Student of Theology: Seminary and Minor Orders in Flashing Blades

Characters who wish to join the Clergy must have Theology and Latin skills, and must start as Students of Theology. Gentlemen with the necessary skills may choose to start the game as Students of Theology, in whichever school of theological thought the wish. All others may roll 2D6 at the beginning of each year after the start of the game, in an attempt to roll the entrance number of a school, to become a Student of Theology. As characters may not roll to enter a school at the start of the game, all characters who are not of Gentleman background must wait a year to enter a school of Theology.

To study Theology in the 17th Century, one commonly went to a school or college run by one of the powerful monastic orders of the times. Each order has its own requirements for years of study needed to be ordained, and the amount of time each year which must be spent studying Theology. . . . At the end of a character's study as a Student of Theology, he is ordained into the Priesthood. - 5.42 Joining the Clergy, Flashing Blades core rules (page 30)

A Student of Theology in Flashing Blades undertakes a three or four year period of study in order to become a Catholic priest, so what exactly happens during that time?

The last half of the sixteenth and first half of the seventeenth centuries, known today as the Counter-Reformation, was a time of renewal and retrenchment for the Roman Catholic Church in response to the rise and spread of Protestantism. One of the principle events of that period was the Council of Trent, conducted in two dozen sessions between 1545 and 1563 under the auspices of three different popes; the Council attempted to address what the Church perceived as spiritual laxity and temporal abuse by the clergy. Among the recommendations - known as the Tridentine reforms - was to improve the education and training of priests, and this led to the founding of seminaries, what the game calls a "school of theological thought."

The Student of Theology in Flashing Blades then is a seminarian. Seminarians, during their periods of study, live in a community, similar to monks. They are expected to be devout, dilligent, sober, and chaste. They wear eccesiastical garb and attend services several times a day, with periods of study in between.

Seminarians also take minor orders. The minor orders are offices within a parish church or abbey responsible for assisting the priests in running the church and performing Mass. The minor orders are porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte.

The Porter is responsible for locking and unlocking the doors of the church and ringing the bell. Porters also act like doormen or guards, keeping the congregation safe during services - in the era of the Wars of Religion, this is no small thing.

The Lector reads non-Gospel biblical passages during services; Gospel readings are limited to the major orders.

The Exorcist of minor orders is not Father Merrin from the eponymous movie; exorcism of demons is left to ordained priests. The exorcist's main responsibilities are assisting with baptisms, performing "minor exorcisms" - mostly annointing with oil and praying over the infant - in preparation for consecration.

The Acolyte is the highest ranked minor order, lighting candles and carrying them in ceremonies and processions, administering bread and wine to the priest during Mass, and otherwise assiting the priest.

Before the rise of seminaries as part of the Tridentine reforms, "porter-lector-exorcist-acolyte" was a pathway to the priesthood, and seminarians are still ordained in the minor orders. As part of their training, Students of Theology will serve in a parish church; principally this will be as a lector, reading Holy Scripture - literacy in Latin, remember - during Mass and, particularly in the last year of their studies, as an acolyte and more rarely as a porter or exorcist. Much like the Student of Law's stage and clerkship, this gives the seminarian practical experience in the service of a parish church, working alongside priests and a pastor and interacting with congregants - and for the referee, another pathway for enmeshing the player character seminarian in the life of the setting through rumors and patronage.

An interesting thing about ordination in the minor orders: it's open to the laity. This does in fact open another pathway to the priesthood for characters who don't want to be seminarians, but it's also an opportunity to involve a character in the life of a parish church without the responsiblities and strictures of ordination as a priest. As a quick and dirty house rule, say roll 8+ to become a porter with promotion to lector - literacy in Latin required - on 8+; promotion from lector to exorcist requires a 9+, and promotion to acolyte - Theology skill required - from exorcist requires 10+, all on 2D6, of course. Service is four months a year for each minor order. Promotion attempts are rolled once a year as per the core rules, so the time to ascend through the minor orders is variable and probably pretty lengthy, but that fact that one can rise to acolyte while keeping a wife and family and pursuing another career might be appealing.

So how about Aramis? We know Aramis becomes a priest as well as superior general of the Jesuits, an ambassador, and a duke over the course of the novels, but what about Aramis the King's Musketeer of the first book? Well, we know that Athos and Porthos intervened "at the moment of my ordination," as Aramis describes it, so it would appear he is a lapsed seminarian who plans to return to the Church at a later date, which means he's probably ordained in the minor orders already.

Now, a reminder: Flashing Blades is a game of swashbuckling adventure, and priests historically fought duels and carried on affairs and participated in politics, so none of this should imply a life of mundane service for player character clerics. Through active participation in a parish church, a seminarian will become close to priests, curates, and pastors, and quite possibly members of the bishop's curia, and will get to know parishioners as well; awareness of the politics of both the Church and the local community should follow. A better understanding of the Student of Theology experience should open doors to adventure, not close them.

Monsters in Motion

Sometimes I run across something that seems so simple and so obvious it feels like it doesn't need to be said, and then I'm surprised when other gamers say, "I never thought about that before."

I was reminded ot this by JDJarvis' post this week at Aeons & Auguaries, "Monsters don't have to stay in their rooms."

Many published dungeons seem to treat the monsters in any given room and the entire room itself as if it is frozen in amber waiting for the PCs to turn up. The used of pre-written description text sure doesn't help dispel this notion (I recall one adventure with 6 or 7 paragraphs describing a room and in the last sentence it mentions the 1st thing PCs would notice... a Beholder). Many critics, DMs and publishers seem to forget that while the published dungeon may be fixed and as is on the page the monsters don't have to stay in their rooms.

As I'm preparing to run Flashing Blades again, this seems particularly relevant to me, 'cause it's tied very closely to how I run my games. I have a list of locations; I have a list of non-player characters - families, really. Characters are associated with certain locations, sure, but then I populate my chance encounters - my preferred term-of-art for 'random encounters' - all over the city with those characters. The chevalier de Rochebaron, knight-captain of the military Order of Saint-Jean, is of course associated with the order's commandery in Sainte-Argene-sur-Barmie, but he can also be found in a chance encounter in the Place du Vicomte, or on the Quai Sainte-Barbe, or in Le Dauphin tavern.

I find this makes the setting feel like a real place more than just about anything else in my referee's quiver, and it also creates coincidences, something that can feel very forced without a random element behind it. Frex, you may run into Lèbre, a "seller of holy water" - one of the random encounters in a church from the FB core rules - at Saint-Papoul's on Tuesday, then run into him again at the abbey of the Cordeliers on Saturday, without specific intent on my part as the referee beyond a non-player character showing up in places where it makes sense for him to appear.

Now, adventure designers can encourage this sort of thing pretty readily, to wit:

Key to Level One -
30. Abandoned Storeroom Nine kobolds took up residence in this abandoned storeroom, from which they search for a dragon medallion they believe is somewhere on this level of the dungeon. From 2-4 kobolds will be out searching at any given time.

Random Encounters -
1. 2-4 kobolds from room 30, out searching for the lost dragon medallion

And Bob's your uncle.

Student of Law: An Alternate Approach to Legal Professions in Flashing Blades

Any character who wishes to be a Student of Law must have Magistracy and Latin skills. Gentlemen may choose to start the game as Students of Law. Characters from other backgrounds may roll at the beginning of each year after the start of the game to become a Student of Law: a roll of 8 or more is required to be admitted to a College of Law (+1 to the roll if Social Rank is 8 or above). A character must be a Student of Law for 6 years before he becomes a Lawyer. Each year, a Student of Law must devote 4 months, distributed as he likes, in study. - 5.52 Entering the Bureaucracy, Flashing Blades core rules, page 32

A Student of Law in FB has one of the longest apprenticeships of any player character, so what exactly happens during those six years?

Before I get to that, first I want to expand what it means to be a "lawyer" in Flashing Blades. Advocacy in 17th century France is divided between three different professions: notary (notaire), procurator (procureur), and lawyer (avocat).

A notary handles contracts for goods and services, prepares and executes wills, and attests to and certifies some legal documents. It is a bureaucratic office, in FB terms equivalent to a Minor Official as described in 5.53 Ranks and Positions in the Bureaucracy (p. 32), rather than a legal profession; alternatively, it can be a minor job as in 5.103 Minor Jobs (p. 39), with Bureaucratics skill as a requirement and paying 12 £ per month. Because of the importance of notaries to contracts for business and finance, Banking + Bureaucratics = Notary makes a useful pseudoskill for preparing or examining contracts.

Procurators in 17th century France have two roles. In public service, procurators work with magistrates to prosecute violations of the law; they're responsible for gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses and presenting same to the court. They are not prosecutors per se; inquiries at trial are conducted by magistrates directly, using the evidence and testimony collected by the court procurator (procureur du roi). In private practice, procurators assist clients in preparing and filing necessary affadavits and other documents with the court and conduct pleadings before a magistrate; they do not, however, make arguments before the court. Similar to a notary, procurator is a bureaucratic office, equivalent to an Official of the Realm as per 5.53 Ranks and Positions in the Bureaucracy (p. 32); rather than working as a entry-level bureaucrat and a Minor Official, a player character is a Clerk of Law for six years then automatically becomes a procurator. A Clerk of Law may begin with either the Bureaucratics or Magistracy skill.

A lawyer's scope of practice is focused on interpreting and applying the law before the court. This is most often accomplished not by oral argument but in written briefs; a lengthy brief for an important case may even be printed and bound as a book! Lawyers work closely with procurators; in fact, clients hire procurators and procurators then engage lawyers to argue the client's case before a magistrate.

Okay, now that we know what a lawyer is in FB, I can circle back to that six years a prospective avocat spends in preparation. First, there's three years of study of the law at a university; law students listen to lectures and read cases, much like contemporary attorneys do, but they also attend court hearings and discuss the proceedings with their professors, many of whom will be practicing lawyers themselves. Law students may be a rambunctious bunch; their case studies tend to immerse them in local politics.

Next comes two years of internship - le stage - working in a lawyer's practice; the student of law will assit in preparing briefs and may actually represent, under supervision, pro bono clients such as the indigent, which is an obligation for lawyers throughout France. A student of law during le stage should find themselves meeting with procurators on active cases and preparing briefs, especially for peasants and craftspeople.

Finally, the last year is spent working as a clerk for a procurator. Clerks of law spend much of their time copying documents and preparing pleadings; working in a procurator's office provides the student of law with a practical foundation of legal documentation as well as developing a working relationship with procurators they will need for the rest of their career as lawyers.

The life of a Student of Law should be much more than classrooms and study; they're immersed in local politics and may be active participants as well, work with the poor, and prepare actual cases for court. The referee can use campaign turns spent by the adventurer discharging their student obligations as an opportunity to introduce non-player characters and opportunities for patronage. Their careers as lawyers become an extension of their experiences as students of law.

Fortress France: An Alternative Military Career for Flashing Blades

Flashing Blades offers an extensive campaign military minigame for player characters who serve as soldiers, such as the King's Musketeers, battling the enemies of the kingdom of France on continental battlefields. The High Seas campaign supplement expands this with colonial soldiers garrisoning the far-flung royal outposts in the New World. The core rules, however, hint at another manner by which martial-minded characters may serve the crown.

A Provincial Governor is paid 350 L per year. He may squeeze up to an additional 1000 L per year from the people of his province, at the risk of open revolt. Within his province, a Governor has the powers of a Magistrate. In addition, he has Command of a Battalion (2 companies) of Fusiliers to keep the peace, and as personal guards.

A City Mayor is paid 300 L per year. He may squeeze up to an additional 500 L per year from the citizens, at the risk of open revolt. Within his city, a Mayor has the powers of a Magistrate. He also commands a company of Fusiliers to keep the peace, and as his personal guards. - "5.53 Ranks and Positions in the Bureaucracy," "ROYAL OFFICIAL," Flashing Blades core rules, page 33

The following rules offer three different opportunities for player characters to serve in the military:

Characters with the Soldier background may choose to begin as members of a Garrison rather than a Regiment

Characters with the Gentleman or Nobleman background may choose to be members of a Militia

Soldiers who are members of a Dragoon company may serve in the Maréchaussée, patrolling the countryside of France and enforcing royal law under the command of a Martial Magistrate

Soldiers who join a Garrison company are trained as Fusiliers or Artillerists, as described in 3.52 Choosing Martial Skills, page 9, of the FB core rules. A Garrison company serves in a Fortress or Fortified City. Fortresses serve to protect important strategic points from an enemy and to project royal power over the surrounding region.

Gentlemen and Noblemen may join a town or city Militia on a roll of 8+ on 2D6; they must have either the Polearms or Firearms skill and outfit themselves as Fusiliers at their own cost. Militia characters must spend one month each year in military service unless called upon to campaign. Port cities may have a Marine Militia unit which serves aboard privateer ships and galleys.

Dragoons may join the Maréchaussée on a roll of 9+ on 2D6; characters with the Tracking skill or Expertise 18+ in Firearms may automatically join the Maréchaussée. A character who is a Martial Magistrate may command a Maréchaussée Dragoon company on a roll of 10+ on 2D6.

Fortresses may be Coastal, Frontier, or Internal. A Coastal Fortress is self-explanatory. A Frontier Fortress is located on the German (Holy Roman Empire and vassal states), Belgian (Spanish vassal states) or Spanish (Spain or Italian vassal states) front as described in 5.34 The Campaign. An Internal Fortress is located in the interior of France, away from the frontiers. A Fortress may also be a fortified city; if you're unsure, roll 1D6 and on a 5-6, the Fortress is a Fortified City. Fortified Cities have both a Company of Fusiliers and a Company of Artillery as well as a Company of Militia (Fusiliers) under the command of the City Mayor, as quoted above.

Garrison Soldiers and Militia may campaign each year like Soldiers serving in Regiments, using a combination of the Flashing Blades core rules in 5.34 The Campaign (p. 26-8) and High Seas 4.2.2 Colonial Campaign Rules (p. 7-8). First, the Gamemaster determines where the Garrison and Militia companies serve (Coastal, Frontier, or Internal Fortress/Fortified City); ideally this should be established by the Gamemaster and the player characters, or it may be determined randomly by rolling 1D6 (1-2 Coastal, 3-5 Frontier, or 6 Internal).

The Gamemaster next rolls for the timing, location, enemy strength, and situation of the annual campaign as per 5.34 The Campaign (p. 26). If the campaign takes place on the front where the Garrison or Militia characters are serving, then there's a chance their fortress may be involved in the action; if the campaign situation is Under Seige or Repeated Skirmishes, then on a roll of 6 on 1D6, the Garrison and/or Militia companies in which the player characters serve are included with the French forces on campaign. (Note that Garrison Captains may not volunteer their companies to serve on campaign away from their fortresses; a City Mayor may volunteer his Militia company to serve, but will only be accepted on a roll of 6 on 1D6 or at the discretion of a player character Division commander or Field Maréchal.) Garrison Fusilier companies count as one point to Army Strength for either Under Siege or Repeated Skirmishes; Garrison Artillery companies only contribute when Under Seige, but add 2 points to Army Strength. Militia companies do not contribute to Army Strength unless their Captain succeeds in a Brilliant Maneuver, in which case they add 1 point, but may be taken as casualties at the discretion of the Gamemaster or a player character Division commander or Field Maréchal. Injuries, special events, commendations and promotions, booty, and capture for Garrison and Militia player characters participating in the annual campaign are handled normally as described in 5.35 Personal Results of Campaign (pp. 27-8) and 5.36 CAPTURE (pp. 29-30); Militia characters will always be ransomed by their town or city if captured.

Maréchaussée and Marine Militia characters do not participate in annual campaigns.

In addition to service on annual campaigns, Garrison and Militia companies may participate in smaller engagements throughout the year. Roll 1D6 for a Fortress Garrison company or Fortified City Garrison and Militia companies each month; on a roll of 6, the Garrison or Garrison and Militia companies are involved in an engagement. Garrison and Militia companies involved in the annual campaign do NOT roll for an engagement during the months they're on campaign.

Maréchaussée may also participate in smaller engagements as well. Each province, as represented on page 44 of the core rules, has one or more Maréchaussée companies; the Gamemaster should determine when the character joins the Maréchaussée in which province their company is located. As noted, Maréchaussée companies do not participate in annual campaigns; however, they are more likely to have engagements when the annual campaign takes place in the province where they're located. Roll 1D6 for a Maréchaussée company each month, on a roll of 6, the Maréchaussée company is involved in an engagement. However, if the annual campaign is taking place in the province where the Maréchaussée are located, then an engagement occurs on a roll of 5 or 6 on 1D6. Frex, if the campaign is "Spanish and Coastal" during the months of March to August, then a Maréchaussée company in Languedoc, Provence, or Guyenne and Gascony will have an engagement on a roll of 5 or 6 for each of those months, while a Maréchaussée company in Limousin, Auvergne, or Lyonnais will only have an engagement on a roll of 6.

There are five basic engagements for Garrison, Militia, and Maréchaussée companies: Civil Unrest, Banditry, Deserters, Raid, and Bombardment. If an engage ment occurs, roll 1D6 on the following table to determine the situation; if the Fortress, Fortified City, or province where the player characters' companies are serving is also the location of the annual campaign, add 1 to the roll.

1D6	Coastal Fortress	Frontier Fortress	Internal Fortress	Maréchaussée
1	Civil Unrest	Civil Unrest	Civil Unrest	Civil Unrest
2	Civil Unrest	Civil Unrest	Civil Unrest	Banditry
3	Banditry	Civil Unrest	Civil Unrest	Banditry
4	Deserters	Banditry	Civil Unrest	Banditry
5	Raid	Deserters	Banditry	Deserters
6	Raid	Raid	Deserters	Deserters
7	Bombardment	Raid	Deserters	Deserters

Civil Unrest includes peasant mobs in the countryside (le paysage) violenty protesting taxes or troop quartering, rioting against a legal injustice or the nobility generally, or rebelling against religious persecution; more rarely it could include urban strife between noble clienteles or political factions, as in "fair Verona, where we lay our scene." The number of peasants protesting or rebelling is determined by rolling (1D20 x 20) and adding 200 (producing a number between 220 and 600). The Garrison Fusilier or Maréchaussée Dragoon company (1D20 + 180 men) and (2D6 X 10) civilian Militia will be mustered to quell the disturbance. Roll the three encounters as per 5.34 The Campaign in the core rules. Determine Army Strengths by dividing the peasant forces by 20, and the Garrison or Maréchaussée forces by 10. For example, if a Garrison company (200 men) and 60 Militia were sent to quell a riot by 340 peasants, the Garrison or Army Strength would be 26 (260/10 = 26) and the peasant Army Strength would be 17 (340/20 = 17). A Brilliant Maneuver by the Fusilier or Dragoon Captain or the Martial Magistrate commanding the Maréchaussée adds the equivalent of 200 additional soldiers to the royal soldiers' side for purposes of deciding the outcome.

Roll normally for individual results from Civil Unrest, but assume that none of the peasants will be mounted. Peasants are poorly armed with improvised weapons such as farm implements - treat as clubs or hand axes for damage. If a roll indicates an encounter with an Officer, the encounter is instead with an archer on foot armed with a dagger and a bow or crossbow at the Gamemaster's discretion; if the roll indicates a Cavalier, the peasant will have a dagger and a pike or a halberd , again at the referee's discretion. Instead of taking or re-taking a flag, the Personal Encounter is with a ringleader; capturing a ringleader counts toward a decoration the same as capturing or keeping a flag. There is no roll for Booty after quelling Civil Unrest - if they had anything of value, they wouldn't be rebelling! If Garrison or Maréchaussée soldiers lose in the fight during Civil Unrest, each player character in the Garrison (or Militia) must attempt a Luck roll. If the Luck roll fails, he is captured; subsequent events are determined by the Gamemaster; this may involve the captives negotiating with their captors . . .

Banditry includes roving bands of highwaymen and brigands preying upon travellers on the royal roads or threatening villages and country estates. They are marginally better armed than the peasantry, but only slightly more organized. The bandits, (1D20 x 20) + 100 in number, threaten the welfare of the King's subjects. The Garrison Fusiliers or Maréchaussée Dragoons company (1D20 + 180 men) must bring the bandits to justice. To determine Army Strengths, divide the bandit forces by 20 and divide French forces by 10. A Brilliant Maneuver by the Fusilier or Dragoon Captain or the Martial Magistrate commanding the Maréchaussée adds the equivalent of 200 additional soldiers to the royal soldiers' side for purposes of deciding the outcome. Determine the results of the first encounter; if the royal soldiers win, the bandits are dispersed and the campaign ends; if the bandits win, an additional (1D6 x 10) will join them. If the first encounter is a tie, or a victory for the bandits, proceed to the next two encounters.

When rolling for individual results suppressing Banditry, roll normally. Bandits have a dagger or a club and a bow or a crossbow. If a roll indicates an encounter with an Officer, the bandit will have an arquebus and a longsword or cutlass; if the roll indicates a Cavalier, the encounter is with a bandit with a longsword or cutlass and two pistols. Instead of taking or re-taking a flag, a player character may free a captive held by the bandits for ransom; freeing a captive counts toward a decoration the same as capturing or keeping a flag. The roll for Booty at the end of Banditry has a -4 modifier. If Garrison or Maréchaussée soldiers lose in the fight against Banditry, each player character in the Garrison, Militia, or Maréchaussée must attempt a Luck roll. If the Luck roll fails, he is captured; player characters who look rich may be taken for ransom by the bandits, but otherwise, they will only be imprisoned until the bandits leave area, left chastened but alive.

Deserters seek to escape the discpline and privation of military life, instead bullying and stealing from peasants to survive; deserters may also be mutineers, actively rebelling against their commanders or other authorities, at the Gamemaster's discretion. They are reasonably well armed but often undisciplined and poorly led. Similar to bandits, (1D20 x 20) + 100 deserters must be recaptured or killed. The Garrison Fusiliers or Maréchaussée Dragoons company (1D20 + 180 men) must restore the peace. To determine Army Strengths, divide the deserter forces by 20 and divide French forces by 10. A Brilliant Maneuver by the Fusilier or Dragoon Captain or the Martial Magistrate commanding the Maréchaussée adds the equivalent of 200 additional soldiers to the royal soldiers' side for purposes of deciding the outcome. Determine the results of the first encounter; if the royal soldiers win, the Deserters are captured and the campaign ends; if the Deserters win, an additional (1D6 x 10) will join them. If the first encounter is a tie, or a victory for the Deserters, proceed to the next two encounters.

When rolling for individual results recapturing Deserters, roll normally. Deserters are armed withdagger and either a pike or halberd or an arquebus. If a roll indicates an encounter with an Officer, the deserter is a non-commissioned officer with an arquebus and a longsword or cutlass; if the roll indicates a Cavalier, the encounter is with a deserter with a longsword or cutlass and two pistols. Instead of taking or re-taking a flag, a player character may free an officer held by the deserters for ransom; freeing an officer counts toward a decoration the same as capturing or keeping a flag and may earn a Favor from the rescued officer as well, at the Gamemaster's discretion. The roll for Booty after suppressing Deserters has a -4 modifier. If Garrison or Maréchaussée soldiers lose in the fight with Deserters, each player character in the Garrison, Militia, or Maréchaussée must attempt a Luck roll. If the Luck roll fails, he is captured; captured player characters may be invited to join the Deserters, with the threat of execution if they refuse; subsequent events are determined by the Gamemaster.

A Raid indicates that Spanish or Imperial troops, pirates, corsairs, or Huguenot privateers have landed or sent troops to make a quick skirmish attack. There will be (1D20 x 20) + 100 enemy soldiers (double this number a against a Fortified City). The royal Fort or Fortified City will be defended by its garrison (200 men, or 400 men if a Fortified City) and 2D6 x 10 Militia. To determine Army Strength, divide each side's forces by 10. If the French win the first encounter, the enemy raiders will flee, otherwise, continue the Campaign normally.

When rolling for individual results in a Raid, roll normally, but assume that none of the raiders will be mounted (substitute an Officer encounter for Cavalier). Raiders will be well-armed as appropriate to their origins. The roll for Booty at the end of a Raid has a -4 modifier. Raiders will hold a settlement only long enough to pillage and plunder (a week at most). Player-characters who look rich may be taken for ransom by the raiders, but otherwise, they will only be imprisoned until the raiders leave.

Bombardment is handled as in 6.4.8 Special Situations in High Seas. Roll 1D6 to determine the size of a Coastal Fortress; the Fortress may be Small (1), Medium (2-4), or Large (5-6). A Coastal Fortified City is equivalent to either a Medium (1-3) or Large (4-6) Fortress for purposes of Bombardment.

Marines and Marine Militia will be handled in a separate post.

Of Skill Synergies and Pseudoskills: A Flashing Blades House Rule

Skill Synergy

It’s possible for a character to have two skills that work well together. In general, having 5 or more ranks in one skill gives the character a +2 bonus on skill checks with each of its synergistic skills, as noted in the skill description. In some cases, this bonus applies only to specific uses of the skill in question, and not to all checks. Some skills provide benefits on other checks made by a character, such as those checks required to use certain class features. "Using Skills," The Hypertext d20 SRD

I like Flashing Blades' relatively spare skill list. It reminds me of pre-Mercenary "classic" Traveller, focused rather than expansive and with a strong sense of genre. I also appreciate that the skills as presented in the published adventures are synergistic, as seen in an example from "The Royal Hunt" in The Cardinal's Peril (p. 30):

A character with courtly graces may wish to distinguish himself in the King's presence (by making witty remarks, praising the King's policies, making fun of his enemies, etc.). This requires that the character have Etiquette skill, and that he make rolls against Charm and Wit (+2 to these rolls for Oratory skill, +1 for Social Rank 13 or more, -1 for each Social Rank below 9). (emphases added - BV)

Another example is found in "Scavenger Hunt" in Parisian Adventure (p. 29):

They could try to trick her out her bonbons somehow (by telling her they are not worthy of a Duchess, and offering to bring her a box of truly royal chocolates, perhaps). This would require a good idea from the players (as judged by the Gamemaster) and a successful roll on Charm (+2 for Oratory or Etiquette skill; +4 for both). (emphasis added - BV)

If we take examples from these adventures as referee advice, we see (1) one skill providing a bonus to skill checks for a different skill and (2) two skills providing additive bonuses to a single attribute check.

We also see multiple skills used as what I call gatekeeper skills, skills a character must possess to do or be something - 'you must be this tall to ride this ride.' Frex, in the core rules under 5.103 Minor Jobs (p. 39), in order to find a paying gig as an Actor, a character must have both the Disguise and Oratory skills, as well as Charm 13+, while a Gunsmith is required to be a Master of the Firearms skill and have Fine Manipulation as well. FB doesn't have either an Acting or Gunsmithing skill, but if your put those gatekeeper skills together, you get something like this:

Disguise + Oratory = Acting
Fine Manipulation + Firearms Master = Gunsmithing

And thus is born the "pseudoskill."

A pseudoskill is two skills taken together to represent a third skill not specifically covered by the rules as written. A pseudoskill may be created during character generation at a reduced cost in skill points; the first skill costs one, two, or three points per the existing rules, but the second skill costs only one point - the skill with the highest point cost in the pair is always the first skill. When used in tandem as a pseudoskill, each skill can expect to receive a check mark for purposes of experience; frex, sneaking past a Swiss Guard in the Louvre might get you a check mark for Stealth, but Stalking a stag on a royal hunt could earn you checks for both Stealth and Tracking if taken togther as a pseudoskill.

Here are a few examples, which are in no way intended to be exhastive.

Acrobatics + Horsemanship = Trick Riding

Leaping to or from a moving horse, riding while standing on the saddle, or concealing oneself behind a horse's neck and shoulder while firing a pistol would all fall under the Trick Riding pseudoskill.

Tracking + Stealth = Stalking

Moving quietly from cover to cover while tracking a quarry is a useful pseudoskill for poachers, gamekeepers, and sharpshooters.

Bargaining + Horsemanship = Horse Trading

A character with the Horse Trading pseudoskill can be expected to get a good price for a reliable mount, or at least end up not overpaying for a nag destined for the knackers.

Forgery + Fine Manipulation = Counterfeiting

Counterfeiters in the 17th century manufactured die stamps to change one coin into another; they also produced false seal stamps and signet rings to lend authenticity to a forged letter or document.

Magistracy + Theology = Canon Law
Magistracy + Banking = Contract Law

Lawyers who wish to specialize in Church or business law can create their own pseudoskills to represent their expertise.

Again, this list is not exhaustive; players should work with their Gamemasters to create their characters' pseudoskills as appropriate.

As for resolving a task, the Gamemaster should use the most appropriate base attribute with an automatic +2 or higher synergy bonus for the paired skill. Remember, a pseudoskill is in addition to the benefits provided by the base skills; a character with Acrobatics paired with Horsemanship for Trick Riding can still make normal checks and earn experience for swinging from chandeliers or somersaulting from a table.

Finally, characters may add new pseudoskills by learning two new skills or pairing a new skill with an existing skill; the training time for these skills is as per the core rules. A character who learns a new skill to create a pseudoskill with an existing skill may not receive the benefits of the pseudoskill until a checkmark is earned in the existing skill; frex, a character with Banking who learns Magistracy to create the Contract Law pseudoskill must first earn a checkmark in Banking before the pseudoskill takes effect.

Filling the Shelf: 17th Century Book Prices

Awhile back I had a short series of posts called Off the Shelf, consisting of lists of book titles which could be found on a 17th century bookshelf.

In addition to publishing his exhaustive and impressive price list, Gaston's Hat at For Honor . . . and Intrigue also prepared an excellent guide to 17th century book prices, so your bibliophile character can fill their own shelves instead of rifiling their mentors' libraries.

How Much For That Mazzogato In The Window? 17th Century Gear Prices

A while back Gaston's Hat at For Honor . . . And Intrigue posted an exhaustive price list for campaigns set in the 17th century.

It's truly epic in scope and well worth a look