During the last game session my PKs found themselves at the celebration feast after the battle of Lindsey/Lincoln. I expanded the event somewhat, providing more opportunities for courtly interaction/intrigue etc, during which several of my players conjured up numerous Crit/Fumbles results that created some issues I'd like to share & get thoughts on.

My PKs had been feasting and drinking for much of the day and continued to do so into the evening when the nobles and ladies arrived. Upon seeing Igraine they all rolled for Lusts/Amours as directed in the GPC. My first PK, with a Lust of 7, rolled a 1 and thus got a directed Lust of +6, nothing too outlandish there. The next PK got himself an Amour of 7, still pretty unsurprising. PK number 3, with a Lust of 17 proceeded to Critical his Lust roll. Using the RAW this would've meant no trait but as this obviously did not fit the power of his response, I assumed the Crit this time to be a roll of zero, therefore a +17 directed Lust for Igraine. Now that is a massive modifier, but as a roll of 1 would've meant a +16 even using the rule exactly as written, this still seemed within the realm of plausibility. That PK now had an effective Lust of 34 whenever Igraine was involved.

As the feast continued I had him roll Awareness each round to see if she just happened to be visible to him, and when she was, he was forced to roll his Lust or feel compelled to seek her company. A few moments later this is exactly what he did. He made his way towards her table and tried to gain her attention away from the other knights and dukes present. Just then, the king got to his feet, clapped his hands and called everyone to dance.

Gorlois started getting up from his chair, about to take the hand of his wife and lead her to the floor, while the other knights and ladies turned to find partners of their own. My PK saw his chance, for a split second Igraine was alone. I told the player that his Lust for her was *so* strong that he felt compelled to do *something*. However, I also told him that he was not stupid and that a grab for her, in front of the king and Gorlois would be almost insane, so i gave him the chance to oppose his Lust with his Prudent. Now a Prudent of 15 vs a Lust of 34 is not good odds but it was a chance (and one that I didn't feel was unfair considering the strength of his feelings). My PK agreed and made his Prudent roll...and duly Fumbled. Then, somewhat unsurprisingly, criticalled his Lust roll. All my players laughed apart from the PC in question who uttered something like "oh god..". I said he was so consumed by emotion, and so driven by recklessness, that he went to grab her, not just her hand, but a grab as if to hug her close. She of course, recoiled (chaste 19 for starters) and Gorlois went balistic (Love Igraine 18 for starters too), kicked the PK away and immediately issued a challenge to him for assaulting his wife. The hall fell silent.

At this point my PC asked what his options were. I ruled that he could beg forgiveness from Gorlois. He tried but Gorlois failed to forgive. I then said he could beg for mercy, but to do so, if accepted, would be the equivalent of him having done so in a challenge, and would mean he owed Gorlois his life, therefore requiring some form of service or payment to pay back. Again, he agreed, but again Gorlois failed to show mercy. The PK was led away by the stewards and ejected from the feast before things carried on, somewhat subdued.

The challenge was set for the very next day and again my PC asked what options he had. I thought that he *could* just leave the castle and not show up for the challenge. I said he'd be looking at a hefty Honour loss (was 6 to 7 points about right?) and that since Gorlois was a duke, not just another knight, if he wanted he could easily apply pressure to Earl Roderick and have the PK handed over or sanctioned in some way.

My PC then asked if he could get the earl to speak with Gorlois and ask that the challenge be called off. Knowing that my PK was staring down the barrel of a gun I agreed he could try. First by rolling Loyalty (lord), which he did, then rolling another Forgiveness roll from Gorlois (at a modifier). He made the roll, succeeded and the challenge was called off.

Now I'm thinking over the repercussions. Should my PK lose Honour, I'd imagine yes, but what amount seems right, 2 or 3 points? He is now walking a tightrope where Igraine is concerned. Any more transgressions and Gorlois will flip out, but my PK still has a Lust 34 to contend with so he's never going to be able to control himself in her presence. Also what about Uther? He saw this and also coverts Igraine. As GM its all too easy for me to say that Uther now hates the PK and has him killed (well within his right as king) but that's a bit unfair. Should I ignore Uther's jealousy or play it out in a more subtle way which the PK at least has a chance of responding to?

Congrats, Pramalot, you and your group have certainly figured out how to use the trait and passion system. With good group of roleplayers this system rocks.

I think possibly that 3 points of honor is a bit sharp. Would you label this as "flagrant cowardice"? I would take one or two points, and possibly one in hospitality, for the "assault" on poor Ygraine. '

As for further drama, there is little potential in "Uther have you killed". ;D Make it more subtle. Give Uther as Suspicous Sir X trait, and let Uther talk badly about him, perhaps try to give him a difficult mission or set him up in some way (a diplomatic mission thats bound to fail, for example).

A few pence worth to consider...
What about the other players in this drama ?

Gorlois has publically forgiven him. Anything linking Gorlois to an assault on the PK is bad PR and (rumours or truth) destroys a bit of his power base.

Gorlois's knights might not be so forgiving - think of Thomas a Beckett being murdered after the comment by Henry II - "After these reports of Becket's activities, Henry is said to have raised his head from his sickbed and roared a lament of frustration. The King's exact words are in doubt and several versions have been reported. The most commonly quoted, as handed down by "oral tradition", is "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?",but according to historian Simon Schama this is incorrect: he accepts the account of the contemporary biographer Edward Grim, writing in Latin, who gives us "What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished and brought up in my household, who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?". Alternatively they might just go for bit of gang rough and tumble, so that he doesn't look upon Ygraine in quite the same way (which could be hard with two black eyes anyway...)...

Earl Roderick - has a problem on his hands. The PK is a clear loose cannon if Ygraine is around and he cannot keep bailing him out. Assuming that Earl Roderick thinks highly of the PK, then the obvious solution is to have the PK physically removed from being around Ygraine, and sent on garrison duty or whatever some distance away. In an extreme view he might even see him as 'possessed' and send him for counselling with some priests. Or does he see the player knight as somehow thwarted in Lust, and it's time that his baser urges were controlled by marrying him off to the first (and ugly) serving girl that comes along ?

The PK - you know your players, who presumably by now are starting to know the system. This has got to be good for a session or two of madness as the Knight criticals his passion roll when he hears her name, but cannot have her, and goes mad, and leaps into the wilderness.

The Ygraine appreciation society - there must be some other knights with equally high passions - might welcome him into their fraternity, which consists of getting drunk together and musing with each other, at each feast at which they and Ygraine are at.

(Oh, and another part of me wonders what Merlin does with all this....)

Chris

I think possibly that 3 points of honor is a bit sharp. Would you label this as "flagrant cowardice"? I would take one or two points, and possibly one in hospitality, for the "assault" on poor Ygraine. '


I gave my PK -1 Honour and -1 Hospitality. He grumbled but accepted it.



Gorlois's knights might not be so forgiving - think of Thomas a Beckett being murdered after the comment by Henry II - "After these reports of Becket's activities, Henry is said to have raised his head from his sickbed and roared a lament of frustration. The King's exact words are in doubt and several versions have been reported.

Earl Roderick - has a problem on his hands. The PK is a clear loose cannon if Ygraine is around and he cannot keep bailing him out. Assuming that Earl Roderick thinks highly of the PK, then the obvious solution is to have the PK physically removed from being around Ygraine, and sent on garrison duty or whatever some distance away. In an extreme view he might even see him as 'possessed' and send him for counselling with some priests. Or does he see the player knight as somehow thwarted in Lust, and it's time that his baser urges were controlled by marrying him off to the first (and ugly) serving girl that comes along ?

The Ygraine appreciation society - there must be some other knights with equally high passions - might welcome him into their fraternity, which consists of getting drunk together and musing with each other, at each feast at which they and Ygraine are at.

(Oh, and another part of me wonders what Merlin does with all this....)

Chris


The "Ygraine appreciation society" haha I like that. You're right, he's not alone in being smitten by her, but he's probably alone in being *quite* so smitten. And that's a good point about the earl and other Cornish knights. I'll make sure the latter give him a bit of a rough ride in future. Perhaps they might make a point of exacting revenge if they get the chance later... like next year at Tintagel.

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

As a side question (of which I seem to have a lot, I don't mean to derail the topic but these threads always make me think of things that never ocuured to me before).

In cases where a player is trying to resist his urges I've seen many examples of using Prudent as the "counter" for this. But wouldn't the Temperate/Indulgent traits work better here? I always thought of Prudent/Reckless as two characters who come up with the same idea where the Prudent one plans things outs and considers the consequences while the Reckless one boldly charges where angels fear to tread. And I always thought of Temperate as someone who tries to hold his desires in check while someone Indulgent seeks gratification whereever and whenever possible. Is this wrong? How do you guys handle these two trait pairings in your game

I also have trouble coming up with good challenges for Pious/Worldly that don't seem contrived.

jolt