Been wondering what the difference between a "Damosel" and a "Lady" is.

Thanks

When a damsel (damosel, Fr: damoiselle) marries, she becomes a lady, I guess.

When a damsel (damosel, Fr: damoiselle) marries, she becomes a lady, I guess.
But that doesn't make sense as a Damosel has a Stewardship of 15 while a Lady has a Stewardship of 12.

Why would her skill go down after marriage?

(thanks for replying btw)

Excellent question, MrUkpyr.

This question has been haunting me since 1990.

... so I looked it up.

Webster: Damsel [...] n. a young woman; a girl; a maiden, originally one of gentle or noble birth.

The rules seems a bit strange. Why do damsels loose skill points when the marry and becomes ladies?

Why do damsels lose skill points when the marry and become ladies?

They don't. Note that the Damosel has greater Glory. The stat block for a Lady represents a typical NPC wife, while the stat block for a Damosel represents an exceptional NPC wife. For a young wife, an unexceptional one, or one of common birth, I'd use the Maid-In-Waiting. As NPCs, none of these will ever qualify for the Gentlewoman's Bonus.

(See KAP5.1, p. 179 for the complete NPC stats above.)

They don't. Note that the Damosel has greater Glory. The stat block for a Lady represents a typical NPC wife, while the stat block for a Damosel represents an exceptional NPC wife.

I guess that is how Greg thought. Though a damsel shouldn't be married, should she? I just started re-reading Malory, and his damosels seems to be young women as far as I can tell. So we should get the stats for "high born lady" too, I think.

And talking about that: I'm starting a pressure group to force Greg to include "Bad Monk"-stats from 3rd and 4th ed in the 6th ed now! Join my cause!

Unmarried yes, but not necessarily young; there was Gawain, Marhaut, and Lyonel with the damosels of 15, 30, and 60 years of age. In the Lancelot-Grail cycle (French, a couple centuries before Malory), damosels are still unmarried, though of uncertain age. Furthermore, Niniane, the Lady of the Lake is the Damosel of the Lake, even though she is explicitly said to have a lover, and it seems to me that their relationship is less than chaste. (As an aside, Lancelot still refers to her as "my lady"; I'm not sure how much to read into that)

I think what Trout was going after was damosels are exceptional potential wives.

I think what Trout was going after was damosels are exceptional potential wives.

I referred to what the various stat blocks represent, not the general category of female characters. Were a player-knight to marry an exceptional NPC, I would use the Damosel stats. In most cases, the Lady stats are more representative.

Heh, I had this same question come up a few days ago. Never got 'round to posting it here, so thanks! Still would like a definitive definition of the difference between Damosels and Ladies, fer sure.


T.