Regency Romance - Savaged!

The following is a collection of new Edges and Hindrances, Setting Rules, character archetypes, and other miscellanea culled from my posts on Regency romances and the Regency/Gothic project.  I actually created very little that was specifically tied to the Gothic part of Regency/Gothic, so this is mainly simply Regency information.  Certain Setting Rules were created to be applied across different settings and that is reflected in their text.

INTRODUCTION

Savage Worlds led me to Regency Romances.

Seriously.

I forget exactly how I hooked up with Regency Romances.  Some years ago, after watching "Fullmetal Alchemist" and its pseudo-European 19/20th Century setting (oddly enough), we got the idea to do a 19th Century Gothic romance for our annual Halloween RPG.  I did a little research and found myself intrigued by Byron, the Shelleys, and their era.  I think this inspired us to give the 1995 "Pride & Prejudice" with Colin Firth's wet t-shirt a try and then the interest lay dormant for a while -- until we started playing Savage Worlds.

I encountered Matt Borselli's Savage Jane Austen article from his e-zine One Thousand and One Nights and One Night (and I just realized Borselli is still on the web at Asshat Paladins) and various forum threads about how Savage Worlds would be a bad fit for Regency Romances and...  I guess I just got kind of ornery.  I talked Robin into trying to write a Regency supplement for Savage Worlds and we went out last summer and bought a ton of Regency Romances and history books.  And then I fell in love with Loretta Chase.

Loretta Chase doesn't write classic, Jane Austen-style Regencies.  She writes what TV Tropes calls "Regency Historicals;" they're not quite Jane Austen with the naughty bits left in, because Chase writes about far more shocking, scandalous people than Aunt Jane would have ever acknowledged.  The men  are witty yet masculine, decadent yet conscientious; the women are sensuous yet sensible, independent yet vulnerable.  There is nothing in these stories of adventure and seduction for a straight man to not like.  Now that George MacDonald Fraser has passed on, Loretta Chase is my favorite living author -- and trust me, Flashman would like her books too.

This new-found enthusiasm for the Regency led me back to Jane Austen and a greater appreciation for her works.  Impeccably-mannered, emotionally-reserved star-crossed lovers struggle against the barriers of class and society.  Biting social commentary hides beneath delicate muslin.  The modern romantic comedy springs fully-formed from Austen's brow.

Regency Romances are stories about damaged people trying to find love despite their own flaws and a society that makes women a commodity and marriage a commercial transaction.  They are set in an age that was both beautiful and repugnant -- a time of great pomp and spectacle, of refinement and gentility, of decadence and consumerism, of repression and fear -- and those stories make the era more beautiful by their presence.  They are stories about the greatest adventure of all: making yourself worthy of love.     


What's not to like?

***

NEW EDGES

Casanova
Requirements: Novice, Spirit (or Guts) d6+
Your affections are easily given.  You do not suffer the usual Charisma-based penalty to your Fear of Intimacy check (see Setting Rules), but your reputation has suffered for it.  Instead of the GM rolling on the reaction table, targets of your seduction attempts always begin at Uncooperative -- or Hostile if they have personal reasons to dislike you (see "Persuasion" on p. 26 of Savage Worlds Deluxe).

Soul Mate
Requirements: Seasoned, Spirit D8+, character must have previously succeeded on a Fear check against Fear of Intimacy with subject (see Setting Rules)
There is one person in the universe with whom you can really speak your heart.  You do not roll Fear checks when facing a situation that would call for a Fear of Intimacy check with this character.  This soul mate may be a player or non-player character, but the benefits of this Edge are lost if the character dies (and is not resurrected by a Genesis Device or the Phoenix Force or something like that).  At the GM's discretion, the Edge may apply to alternate universe versions of the soul mate.  This Edge may be taken again to apply to a new character upon the death of the original soul mate (or if the setting is just into that kind of thing).

***

SETTING RULES

Anguish (New Hazard)

...To make a test of wills, the character makes an opposed roll against his chosen target. The defender uses Smarts to resist Taunt, and Spirit to resist Intimidate...

…A success means the attacker gets a +2 bonus to his next action against the defender during this combat. A raise on the roll gives the attacker the bonus and makes the defender Shaken as well. This can be a great setup for an attack, a trick, or even a second test of wills if the first one didn’t get a Shaken result.

Savage Worlds Deluxe, pp. 75-76

In some Savage Settings, words cut as deep as steel. It may be scheming courtiers in Heian-Kyo or catty debutantes at Almack's, but they'll use Intimidate and Taunt* to defeat their foes as decisively as any swordsmen by inflicting Anguish on their opponents.

Anguish is a Hazard -- a source of Fatigue, just like Bumps and Bruises, Hunger, and Thirst. In non-combat scenes, successive Shaken results in tests of will inflict Fatigue on the target, as the emotional stress and mental anguish eventually result in Incapacitation.

Recovery: Fatigue levels from Anguish are recovered immediately in the next scene. Individual Game Masters may wish to require the player to run an Interlude or otherwise soliloquize as their Wild Card comes to terms with the source of their Anguish.

Incapacitation Effects: How a character Incapacitated by Anguish reacts will vary dramatically depending on the setting. A Regency gentlewoman may literally faint, overcome with emotion. A Baroque period courtier may retreat from Versailles to plot vengeance from his or her country estates. A Tokugawa era samurai may challenge his opponent to a duel -- or even lose his cool entirely and draw his sword in the Shogun's presence! In any event, the character Incapacitated has "lost" that social encounter and must leave the scene.

Example: Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are having a tiff. Darcy taunts Elizabeth about her prejudice towards him based on their first meeting; he scores a raise and she is Shaken. Elizabeth, being a healthy young woman accustomed to long walks in the countryside, scores a raise on her Vigor roll and is both unshaken and able to act normally. Darcy would need to score another Shaken result against her in order to inflict Anguish upon her.

Elizabeth taunts Darcy about his overweening pride; she scores a raise and he is Shaken. Darcy fails his Vigor roll on the following turn. Elizabeth scores another raise (getting to use her +2 bonus from her successful Test of Will in the previous round) and now the Anguish of this argument has Darcy Fatigued. If Darcy is Incapacitated in the following rounds, he will be forced to confess his love for Elizabeth and then immediately flee the scene.

Anguish can be combined with Social Combat as characters interject personal attacks in order to weaken their opponents' arguments. Doing so imposes a multi-action penalty, though the result may be worth it if the opponent misses an entire round of the argument (or two, or three) trying to recover from Anguish.

In settings that track social status -- such as Iron Dynasty and Pirates of the Spanish Main -- being publicly incapacitated by Anguish results in loss of Fame or Reputation. It can be recovered through dueling or humiliating the opponent in a test of will on another occasion.

Dreadful Anguish
In some settings, such as Regency England and Heian Japan, Anguish can be particularly deadly. The GM may require a character Incapacitated by Dreadful Anguish to make a Vigor roll before the next scene. Success indicates the Wild Card is fine; a failure indicates the character has contracted a Short-Term Debilitating disease; a critical failure means the disease is Minor Debilitating Long-Term Chronic. (See "Disease" on page 87 of Savage Worlds Deluxe.)

Dreadful Anguish can also be combined with Dramatic Tasks. A character may write a spiteful letter as a Dramatic Task, taking five "actions" to write the letter and requiring a minimum of five successes in the skill or skills used to compose the letter (there is no reason the writer could not switch back and forth between Intimidate and Taunt). If the writer fails to reach five successes, he or she gives up the attempt in frustration, unable to find the right way to express him or herself. Action cards are drawn as usual; club cards represent an attack of writer's block while jokers grant a burst of inspiration. The scores for each "action" should be recorded; they are what the defender will roll against when he or she reads the letter. Incapacitation resulting from an anguishing letter forces the same Vigor roll against disease as Anguish gained from a face-to-face encounter.

Fear of Intimacy


In many cultures throughout history (ex. Heian Japan) and fiction (the planet Vulcan), the expression of powerful emotions has been censored by societal norms.  In such a setting, the GM may require a player to make a Fear check (rolling either Spirit or Guts, depending on the setting) in order to overcome their character's fear of public censure in order to admit and/or act upon a socially-unacceptable desire or impulse.  In most settings, failing the roll will result in a Fear/Nausea result but settings that emphasize extremes of emotion may instead result in Terror and call for a roll on the Fright Table (Savage Worlds Deluxe p. 85).

In the most obvious use of this rule -- forcing characters to screw their courage to the sticking place in order to confess love -- the object of affection's Charisma is used as a negative modifier on the Fear check and a positive modifier on the Fright Table as per the normal "Fear penalty" rules.  In other words, the more desirable the beloved, the harder it is to admit love.

Additional penalties or bonuses may apply depending on the setting.

Example 1 (Fear/Nausea):  Ranma Saotome is a Japanese high school student in an anime/manga-based setting.  As the Japanese public education system discourages the free time that allows American high school boys to (frankly) learn how to talk to girls, Ranma is unable to tell his fiancee Akane Tendo of his feelings.  When a new, smooth-talking rival wins a smile from Akane, Ranma tries to win her back with a confession of his love.  She really is kind of cute (Attractive - Charisma +2), so Ranma applies a -2 penalty to his Fear check.  Failing the roll, he is stricken with self-doubt that leaves him Fatigued in the coming "Anything Goes Salsa Dance" battle.

Example 2 (Terror): Sir Lancelot is a noble knight in a medieval setting of powerful passions.  He has fallen hopelessly in love with his liege's wife and sneaks off to a tryst with her during a formal hunt.  Approaching the beautiful Guenivere in a secluded forest glade, he rolls to overcome the battling demands of love and honor and fails.  The queen has a +6 Charisma (Very Attractive and Noble) so Lancelot suffers a -6 penalty on the Fear check and adds a +6 penalty on the Fright Table.  He ends up with a Fright Table result of 21+, suffers a heart attack, and dies.  Hooray!  The Round Table is saved!

Self-Improvement

Players may choose to rid characters of Hindrances by spending Advances.  A Minor Hindrance costs one Advance; a Major Hindrance costs two.  The GM may determine it is not possible to buy off all Hindrances in a given setting depending on sociological and technological limitations.

Self-Improvement may have different trappings depending on the setting.  While psychological Hindrances like Big Mouth and Doubting Thomas may be removed by having the character simply learn better, physical Hindrances may require more consideration.  In a setting with limited medical technology or magical healing, buying off One Arm may be a matter of the character learning to compensate rather than replacing the arm; in a sci-fi or fantasy setting, it may mean literally regrowing the arm.

Certain Hindrances -- Blind, Elderly, Habit (Major), and Young -- are special cases.  Blind and Elderly have special compensations attached to make up for their harshness (a bonus Edge for Blind and extra skill points for Elderly); the GM may rule that buying off these Hindrances costs three Advances.  Habit (Major) assumes that it may be bought off for one Advance in settings where Self-Improvement is not used; in settings where Self-Improvement is used, it costs two Advances like any other Major Hindrance.  Young may not be bought off except by the passage of time; the Hindrance description already accounts for these changes.

***

ARCHETYPES & NPCS

Regency Ladies 

Bluestocking
A lady interested in books and learning; i.e. a nerd.  Then as now, this unfortunately resulted in social ostracism.  Example: Mary Bennet.

Agility: d6  Smarts: d10  Strength: d4  Spirit: d6  Vigor: d6
Charisma: -2  Pace: 5 (6)  Parry: 2  Toughness: 5
Skills: Gambling d6, Intimidation d6, Investigation d8, Knowledge (any two) d10, Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Taunt d8
Hindrances: Bad Eyes (minor), Outsider
Edges: Scholar

Garments and Accessories: Cotton cap, muslin Empire dress and shawl, low-heeled pump shoes (-1 Pace), reticule, hefty edifying tome (+1 Intimidation, +1 any one Knowledge Skill, 1d4+Str as improvised weapon).

Chit
A young lady with little worldly experience.  Examples: Kitty Bennet, Georgianna Darcy.

Agility: d6  Smarts: d6  Strength: d4  Spirit: d6  Vigor: d6
Charisma: +2  Pace: 5 (6)  Parry: 2  Toughness: 5
Skills: Gambling d4, Intimidation d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Taunt d6
Hindrances: Big Mouth, Clueless
Edges: Attractive

Garments and Accessories: Charming poke bonnet, embroidered muslin Empire dress, kerseymere Spencer jacket, low-heeled pump shoes (-1 Pace), reticule, dainty necklace, taffeta parasol (1d4+Str as improvised weapon, breaks after first use), Gothic novel (1d8: 1 = Castle of Wolfenbach, 2 = Clermont, a Tale, 3 = The Mysterious Warning, 4 = The Necromancer; or the Tale of the Black Forest, 5 = The Midnight Bell, 6 = Orphan of the Rhine, 7 = Horrid Mysteries, 8 = roll twice).

Diamond of the First Water
A lady of impressive beauty and quality.  She is not merely good-looking, but also a good person.  Example: Jane Bennet.

Agility: d6  Smarts: d8  Strength: d6  Spirit: d8  Vigor: d6
Charisma: +5  Pace: 6  Parry: 2  Toughness: 5
Skills: Gambling d6, Healing d6, Intimidation d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d8
Hindrances: Code of Honor
Edges: Common Bond, Very Attractive

Garments and Accessories: Satin poke bonnet, fashionable silk Empire dress (+1 Charisma), silk Spencer jacket, leather half-boots, reticule, folding fan (+1 Persuasion).

Rattle-pate
A foolish woman given to running off at the mouth.  Examples: Mrs. Bennet, Lydia Bennet.

Agility: d6  Smarts: d4  Strength: d6  Spirit: d6  Vigor: d6
Charisma: -1  Pace: 5 (6)  Parry: 2  Toughness: 5
Skills: Gambling d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Persuasion d6, Streetwise d4, Taunt d6
Hindrances: Big Mouth, Quick (talks excessively)
Edges: Quick

Garments and Accessories: Floppy cotton cap or Leghorn bonnet, muslin Empire dress and shawl, low-heeled pump shoes (-1 Pace), reticule.

Tabby
An old maid -- which, in the Regency, can mean a woman as young as twenty-three.  The Regency was not nearly as polite as a casual acquaintance with Jane Austen would imply.  Example: Charlotte Lucas.

Agility: d6  Smarts: d6  Strength: d6  Spirit: d6  Vigor: d6
Charisma: -2  Pace: 6  Parry: 2  Toughness: 5
Skills: Gambling d6, Healing d4, Intimidation d6, Investigation d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Streetwise d6, Taunt d6
Hindrances: Bad Luck, Outsider
Edges: Brave

Garments and Accessories: Straw bonnet, muslin Empire dress, kerseymere Spencer jacket, cloth-and-leather half-boots, reticule, book of poetry (1d6: 1 = Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth & Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 2 = Poems in Two Volumes by William Wordsworth, 3 = The Corsair by George Gordon, Lord Byron,  4 = Laon and Cythna; or, The Revolution of the Golden City: A Vision of the Nineteenth Century by Percy Bysshe Shelley, 5 = an issue of The Examiner, 6 = roll twice).

Termangant

A harpy; a vicious, sharp-tongued woman.  Examples: Caroline Bingley, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Agility: d6  Smarts: d8  Strength: d6  Spirit: d6  Vigor:  d6

Charisma: -2  Pace: 5 (6)  Parry: 2  Toughness: 5
Skills: Gambling d6, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Streetwise d6, Taunt d8
Hindrances: Mean, Vengeful (minor)
Edges: Strong Willed

Garments and Accessories: Satin turban with towering ostrich feather (+1 Intimidation), silk Empire dress, satin-lined pelisse coat, low-heeled pump shoes (-1 Pace), reticule, quizzing glass (+1 Intimidation).

Regency Gentlemen

Corinthian

A fashionable gentleman adept at sports, a Corinthian will belong to one or more sporting clubs (boxing, carriage-driving, or fencing) and is eager to accept sporting challenges.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d8.

Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Gambling d6, Intimidation d6, Persuasion d4, Riding d6, Shooting d8, Streetwise d4, Survival d4.

Charisma: 0  Pace: 6  Parry: 6  Toughness:7

Hindrances: Loyal, Vow (minor; to his sporting club)

Edges: Brawny + one of the following: Beast Bond (carriage-driving), Brawler (boxing), or Counterattack (fencing).

Garments and Accessories: Beaver hat, neckcloth, coat of superfine cloth, breeches, top-boots, quizzing glass (+1 Intimidation), watch and fob, cane (1d4 + Strength), racing curricle and matched pair of horses.  If encountered at a fencing salon, he will have access to a rapier (1d4 + Strength, +1 Parry).  If encountered in the countryside he will either be fox hunting on horseback or shooting game.

Buck

A “buck of the first head” is a Corinthian who excels his compatriots in accomplishments and decadence. 

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8.

Skills: Driving d10, Fighting d10, Gambling d6, Intimidation d8, Persuasion d6, Riding d6, Shooting d8, Streetwise d6, Survival d4.

Charisma: +2  Pace: 6  Parry: 7  Toughness: 7

Hindrances: Arrogant, Loyal, Vow (minor; to his sporting club)

Edges: Attractive, Brawny, and one of the following packages: Ace and Beast Bond (carriage-driving), Brawler & Bruiser (boxing), or Block & Counterattack (fencing).

Garments and Accessories: Beaver hat, cunningly-tied neckcloth, well-cut coat of superfine cloth, buckskin breeches, top-boots, quizzing glass (+1 Intimidation), watch and fob, cane (1d4 + Strength), racing curricle and team of four high-spirited horses.  If encountered at a fencing salon, he will have access to a rapier (1d4 + Strength, +1 Parry).  If encountered in the countryside he will either be fox hunting on horseback or shooting game.

Dandy

A gentleman of elegance and wit, a Regency dandy follows Beau Brummel’s lead by dressing in exquisitely-cut yet understated clothes and cultivating a reserved manner.  They disdain athletic accomplishment and embrace art and learning instead.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6.

Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Gambling d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Riding d4, Shooting d4, Streetwise d6, Taunt d8.

Charisma: +1  Pace: 6  Parry: 4  Toughness: 5

Hindrances: Quirk (over-attentive to his clothes)

Edges: Attractive, Strong Willed

Garments and Accessories: Beaver hat, cunningly-tied neckcloth, exquisitely-cut dark coat of superfine cloth, pale-colored pantaloons, gleaming Hessian boots, quizzing glass (+1 Intimidation), watch with fob and seal, cane (1d4 + Strength), snuffbox.

Nonpareil

A nonpareil is a dandy of the first rank – a trendsetter of prodigious accomplishment.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8.

Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Gambling d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d6, Persuasion d8, Riding d6, Shooting d6, Streetwise d8, Taunt d10.

Charisma: +3  Pace: 6  Parry: 5  Toughness: 6

Hindrances: Arrogant, Quirk (over-attentive to his clothes).

Edges: Attractive, Level Headed, Strong-Willed, Very Attractive.

Garments and Accessories: Beaver hat, brilliantly-knotted neckcloth, exquisitely-cut dark coat of superfine cloth, skintight pale-colored pantaloons, gleaming Hessian boots with gold tassels, quizzing glass (+1 Intimidation), watch with gold fob and seal, cane (1d4 + Strength), gold snuffbox

Fop

The fop dresses in garish, outlandish clothes to draw attention to himself. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6.

Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Gambling d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Riding d4, Shooting d4, Streetwise d4, Taunt d6.

Charisma: +1  Pace: 6  Parry: 4  Toughness: 5

Hindrances: Delusional (minor; foppishness is still in fashion), Quirk (affected speech and manners). 

Edges: Attractive, Quick.

Garments and Accessories: Beaver hat, extravagant neckcloth with decorative stickpin, exotic waistcoat, high-collared shirt, coat with overlong tails, pantaloons, half-boots, quizzing glass (+1 Intimidation), watch with multiple fobs and seals, cane (1d4 + Strength), decorative snuffbox.

Coxcomb

A particularly foolish and conceited fop; an embarrassment to Society but lacks the self-awareness to see it.   

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6.

Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Gambling d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d8, Riding d4, Shooting d4, Streetwise d6, Taunt d8.

Charisma: +3  Pace: 6  Parry: 4  Toughness: 5

Hindrances: Clueless, Delusional (minor; foppishness is still in fashion), Quirk (affected speech and manners). 

Edges: Attractive, Charismatic, Quick, Strong Willed.

Garments and Accessories: Beaver hat, extravagant neckcloth with bejeweled stickpin, exotic waistcoat, shirt with collars so high he can’t turn his head, coat with overlong tails, pantaloons, half-boots, quizzing glass (+1 Intimidation), watch with multiple gold fobs and seals, cane (1d4 + Strength), decorative gold snuffbox.

Wild Cards

Elizabeth Bennet

At twenty years old, Elizabeth Bennet has been out in Society for several years (reflected in her Rank).  She is witty and vivacious, but also somewhat headstrong.

Rank: Seasoned (20 XP)

Agility: d4  Smarts: d8  Strength: d6  Spirit: d8  Vigor: d8

Charisma: +2  Pace: 6  Parry: 2  Toughness: 6 

Skills: Gambling d4, Healing d4, Intimidation d6, Investigation d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Stealth d4, Streetwise d4, Survival d4, Taunt d6.

Hindrances: Code of Honor, Outsider (Lizzie's embarrassing family injures her social acceptability), Stubborn.

Edges: Attractive, Brave, Charismatic, Level Headed, Strong Willed.

[Advances: Charismatic, +1 Vigor, Nerves of Steel, Combat Reflexes.]

Fitzwilliam Darcy

Fitzwilliam Darcy is a member of the landed gentry with great social standing but no title; his years as head of his household and education have provided him significant life experience (reflected in his Rank).  His bitter experiences with George Wickham have made him more withdrawn and priggishly moral than most of his peers.

Rank: Veteran (30 XP)

Agility: d6  Smarts: d8  Strength: d6  Spirit: d8  Vigor:  d8

Charisma: 0  Pace: 6  Parry: 4  Toughness: 6

Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Gambling d4, Intimidation d8, Investigation d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Riding d4, Shooting d4, Stealth d4, Streetwise d6, Swimming d4, Taunt d6.

Hindrances: Code of Honor, Mean, Stubborn

Edges: Attractive, Combat Reflexes, Level Headed, Rich/Filthy Rich, Strong Willed

[Advances: +1 Spirit, +1 Intimidation & Taunt, +1 Persuasion & Streetwise, Strong Willed, +1 Vigor, Filthy Rich, Combat Reflexes, Level Headed.]

George Wickham

George Wickham is the son of the Darcy family's late steward and was raised in the Darcy household; having failed at careers in the clergy and the law, he has recently purchased a commission in the militia.  His licentious ways have prevented the self-improvement that have advanced his peer Darcy (reflected in his lower Rank).  He is an aggressive but somewhat foolish social climber and a very, very charming man.

Rank: Seasoned (20 XP)

Agility: d8  Smarts: d6  Strength: d6  Spirit: d6  Vigor: d6

Charisma: +4  Pace: 6  Parry: 4  Toughness: 5

Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Gambling d6, Intimidation d4, Knowledge (Battle) d4, Notice d4, Persuasion d8, Riding d4, Shooting d4, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Taunt d4

Hindrances: Enemy/Minor (Fitzwilliam Darcy), Greedy/Major, Poverty

Edges: Attractive, Very Attractive, First Strike, Quick

[Advances: First Strike, Quick, +1 Knowledge (Battle),  +1 Persuasion]

Lord Byron

Byron was a complex person who remains difficult to interpret even centuries later.  Byron's father, John "Mad Jack" Byron, was a dissolute adventurer; the great-uncle from whom he inherited his baronetcy, William "the Wicked Lord" Byron, was an infamous duelist and madman.  This legacy of darkness and a childhood filled with abuse inculcated in Byron a belief in his own inherent evil -- and prompted him to a self-fulfilling prophecy of a life of sin

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8.
Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d6, Gambling d4, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Riding d6, Shooting d4, Streetwise d6, Swimming d10, Taunt d10.
Charisma: +6*  Pace: 4  Parry: 5  Sanity: 4  Toughness:6
Hindrances: Angst (Savage Worlds Horror Companion), Death Wish, Lame, Loyal, Poverty, Touched (Major, Savage Worlds Horror Companion).*
Edges: Attractive, Beast Master, Berserk,** Brave, Brawler, Charismatic, Noble, Strong Willed.
Special Abilities:

·         Poet: Byron may add his Charisma modifier to Common Knowledge rolls to compose poetry.

* After his exile, Byron gains the Outsider Hindrance but loses the Poverty Hindrance as he finally manages to rid himself of certain debts.  His Charisma is reduced to +4.  He will eventually move on to Greece to help in its battle for independence -- during which he gains Knowledge (Battle) d6 -- but that is outside the Regency proper. ** Byron's Berserk Edge also applies to social wounds; if afflicted with Anguish -- even if the result is only Shaken -- Byron must make a Smarts roll or go off on a vindictive tirade.  While berserk, Byron loses his +2 bonus to resist Tests of Will from Strong Willed but gains a +2 bonus to Vigor to resist Fatigue. Throughout his life, Byron kept a menagerie of animals.  During the Regency period, this included "a fox, four monkeys, a parrot, five cats, an eagle, a crow, a crocodile, a falcon, five peacocks, two guinea hens, an Egyptian crane, a badger, three geese, a heron and a goat with a broken leg."  His most famous pet, however, was a Newfoundland dog named Boastwain for whom the poem "Epitaph to a Dog" was written; while Boatswain died of rabies in 1808, a GM may want to fudge history a bit and use the animal as Byron's Beast Master Edge "loyal animal" in her campaign.

Boatswain (Newfoundland Dog)

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6

Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d10, Swimming d6

Pace: 8  Parry: 5  Toughness: 6

Special Abilities:

Bite: Str+d4

·         Brawny: As the Edge of the same name; Newfoundlands are exceptionally strong, as befits their roll as water rescue dogs.  Newfoundlands also weigh 130-150 pounds and so do not have the -1 to Size of typical dogs.

·         Fleet-Footed: Roll a d10 when running instead of a d6.

·         Go for the Throat: Dogs instinctively go for an opponent's soft spots.  With a raise on its attack roll, it hits the target's most weakly armored location.

·         Loyal: As the Edge of the same name.