6 COMPANIONSHIP
Once per month, characters must have some sort of companionship. In addition to suffering a certain amount of discomfort, characters will lose Status Points if they do not do so. Characters lose 2 Status Points the first month in which they lack feminine company and an additional 2 points each consecutive month thereafter.
Companionship is not required if a character is at the front or is a priest.
Characters may fulfil the companionship requirements by acquiring a mistress or a beau as paramour or by going to a bawdyhouse.
6.1 Paramours
Each paramour has a set Social Level, and the possibility of three special attributes: exceptional Beauty, Influence and Wealth. Roll three dice to find each paramour's Social Level, then roll one die for each attribute for each paramour. On a roll of one or two, that paramour has that attribute. Some paramours have the Gay attribute.
The starting age of paramours is 14+2d6.
Paramours may gain up to two additional attributes during the game - Engaged (E) and Married (M). These are dealt with in the Marriage Section and will affect courting attempts.
Paramours of SL 12 and higher will be noble on 5+. A noble paramours’ rank will be determined by a second 1D6 roll:
The rank of a noble paramour can never be less than Chevaliere.
If a female noble paramour is determined to be an orphan (roll 1 on d6 as normal) this means that she is an heiress and will not inherit the title until her 21st Birthday (to be determined by GM). Until she does inherit her title her SL will be that of a 1st Son of her noble rank and her estate will be administered by her Guardian. Each month there is a chance (11+ on 2D) that her Guardian will mount a kidnap attempt to force her into a marriage which will mean his family gets her cash. If the kidnap is successful, then a a rescue attempt may be made in the following month. If this fails, then the paramour is married off against her will and leaves Paris.
In order to avoid this, some ladies attempt to hide incognito at the Duchesse de Bidet's Hostel. When a gentleman takes a lady of the hostel to a ball dice will be rolled to see if this is case with the lady concerned (6+ on 1D6). If it is, she will reveal this to her partner in the course of the ball, and he may subsequently wish to court her. (When this occurs, she will replace an unattached paramour on the paramour table). This is the only instance in which a non-noble may court a noble mistress, but she will still not consider marriage to him (automatic failure if proposal made) until he secures a noble rank no more than two ranks lower than her own.
The property of noble mistresses remains their own upon marriage, so there is no financial benefit to having a noble wife (other than possibly improved chances of a good dowry).
6.2 Courting Paramours
In order to win a paramour, a character must go courting and this costs money: three times the paramour’s Social Level per week. Success depends on the difference in Social Level between the character and prospective paramour. Subtract the paramour’s Social Level from the character’s Social Level and refer to the Paramour Courting Table to find the die roll, or higher, on one die, needed for success.
The die roll may be modified. For each additional amount equal to three times the paramour’s Social Level the character pays, he may add one to his die roll. Courting is never certain, though - on a roll of 1, regardless of modifiers, the paramour rejects the character. Characters courting a wealthy paramour may not modify the die roll in this manner.
Courting takes one week of time, therefore counting as an action. A character who unsuccessfully courts a prospective paramour may try again in a later week, but must pay the courting cost again too.
If two characters discover each other at the doorstep of the same paramour in the same week, there may be difficulties. Either character may withdraw in favour of the other. If a character withdraws in favour of a character of a lower Social Level than himself, he loses Status Points equal to the difference in Social Levels between them. If neither character withdraws, a duel is required to settle the issue. Both players have spent the money before courting, regardless of what happens.
A player may court the paramour of another player, but he has an automatic die roll modifier of -1. Courting another player’s paramour is obviously cause for a duel if discovered. A character is caught if he attempts to court another player’s paramour while the other player is with her, or if he courts, fails to win her and commits an indiscretion (described below) in the process.
Characters are permitted to have only one paramour at a time. A player who has a paramour may court another, however. If successful, he must give up the first paramour. If unsuccessful, he must roll one die. On a roll of 1 through 5, he has been sufficiently discreet and his paramour does not find out. On a roll of 6, he has committed an indiscretion and his present paramour throws him out on his ear.
Once a character wins a paramour (i.e. successfully courts her) he must pay livres equal to three times her Social Level once per month for her support. If a player has a wealthy paramour, he need not pay her support; indeed, she will pay him crowns equal to twice the difference in their Social Levels (little gifts and what not) if hers is higher.
A character receives one Status Point per month for having a paramour, regardless of her attributes or Social Level. If his paramour is of a higher Social Level than he is, a character receives additional Status Points equal to the difference in Social Level between himself and his paramour. Beautiful mistresses give an additional Status Point to their lovers.
All paramours have a certain amount of influence, depending upon their Social Level, and influential paramours have additional influence. Influence Table C lists paramours’ favours (see Influence for their uses).
A character need only visit his paramour once per month to satisfy his need for companionship. Visiting a paramour counts as an activity unless the visit is combined with a visit to a salon. Paramours accompanying their lovers to a salon count in lieu of the monthly visit. Naturally, the character is expected to purchase her liquid refreshment.
Characters cannot court paramours more than 6 SLs higher than them. Only nobles can court noble paramours, and then only paramours of up to 2 noble ranks higher than theirs (e.g. a Baron or Son of a Baron can court a Comtesse, but not a Marquise).
Characters courting a paramour are assumed to have discovered her whereabouts from her friends, and will go wherever the paramour is that week, even if she is with her present lover. Players may order courting the paramour “only if she is at home”. If she is out with her lover that week, no courting roll is made, though that week’s action is still taken up and the courting costs must still be paid (it does avoid any unfortunate duels, though).
Characters can only court paramours who are in the same location (either Paris/the Isle de France or in another specific province). Conditional orders to the effect of 'If Paramour X is in Paris, then court her expending Y livres, Else do something else' are acceptable.
Duels can still arise if more than 1 character attempts to court “only at home” that week, or if the paramour's lover is visiting her at home. Characters who attempt to court a paramour in public are, of course, automatically indiscreet.
A lady or gentleman who has not been courted for a year will have a 50% of leaving Paris each month. If the number of potential paramours is reduced to below the number of PCs, new ones will arrive.
6.3 Paramours of Low Social Levels
It is considered unseemly to have a paramour too far beneath in rank. If a character's paramour is more than 6 social levels lower lose 1 status point per month for each SL more than 5 that he is above his paramour. The status point for having a paramour and the bonus if she is beautiful is still earned.
6.4 Influencing NPC Paramours
A wife will not perform the desired action unless her husband agrees, provided her husband does not also have a paramour in addition.
6.5 Bawdyhouses
Bawdyhouses are open to all who wish to avail themselves of the services of such establishments. Gambling, companionship and liquid refreshment are available.
Gambling is as outlined in the gambling rule, but without house limit or house divisor. One Status Point is gained per win, and one lost per loss or cut, but no points are gained for the total amount bet.
Before beginning an evening at a bawdyhouse, all characters must state the number of livres they are bringing with them. Credit is not allowed.
Companionship costs livres equal to the character’s Social Level. Liquid refreshment is mandatory, costing livres equal to the numerical value of the character’s Social Level.
At the end of his visit, any character in the red light district must roll one die to determine if he is set upon by footpads and relieved of his money. This occurs on a roll of 6 on one die. If footpads lift less than 2 x SL livres from a robbery victim, they will beat him up instead and he will lose 25% of current endurance.
Last edited by Puckohue, October 06 2019 19:21:45. Secured game article. You most log in to contribute.