I'm not sure to understand correctly the lady skill rule on BoE :

It says: " Lady skill is always age + Class Modifiers.
After that : "Your Lady's beginning skill will be modified by her age and her father's status". Not the same.

So, say your knight marry with a 15 years old lady, with a father's status Vassal Knight (0 class modifier). What is her Lady skill ?
15 ? Or 15-10(Age modifiers -10) = 5 ?

After that it will grow up 1 per year until 15 i guess. So if 5 at beginning, her skill will be 10 when she will reach 20 years old.
But if you marry a 20 years old lady, her skill is 20 (20-0). Correct ? It makes a big gap... Or is it each year age + age modifier ?
so 15 => 5, next year 16 => 8, next 17=>11, etc ?

I'm not sure to understand correctly the lady skill rule on BoE :

That is because I didn't write it well

Add 3 per year, up to 20
so your daughter of a vassal knight:
age 15 = 5
16 = 8
17 = 11
18 = 14
19 = 17
20 = 20

And you reminded me that I ought to have put the new Childbirth Table in there

you can find this, at http://www.gspendragon.com/newchildbirthtables.html

Thanks for your quick answer, and for this new Childbirth tables ! :)

This change has been made in the latest revision (1.2). It's not up on DriveThruRPG yet, but will be — soon! Note that is does not include the new childbirth tables. Please go to Greg's site for that. Perhaps a future update will incorporate them.


T.

Hello, I'm also having a bit of a problem interpreting the Lady Skill.

Does this skill continue to rise above 20 when the wife grows older in game?, it doesn't say that it doesn't. Does this mean a wife that is 30 years has an effective stewardship skill of 30? This does seem a bit much, considering the Manor-system.

I'm sorry if I misinterpreted the rules.

I believe the skills rise at a rate of +1 per year UNTIL the skill reaches 15. They you have to roll.

NT

Does this skill continue to rise above 20 when the wife grows older in game?, it doesn't say that it doesn't. Does this mean a wife that is 30 years has an effective stewardship skill of 30? This does seem a bit much, considering the Manor-system.

See page 10
Eothar called it right

Gentlemen—

I believe the updated version has been uploaded to DriveThru. I can't say tell from the product page itself, but I've received an email that seems to confirm the new one is up there. Go get it!


T.

Thank you for you quick answers.
(It really is a luxury to be able to have such an active community and to get an answer from the source it self. [checks Loyalty [Greg])

Just a quick thought, to make sure I get this right!

Add 3 per year, up to 20
so your daughter of a vassal knight:
age 15 = 5
16 = 8
17 = 11
18 = 14
19 = 17
20 = 20


Here you say that the beginning lady-skill of a wife is 20, if she is 20 years old. So if she enters the game at 20 years of age she starts with a skill of 20 (effectively 20 in Stewardship, a fantastic starting steward in the manor system, albeit with a chance to die each year).

Or as Eothar said, does it stay at 15, and has a chance to raise? If I create a wife for a player, and the wife starts at 20. Do I roll from 15 and upwards for the last five years?

(I'll check the book when I get home tonight, so if the answer is on p. 10 as Greg said, ignore my question)

Gentlemen—

I believe the updated version has been uploaded to DriveThru. I can't say tell from the product page itself, but I've received an email that seems to confirm the new one is up there. Go get it!


T.


I believe I made the mistake of ordering paper-back version only. Dammit...

I've been looking and reading some more now, and I still can't seem to get it quite right. Probably beacause I'm kinda of new to the game. I'm sorry if I seem kind of lost.

On page 10 it indeed says that from 15+ you roll to raise the skill, but as I understand it some supporters can begin with a skill higher than 15 when they enter play, does this mean they roll?

If A PC marries a wife of 20-21 years old, she begins with 20 in skill (assuming no modifiers from father). Granted, after this the skill will likely raise very slowly using a D20 to raise the skill, and the wife has a pretty big chance of dying each year. But it still is a lot. A stewardship skill of 20+ in the Manorial system is very good, especially considering how common such a high skill would be for new wives.

So, here are the alternatives I can't seem to get right:

Case one:
A PC marries a wife, 20 years old. From the table in BoE she gets a Lady Skill of 20, and an effective stewardship roll on his manor that is 20.

Case two:
A PC marries a wide, 20 years old. From the table in BoE she gets a Lady Skill of 20, this is raised to 15. Then a die is rolled for the last five years and the result is recorded as her Lady Skill.

The first case seems like it's too much for a skill (I might just misinterpret the effectiveness of wives), the second case seems kind of stretched.

Can you guys help me get this thruogh my thick skull? :D

On page 10 it indeed says that from 15+ you roll to raise the skill, but as I understand it some supporters can begin with a skill higher than 15 when they enter play, does this mean they roll?

First, from whence does your understanding of "some supporters can begin with a skill higher than 15" come?


If A PC marries a wife of 20-21 years old, she begins with 20 in skill (assuming no modifiers from father). Granted, after this the skill will likely raise very slowly using a D20 to raise the skill, and the wife has a pretty big chance of dying each year. But it still is a lot. A stewardship skill of 20+ in the Manorial system is very good, especially considering how common such a high skill would be for new wives.

Yes


So, here are the alternatives I can't seem to get right:

Case one:
A PC marries a wife, 20 years old. From the table in BoE she gets a Lady Skill of 20, and an effective stewardship roll on his manor that is 20.

Case two:
A PC marries a wide, 20 years old. From the table in BoE she gets a Lady Skill of 20, this is raised to 15. Then a die is rolled for the last five years and the result is recorded as her Lady Skill.

Two questions:
do you mean "raised by 15"?
I actually don't understand where your question comes from.
Will you quote me the rules that seem to indicate what you are trying to ask? Thanks

I'm sorry, English is not my first language. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain.

I'll try to explain it:


The Lady Skill changes with time. It is always Age + Class Modifiers (above).


Each Winter Phase, during Step 2: Experience rolls, after finishing the rolls for your knight, all Followers also try to improve. All Key skills and Passions Skills for Followers have a chance to progress. ... Second, attempt to raise all their skills and passions. The amount and method depends on the abilities current value.

15 or less: +1 point per year up to 15.
16-20: roll 1D6: 1-5 = nothing, 6 = +1 point, up to 20.
20+: roll 1d20: 01-19 = no gain, 20 = +1 point.

If a lady gets married at 15, she will start with a Lady skill of 5.

How much will this increase each year during play, (winter phase).

3 each year up to 20, as per the table on p. 18
OR
1 each year up to 15, then 1D6 roll each year up to 20 on p. 10

Did it make more sense now?
Does she learn that much quicker as a maid in waiting? Does it cap?

How much will this increase each year during play, (winter phase).

3 each year up to 20, as per the table on p. 18
OR
1 each year up to 15, then 1D6 roll each year up to 20 on p. 10


My interpretation is that the bit about +3 per year of age is to determine the starting Lady skill (and is based upon her age when she enters play). During play I would suggest that you use the follower skill improvement schedule.

This means that as a player there is an incentive to marry an old maid (for the juicier stewardship rolls) but this is in conflict with the better childbirth opportunities offered by a younger bride.

Regards
Luke

Thank you!

I think I make that interpretation too. Although I am considering house-ruling it. I think the chance of getting a wife with 20+ lady skill from start is too great.

Thank you!

I think I make that interpretation too. Although I am considering house-ruling it. I think the chance of getting a wife with 20+ lady skill from start is too great.


You might use my alternative houserules for women. Women start with the standard d6+13 starting age. They gain lady skills (which I define as :chirurgery; industry; fashion and Stewardship) with each year they age. Lady skills being like this

AGE = SKILL
14 = 5
15 = 6
16 = 7
17 = 8
18 = 9
19 = 10

1. They also have one of their lady skills set at +5 (which becomes a skill of 15 at 19).
2. They then have 5 non-lady assigned to them (usually from social skills but also horsemanship and archery (composite bow really called a horn bow). religion is normally one of these skills as women were charged with religious instruction and moral instruction.
3. They gain four heightening used in exactly the way men use them and can be used to heighten lady skills and non lady skills to +5 or 15 at age 19.

"Ladies" who chose to be knights use a starting age and starting skills exactly like knights and are not allowed to have lady skills as starting skills. I roll a d20 whenever a knight has a daughter and on a 20 she is such a tomboy. I also assign their skills somewhat on their traits.

+16 lazy damsels get no +5 lady skill, unless they also take one lady skill at -5, they also get only 3 non-lady skills and can't use heightenings for skill boosts. vs Energetic damsels who can 2 lady skills at +5 and gain 8 non-lady skills rather than 5, but they can't use a heightening for any thing but skill boosts.

Lustful +16 damsels must choose flirting and romance as non-knightly skills and likely have fashion as their +5 lady skill and likely will have dancing, singing, courtesy and tourneys as first choice for their non-lady skills.
chaste 16+ ones are not allowed to pick flirting or romance as their non-lady skills.

Huntresses are allowed to have horsemanship and archery as non-lady skills. Note it was perfectly lady like to be a good horsewoman or archer in the real middle ages, unlike fighting with daggers or any fighting at all, which was most un-lady like and should be allowed to only the tomboy types. women never commonly carried daggers in the middle ages even when men did.

Stewardess in addition to having stewardship or industry as their +5 lady skill, will also have courtesy and folklore as non-lady skills.

Note: medieval women were considered adults at 12 when they could be married and usually were married age 13-15. damsels not married at 16 will already be starting to get desperate and their resistance factor will drop by 1 by then and by each year another one for each year they age without being married- at least as far as men courting them for marriage goes.

I like 'em, Snaggle! Nice work there.


T.

I like 'em, Snaggle! Nice work there.


T.


Thank you Taliesin.