The Novice
This adventure is designed for Honor+Intrigue. It is based on an adventure of the same name that I ran in my Honor+Intrigue campaign. This is set in
France in the year 1624, but with minor changes it could take place any time
between the Middle Ages and the French Revolution or in any Catholic area in
roughly the same time frame. With a bit more modification, the adventure could
also be transferred to a fantasy setting provided it has monasteries or
convents for seclusion.
The Assignment
One of more of the player characters are asked or ordered to
escort a maiden to the Convent of the Blessed Heart which is located two days
ride from their present location. She is to be safely conducted to the convent
where she is to remain and become a novice.
The GM should select an appropriate friend, superior, or
authority figure as the source of the assignment. The party maybe be doing this
for a fee, as an exchange of favors, or because their superior commanded it.
While the maiden and her parents (François and Heloise
Deville) were visiting the local capital, the maiden’s father either died or
became incapacitated. As part of his will, last orders, or a dying request he
expressed the desire for his daughter to enter the convent. The maiden’s mother
is overwhelmed at the loss her husband and just wants her daughter kept away
from “bad influences in the capital” and from people who “may have designs” on
her innocent young daughter.
While the maiden, along with her mother and father, were
visiting the capital city, the maiden was relentlessly pursued by Adrian
Chenevier the Chevalier de Branville a very wealthy young nobleman of knightly
rank. The Chevalier is well known in the capital and has a reputation as an
infamous seducer of women. (Treat the Chevalier him as having the Flaw:
Infamous.) To date, with the support or her father, the maiden has rebuffed his
efforts. With her father’s death, the situation may change.
In fact the Chevalier, frustrated at being thwarted, has
planned to take direct action. With the help of his sycophantic hangers-on with
a band of hired bravos, he intends to carry the maiden off to a cozy little
love nest that he has prepared for her seduction somewhere outside of the city.
The Maiden (Louise Deville)
The would-be novice is a young noblewoman who is pampered
and unused to travel. She will want to stop to rest, wash, refresh herself,
pray at every religious shrine along the way, and drink a restorative glass of
fine wine at every likely looking inn. If accommodated, the trip will stretch
out to 3 or even 4 days. In addition the maiden will complain about the rigors
of travel (the dust, heat, cold, rain, mud, bumps in the road, bad food, the
quality of any inns, etc.). If she is not allowed her frequent stops then her
voice will become shrill and her complaints will come nonstop.
Inn Ambush
About lunch time on the second day, the party will reach a
road side inn. It is a good place to rest the horses and get a bite to eat or
to drink before continuing their journey to the Convent. A group of
"bandits" are waiting at the inn to ambush the party and kidnap the
girl. The “bandits” are Branville’s hangers-on aided by a band of hired bravos.
The Chevalier Branville pluse a total of 1 Hangers-On and 3 Bravos for each PC
will provide an easy to moderate challenge for a typical party of Heroes.
Hangers-On (Average Pawns)
Might -1 Flair 1 Courtier
2
Rapier 1d6-1
Dmg; +1 Parry
Quickcut+1
(2 attacks at half damage @)
Bravos (Average Pawns)
Daring 1 Melee 1 Ranged
-1 Defense 1
Duelist 0
Duelist 0
1d3
Protection (Buff coat)
Rapier 1d6
Dmg; +1 Parry
Fist 1d2 Dmg
Bladework+2,
Brawling+1, Lunge+2
At this point the GM needs to determine what is really going
on. Select from or roll on the following table.
If there is second romantic interest, roll 1d6 or select from the following table to determine who the second romantic interest is.
A fight occurs. Depending on what is really going on, the
fight may include 3 or even 4 sides. If there are more than 2 sides, the GM can
decide or randomly roll to determine what order the sides arrive. In some cases
Branville may even temporarily be on the same side or appear to be on the same
side as the PCs.
If the party soundly defeats all opponents, they may
continue to the convent. If the party escapes from their attackers or if one of
the attackers kidnaps the maiden, then a chase occurs. If there are more than 2
sides, a multi-sided chase may occur.
The Chase
Whoever has the maiden must try to stay ahead of or outdistance
their pursuers. Adding in obstacles will liven up the chase. Roll 1d6 or select
from the list below.
One Final Twist
The final twist is optional. For some parties or groups it
may overly complicate the adventure or move the conflict away from the usual
swashbuckling action towards a less welcome and more litigious or scholarly
venue.
Branville has obtained an order from a friendly magistrate,
appointing him guardian of Louise Deville due to her father’s death or
incapacitation. The party must now decide whether to comply with the order,
turning the maiden over to her pursuer or to ignore that order, for now, and
deliver the maiden to the convent. In the latter case, perhaps the person who
gave this assignment to the party may be able to handle any legal
repercussions. Alternately, the GM could create a follow up adventure for the
party to handle the legal repercussions.
ADRIAN CHENEVIER THE CHEVALIER DE BRANVILLE (VILLAIN)
Roleplaying: Branville is always polite and his etiquette is
perfect. He has a mannerism or affectation of frequently slapping his gloves in
his other hand for emphasis while saying, “Well, well.”
Background: Branville is a lesser noble and courtier.He
usually travels with six foppishly sycophantic hangers-on who laugh at his
jokes, take his part, sing his praises and otherwise support him.
Might 0, Daring 1, Savvy 1, Flair 3*
Brawl -1, Melee 3, Ranged 0, Defense
2
Courtier 2, Don
Juan 2, Duelist 2, Scholar 0
Lifeblood: 8 Composure
3 Advantage: 4 Fortune 6
Language: French (Native), Spanish (Basic)
Boons: Attractive, Dueling Style (Spanish),*Good Etiquette,
Great Wealth;
Flaws: Bad Reputation, City Dweller
Spanish Dueling Style: Spend 1 FP for +2 Defense vs. melee
attacks
Rapier: 1d6 Dmg; Parry +1
Cloak: NA; +1 Feint, Bind
Main Gauche: 1d6-1 Dmg; +1 Bind, Disarm, Swordbreak
Maneuvers: Bladework+4, Quickcut (Bonus+6), Tag+6/+2;
Feint+6, Footwork+4; Dodge, Cloak Parry+6, Parry+4[+5], Riposte+4; Ranged
Attack+1.
(Underscored maneuvers have been mastered.)
EDIT: I forgot links to a file. I've included both MS-Word to make it easier for you to customize and a PDF.
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