Book of Harlots
Book of Harlots
Book of Harlots
The figures in parenthesis (-------) refer to encounters in towns and large villages.
WORKING LOCATIONS means complete, and you should add other skills to it
that you determine to be reasonable concerning a
It is a natural assumption that most encounters with particular harlot.
working ladies will be on the city streets. But such is
usually the case only with the lowest of the social order, Harlot Support Skills
who will be found on the corners and in the alleyways of 1. Animal Handling & Training(W)
the most despicable sections of the community. The 2. Astrology(I)
higher standing a harlot has the more likely she will 3. Dancing(D)*
4. Eroticism, physical(D)/suggestive(CH)*
have others in the street soliciting for her; this could be a
5. Etiquette(CH)*
madam, pimp, or hired sign walker. For the most part,
6. Gaming--cards, chess, etc.(I)
the Haughty doxy and Expensive courtesan will be 7. Languages, ancient & modern(I)
found standing--or seated--in an apartment window 8. Musicianship(D)
overlooking the street itself, while agents below work 9. Poetics(CH)*
the crowd for paying clients. 10. Singing(CH)*
The actual working location will vary, of course, The letter following the skill(here)is the ability used when the
depending upon the status of the harlot. Those of the harlot is using or attempting to use it. Thus, a roll will have to
be made to see if she succeeds or fails. The higher her ability,
lowest ranks will gladly spend a few turns in an
the more likely success will be achieved. In some cases* COM
alleyway, or on the back porch of a business; few of
will have an effect on the skill, and you should take it into
these ever take clients to a room somewhere, unless it is consideration when the skill is used.
the practice of their pimp to muscle the client out of
even more money. Brazen tarts, Wanted wenches, the Animal Handling & Training
Haughty doxy and Expensive courtesan usually keep an With these skills a harlot will be able to attract to her service a
apartment with at least 2 rooms--as many as 12, in which creature-companion. The type will vary from small to large
size, as exampled by a cat, dog, dove, ferret, or horse. In some
to entertain clients. These are furnished according to the
cases the animal-companion is used during the services she
status of the harlot; with the lower ranking ones residing
provides to customers, but such is not always so. There is no
in more pungent and less clean conditions.
limit, except that which you decree, to which the animal-
companion can be used. You should determine which types of
creatures you will permit in your campaign, and how much
CLASS SKILLS
control and communication the harlot can achieve with the
animal.
All Harlots have skills in areas that assist her in the
performance of her normal function. This qualifies her Astrology
profession as an unofficial class; though she does not gain This skill allows the harlot to read Tarot cards. She will often
experience points for performing her primary duty, gain employ this when entertaining customers, and if she has been
levels and/or additional hp, as such. All Harlots have at able to gather information about a client beforehand through
least 1 Support Skill, while some will have many. The the use of her spies, she will use the information to impress the
number of skills a harlot possesses is directly related to subject. The skill has no validity--meaning, it is mostly just a
ruse that the harlot employs to gain more money if she can.
the sum of her INT/WIS and CHA/ COM divided by
10. The harlot uses the higher ability in each pair to Dancing
determine the outcome. For example, using #1 from the Harlots with high dexterity can learn and employ various
previous list, the highest total this harlot generates is 21. types of dance to entertain and seduce their clients. The higher
Divided by 10, then she will possess 2 Support Skills the dexterity, the more styles the harlot can master. Certain
(fractions are dropped). Once the total is thus dance techniques are simply beyond those with below average
determined, you can randomly roll or personally select dexterity--ballet, for example. You will have to consider each
the skills you feel the harlot would embrace according to type of dance that you wish to allow, and then give it a range
for dexterity score as you deem reasonable.
her status. Keep in mind, the following list is by no
Eroticism, Physical/Suggestive Poetics
There are two components to this skill. The physical aspect is A harlot's voice can be a powerful tool in attracting and
the actual employment of sexual techniques designed to entertaining clients. Those with pleasant timber and rhythm
elevate the joy of certain acts. The Kama Sutra is a good can often enchant listeners with poetic recitations. Even the
example of a literary explanation of how these are applied. The gruff and lowly voice of a trollop can be used seductively. The
suggestive aspect deals in stimulation of the other senses, expensive doxy or courtesan is likely to recite flowing stanzas
sight, sound, smell, taste, that precede the actual physical act/s filled with imagery, while the trollop, streetwalker or tart will
to follow. The amount of detail involved is a matter that you deliver brisk and bawdy limericks of carnal delights. If she has
should determine in order to convey to characters involved in recited her poetry correctly, there is a chance that the harlot
such activity, within the boundaries of your own standards. has, essentially, enchanted the listener, affectively charming the
client. The details of such poetry is left to you to create. If the
Etiquette attempt to enchant fails, that victim will not be susceptible to
This skill provides the harlot with a basic understanding of the further attempts by that harlot.
proper forms of behavior under varying situations. She (or he)
will know how to properly address a client according to his (or Singing
her) status, as well as the ceremonial steps in greeting them, This skill is similar in mechanics to that used by Harpies. The
gestures and/or words to avoid, etc. more pleasant the harlot's voice, the more likely the effect will
succeed. It can only be used once per intended listener, and if
Gaming the "victim" makes a Save (higher than her CH score) then he,
Games of chance and skill are known by the harlot. These or she, is thereafter immune to such attempts by that harlot. If a
include--but are not limited to--cards, dice, bones, chess. A client fails his or her save, they will become totally enchanted
harlot with this skill has a base 50% chance of being able to by her, effectively under a Charm spell.
cheat and not be detected. For every point of Intelligence she
has that is above her opponent, the chance increases 5%; but
for each Intelligence point her opponent has above hers, the HARLOT SOCIETY
chance decreases by 5%. Time constraints will likely not allow
you to conduct an actual game between the harlot and a This is a profession wherein all are in fierce competition
character-customer, and if that is the case then a skill Check with one another. It is also one that does not exclude
will determine success or not.
participants because of race, gender or alignment. With
Languages, Ancient & Modern easy money being the immediate concern, the long term
The harlot with this skill has mastered an obscure and difficult goal will vary from one harlot to another. Distribution of
language that is unknown by 90% of the population. Since few harlots among the normal populations is not an easy
know of it, the main use of this is in reading tomes of ancient thing to determine. Some communities will have such
and/or secret text; the words of long-dead sages. She can read, strict standards that make it impossible for a harlot to
speak, and write the language known. Regarding Modern work at all. It is easier for harlots to find and conduct
tongues, the skill allows the harlot to gain additional language
business in larger, metropolitan areas; ones that have
proficiency in any you allow in your campaign.
relaxed their laws in order to attract a multitude, with
Musicianship varying customs, rules and ethics. In general, be guided
Almost all harlots take this skill, as it is an easy way to attract by the table below.
and entertain clients. You can create extensive lists of types of
instruments you deem reasonable to your campaign. Or you Inhabitation-Distribution
TYPE Chance of harlot Present/ Max. NO. found
can limit the harlot's choices to the following: String and Wind
Thorp(21-80) 5% 1-2
types. String instruments would include the lute, harp, and
Hamlet(91-300) 10% 2-8
perhaps a baroque style guitar. Wind instruments should Village(401-900) 15% 8-20
include the flute, fife, recorder and oboe. The successful Town, small(1,001-3,500) 20% 20-70
manipulation of the instrument will produce pleasing tones Town, large(3,501-6,500) 25% 70-130
and sounds, lulling the listener into a semi-charmed state of City, small(6,501-15,000) 30% 130-300
euphoria. Incorrect playing will produce unpleasant and harsh City, large(15,001-45,000) 40% 300-900
tones that will make the listener uncomfortable, and even
agitated.
The distribution figures shown will, of course, vary from MINORS & TEMPLE WHORES
locale to locale; external factors will also affect these
totals(a society's acceptance or rejection of prostitution, Solving the legality of prostitution is not simple. But
temples dedicated to vice and carnal pleasures, etc.) once done you should consider the following issues in
order to avoid uncomfortable situations that are likely to
LEGALITY arise. The idea of "minors" and our modern definition of
what that means is not one shared with all of history.
Throughout most of history prostitution has not been an Not long ago, there was simply the state of childhood,
illegal act, but rather, a moral failing. Empires rooted in and adulthood, with the doorway from one to the other
religious code and doctrine did not need to pen laws to usually being a brief moment in time, when a young girl
control and/or eradicate the behavior, as churches and began menstruating. Once started, she became a junior
temples, for the most part, were able to suppress such member of the adult females of society. You should, by
activity and punish its offenders. For civilizations where all means, exclude young NPC females from your
prostitution was not considered sinful, little use of the campaign if this concept goes against your moral beliefs,
law was applied even where it existed. For the medieval makes you and your players uncomfortable, or any
fantasy world, and your campaign, you will have to other reason you like. For those not bothered by the
make the decision, empire by empire, whether harlots concept, it is possible that young girls will be used by a
and their trade is legal or illegal. It is a safe assumption harlot, or house, for soliciting customers. These girls will
that Lawful Good societies would not allow harlots and be dressed provocatively, and will know the rates and
prostitution to function. But you will have to make that techniques of the harlot she works for; those employed
determination, and what laws and punishment will be in by a house will know the names, ages and rates of all the
place to handle such offenses. Even in a good society, women working there.
corruption and graft will often allow harlots to exist, and
hide within a shadowy world on its fringe. In addition to young girls that might be working as or
for a harlot/house of prostitution, there are other types
of prostitutes that do what they do-- not out of a desire
to gain wealth and riches-- but as part of a spiritual
quest associated with the temples they belong to and
deities they worship. Like it or not, it is a fact that cults
in the past and now use sexuality as a means of
achieving some type of inner, spiritual-elevation of
consciousness, that is supposed to bring those
participating closer to their deity. These types, often
known as temple whores, are not roaming the streets to
obtain coin, but to seduce and enchant prospective new
members. What they do they will do for free, if the
recipient is willing to return with them to their temple
and consider joining.
AFTERWORD