

 

Powers & Skills

Acting 13- (3)

Analyze: The Male Mind 13- (3)

Bribery 13- (3)

Concealment 13- (3)

Contortionist 13- (3)

Forgery 13- (4)

High Society 13- (3)

Lockpicking 13- (3)

Persuasion 13- (3)

Riding 13- (3)

Seduction 13- (3)

Sleight of Hand 13- (3)

Stealth 13- (3)

Streetwise 13- (3)

Jack of All Trades (3)

PS: Courtesan 15- (4)

PS: Dancing (Society) 13- (2)

PS: Dancing (Belly) 13- (2)

PS: Masseuse 13- (2)

PS: Chef 13- (2)

PS: Intelligence Agent 13- (2)

PS: Chess 13- (2)

Scholar (3)

KS: Liquers & Vintages 11- (1)

KS: Fashion & Trends 11- (1)

KS: The Church 11- (1)

KS: Military World 11- (1)

KS: Literature 11- (1)

KS: Scents 11- (1)

KS: Fencing 13- (3)

Traveler (3)

AK: England 11- (1)

AK: France 11- (1)

AK: Greece 11- (1)

AK: Italy 11- (1)

AK: Athens 11- (1)

AK: London 11- (1)

AK: Paris 11- (1)

AK: Rome 11- (1)

Linguist (3)

LS: English (Fluent Conv.) (1)

LS:French (Native Accent) (3)

LS: Greek (Fluent Conv.) (1)

LS: Italian (Imitate Dialects) (0)

LS: Latin (Native Accent) (3)

LS: Spanish (Native Accent) (3)

Fencing (22)

Maneuver OCV DCV Damage

Thrust +1 +3 Weapon

Lunge 0 +2 Weapon +2DC

Slash -2 +1 Weapon +4DC

Parry +2 +2 --

Disarm -1 +1 --

Defense Manuever III (8)

WF: Blades (1)

WF: Pistols (1)

WF: War Fan (1)

+3 level w/Rapier (6)

Perk: Comfortable Lifestyle (3)

Perk: Trend Setter (3)

Contact: Duke of Badenshire 11- (2)

Contact: London Underworld Figure 11- (2)

Contact: Local Arch-Diocese 11- (2)

 

Total Powers & Skills Cost: 150

Total Character Cost: 215

 

Disadvantages: + 100

Secret ID (Intelligence Agent) (15)

Rivalry: Other Women; Professional/Romantic, 10 (10)

Watched: The Vatican (8-) (10)

Rep: Courtesan (11-) (10)

Passionate Woman (Uncommon, Strong) (10)

Deep Friendship (Elliot) (Uncommon, Strong) (10)

Jealous/Territorial (Uncommon, Strong) (10)

DF: Stunning Beauty (5)

DF: Trend Setting Fashion Sense (5)

DF: Italian Accent (5)

DF: Smoldering Dark Eyes (5)

 

Total Disadvantage Points: 195

[AlHazred]

Just curious, but would being female be worth a 5 point Social Limitation? Or was the Empire really that cosmopolitan?

[Vondy]

Women could inherit property, manage their own affairs, and in some cases inherit titles. They could not, however, vote, serve in the military (even today combat units are out), or hold high office. A woman who held a peerage in her own right usually sent a proxy to speak and vote on her behalf in the Lords, but I believe (depsite its being unheard of), that she could insist on being seated herself.

 

From a purely "all things being equal" point of view being female would be a disadvantage (Maybe 5 Points), however, I wouldn't give any points for being female unless the game was centered on aspects of life that would diminish a female character's ability to influence the game's plot, or the female character, other than being female, was equal to her male counterparts in other areas of life.

 

In fact, the infromal social division of the sexes means there are situations where a male character won't be able to funtion to his utmost. Women often exercised a significant amount of silent moral authority through their control of unofficial forums, personal contacts, and through their husbands.

 

It would also depend upon a woman's station, but that's not entirely gender based. The Lady Clonfert (signifying the wife of a peer), for example, would wield far more power, and possess far more social clout, than, say, Mr. Lt. So-And-So of the RN, whose career she could potentially make or break through her morass of social contacts in the upper strata of society, both male and female (barring any special honors or patronage on his part).

 

For me limitations are determined on "how much will it impact the character", which is based on a number of factors. The immense influence women had in unnoficial channels in Victorian England was such that, unless I was running an active duty military or halls of government campaign, I wouldn't give points for it.

 

I'm in the process of editing her background.

[AlHazred]

I'd think the fact that there are men in power who wouldn't let a woman do certain things in certain circumstances, and that these men might be able to make the determination for the PC group, would probably be worth 5 points.

[Vondy]

Its only a lim if those circumstances are likely.

 

And God help Lt. So-And-So when he pisses off Lady Clonfert and makes a decision for the whole group [over her protestations] -- I hope her husband (or brother, or uncle, or father, or son) isn't an admiral, or in the Lords when the next naval appropriation comes up.

 

A few placed words and he gets cashiered for the good of the service's budget, or to scratch a fellow peer's backside. Let alone what it would do to the young man's marriage prospects if he was hoping to marry up (socially speaking).

 

I would give the points if it were a game where the female PC was going to be in positions of social disadvantage due to sex regularly [in a naval game, or a we're government secretaries game] , but money and rank had so much to do with Victorian society that I wouldn't give it carte blanche.

 

Victorian era games that occur in urban scenarios, or within "society" don't necessarily favor the male of the species. In fact, the inherent sexism can very much work in the woman's favor when intrigue is afoot.