A Life of Crime
or, What to Do When Morality Doesn’t Pay
The proper gentleman has grace, poise, élan, unperturbability, discretion and valor; then again, not everyone is a proper gentleman. Some, plagued by penury or circumstances, are forced into a life of crime. Others, unburdened with an excess of ethics, find it merely convenient.
Crime is, while potentially lucrative, risky. A loss of reputation is the least damaging repercussion one might face if criminality was suspected. However, incarceration (or even death) was not unknown for serious crimes. You have been warned.
Thievery
The streets of Paris are full of cutpurses, thieves and ne'er-do-wells. A man does well to keep his wits about himself at all times, to avoid falling prey to such scum as these. Every so often, however, a man might be tempted to join their ranks, if only for a single evening. For some, it is the simple thrill of the game; for others; a means justified by a particular end.
A character can attempt to steal from another character as a Free Action. Both the target and the object must be specified in the orders (i.e., "Steal the signet ring from Porthos"). If no object is specified, it will be assumed to be that person's purse. Once the player is in the presence of he whom they are going to rob, he rolls two dice.
Theft Table
2d6 Roll | Result |
---|---|
2-6 | Unsuccessful -- no result |
7 | No item; (1d6/2)*Victim's SL crowns | 8-9 | Steals item, or 1d6*Victim's SL in crowns |
10-12 | Caught! Character is jailed pending trial |
Note that if the target has a lackey, the theft is automatically foiled on a 1 in 6 chance; 2 in 6 if the lackey has Wit. If the theft is foiled, there is a further 1 in 6 chance that the thief is caught; 2 in 6 if the lackey has Wit or Brawn.
Highway Robbery
The romances are full of tales of dashing, bold highwaymen who steal jewels from the old and wealthy, and hearts from the young and beautiful. While certainly a pretty tale, there is a cold and pragmatic reason to indulge in this criminal activity: one practices it outside of Paris, where patrols are few and constables do not roam.
The life of a highwayman is certainly a potentially lucrative one, but is subject to unique risks, and the consequence is death. No trials are held. A highway robber, once caught, is hanged immediately by his captors as a warning to others.
Here's how it works: each week, the referee rolls one die for the Opportunities available.
Opportunities
1d6 Roll |
Description]/th] | Victims |
---|---|---|
1 |
No traffic: Oxcarts and hayricks | None |
2-3 |
Slow week: Bad weather | 1d3 |
4-5 |
Average traffic: Good business | 1d6 |
6 |
Busy: Plenty of opportunities | 1d6+2 |
Each opportunity is then generated on the Victims Table. This is rolled on two dice, adding one for each consecutive month that any highway thievery was performed by anyone. This is a cumulative total, only reducing by one for each peaceful month thereafter. This running total, known as the Traveler's Advisory will, when elevated, be noted in the Paris Gazette.
Victims Table
2d6 Roll* |
Victim | Haul (Crowns) |
---|---|---|
2-3 |
Farmers from Market | 1d3*25 |
4-5 |
Small Merchant | 1d6*25 |
6-8 |
Middle-Class Coach | 2d6*25 |
9-10 |
Noble Coach | 2d6*50 |
11-12 |
Armed Noble Coach (2d6*12 END damage) | 3d6*25 |
13-14 |
Armed Mail Coach (2d6*20 END damage) | 3d6*50 |
15+ |
Heavily Armed Military Patrol (2d6*25 END damage) | None |
The results of these two tables determine the spoils -- and the fate -- of our intrepid highwayman.
Espionage
A character may elect to become a spy for another country or power. Countries and powers who actively seek spies in France are Germany, Spain, England and the Huguenots. A character who elects to become a spy must select the power to whom he sends his reports. This is permanent, as spies may never retire.
Becoming a spy is a Primary Action, assumed to be spent outside Paris, away from prying eyes. The pay is 25 crowns per week spent actively spying (50 if a Major or higher, and 100 a week if a minister). Due to inside knowledge, spies will gain +1 modifier when applying to any Government or Military Appointment, and their MA will be considered to be one higher when determining their Battle Result.
Spies will only be paid for weeks spent actively spying. A spy is discovered if he is tried by the Commissioner of Public Safety for any reason; if he must appear before a Court Martial and found guilty; or if a 12 is rolled on 2D6 during any week spent spying or using the spy-benefits. An uncovered spy may be tried at the discretion of the CPS (an NPC will prosecute on 3+ on 1D6). If you receive a bonus for being a spy then you are considered to have been spying. If you don't want to risk getting caught then don't use the bonus.
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