The Help
or, My Man Shall Have Words with Your Man
Lackeys
Whether called a dogsbody, manservant, valet or batman, a Lackey is a useful tool for the well-to-do gentleman. Able to run errands and protect both his master and his master's goods, a Lackey is also a useful role-playing foil in written communications to the list. Lackeys do have some drawbacks, however. Their activities may prove an embarrassment to their masters, or worse.
- There is a 1 in 6 chance he will foil goons (he fights alongside his master or warns him of the impending danger in time), this is increased to a 2 in 6 chance if the lackey has B(rawn).
- There is a 1 in 6 chance he will foil an attempted theft against his master (by being in his apartment when the thief comes calling, etc), this is increased to a 2 in 6 chance if the lackey possesses W(its). The lackey also increases the chance that the thief will be caught (see XXX).
- A lackey will protect his master from an assassin and decrease the probability of success by 1 in 6 (2 in 6 if he has L(oyalty)). If the assassin would have succeeded if not for the lackey's presence, then the lackey is killed protecting his master. Additionally, a lackey increases the odds of the assassin being caught by 1 in 6 (2 in 6 if he has W).
- A lackey may perform some weekly actions for the character as specified below in Lackey Activity.
- +1 for each additional 3*(his master's SL) in bribes
- -1 if lackey has W(it) or L(oyalty)
- -1 for each (master's SL in Crowns) gift given to him by his master this month
Lackey Attributes
As a Primary Action a character may search for a suitable lackey. His search will be successful on a roll of 6+ on 1D6. This roll can be increased by +1 for each 2*SL spent, although an unmodified roll of 1 always fails. Your orders can specify a name for the lackey if found, if you do not provide one, the referee will. Possession of a lackey is worth 1 SP per month and costs 2 times the character's SL (not the lackey's, which is irrelevant) in Crowns.
Like mistresses, lackeys can have special attributes. They are: L (loyalty), B (brawn), W (wit). The lackey has that attribute on the roll of 1-2 on 1D6. Loyalty marks the lackey as being attached to his master for more than just financial reasons; he is an advocate of his master's point of view. Brawn is the attribute of the physically strong and tough Lackey. Wit is a clear indication that the Lackey has almost the same intellectual capacity as his master.
Lackeys confer the following benefits:
Embarrassment
Each month a 2D6 is rolled and on a 12 then the lackey has done some ridiculous thing which causes his master some embarrassment and costs his master 1D6 SP's that month. If his master asked the lackey to do something that caused the lackey to lose SP's then the master is automatically embarrassed.
Dismissal
Lackeys can be dismissed at any time, but dismissing a lackey does not negate the loss of SP's if they cause their master embarrassment. Dismissing a lackey without cause costs the character a one-time loss of 3 SP's. (Rumors spread that the character is destitute or that the lackey performed some indiscretion).
Lackey Activity
A lackey may be assigned to perform a task that normally takes one week's worth of action. This action does not generate any SP's for his master, and there are some activities that simply require a character's presence and can not be done without them (such as courting a mistress). For example, your lackey may deliver a letter of application to join a regiment for you and thereby save you the week's action.
A lackey may escort his master's mistress to and from Church, but his master will have to pay his mistress' tithes and his SL in tithes for the lackey. This will count as if his master was with his mistress, should someone seek to court her in that week. The lackey may not escort her to a Club, as neither he nor she are members and you cannot invite a guest without attending yourself.
A lackey may act as a Yob at a Performance, this costs nothing, but there is a 1 in 6 chance that he will be recognized in the crowd. If he is noticed, this is an automatic Embarrassment, as above.
A lackey may be sent to hire goons. They will only hire assassins for you if they have both B(rawn) and L(oyalty). Both of these actions increase the chance that they will leave their master's service.
Bribing
Other characters can bribe a character's lackey to do a one week action for them instead, and this requires a bribe equal to 3*(his masters SL) to even consider it. 1D6 is rolled and on a roll of 6 the lackey will do the task for them. A roll of 1 always fails, and on an unmodified roll of 1, the lackey will report who tried to hire him to his master, which gives his master cause for a duel with the briber. In the case of a failed bribe the money is returned, and it costs the briber nothing. The following modifiers apply to the success roll:
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