The King is Dead: Bestiary - Lady's Maid
What do you think of this format for a bestiary entry?
from the “Servants” section
Lady’s Maid
Attributes:
Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6.
Skills: Gambling
d4, Healing d4, Intimidation d4, Investigation d4, Knowledge (Profession) d8,
Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d4, Taunt d4.
Charisma: +0
(+2) Pace: 6 Parry: 2 Toughness: 5
Hindrances:
Anemic, Outsider
Edges: Attractive
Equipment: Her
mistress’ cast-off clothes, sewing kit, Sathanic Bible or popular novel.
Greta Harkness
Seasoned
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6.
Skills: Gambling d4, Healing d4, Intimidation d6, Investigation d4, Knowledge (Profession) d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Taunt d6.
Charisma: +0 (+2) Pace: 6 Parry: 2 Toughness: 5
Hindrances: Cautious, Code of Honor, Outsider
Edges: Attractive
Equipment: Her mistress’ cast-off clothes, sewing kit, Sathanic Bible or popular novel.
Motivation: Escape this life of drudgery and despair.
Harkness is the lady's maid to Grafin Millarca zu Wolfenbach von Rickard, a minor noblewoman whose husband prefers hunting on his estates and leaves her to spend her life enjoying society in Hammerstadt. Grafin Millarca is callous and whimsical; she alternates between treating Harkness as a cherished pet and beating her like a dog. Harkness has recently begun reading the scandalous "thrilling novels" published by the Sorority of Belquis' Minerva Press; their tales of vampire-slaying madwomen and charismatic anarchists have sparked a simmering fire of resentment in Harkness' mind.
Plot Seeds
- Grafin Millarca has started an affair with a vampire officer or politician that the player characters are pursuing; befriending Harkness may allow them access to assassinate or poison the vampire.
- Harkness has submitted a manuscript to Minerva Press; the work is a thinly-veiled roman à clef about her employer's affairs. Publishing the novel may provoke an advantageous scandal, but it may also expose the lady's maid to danger.
Overall, the stat blocks look good. I like the plot seeds for Greta. In fact, I really like the second plot seed.
ReplyDeleteTwo criticisms: One thing I'd remove is the " Seasoned" rank for Greta. NPCs don't need ranks. It just takes up an unnecessary line in your book.
My second criticism may not need consideration until you start editing, but here it is now. The description for your generic Lady's Maid is way longer than it needs to be. It's longer than Greta's description even. I'd say three sentences for a generic human NPC stat block is all you need. The line about cast-off clothing is especially unnecessary, because you already put it in the equipment section (where it belongs).
Hope that's helpful.
Interesting points, and I'll take them under advisement..
ReplyDeleteThe way NPCs in Savage Worlds disobey the character creation and advancement guidelines for PCs just bugs me. I know it simplifies the GM's job, but it still feels like cheating. (Have you ever read the stats for the prominent NPCs in Pirates of the Spanish Main? They're insane! A PC would have to be double-Legendary to match Captain Blackheart!) That said, I'll drop it if it overcomplicates the writing process too much (which it probably will).