The Fine Arts

or, The Elevation of the Human Spirit (And How to Profit From It)

Death Before Dishonor!    Game Rules    Chapter II: Living in Paris      The Fine Arts

Treatises, Sonnets and Opera

Gentlemen who wish to pursue less Pyrrhic pursuits than combat and warfare may try their hand at the more civilized arts. Chief among these might be Science, Music or Literature. Regardless of what form it takes, each is a creative endeavor requiring common rules (see The Great Work, below).

The Great Work

Regardless of its final form, creative works are performed in discrete steps which must be taken to create a work worthy of attention. The first and most obvious step is to decide upon the subject matter. Will this be a play based on Greek mythology (always a popular choice), or perhaps a coldly scientific treatise designed to cut out long-held superstitions with surgical precision? Even if nothing else is written by the player, the premise should be solid, plausible and entertaining.

Once the premise is written, Step Two is to select a title for the work. Titles in the Renaissance could be quite lengthy -- feel free to make yours as entertaining as possible. Step Three is the actual research and writing done by the character. This is always a Primary Action, and cannot be combined with any secondary ones.

Depending on the scope of the work, this might take some time, but need not be contiguous (i.e., one week per month, one per quarter, or just every so often). The duration of the project is directly related to its volume (i.e., a brief minuet requires less time to pen than a four-hour opera). The Written Arts Table summarizes the minimum time requirements for different works. A player may elect to spend more time developing the work prior to its publication to polish, refine, and edit it. A bonus is given to the quality of the piece for each additional time increment spent (see the Refinement Table).

The Written Arts

Time (weeks)	Volume Modifier	Literature	Music	Stage	Science
1	0.5	Pamphlet	Movement	Act	Experiment
2	1.0	Short Story	Symphony	Short Play	Monograph
3	2.5	Book	Opera	Play	Theory
4	4.0	Reference Work	Epic Opera	Epic Play	Groundbreaking Work

Refinement

Weeks Spent	Quality
1+	+1
3+	+2
6+	+3

Once the work is complete, a publisher must be found. Finding a publisher is a Primary Action, which may be performed by a lackey. The publisher will determine the type of marketing, and to whom. Smaller publishers tend to cater to the lower classes, while the more prestigious publishing houses appeal to the patrons of the arts. The author (or his backers) must pay the fee to be represented, and hope that representation pays off in recognition and copies sold.

Publishers in Paris

Publisher	Cost (Crowns)	Quality Bonus
Fynch & Sons	25	-2
Messrs. Pasquale	50	-1
J. Armagnac & Co.	100	0
Messrs. Quigg & Fouret	250	+1
Canon & Lourdes Inc.	600	+2

Performances, such as plays, opera and musical works, will have an additional couple of steps -- see Performances (3.8.4, below) for those rules. For written works, the next step is to determine the quality of the finished work. See Poetry & Prose and 3.8.3 for details.

Poetry & Prose Results

Any pursuit of Literature will have returns both in fame and fortune. The greater the number of copies sold, the greater the returns. Once the publisher is retained, the work is published one month later. The applicable modifiers to Quality are the following:

• Additional time spent in writing (see Refinement Table)
• If one's Mistress is a Muse (see 3.3.1)
• The publisher (see the Publisher Table)
• One's Patron (see XXX)



Literary Results

Modified 2d6 Roll	Result	SP Reward	Cash Reward	Run
2-3	Laughingstock	-10	-100	None
4-5	Childish Effort	-5	-50	None
6-8	Uncontroversial	0	50	1d3 Months
9-10	Good Read	+5	75	1d3+1 Months
11-12	Bestseller	+10	100	2d3 Months
13+	Blockbuster	+20	200	2d3 Months

The month following the publication, a Public Reaction roll is made on 2d6. This roll, modified as above, is referenced on the Literary Pursuits Table. Both the SP and Cash rewards are multiplied by the Volume Multiplier in the Written Works Table. The Status Point reward is a one-time bonus, but the Cash reward is obtained for each month of the run.




The Performing Arts

Performances include plays, symphonies and opera. In order to be staged, the work must be published though one of the normal publishing houses. A two-week Primary Action rehearsal prior to opening is mandatory; however, a character-producer may elect to take more time to improve the Quality (see the Refinement Table).

Rehearsal and Production

A character may produce a play for 500 crowns. A two-week rehearsal must be held the month before the play is scheduled to open. While rehearsals are a Primary Action, participants may choose to Carouse as a Secondary Action (indeed, it will be assumed to be a religious production if they do not!).

A mistress will take part in the play if asked by her regular lover at the start of rehearsals. If she does participate, she is not available to be courted neither during rehearsals nor during the run of the production, except by the producer of the play. A character other than the producer may only court any mistress participating in the production during non-rehearsal weeks between the first rehearsal week and the end of the run of the production. If she is courted away, her continued participation is at the discretion of her new lover.

Performance

The play runs for the whole of the next month with the manager being required to attend the first week. Additionally, he must host an opening-night party at his home or club in the first week. All those attending the play are entitled to go to the party unless especially barred by the manager. Members of the Royal Family will attend the play on a 6 in 1D6 (but not a bawdy production) and attend the party on a separate roll of a 6 in 1D6.

The Quality of the performance is determined by rolling 2D6 with the following modifiers:

• +1 if a professional producer is retained (at a cost of 50 crowns)
• Playwright's Mistress is a Muse +1 (see 3.3.1)
• Additional time in rehearsal (see the Refinement Table)
• Additional time in writing (see Refinement
• The quality of pble 3-14)
• +1 if the show is advertised as bawdy
• +1 for each 100 crowns spent on lavish props (max of +3)
• +1 for every 4 characters attending the show
• +1 for each Beautiful mistress in the show
• +2 if the Queen or Crown Prince attend
• +3 if the King attends
• -1 for each character hiring yobs

If a member of the royal family attends the manager will be presented to him or her (+3 SPs). Attending the theatre is a Primary Activity. The manager will receive 50 crowns times the success level of the play and if the play was successful a Mention in the Royal List (see XXX).

Scientific Treatises

Science is not for the weak of mind or small of spirit. Men of Science, being the enlightened ones, tend to heap scorn upon those whose ideas and theories are clearly childish or outrageous. In order to weather these harsh indictments, a Scientist must be stern and strong of will.

Science will rarely earn a man much in the way of money, but fame -- and quite possibly a seat in the Royal Academy of Sciences -- await him who has the firmness of will and the intellectual prowess to succeed.

Symposia

To determine the outcome of a published scientific work, the work must be reviewed by peers in the scientific community. These reviews (each called a Symposium) are done during the first week of each season (i.e. first weeks of March, June, September, and December).

It is not necessary for a scientist to be present at the Symposium for his work to be judged. If he -- or any other published scientist -- wishes to be present, it is as a Primary Action with Toadying as the only available Secondary Action.  This event is treated as a Well-to-do Special Event.  Numerous scientists from all over France attend the quarterly Symposia to debate topics, present new findings and judge the works of others. The determination of the work's Quality hinges on the following factors:

• Additional time spent writing the thesis (see Refinement)
• If one's Mistress is a Muse (see 3.3.1)
• The publisher (from the PublisherTable)
• The reaction of the Symposium (generated on 2d6 -- see Table 3-15)
• The votes of any members of the Royal Academy of Sciences present at the Symposium



Members of the Royal Academy are highly regarded by the Symposium: each vote of an Academy member in favor of a work adds +1 to its Quality, and each vote against it is -1. The only catch is that a character may not vote on his own work.

The SP award is multiplied by the Volume Modifier in the Written Arts Table.




Symposium Reaction

Modified 2d6 Roll	Effect	Reward
<2	Embarrassment - These theories are completely unsupported.	-10 SP
2-3	Crackpot Theory - The work is roundly ridiculed.	-5 SP
4-5	Weak Effort - The Symposium recommends further work.	0 SP
6-8	Minor Effort - While solid work, there are no breakthroughs.	+5 SP
9-10	Solid Research - The Symposium approves the research.	+10 SP
11-12	Major Effort - The Symposium roundly praises the character’s work.	+20 SP
12+	Symposium Ovation - The character is nominated to the Royal Academy I’d Sciences.	+30 SP




Example: Jacques has had a brainstorm for original research into the field of Magnetism. His player writes a brief description of Jacques' work, and titles it: "An Essay on the Nature of Magnetism as it Relates to Phlogiston.". He spends two weeks in developing and writing his theory (making it a Paper, according to Table 3-12). His player elects to spend an additional week to boost its Quality (+1, per Table 3-13). He then hires J. Armagnac & Co to represent him, paying the customary 100 crowns. So far, his modifiers are +1 for time and +0 for publisher. His Volume Modifier is 1.0. During the next Symposium, Jacques attends and presents his work. No members of the Royal Academy are present, so the 2d6 roll for the Symposium Reaction is modified only with Jacques' own modifiers. The roll is a 9, modified to a 10. According to Table 3-15, the response is Solid Research. Jacques walks away with (10 × 1.0 for Volume Modifier = 10) 10 SPs.

Sculpture, Painting & Objets d'Art

Writing is not the only artistic endeavor that gentlemen may explore in Death Before Dishonor!. The seventeenth century was replete with master artisans of all stripes -- painters, sculptors, architects, sketch artists and so on. The rules for these arts are similar to, but distinct from, those for writing.

Choice of Medium

Works of physical art require varying amounts of time to complete, depending both upon the medium and the scale of the project. Stone requires more time to sculpt than clay, and the roof of the Sistine Chapel requires more time to paint than a 10" by 12" canvas. See the Project Scale Table for details of these choices. At this stage, the subject matter should be selected, as well as its style (i.e., Formal, Realistic, Rustic, etc). These have no real effect on the mechanics of the game, but will likely spur interest in the press.

The Project Scale Table shows three details - Time, Cost and Quality. The Time (measured in weeks) is the minimum time necessary to create the object. More time may be taken, if desired, but less time simply means an unfinished work. The Cost is the minimum cost of the materials and tools for one project. More money may be spent, if desired, but no benefit is given for doing so. Quality is the Quality Modifier.




Project Scale

Materials	Small	Medium	Large	Huge
Marble	2 weeks 25 crowns Quality +0	4 weeks 50 crowns Quality +1	6 weeks 100 crowns Quality +2	8 weeks 200 crowns Quality +3
Stone	2 weeks 15 crowns Quality -1	3 weeks 30 crowns Quality +0	5 weeks 50 crowns Quality +1	6 weeks 100 crowns Quality +2
Clay	1 week 10 crowns Quality -1	2 weeks 20 crowns Quality +0	3 weeks 40 crowns Quality +1	4 weeks 75 crowns Quality +2
Oil & Canvas	1 week 10 crowns Quality +1	3 weeks 25 crowns Quality +1	5 weeks 50 crowns Quality +1	7 weeks 125 crowns Quality +1
Sketch	1 week 5 crowns Quality -1	2 weeks 10 crowns Quality +0	3 weeks 20 crowns Quality +0	4 weeks 50 crowns Quality +1
Cast Metal	2 weeks 50 crowns Quality +0	4 weeks 100 crowns Quality +1	6 weeks 250 crowns Quality +2	8 weeks 600 crowns Quality +4




The media and scales available to the gentleman of the arts are as follows:

• Marble - Enduring, beautiful and polishable, Marble is an expensive material to work with. All marble in DBD is imported from southern England (the famous black Purbeck marble) and Italy (Carrera marble is the most famous).
• Stone - Any durable non-marble rock material (whether sandstone or granite) falls into this category. Less expensive than marble, stone lacks the polish and patina of finished marble. Much less expensive, it also requires less finishing time.
• Clay - Any non-durable, fired material falls into this category. Clay is easily malleable and suitable for many sculpting purposes. It was commonly employed for the creation of busts and vases, but any project is possible.
• Oil & Canvas - The most commonly employed artistic materials in Europe, oil and canvas are the benchmark for all of the physical arts. Readily available and inexpensive
• .Sketch - Always done on parchment or paper, sketches may be done with ink, pencil or charcoal. The materials are among the least expensive available to the artist; however, in a world which recognized the greatness of Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Durer, it is difficult to impress with sketches.
• Cast Metal - Whether the artist works in brass, silver or gold, cast metal and foundry arts have become very influential throughout western Europe. Statuary, jewelry -- even weapon hilts or armor -- may be considered part of these arts.
• Small - Anything easily portable with one arm.
• Medium - Anything portable with two arms.
• Large - Any man-sized object.
• Huge - Anything horse-sized or larger.



Creating the Work

The second stage of physical art is the creative process itself. The Project Scale Table shows the minimum time required to produce a piece of art. These Primary Actions need not be contiguous -- the artist may pursue other goals while in the midst of his art project. Just as for writing, the artist may elect to spend more time on the piece to improve its Quality. The Refinement Table is used for determining the Quality improvement for the time spent.




Showing the Work

Like a publisher for a writer, artists relay on Galleries to introduce their work to the public.  Each Gallery caters to a specific clientele within Paris. Like a publisher, a Gallery is paid a fee to present the work; unlike a publisher, however, a Gallery may also be used as a location to hold a party for the artist, called an Exhibition. Exhibitions are Special Events held by the artist or his patron to introduce the art and artist to the Parisian élite.




Galleries in Paris

Gallery	Cost (Crowns)	Quality Bonus
The Street Market	0	-2
Ragineau’s Bakeshop	20	-1
Café Capuchin	35	0
Left Bank Gallery	60	+1
The Royal Gallery	100	+2




At the time of the Exhibition (or the month following payment to the Gallery, if there is no Exhibition) the final Quality is determined:

• Quality for the Medium and Size of the piece (from the Project Scale Table)
• Additional time spent on the piece (see Refinement Table)
• If the artist's Mistress is a Muse (see 3.3.1): +1
• The Gallery modifier (see Gallery Table)
• The Patron of the piece (see 3.8.6)



Once the public has seen the work, a Public Reaction roll is made on 2d6, adding all the Quality modifiers. The result is then compared to the Reaction Table. Both the Cash and Status columns are multiplied by the Quality Bonus values from the Project Scale Table (with a minimum value of 1) for a final sum.




Public Reaction

2d6 Roll	Reaction	Cash	SP Gain
1 or less	Obscenity - Crowds gather then riot, causing damage to the work, the gallery, and the neighborhood.1	-100	-10
2-3	Poor Taste - Only the coarsest of peasants appreciate this work. The gallery demands payment for the injury to its reputation.	-50	-5
4-5	Amateur - This work belongs in a folio or a warehouse, not a gallery.	0	0
6-8	Workmanlike - Your effort draws approval, if not praise.	50	+5
9-10	Inspiring - After viewing your work, people talk about it for some time.	100	+8
11-12	Impressive - Your bold vision shows all the hallmarks and promise of a great artist.	250	+12
13+	Masterpiece - News of your work reaches the ears of the King, who Mentions you in the Royal Lists.	500	+15

¹ The character is arrested by the constabulary and charged with Incitement to Riot.

Contents

Chapter I: An Arrival in Paris

Chapter II: Living in Paris

• Making a Living

• Filthy Lucre
• Work

• Life in the City

  • Education
  • The Fine Arts
  • Patronage
  • Property
  • The Help

  Shady Dealings

  • The Red Light District
  • A Life of Crime