Guy Fawkes Day Systems

The character sheet gives a certain amount of information and background on your character. If at any time you have a question about things your character has seen or heard before game start, please ask a GM. (E.g. "Has my character ever seen that person before?" or "Given my character's trade, would s/he know how fast a camel can move?" or "Hey, when my character was a child, and met Her Royal Highness, was I able to see the signet ring? Can I remember it? Did it look like the one that Joe's wearing over there?"). Obviously, don't ask frivolous or trivial questions; but if you think that such background information will be useful/important to figuring out something in game, go for it.

Attributes:

Some characters have cards detailing "attributes" -- things that the character can do which most others can't, or things which the character has more trouble with than most other characters. Each attribute belongs to one of five special categories -- "physical," "mental," "social," "will," or "combat." If an attribute belongs to more than one category, it is affected by any attribute which affects any of the listed categories. The description of the special rules should be self-explanatory. If not, please seek assistance from a GM.

Combat:

If for any reason, a player thinks that her/his character should choose to take violent action, s/he should see a GM immediately. If combat takes place, the attacker(s) and a GM should be in the same room with the would-be victim(s). As soon as the persons playing the attackers announce their attacks, the game master will ask all parties to describe what they are trying to do. The GM will, based upon character abilities, how interesting the descriptions given are, how sensible the actions taken sound, and perhaps some random factors, determine the results of each person's action. Then the GM may ask again for players to describe what their characters are doing.

Other actions:

If you want your character to try to do something that cannot be easily represented by your own actions (perhaps for safety reasons, or because you suspect that your character should have some ability to perform the task that you don't share), feel free to talk to the GMs.

Props:

Some of the game items are represented on cards. However, other items are represented by actual props. The props belong to the Game Masters, or friends of the Game Masters. Give them back at the end of the game.

Money:

Game money is all in pence, shillings, and pounds. An average gentleman earns about 1500 pence per year, a merchant earns about 1200 pence per year, an artisan earns about 700 pence per year, a yeoman (farmer) earns about 500 pence per year, a peasant earns about 5 pence per year (living mostly through barter). Though the economy of 17th century England is quite different than the modern economy, and such comparisons are never totally satisfactory, one can think of each pence as being worth about $25. The copper coins are worth 1 pence each. The silver coins are shillings, and worth 10 pence each (not historically accurate, but easier for gameplay). The gold coins are pounds (worth as much as 1 pound of sterling silver), and worth 10 shillings or 100 pence each (again, not historically accurate).

Population:

England and Wales presently have a population of about five million. Peasants account for 80% of the population, yeomen account for about 8% of the population, artisans account for about 7% of the population, clergy accounts for about 4%, merchants for 1%, gentlemen for .01%, and nobility .001%. About 80% of the population are members of the Church of England, about 10% are Puritans, about 5% are other Protestant faiths (Presbyterian, Anabaptist, etc.), and about 5% are Catholics -- however the Puritans are heavily represented among the gentry (and therefore the lower House of Parliament) and a number of suspected Catholics are nobles (and members of the House of Lords).

This game is a Subterranean Homesick Games production.