Okay, so I've been playing with the idea of running a Ladies Campaign for GPC. Has anyone attempted this before? Does anyone have successful/interesting lady characters and adventures going on?

My vision for the ladys campaign would be to turn the game into a diplomacy and intregery focused one. Where the ladys would jockey to position their husbands and paramours in the court. The better the lady does, the greater the glory the knight receives and thus advances.

It might be hard to come up with ideas to run a sustained campaign that way. For such a campain you might want to go all mists of avalon style and include more druids, and priestesses and magic and all. That will expand the possibilities a bit. Maybe combining 4th edition magic with the 5th edition new lady stuff from "Knights and Ladies" supplement?. It sounds as if it will be a bit harder but would be very rewarding as well. good luck :P

I got to be honest a game about opposed seamstress rolls doesn't appeal (?but it was a critical, the stitching is beautiful!!?).

Women, Pendragon...whatever next!!! ;)

P.S On a slightly less chauvinistic note, again Mists of Avalon is interesting film (haven?t read the book) which is really about the influence of women in the world of Pendragon, they are the power behind the throne.

I think that's a fascinating idea, could make for a very different and enjoyable game - do let us know how it goes if you try it! It's not something I've tried before, but I see no reason why it shouldn't be manageable. There are some Periods that would particularly lend themselves to it -we're just finishing running the Anarchy Period, and I can see that having a ladies campaign with Countess Ellen in charge of Salisbury could be a fun dynamic. Similarly, later on when Queen G. is around, there is obvious scope there. Would be fascinating to see how the ladies respond to her relationship with Lancelot - do they side with him, with Arthur, try and stay neutral etc.

Yeah I suppose it could be fun if you want to play a game about intrigue (gossip), diplomacy (getting your own way), subtle manipulation (crying to get your own way), wealth (shopping) and courtly matters (comparing dresses and hair) ;D

Christ they?ll have us playing peasants next...

Women and peasants!

Well, I'd like to quote Dennis, a reasonably well known and notoriously outspoken peasant:

"Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony"

"Shut up!" (jostles Dennis)

;D

"Come and see the violence inherent in the system. Help! Help! I'm being repressed!"
:D

Yeah I suppose it could be fun if you want to play a game about intrigue (gossip), diplomacy (getting your own way), subtle manipulation (crying to get your own way), wealth (shopping) and courtly matters (comparing dresses and hair) ;D

Christ they?ll have us playing peasants next...



I was going to respond, but instead decided to do the write-up of my player knight's (you know, the cooper's son who survived Badon) successful helm show at the latest tournament, where he so impressed Sir Tor that they're going to London as soon as possible to get new outfits for the coming tournament circuit...oh, the Intrigue rolls will be hot and heavy at Camelot this year, I can assure you!

I'm just saying... :o

Suzanne

Although not the same as a lady's campaign, in my group one of the female players is going to play Countess Ellen. She knows this is really an NPC character, but that suits her - she doesn't have that much time to play what with kids and all - and it suits me, because I no longer have to run all the major NPCs (and as a man I have no idea how a woman's brain works ;D).

This has prompted me to think about what she can actually do to provide her with some interest in the game. Obviously once the Anarchy Period comes along she will be involved with the other player knights and the Saxons negotiating tributes etc but until then I'm a bit stuck. She's only going to really be involved during Court and apart from the odd dancing roll I can't think of much else. Ok, I did think she could call a Hunt or a Falconry event, or perhaps have a ladies pageant. Any other ideas for something a bit more stimulating/involved?

I was under the impression that the ladies were the stewards of the household for most of the knights (who have a manor). So if you want to have a ladies campaign, it will be more about how the sheep tend to give not enough wool for new clothes, and the prize bull has drowned in the pond, and the knight has to have his mail repaired after this last fools errand err... adventure, and where do we find the money (or other valuables) for it, and that bi**** from the manor on the other side of the forest has lured away your best milkmaid, and the Saxons have destroyed the well, and now we have to walk half an hour to get our water, and... and...
All the economic and household nitty gritty that keeps the knight in shape and on his horse and with the right weapons and armour as a fighting machine.
At court you get the political infighting about catching the eye and getting the ear of the ruler. Most ladies are there to promote the best interest of their families, and those might not be in the best interest of others... Why did THAT knight get this mission, and not another, equally deserving one? Maybe because HIS sister/mother/wife played the intrigue/courtesy game better that the sister/mother/wife of the other knight....
Enough scope for backstabbing and intrigue, and even that opposed needlework roll can be crucial in determining your status at court and with the wife of the ruler (think Bayeux Tapistry here, lots of women, all working on this, all gossiping, or at least talking, and the best ones probably doing the work closest to the wife of William), and therefore your change of getting heard by him, and having a change to state your case.
So yes, in my eyes there is scope for a ladies campaign. Just not in the heroic sense that appeals and appears in the romances. You don't go off to fight some foe, no you stay home to make sure that the knight has a home to return to!

Right assuming some flexibility and bending of rules, but in my opinion players enjoyment comes first.

Stewardship
Getting her husband?s buildings finished, project management, securing resources, adding her own ideas to the design, motivating the workforce, negotiating the price, keeping an eye on those cowboy builders that have existed since year dot!!
Problems in the lands, sick animals, sick people, helping animals give births, lost animals, getting involved hunting for creatures stalking the land, going on a quest to find ingrediants herbs etc needed to help heal and animal, person. Deal with those damn fairies who keep cursing the land.

Helping resolve peasant arguments not in a legal way, but in a more logical, personal manner, that will probably make both parties happy.
Relationships, helping make them, break them.

Intrigue match making, finding out info, damaging the image of some knight who has abused her husband, fighting of amorous knights, or having an affair.

Arranging parties and events and all the problems that incur.

Securing the special Unicorn steaks or the Bard of York before anyone else does.

They could get involved in chirurgery and go for a Dr Quinn type role which could be fun.

Or when the land is troubled, who can stop those knights, evil beasts, rampaging fairies, troll under bridge. Why it?s that mysterious knight again or defender of the people (night watchmen, robin hood bbc http://images1.fanpop.com/images/quiz/22986_1214734470506_300_400.jpg) .

Also women are great at getting kidnapped, so Saxons, knights, fairies, is she going to wait to be saved hell no, she's going to manipulate, poision, stab and flirt her way out.

Hope this helps and sorry for the messy feedback,

BigSteveUK

One additional role that ladies can play is Intelligence gathering and analysis. I don?t mean the Hollywood trope of the sexy spy, but picking up on subtle social cues that guys often miss, encouraging people to talk who?d guard their tongues around a knight, and generally connecting with people instead of killing them.

During the sewing circle she finds out that a neighboring knight is getting desperately short on cash. Maybe this isn?t the time to start a multi-year, lootable manorial improvement. The traveling merchant has increased his prices of items made from canvas or rope ? turns out there?s a sudden shortage. Somebody?s building a fleet. The knight?s going to raid the Continent ? what?s made in the target area that?s particularly valuable and easy to carry?

The US Army found that women excelled at this stuff in Iraq. I?m sure that some Arthurian women could too ? if given the chance, and if their husbands listen to them instead of caring only about their, um, Appearance stats. If.

Allright...... now we are all just reaching here..... Just give the crazy chick a sword and lets get to what she really wants!!!!!!!!!!!! The rest of this crap will put EVERYONE to slep including any self-respecting lady.