20.1 Housing
Rooms in suitable residences are covered by a character's normal support costs. Richer characters may wish to purchase a suitable house.
Characters gain status points for owning a residence outright but only gain SPs for the largest house they own if they have more than one. (Upkeep for all houses must still be paid). Purchasing a residence is a weekly action.
Cost per month for upkeep is in Livres. If this cannot be paid, it is added to a character’s debts, until he reaches a debt of Livres = 100 x SL, when he or she must repay or be disgraced.
Characters may entertain guests in their own residence, instead of a club. Characters may carouse and toady at home. The host gains an extra status point from showing off his home.
Buying a house is a weekly action, requiring the full cost be paid up front. Selling a house can be done as a pre-monthly action, either to the market for 50% in a quick sale, for 75% if advertised for a month previously, or to another player for any terms agreed upon by both parties. Buying a house is entirely optional, your character is perfectly free to remain renting rooms in a suitable residence instead, which is taken to be covered by normal support costs..
The monthly upkeep of a purchased residence must be paid, even while not in Paris, or the owner will lose one SL per month of delinquency.
Private parties may be held at a one’s owned residence, as long as the total guests do not exceed the limit for the type of residence. If there are more guests than room, unless certain characters are specifically mentioned, the highest SL characters will be admitted first.
Carousing and toadying take place normally at a private party. Guests also receive half the difference between their current SL and the SL required to own the residence that the party is taking place in.
For example: Jacque (SL 3) attends a party at Mansion (minimum SL 10). He receives 4 SP (10 - 3 divided by 2, rounded up) in addition to any other bonuses for carousing and toadying.
20.2 Housing Table
* Included in support costs
1 Includes Servants Costs.
2 Mistresses do not count towards the guest limit, female PCs do.
20.3 Housing Areas
When requesting a house, look at the Housing Areas to chose a location.
As a guide, select the area as follows:
20.4 Balls
Characters owning a Paris Chateau or opulent estate in the Isle de France may, once per season, host a Ball at their residence - an opulent party on a grander scale than those gatherings usually seen in Paris’ clubs or residences. (During the Winter Season, Balls can only be held at Chateaux within the city itself).
Such Balls may never clash with Royal Balls hosted by Court Dignitaries, however, and must be open to all SLs (though characters can be barred on the basis of regiment or Province of Origin.. i.e. Balls can be announced as "Open to all except natives of Languedoc" but not "Open to all of SL15+").
Hosting or attending a Ball is a weekly action.
All player characters (except priests) who attend a ball must have a dancing partner of the opposite sex to accompany them and all PCs must arrive in a coach suitable for their station. All attendees must wear suitable ball attire costing 20 livres or (2 x SL) livres - whichever is greater.
Standard PCs who do not have a wife or mistress may be accompanied to the Ball by one of the residents of the Magdalene Hostel. The PC must provide a ballgown for the girl (costs 2 x PCs SL or 20 livres, whichever is greater) but is considered to have fulfilled his Female Companionship requirement for the month. The host(ess) must pay for the girl's refreshments as usual, but she will not contribute to the host(ess)'s SPs or count as a 'significant guest' (See below).
A character hosting a ball gains 1 SP for every guest whose SL equals or exceeds their own and one third of a Status Point for every Significant Guest (male of female) of a lower SL than the host/ess that attends (rounded up). Significant Guests are deemed to be
- PCs
- NPC Wives and Mistresses (whether attached or not)
- NPC husbands or consorts of Female PCs
- Premier NPCs (King, Queen etc.)
Magdalene Girls and NPC officers brought in to partner ladies are not considered to be Significant Guests (but must still be paid for).
Each guest (PC or NPC) costs the host twice the host’s SL in livres to entertain. Married Female PCs whose husbands are of a higher SL than themselves may persuade their husbands to host balls, though the Female PC must still provide the costs even though she gains none of the host's SP benefits. They may choose instead to host balls in their own right, their husbands attending as 'guests'.
Guests of less than SL 10 gain 1 SP for attending plus SPs for the difference between their SL and the SL 20 of the Chateau plus carousing.
Guests of SL 10 plus (but more than 6 SLs lower than the host/ess) gain the above plus 1 SP for every 3 SLs that they are lower than the host (or hostess if a female PC is hosting the ball) is. Guests of SL 10+ whose SL is less than 6 lower than the host/ess may toady to the host/ess in addition to this.
The host/ess of a ball is the only character who may be toadied to. The host(ess) of a ball will not allow toadies from characters whose SL is more than 6 lower than their own. If a premier NPC (King, Queen etc) attends, then the hoste/ess and all guests of SL 10+ will toady to them instead.
NPC wives and mistresses whose consorts are at the front or otherwise engaged during the week of the ball will, if invited, have a 50% chance of accepting the invitation. Unattached mistresses will always attend if invited. Officers from the ranks of those regiments not serving at the front (and the Paris Guard never serves at the front, of course) will serve as partners for such ladies and, if the lady is unmarried, there is a 1 in 6 chance that she will become so enamoured of their dancing partner that they leave their regular lover (if any) in his favour. Such NPC officers still cost the host/ess 2 x host(ess)'s SL but are not counted as 'significant guests' and do not contribute to the host(ess)'s SPs.
Balls which are attended by at least 9 significant guests (including the host and hostess) are deemed to be large enough arenas for Female PCs to embark upon Court Battles - even if they are the hostess.
Balls attended by less than 9 significant guests are deemed to be damp squibs. Not only are Court Battles not possible at such affairs, but the host(ess) loses ( 9 minus number of significant guests) SPs each month for the next three months (including the month of the Ball).
Characters owning Opulent Estates in a province can also host a Ball exactly as above, provided they haven't hosted a Ball earlier in the season and this doesn't clash with a Royal Ball.
Balls held in the provinces in this way are called Fetes and may not be held during the Winter season..
20.5 Servants
Houses need servants and the usual servants roster for each house type can be found here:
* Included in house support costs.
1 In Charge of all estates.
The Social Levels and monthly pay of the servants found in the houses of Paris is listed below. The support costs and accommodation of servants is covered by their employers also.
The numbers in brackets refer to the class of house in which the Servant works: 7 = Chateau, 6 = Large Mansion, 5 = Mansion, 4 = Small Mansion, 3 = Large House.
20.5.1 Working as a Servant
Characters wishing to work as servants, as a temporary alternative to other occupations, may spend a week looking for work. A position at the highest social level for which they are eligible is tried for first, going down the list until success is achieved.
Characters successfully secure a position on 5+, -1 if incognito (no references), +1 for each SL over the minimum required for the position which the character is attempting to secure.
Characters working as servants must spend 3 weeks each month on their domestic duties. They need not pay basic support costs or for accommodation (but must still cover conspicuous consumption if desired from their own resources) and receive their wages each month.
Standard characters not wishing to spend time at the bawdy house may form a liason with a fellow female servant (if one is available) in order to fulfill their Female Companionship requirements. This requires an initial gift of 3 x her social level (which may be bestowed during a week of duties) and is always successful. Further monthly gifts of 1 x her SL must be made to maintain the relationship thereafter.
20.6 Carriages
Ladies are expected, but not required, to travel in carriages suitable for their station.
Wealthy Mistresses are taken to own and maintain a suitable carriage themselves. Female PCs and the beaux of mistresses who are not wealthy may acquire one if / when they feel it necessary as a pre-monthly action.
Carriages may be sold for livres equal to 150 x their rank.
Carriages can carry a number of people equal to twice their rank, and characters may share carriages.
Characters gain one status point for owning a normal carriage of appropriate (or higher) rank, but may instead maintain an Opulent carriage at double the normal purchase and running cost, which gains them a bonus status point if it is used in a particular month.
Characters with the financial wherewithal may have a carriage above the minimum expected for their social level but they gain no extra SPs for doing so. Characters cannot use horses bought for their rank for carriages, but they do not need to buy extra ones - they’re included in the price of the carriage.
Female PCs owning a carriage of a rank equal to or greater than the minimum expected at their SL gain a +2 Bonus to Guile when attempting to attract a gentleman's attention. If they do not own a carriage of a rank equal to or greater than that expected at their SL, however, not only do they gain no bonus, their Guile suffers a penalty equal to the difference in rank between the required and actual transport.
Carriages can be hired on a weekly basis. The cost is 10% of the purchase price per week.
Carriage ownership is independent of house ownership. For RP purposes carriages are taken to be kept at livery stables if the owner does not have a suitable Residence (with Coach House etc.).
The Stabling / Coach Housing facilties of the various house types are as follows :