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That’s Duchess to you

We’re rolling up characters in Flashing Blades (yep, from 1984). It’s a rapiers & musketeers system, but instead of historic France we’re playing in a supressed tech sci fi setting that we created in one of our Microscope games (the “stellar empires” history), a baroque and decadent period when the alien “gas whales” are the living gods of the Imperial church.

Ping rolls her stats and decides to play a noblewoman.

P: Do I get to be Queen?
Me: Uh, no. Starting social rank for a noble is only 8. The Queen is a 20.
P: Can’t I start higher?
Me: Well, theoretically you could start as high as Duchess. You’d have to take the Title advantage, and you’d have to roll really well.
P: [grabs a d20, starts shaking it vigorously]
Me: But just to be clear, you’ll probably get a lower rank.
P: [still shaking d20 in balled fist]
Me: You only start as a Duchess on a natural 20.
P: [first signs of cramping in her shoulder]
Me: …
P: [face scrunched up in pain, arm twitching frantically]
Me: …uh, just so you know.
P: [uncurls her claw and chucks the die]

Bam, 20. Duchess.

    Ben Robbins | September 21st, 2009 | , | show 2 comments