Post by Ymbert Montgomery on Jul 25, 2019 21:08:06 GMT
Note: This guide is aimed at non clergy characters. Obviously PC priests have quite a lot more to them!
17th Century France is a highly religious society. While levels of devotion vary wildly, it is near unheard of for a young man not to at least pay lip service to the Church. That said, hypocrisy is almost as common. Certainly, even devout young men are unlikely to think twice about attending Church one week than the Bawdyhouse the next!
Attending Church
While all characters are assumed to take time out of their weekly schedule to attend the Sunday service, church attendance can also be ordered as a weekly action.
This level of devotion doesn't go unnoticed, gaining attendees a Status Point. It costs a donation of Social Level in Livres to the collection plate. Mistresses can also be taken to Church and this counts as fufilling your Female Companionship requirement. They will also need their collection money played, unless Wealthy.
No cause for duelling can be given at Church. The religious authorities frown upon people brawling in the pews!
If you wish to attend the service of a specific PC priest you need to announce that in your orders.
Sermons
Sermons and attending sermons can be combined with a standard attend Church action.
Priests benefit from other PCs attending their sermons, gaining 1 SP for each PC of equal or higher Status Level. If attending the sermon of a Priest of higher Social Level a PC gains half the difference in SP, rounded up. Unlike toadying the Priest cannot lose SP for those of lower Social Level.
The house of God welcomes everyone, from Ducs to bastard sons of peasants.Priests may praise or chastise another character in their sermon, gaining or losing that character SP depending on the Priest's Rank. Each PC may only be praised or chastised once a month. (By that priest. Sermon wars are a bloody business).
Confessors
All characters require a confessor. You may take a PC priest as your confessor with a pre monthly order, although the priest also needs to have ordered your acceptance. (Although many priest players are likely to choose a "accept everyone" standing order on this). Priest's superiors are assumed to be their confessors. Any character without a PC confessor will be assigned a random NPC the first return sheet after their arrival in Paris. (Although no Catholic will be given a Protestant confessor or vice versa)
For each 12 SL of PCs confessing to them Priests gain 1 SP per month. However, if a character changes confessors to one of a different order their prior confessor loses the PC's SL in SP and the new confessor gains the same amount that month.
Weddings, Funerals and Christenings
All of these require a member of the clergy to oversee the ceremony. The level of the clergy needed depends on the SL of the PC getting married, who has a new child or who has just died. These cost a fee depending on the level needed. (If none of the deceased's friends pays for the funeral the money is taken out of their savings before any inheritance or wills are taken into account).
Weddings are followed a wedding reception at the Groom's Club (or residence), christenings are often followed by a baby shower and funerals are often followed by a wake hosted by one of the deceased's friends at his club. In this case the service and sermon are held in conjuction with attendance at the residence/club and don't need a separate activity.
The officiating priest may choose to praise or criticise in the course of the sermon. If the priest chooses to cast aspersions regarding the manner of a Principal's death or the parentage of a new baby, those held responsible will suffer an SP loss.
If a priest criticises the groom (or bride!) at a wedding service, the marriage will not take place, and the groom must make a successful courting roll to retain his fiancée. The priest must have a good reason (or a lot of influence) for doing this, as there will be an enquiry during the next month by his superior. If he is found not to have a good enough reason for his criticism the priest will be defrocked and the groom will have cause to duel him.
Huguenots
Huguenots are French Protestants. While in a minority and sometimes unpopular, their rights are protected by the Edict of Nantes. Any character may choose to be a Huguenot. There is no benefit for this and it's entirely a roleplaying consideration!
Note: History buffs will find the treatment of Huguenots ever more historically dubious than the rest of the game. Largely, they're treated in a very similar way to Catholics when their doctrine would have been different (taking confession etc). This is done for reasons of playability.
17th Century France is a highly religious society. While levels of devotion vary wildly, it is near unheard of for a young man not to at least pay lip service to the Church. That said, hypocrisy is almost as common. Certainly, even devout young men are unlikely to think twice about attending Church one week than the Bawdyhouse the next!
Attending Church
While all characters are assumed to take time out of their weekly schedule to attend the Sunday service, church attendance can also be ordered as a weekly action.
This level of devotion doesn't go unnoticed, gaining attendees a Status Point. It costs a donation of Social Level in Livres to the collection plate. Mistresses can also be taken to Church and this counts as fufilling your Female Companionship requirement. They will also need their collection money played, unless Wealthy.
No cause for duelling can be given at Church. The religious authorities frown upon people brawling in the pews!
If you wish to attend the service of a specific PC priest you need to announce that in your orders.
Sermons
Sermons and attending sermons can be combined with a standard attend Church action.
Priests benefit from other PCs attending their sermons, gaining 1 SP for each PC of equal or higher Status Level. If attending the sermon of a Priest of higher Social Level a PC gains half the difference in SP, rounded up. Unlike toadying the Priest cannot lose SP for those of lower Social Level.
The house of God welcomes everyone, from Ducs to bastard sons of peasants.Priests may praise or chastise another character in their sermon, gaining or losing that character SP depending on the Priest's Rank. Each PC may only be praised or chastised once a month. (By that priest. Sermon wars are a bloody business).
Confessors
All characters require a confessor. You may take a PC priest as your confessor with a pre monthly order, although the priest also needs to have ordered your acceptance. (Although many priest players are likely to choose a "accept everyone" standing order on this). Priest's superiors are assumed to be their confessors. Any character without a PC confessor will be assigned a random NPC the first return sheet after their arrival in Paris. (Although no Catholic will be given a Protestant confessor or vice versa)
For each 12 SL of PCs confessing to them Priests gain 1 SP per month. However, if a character changes confessors to one of a different order their prior confessor loses the PC's SL in SP and the new confessor gains the same amount that month.
Weddings, Funerals and Christenings
All of these require a member of the clergy to oversee the ceremony. The level of the clergy needed depends on the SL of the PC getting married, who has a new child or who has just died. These cost a fee depending on the level needed. (If none of the deceased's friends pays for the funeral the money is taken out of their savings before any inheritance or wills are taken into account).
Weddings are followed a wedding reception at the Groom's Club (or residence), christenings are often followed by a baby shower and funerals are often followed by a wake hosted by one of the deceased's friends at his club. In this case the service and sermon are held in conjuction with attendance at the residence/club and don't need a separate activity.
The officiating priest may choose to praise or criticise in the course of the sermon. If the priest chooses to cast aspersions regarding the manner of a Principal's death or the parentage of a new baby, those held responsible will suffer an SP loss.
If a priest criticises the groom (or bride!) at a wedding service, the marriage will not take place, and the groom must make a successful courting roll to retain his fiancée. The priest must have a good reason (or a lot of influence) for doing this, as there will be an enquiry during the next month by his superior. If he is found not to have a good enough reason for his criticism the priest will be defrocked and the groom will have cause to duel him.
Huguenots
Huguenots are French Protestants. While in a minority and sometimes unpopular, their rights are protected by the Edict of Nantes. Any character may choose to be a Huguenot. There is no benefit for this and it's entirely a roleplaying consideration!
Note: History buffs will find the treatment of Huguenots ever more historically dubious than the rest of the game. Largely, they're treated in a very similar way to Catholics when their doctrine would have been different (taking confession etc). This is done for reasons of playability.
