TEXT: The Drones
  A light-hearted after-dinnerish roleplay
  game
  by Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas and
  Victoria Uren
  Introduction
  All PCs are members of The Drones Club, Dover St., a London club for generally idle young men.
  New members are put up for election by existing members.
  The club provides social facilities for its members. It has two smoking rooms, one smaller and less
  used. An older member often mentions the "animal spirits" and "young blood" throwing sugar about
  in the larger smoking room. There is a bar, and a dining room where the throwing of bread rolls is de
  rigeur. Games of indoor cricket quite often take place in the corridors and entrance hall.
  "We're pretty broad minded here, and if you stop short of smashing the piano, there isn't much you
  can do at the Drones that will cause the raised eyebrow and the sharp intake of breath".
  It is in keeping for all adventures to take place during the early 1920's.
  Character generation | Advantages & disadvantages | Combat | Sample scenarios
  Acknowledgements
  Background is based on some of the novels and short stories of P.G.Wodehouse.
  Some back ground details acquired from Usenet newsgroup alt.fan.wodehouse and its FAQ by Susan
  Collicott (susan@pmel.noaa.gov).
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  My Home
  The Drones Role Play Game - Introduction
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/ [12/06/2001 09:04:55]
  
  Creating a character
  Basic character statistics
  The Readies
  Determines affluence and spending power.
  The Old Grey Matter Determines intelligence, plausibility, gullibility, willpower and occasionally
  decision making ability.
  The Outer Crust
  Determines looks, sartorial taste, general likeability and degree of respect
  they command.
  Vim & Vigour
  Determines fitness, health, ability to run, jump, climb etc. and capacity for
  good food and drink.
  A player character is built up by distributing character points amongst the four basic attributes,
  modified by any advantages or disadvantages taken. For '1st level' characters, 8 might be a sensible
  number to start with. Alternatively, player characters could be built from, say, 1d4+4 points to keep
  some close to the Average Drone, who is on 0 for everything. Non-player characters may be built
  from more or less character points, depending on what suits them.
  Every character is built up from 0 in each attribute.
  Level 1 in any attribute costs 1 character point
  Level 2 costs 3 points
  Level 3 costs 6 points
  Level 4 costs 10 points
  Level 5 costs 15 points
  Level 6 costs 21 points
  Level 7 costs 28 points
  Level 8 costs 36 points
  Level 9 costs 45 points
  Level 10 costs 55 points
  Thus it can be seen that upgrading from one level to the next costs a number of points equal to the
  level to be gained.
  Character points are also used and gained by the taking of advantages and disadvantages. A player
  may decide to keep character points in hand to use later if they wish.
  During a game, players may earn extra character points at the Game Master's discretion to distribute
  as they wish at the end of the game. Sometimes something in the course of a game may modify
  player's statistics permanently, for example they might win a lot at a casino, or inherit money or land.
  The GM will decide when this has happened and ask the player to amend his or her notes accordingly.
  The tables listed below give rough guidance on what might be expected of, or be representative of,
  someone or something at that level - the suggestions are by no means meant as rules but should help
  The Drones Role Play Game - Character creation rules
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/charact.html (1 of 2) [12/06/2001 09:05:06]
  
  in deciding on character statistics and in running a game.
  The Readies
  G   
  The Old Grey Matter
  G   
  The Outer Crust
  G   
  Vim & Vigour
  G   
  See also Examples of character generation.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Advantages & disadvantages | Combat | Sample
  scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  The Drones Role Play Game - Character creation rules
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/charact.html (2 of 2) [12/06/2001 09:05:06]
  
  The Readies
  What might be expected of, or be representative of, someone at that level of
  affluence
  10 King of England, Aga Khan etc.
  9
  Prince or similar.
  8
  Earls, Dukes etc. Money no object.
  7
  Minor royalty, landed gentry with country estate and multiple town houses, millionaire.
  6
  Landed gentry with country estate and town house. Drones with this sort of affluence are very
  rare indeed.
  5
  Landed gentry with a country estate or large town house.
  4
  Can afford a good town house or substantial country mansion.
  3
  Can afford a superior central London apartment. Can always lay his hands on two fivers or
  afford to take a friend to dinner at a really good restaurant.
  2
  Can afford to live in a good town apartment or suite in a good hotel. Usually has enough cash in
  his pocket to pay for meals out, rounds of drinks, large tips etc.
  1
  Can afford a town apartment or a room in a good hotel to live in. Might be short of ready cash
  towards the end of the month if dependent on an allowance.
  0
  Typical Drone. Can afford club bills but probably in debt to the tailor. Doesn't need to work for a
  living.
  -1 Probably works for a living e.g. prosperous doctor, lawyer or industrialist. Minimum wealth for
  entry to the Drones Club. A Drone at this level can usually settle a debt of honour.
  -2 Works for a living; senior professional or owns a good business. A Drone at this level can
  probably buy a meal for his lady-friend at the Lyon's Corner House but not at a good restaurant.
  -3 Works for a living; professional, bank manager, very superior servant. A Drone at this level
  probably avoids buying a round of drinks if he can.
  -4 Has a reasonably well-paid job or owns a profitable small business. A Drone can buy a birthday
  gift for a favourite nephew but has to be careful with money.
  -5 Earns just enough to own a small house and probably travels 2nd class. A Drone at this level
  requires a loan to pay the bar bill but can afford cigarettes.
  -6 Has little spare money and probably lives in accommodation that goes with the job. Basic
  subsistence level for a Drone; has to wash his own socks.
  -7 Skilled worker; probably rents a home. Visits from debtors (e.g. bookies) are a serious
  possibility for a Drone at this level.
  -8 Unskilled labourer. A Drone at this level requires a loan for a bus ticket and is in debt to most
  tradesmen.
  -9 Casual worker, street sweeper, paper vendor etc.
  10 Breadline for ordinary people.
  The Drones Role Play Game - The Readies Table
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/readies.html (1 of 2) [12/06/2001 09:05:09]
  
  Normal levels for a starting Drone are in Bold.
  See also the Starting cash table and the Purchases table.
  Buying something that is a constant drain on resources (e.g. servant, car) drops The Readies by 1
  point per item as long as the character still has it.
  E.g. Bertie has a The Readies rating of 3 but he employs a gentleman's gentleman, who requires a
  regular salary, he also runs a flashy sports car so his effective Readies is reduced to 1 when
  considering his ability to buy expensive things and the likelihood of him having five or ten pounds in
  his pocket.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Combat | Sample scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  The Drones Role Play Game - The Readies Table
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/readies.html (2 of 2) [12/06/2001 09:05:09]
  
  Starting cash in the wallet
  All Drones start off with a certain amount of cash in their wallet for use as
  incidental expenses such as tips, payment for taxis, placing of bets and the like.
  They are assumed to have accounts at the club, Selfridges, Harrods, tailors etc so need not pay out
  cash for drinks and meals at the club, purchases at major London stores and clothing from reputable
  West End establishments. Their living expenses are normally covered by their private income and/or
  allowances from family.
  The amount of money available for incidental expenses depends on current Readies level -
  Readies Cash in Wallet at the start of a game
  10
  60 pounds though possibly nil if sufficiently royal or important not to use or need cash
  9
  55 pounds
  8
  50 pounds
  7
  45 pounds
  6
  40 pounds
  5
  35 pounds
  4
  30 pounds
  3
  25 pounds
  2
  20 pounds
  1
  15 pounds
  0
  10 pounds
  -1
  7 pounds
  -2
  5 pounds
  -3
  4 pounds
  -4
  3 pounds
  -5
  2 pounds 10 shillings
  -6
  2 pounds
  -7
  1 pound 10 shillings
  -8
  1 pound
  -9
  2 shillings and 6 pence
  -10 nil
  Cash spent during a game should be deducted from the starting amount by the player. Before another
  adventure it can be assumed that a Drone has obtained money from his bank to return his cash in hand
  to the starting level unless special circumstances indicate otherwise.
  Major purchases (car, diamonds etc) will be paid for out of bank account so affect Readies level rather
  The Drones Role Play Game - Starting cash levels
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/cash.html (1 of 2) [12/06/2001 09:05:11]
  
  than cash in the wallet.
  See also The Readies table to determine the typical level of affluence displayed by persons at each
  level and the Purchases table for what things cost.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Combat | Sample scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  The Drones Role Play Game - Starting cash levels
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/cash.html (2 of 2) [12/06/2001 09:05:11]
  
  PURCHASES TABLE
  All prices should be in pounds, shillings and pence (12 pence = 1 shilling; 20
  shillings = 1 pound; 21 shillings = 1 guinea).
  In setting prices for things, remember that many things and services were much cheaper then, some
  were much dearer and some were unavailable.
  The GM should consider whether a player's expenditure during an adventure is sufficient to alter his
  Readies level either permanently or temporarily. For example, buying something at 1 level below
  Readies may reduce Readies by 1 point for one adventure.
  10 National treasures, palaces.
  9
  Art gallery of good paintings, good country estate.
  8
  Old Master, racing stables.
  7
  Race horses.
  6
  Exceptional jewels (PC limit).
  5
  Expensive car, stocked stables.
  4
  Reasonable car, salary for superior gentleman's gentleman.
  3
  Ordinary gentleman's gentleman, Italian/French tailored suits.
  2
  Good jewels or a simple diamond ring, housemaid, expensive suit.
  1
  Dinner out for several friends at a good restaurant, good suit, six bottles of the best champagne.
  0
  1st class travel for a long journey, six bottles of good champagne.
  -1
  Lavish dinner for two at a good restaurant.
  -2
  Two hand-made shirts or a good new hat.
  -3
  Round for 6 pals at the club bar, tickets for two at the Opera.
  -4
  Dinner for two at the Lyon's Corner House
  -5
  2nd class travel
  -6
  Theatre tickets for two at the "Variety".
  -7
  Telegram.
  -8
  3rd class travel.
  -9
  One drink at the club bar.
  -10 Newspaper.
  See also The Readies table for basic character affluence levels and Starting cash for how much a chap
  might have in his wallet at the start of a game.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Combat | Sample scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  The Drones Role Play Game - Purchases table
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/purchase.html [12/06/2001 09:05:13]
  
  'Combat'
  Fighting in Drones is very rare and not usually encouraged. There's the
  occasional scuffle such as happens on Boat Race night when the traditional
  policeman's helmet is acquired or when Pingo Bottle was debagged and tied to the chandelier last
  Tuesday week.
  Where combat is of the simple 'Do we succeed in overpowering the Policeman' variety a simple
  Opposed Vim & Vigour test can be employed using ten sided dice:
  Example
  Pingo, his Uncle Archie and Buffy all leap on an unsuspecting Bobby and try to wrestle him to the
  ground. They total their Vim & Vigour ratings (1+1-1=1) and add the roll of a D10, getting a total of
  7. The Bobby, unfortunately for our chums, is fit and healthy and his roll of 5 added to a Vim &
  Vigour of +3 gives him a total of 8 which is enough to narrowly defeat our trio of helmet-liberators.
  If more detailed combat is required then the following method can be used. For each blow, opposed
  Vim & Vigour rolls are performed and the difference between multiplied by the factor appropriate for
  the weapons being used. This total is then subtracted from the both the losers Vim & Vigour and his
  The Outer Crust.
  Example
  Two taxi drivers, Bill and Fred, are having a punch up outside the Drones Club. Both are relatively
  sedentary chaps (Vim & Vigour 0) but Bill has a slight advantage as he used to box a little when he
  was younger.
  Fred rolls a 7. Bill rolls a 5, adding +1 for his boxing experience for a total of 6. Fred has the higher
  total and has thus landed a blow. The difference between the rolls is 1 which multiplied by the factor
  for a fist (1/3) gives no damage at all.
  Fred then rolls a 3 which Bill easily tops with an 8, his knowledge of boxing boosting that to 9. The
  difference of 6 means that the unfortunate Fred must lose 2 points from both his Vim & Vigour and
  his The Outer Crust.
  Fred is now angry and grabs a starting handle with which to attack Bill, his roll of 8 giving a total of 6
  and reflecting his violence. Bill attempts discretion at this point but his roll of 4 (he is running away
  so his boxing is of little help) still leaves him within range of Fred's blow.
  Fred's weapon has a multipiler of 1/1 so the unfortunate Bill must lose 2 points from both The Outer
  Crust and Vim.
  Weapon Suggested Multiplier
  Handbag
  1/5 (one fifth)
  Fist
  1/3 (one third)
  The Drones Role Play Game - Combat rules and weapons modifiers
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  Walking Stick 1/3 (one third)
  Wine Bottle
  1/2 (one half)
  Truncheon
  1/2 (one half)
  Umbrella
  1/2 (one half)
  Rolling Pin
  1/2 (one half)
  Cricket bat
  1/1 (one)
  Crowbar
  1/1 (one)
  Knife
  3/2 (one plus a half)
  Sabre
  2/1 (two)
  Shotgun
  5/1 (five)
  Recovering one point of Vim & Vigour takes a number of hours equal to the number of points the
  victim is down on his normal Vim. Thus if the unfortunate character's Vim & Vigour is down by 6
  points then it will take 6 hours to recover that first point, 5 hours to recover the next etc. This is if the
  fight is a general scuffle, if either party is seriously injured then recovery may take a significant time.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Combat | Sample scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  The Drones Role Play Game - Combat rules and weapons modifiers
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/combat.html (2 of 2) [12/06/2001 09:05:16]
  
  Plot ideas
  The boat race
  1.  
  The fish steamer
  2.  
  The Calvinist Girl
  3.  
  The barman
  4.  
  The Herring-Strudel conundrum
  5.  
  1. The boat race
  The Drones have an annual rowing race against the Chanters, a rival, more upright, conscientious and
  striving club. This is always a close run event but this year the club "Hercules", Beefy Trotter, has had
  a bust-up with his jolly-hockey-sticks soulmate Chubby Winston-Smythe and become embroiled with
  the weedy Alison Pendryk, a lover of the poetry of Sir Walter Scott.
  She disapproves of the Drones and has persuaded Beefy to resign and join the Chanters, a much more
  improving club which holds poetry readings
  It is discovered that a sporting trophy given to the club many years ago has been pawned by a club
  member. It must be retrieved. Archie discovers that it has been purchased at auction by his Uncle
  (Aunt Amelia's husband), who is a connoisseur of silverware. It must be recovered.
  2. The fish steamer
  There is to be a village fete in the village where Archie's Aunt Amelia lives. She is known to have
  invited 2 or 3 attractive and eligible young ladies to stay with her. She has an excellent French chef,
  Pierre.
  In order to meet the ladies and eat the superb food, chaps need to get an invitation from Archie or his
  Aunt to spend the weekend. It may be possible to meet the ladies if one puts up at the village inn.
  One of the ladies is mischievous and gets a gullible chap to steal the fish steamer from the kitchen
  (probably to keep newts in) as a dare. It is then discovered that a poached salmon is on the menu for
  dinner that evening.
  It is then essential to (a) avoid the discovery of the steamer in anyone's room or anywhere else and (b)
  get it safely back in the kitchen before Pierre needs it so he won't throw a tantrum and go back to
  France.
  Technical note: a typical fish steamer is made of shiny metal, measures 70 x 25 x 25 cm and contains
  a loose trivet which rattles plus a loose-fitting, equally rattling lid.
  The Drones Role Play Game - plot ideas
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  3.The Calvinist Girl
  Angus McDougal, Club membership secretary has (much to the amazement of all) been swept of his
  feet by a Calvinist girl of the highest Moral principles.
  She is of course trying to force him to resign his membership of the Drones.
  Without his administrative skills the club will collapse facing both financial ruin and worse, the open
  ridicule of the Chanters. The entire Drones club must work to break up this disastrous engagement in
  which they will be assisted by Angus's Ghillie, McTavish.
  This will definitely involve going up to Angus' castle for the engagement 'party' with Scottish dancing
  and no drinking! The booze must be kept secret: if the Drones do bring it, it will be kept in sporrans
  and drunk in dark corners. Anyone had up as 'drunk and disorderly' will probably come up before
  Esther's uncle the judge.
  Angus may not break off the engagement - this is simply 'Not the done thing'. She must be the one to
  sever the knot. This can be accomplished in various ways: getting him drunk and letting her see,
  making her find him in a compromising position with one of the housemaids etc. She, however, will
  take a fair amount of convincing as she sure she can "reform him" removing any influence of his
  misspent youth.
  A sideline to this occurs in the existence of Rollo Jenkins (NPC), a socially climbing and somewhat
  unpleasant member of the Drones.
  He sees our Calvinist Miss as a step up to the higher strata of society, good food, good living and a
  huge increase in respect. He plays the "reform me for I have sinned" card, attempting to pry her away
  from Angus who will resent this intrusion most mightily.
  The Drones should assist Mr. Jenkins in every way, helping him get close to her at every opportunity
  and trying to portray Angus in as bad a light as possible.
  The action starts at Angus' engagement party and finishes one month later at the wedding ceremony.
  During this time any PC might end up as the bridegroom. There will be a wedding - it's been paid for
  and will go ahead; the prospective groom will be ushered in by shotguns if necessary.
  If all goes well she will marry Jenkins and they will wander off in wedded bliss, him only finding out
  afterwards that he'll have to give up booze, fags and gambling and will also have to attend the Kirk
  twice on Sunday and family prayers every morning.
  Dramatis personae
  Angus McDougal , Drones Club membership secretary
  The Readies 5: Island castle in the Scottish highlands which is inaccessible at high tide
  Old Grey Matter 4: He can handle keeping the rent paid on the club building, handles membership
  lists, embezzles a little (not much)
  Vim & Vigour 6: High endurance but low strength, well able to shoot grouse.
  The Outer Crust -2: Insists on wearing the McDougal Tartan at all times. Not actually scruffy, but
  looks a little odd.
  The Drones Role Play Game - plot ideas
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/scenes.html (2 of 4) [12/06/2001 09:05:27]
  
  Etiquette -2: Dour and grouchy, somewhat blunt.
  Alcohol tolerance +1
  Romantic Resistance+3: Hasn't realised what girls are yet (until he is taken over by Esther).
  Employs a well liked Ghillie, "McTavish"
  McTavish enjoys the odd dram and is most desirous of keeping his employer single, being a rampant
  misogynist.
  Esther Cameron, the Calvinist Girl
  The Readies 4 Good town house in Edinburgh. Daddy is a lawyer, Uncle Fergus is a Judge
  Old Grey Matter 7: Has a degree in Mathematics, with a sideline in theology.
  Vim & Vigour 6: Can survive on porridge and haggis, holds her own on a grouse shoot
  The Outer Crust 2: Health, robust good looks but a boring dresser. Inclined to be harsh, and
  overbearing giving -3 to her The Outer Crust anywhere but Scottish Highlands.
  Alcohol tolerance -3: Never had a drink in her life.
  Conscience-3: If anything goes wrong she will feel guilty
  4. The Barman
  One day Members arrive to find that the bar in the Drones is manned by a stranger. Gone is the man
  who for so long has provided their cocktails, mixed just the drink they need exactly to a chap's
  individual taste, provided consolation in troubled times, given useful (if long-winded) advice, and -
  most importantly - been the judge of the annual Fat Uncle sweepstake.
  This last is an event run at luncheon on the day of the opening of the Eton and Harrow match when
  chaps traditionally bring their uncles to eat at the Drones. The previous barman was able to give an
  accurate figure on the weight of a person at a glance and has been relied on to decide the winner of the
  Fattest Uncle sweepstake.
  The match is in 1 week's time. Every member with sporting blood has coughed up his £5 stake and
  written the name of his fattest uncle on a slip of paper. The names have been drawn from the hat
  already. The winner stands to take £100 and no-one wants to call off the contest. It is vital to get the
  old barman back.
  The new barman doesn't know exactly where the old one has gone. He is reluctant to say anything
  (discretion being part of his job) but if pressed by someone suitably persuasive, he might hint that he
  left to take a better-paid job. The new barman was shown around and briefed by the old one, thinks he
  knows the member's regular tipples, but usually gets it wrong.
  Enquiries (e.g. of the Club Secretary, Angus McDougal) reveal that he had been lured away by the
  Chanters club. Attempt to get inside the Chanters to speak to the barman should be made: e.g. steal or
  borrow a Chanters tie, wear old school tie and bluff ones way past the doorman, sneak in while the
  doorman is distracted by someone else, bribe a hard-up Chanter to take them in as guests etc.
  In fact, the barman is rather bored at the Chanters, where there are a number of teetotallers and those
  The Drones Role Play Game - plot ideas
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  that do drink stick to whiskey and soda. He will happily return to his old post if (a) he gets more pay
  and (b) the new barman from the Drones is taken on by the Chanters.
  5. The Herring-Strudel conundrum
  Stuffy Herring-Waterhouse's family have plotted to send him off to Africa and an administrative job
  on a coffee plantation to get him away from the lodestone of his life, Binky Strudel, a Lyon's Corner
  House waitress.
  The boat sails from Southampton in one weeks time. Stuffy is incarcerated at the Herring-Waterhouse
  mock-Gothic castle near Slough. It is moated and has very thick, high walls, having been designed by
  an ancestor obsessed with the Crusades who knew what he thought a real castle was like.
  The Drones must either convince the Herring-Waterhouse family to change their minds, get either
  Stuffy or Binky to end their relationship, or spirit Stuffy out of the castle and away before the boat
  sails to give him time to sort the problem out himself.
  Naturally, all known friends of Stuffy's will be denied entrance to the castle.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Advantages & disadvantages | Combat | Sample
  scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  The Drones Role Play Game - plot ideas
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/scenes.html (4 of 4) [12/06/2001 09:05:27]
  
  Advantages and disadvantages
  These can be taken at the same costs as applied to the basic statistics. An
  Advantage costs character points according to the table below while a
  Disadvantage gains them at the same rate so they can be used on something else. The total number of
  points gained by taking disadvantages must not exceed half the starting points allocated for character
  creation.
  Level 1 in any advantage costs 1 character point
  Level 2 costs 3 points
  Level 3 costs 6 points
  Level 4 costs 10 points
  Level 5 costs 15 points
  Level 6 costs 21 points
  Level 7 costs 28 points
  Level 8 costs 36 points
  Level 9 costs 45 points
  Level 10 costs 55 points
  Following are a few 'standard' advantages and disadvantages which cover most of the trials and
  tribulations that face the average Drone.
  Romantic resistance
  G   
  Tolerance for alcohol
  G   
  Luck
  G   
  Etiquette
  G   
  Conscience
  G   
  Sports car
  G   
  Student of the Turf
  G   
  Good sportsman
  G   
  Specialist interest
  G   
  Connections
  G   
  Gentleman's Gentleman
  G   
  Difficult relation
  G   
  Minor disadvantages
  These can be taken as -1 but must be role played.
  Nervous stammer Tongue-tied
  Absentmindedness
  The Drones Role Play Game - Character advantages & disadvantages
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/advantag.html (1 of 2) [12/06/2001 09:05:30]
  
  Specified obsession
  Dark Secret
  Minor Advantages
  These can be taken at +1
  Knows a tolerant Bookie
  Related to a highly respected pillar of society (Bishop/judge)
  Contact in Paris/New York etc
  Attractive and eligible sister
  Plus of course any others that an inventive player can sneak past the GM.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Advantages & disadvantages | Combat | Sample
  scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  The Drones Role Play Game - Character advantages & disadvantages
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/advantag.html (2 of 2) [12/06/2001 09:05:30]
  
  The Old Grey Matter
  Determines the intelligence of a person.
  10 Einstein
  9
  Sherlock Holmes
  8
  Jeeves
  7
  Professor
  6
  Doctor (Ph.D)
  5
  Average professional person
  4
  Went to Oxford or Cambridge and actually studied.
  3
  Went to the odd lecture or two.
  2
  Average human level.
  1
  Eton or perhaps Harrow had some effect.
  0
  "Pythagoras ? Some Greek chap or other, rather obtuse I thought"
  -1
  Remembers School as a "Jolly sort of place with books in"
  -2
  Never did get on too well with Algebra.
  -3
  "Amo amas amat ... a mat?"
  -4
  Can do long division if given time and the odd hint
  -5
  Unable to compute the odds on a horse
  -6
  Chump
  -7
  Unable to check a bill or change
  -8
  Idiot
  -9
  Skull rings hollow
  -10 Incoherent
  Usual levels for members of the Drones club are in Bold
  See also Booze and its effects
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Combat | Sample scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  The Drones Role Play Game - The Old Grey Matter (Intelligence) table
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/ogm.html [12/06/2001 09:05:35]
  
  The Outer Crust Table
  Determines how a person looks and the degree of respect they
  command
  The range for a Drone is given in bold. Note that the The Outer Crust of a Drone is modified if he has
  the services of a Gentleman's Gentleman.
  10 Fred Astair, Prince of Wales. Leader of fashion, extremely well respected.
  9
  Minor royalty
  8
  Very well dressed, well respected or film-star looks
  7
  6
  Lords, bishops, judges
  5
  4
  Drone with plenty of money and a superior gentleman's gentleman who makes sure he is always
  perfectly turned out.
  3
  2
  Very well dressed Drone who wears fashionable suits, hats from Bodmin, hand crafted shoes
  1
  Well dressed Drone with a good gentleman's gentleman
  0
  Average well dressed Drone.
  -1
  Drone with poor taste.
  -2
  Drone with actively bad taste (unspeakable tie, offensive waistcoat, silly hat etc.)
  -3
  Average human, office clerk, club barman etc. Passably well dressed, not overly respected.
  -4
  Scruffy Drone
  -5
  Looks like a chap dragged from his bed early on the morning following Boat Race night.
  -6
  -7
  -8
  Coal delivery man or chimney sweep while at work.
  -9
  Drunk and disorderly ordinary chap.
  -10 Gentleman of the road.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Combat | Sample scenarios
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  Vim & Vigour
  This determines the fitness, dexterity and sporting skills of a
  person
  Drones can be almost anywhere on this scale, those in the extreme negatives however will be unable
  to join in most of the jolly fun as they'll spend an awful lot of time in various states of indisposition.
  10 Can run 4-minute mile, hit for 6 every time etc. Olympic gold standard
  9
  Can rise at 6, swim the lake, run 5 miles, followed by press-ups and still be coherent over
  breakfast. Can walk a tightrope
  8
  Can survive the Drones vs. Chanters rugby match unscathed and hit a bulls eye most of the time
  7
  Can play a tough game of tennis without breaking out in a sweat. Can juggle hoops on a
  unicycle and dance the samba on the banister
  6
  Can juggle three items at once. Can run a mile and still hold a conversation at the end. Can cope
  with complicated dance steps and fast ice skating.
  5
  Can climb walls with handholds, swim 20 lengths without a break, jump over a three foot fence,
  serve a high proportion of aces
  4
  Can play cricket well at village level, hold his own on the tennis court, get round the golf course
  on par, skate on ice with care
  3
  Can swim, ride a bike and run well enough over moderate distances but will be puffed and tired
  for a while afterwards
  2
  Can scale 6' wall unaided and catch something thrown to him.
  1
  Can sing lustily or spout poetry while walking briskly without getting out of breath. Can dance
  without stepping on his partner's feet.
  0
  Ordinary human level, average health. Can run for a train.
  -1
  Climbs badly but gets there, liable to jog after running the first 30 yards, can carry a fairly heavy
  suitcase.
  -2
  Can walk two miles to the village to send a telegram but likely to take a long breather in the pub
  before starting back. Can run away if frightened
  -3
  Can run short distances, e.g. to hail a cab. Could support a less capable pal.
  -4
  Can't walk fast, can't climb much
  -5
  Can only stagger unless supported
  -6
  Can stand up independently.
  -7
  Can stand up if there is someone or something to lean on.
  -8
  Able to crawl and can sit upright if supported
  -9
  Immobile, paralysed
  -10 Might or might not last 'til morning.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Combat | Sample scenarios
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  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
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  Character Creation Examples
  Pinky (George Henry) Pinkerton (built on a basis of 8 character points)
  Pinky is fairly well off; his father sends him a good allowance without fail every
  month which is enough for Pinky to live a life of leisure in his Chelsea flat though he does have to
  keep an eye on his expenditure (The Readies +2). He is a little brighter than the average Drone (Old
  Grey Matter +1).
  He enjoyed sports at school and has kept himself fit during the three years since he left (Vim &
  Vigour +2) and he is especially good at running (Running +1).
  He is fairly well dressed and averagely respected (The Outer Crust 0).
  He notices a pretty girl when he sees one and enjoys female company (romantic resistance -1).
  He employs a gentleman's gentleman, whose salary costs him a considerable portion of his allowance.
  (Readies reduced to 1)
                              Costs                Gains
  Base creation points.         8
  The Readies                   2 (mod. to 1)        3
  The Old Grey Matter           1                    1
  Vim & Vigour                  2                    3
  The Outer Crust                    0                    0
  Good at running               1
  Romantic resistance          -1                    1
  Gentleman's gentleman         1 (also -1 Readies)
  Porky (James Arthur) Bunter (base 4
  points)
  Porky has a comfortable income and is as bright as the average Drone. He loves eating and is an
  expert on fine food but he is overweight which limits both his fitness and his The Outer Crust.
                                  Costs               Gains
  Base Creation points             4
  The Readies                      2                    3
  The Old Grey Matter              0                    0
  Vim & Vigour                    -1 (fat)              1
  The Outer Crust                      -1 (fat)              1
  Gentleman's gentleman            1 (also -1 readies)
  Gourmet                          2                    3
  Romantic resistance             -1                    1
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Advantages & disadvantages | Combat | Sample
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  scenarios
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  BOOZE AND ITS EFFECTS
  Drink reduces both Grey Matter and Vim & Vigour. The GM must decide the
  effects of a particular combination of drinks on the Drone in question in terms
  of what modification will be made to both these statistics - the target number to suffer no worse than
  this is usually three times that modifier.
  The Drone in question then adds the roll of a D10 to his current Vim & Vigour to determine his
  degree of inebriation. Achieving the target number merely limits the Drone's drunkenness to the level
  determined by the GM. This level is reduced by one for every three points over the target number and
  increased it by one for every three points under the target with the additional factor of the characters
  Alcohol Tolerance which is added to the resultant number to determine how to modify the Drone's
  Old Grey Matter and Vim & Vigour.
  An average Drone with an alcohol tolerance of 0 can usually consume a couple of preprandial drinks,
  four glasses of wine during dinner, and a couple of glasses of port or brandy after a meal without
  getting to more than -2 (Tipsy).
  Note that someone may fall below a Grey Matter rating of -10 and still be conscious (just not too
  bright); it is fitness that determines mobility.
  0 Cold sober
  -1 Happy
  -2 Tipsy
  -4 Drunk
  -6 Very drunk
  -9 Paralytic
  If Roll + Vim & Vigour + Alcohol Tolerance is: -
  Target +9 Three points less boozed
  Target+6 Two points less
  Target+3 One point less
  Target
  As determined by the GM
  Target-3 One point more
  Target-6 Two points more
  Target-9 Three points more
  Drink wears off at the rate of one point per hour, after-effects then take effect and last for the same
  length of time.
  Example
  Buffy Pearson likes a drink, and at Freddie's birthday party he drinks enough to get Very Drunk (-6).
  Buffy's target number is 18. A tricky one as his Vim & Vigour is a mere 0. Heroically he rolls a 10,
  but still fails by 8 gin soaked points.
  The Drones Role Play Game - Booze and its effects
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  Failing by 8 points would give Buffy an extra two degrees of drunkenness; fortunately the Old Bean
  has a strong head for drink (Alcohol Tolerance +2) which cancels out the failed roll to leave him on
  -6.
  Thus his Old Grey Matter rating drops from 0 to -6 as does his Vim & Vigour.
  He becomes loudly and obnoxiously drunk, declaring his love for the club, the gin and finally for a
  passing lamppost. After extracting numerous loans from the unfortunate Buffy, his chums manhandle
  him into a cab and send him home.
  Buffy awakens 8 hours later in his own bed, Cold Sober but with a hangover that looks like lasting the
  rest of the morning.
  Simpson, his decidedly superior gentleman's gentleman, mixes him a pick-me-up which enables him
  to rise for a light breakfast and a slow stroll around the park.
  Gussie Arbuthnot is also at Freddie's party and is pressed into drinking half a bottle of champagne a
  little faster than usual. He's swilled down enough to make someone a little happy. (Modifier -1 and
  thus a target number of 3)
  Gussie rolls a 7 and adds his Vim & Vigour of 0. He has made the roll by four - any normal person
  would be Cold Sober. Alas Gussie can't hold his drink; his Alcohol Tolerance of -2 renders him Tipsy.
  His Grey Matter is partially pickled (3-2=1) and he's a little unsteady on his feet (0-2= -2).
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Combat | Sample scenarios
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  Tolerance for alcohol
  This can be taken at +3,+2,+1,-1,-2 or -3.
  It can be taken as an advantage, giving a character a good or very good head for strong drink, or a
  disadvantage, increasing the likelihood that a character will be affected by drink according to the
  Booze Table. It is up to the GM to keep track of alcohol consumption and modify the player's fitness
  and intelligence accordingly on the basis of the Booze table above.
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  scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
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  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/alcohol.html [12/06/2001 09:05:46]
  
  Romantic resistance
  This can be taken at +3,+2,+1,-1,-2 or -3.
  It affects how likely a character is to fall for a lady. It is usually considered a disadvantage to be
  overly susceptible to the opposite sex, and liable to land a chap in difficult situations, but if too
  resistant a chap might miss out on a lot of fun.
  A character on -3 is very susceptible and gets engaged readily, often to highly unsuitable young
  ladies. A character on +3 is almost immune to female charms.
  Once enamoured of any female the attribute is used in reverse as a modifier when someone tries to
  break up the couple.
  E.G. Teddy Templeton (Romantic Resistance -3) is out on the town. He takes in a show and in the
  chorus line notices Tilly, (The Outer Crust +6). He must roll 6 on a d10 to resist her charms, adding
  his Romantic Resistance to the roll. He rolls a 5, which modified by his -3 gives a value of +2.
  With eyes bugged out and tongue tied beyond all measure he has failed critically - the poor sap is
  madly in love. He sighs, stares at the wall, and is generally non-compos-mentis.
  Being a sensible chap, his pal Henry attempts to talk him out of this sorry state and employs his most
  winning arguments, (rolling 8 on a d10 to add to his Intelligence of +4, for a total of 12). Teddy
  however is not to be swayed (he rolls a 5 for his attraction to Tilly, adds her The Outer Crust (+6) and
  subtracts his romantic resistance (-3) for a total of 14 (5+6-(-3)) and declares his undying love for the
  girl.
  Tilly's comments on this affair have yet to be gathered.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Advantages & disadvantages | Combat | Sample
  scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  The Drones Role Play Game - Romantic resistance
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/romance.html [12/06/2001 09:05:48]
  
  Luck
  Every level of Luck gets 3 luck points.
  Characters may similarly have bad luck (negative points). It should be role played by the player and
  taken into consideration by the GM. For example, it is unlikely that the purloined cow-creamer will be
  hidden by NPC's in the bedroom of a Lucky player.
  Luck may be tested at the request of the player or GM, often to try to modify the result of a dice roll.
  When testing Luck, roll a D10.
  If the value in less than the players absolute luck value, then the luck has an effect on the roll being
  tested.
  The luck/3 (round up) is added or subtracted from the main roll being tested.
  Good Luck
  If a player (as opposed to the GM) with good luck calls for a luck test and his luck holds good then a
  luck point is subtracted from that players luck score.
  E.G. Sammy Tucker, with a luck level of +2 (6 luck points) and a Grey Matter of +2, is trying to get
  out of an uncomfortable interview with Bertie's formidable Aunt Agatha (Grey Matter +5).
  Trying to invent a decent excuse, he rolls a d10 and adds his Old Grey Matter rating. He rolls a 5,
  gaining him a plausibility of 7 (5+2).
  Sammy thinks he'll need to be lucky on this one and so tests his luck. His current luck score is +6 so
  he must roll 6 or less on a d10 to get lucky.
  He rolls a 3 and so gets to add his luck level to his roll for a total of 9 (5+2+2).
  Alas, since he's relying on his luck he must also subtract a point from his luck score; from now on
  Sammy has only 5 luck points.
  Aunt Agatha, meanwhile is considering Sammy's excuse and rolls a d10, adding her Grey Matter
  rating of +5 to determine how gullible she is at present. A roll of 3, gives her a total of 8 (3+5) and
  Sammy escapes with his life.
  If the GM (as opposed to the player) calls for a test and luck holds good, a player with good luck does
  not lose a luck point.
  Bad Luck
  If the player (Not the GM) calls for a test against their bad luck then they are clearly mad and should
  be treated with sympathy. Their luck score is not modified no matter what the outcome.
  When the GM (as opposed to the player) calls for a luck test and the player is unlucky, they actually
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  lose a point of bad luck, tending their luck score towards Zero.
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  scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
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  Etiquette
  This can be taken as can be good, +1, which costs a character point or as bad, -1
  which gains a character point. It is taken into consideration as a +1 or -1 to the
  total when determining the outcome of some situations during a game.
  Good sportsman
  This can be taken at +1 per activity cricket, rowing, running, shooting, boxing etc.
  Student of the Turf
  This may be taken as a +1 advantage for one who reads the Racing Times regularly and has a better
  chance than the average Drone of placing a bet on a winner.
  Special interest
  This can be taken at +1 but must be specified e.g. good wines, antiques, up on gossip, genealogy,
  machinery, newts or anything else the GM can be persuaded to permit.
  Connections
  This may be taken as a +1 advantage though the player must specify what sphere of life their contacts
  are in e.g. the press, the stage, the church, gambling, the police force, the judiciary.
  Difficult Relation
  This might be an Uncle who turns up in town about once a year and insists on painting the town red
  with you in tow. Or it might be a very stern and demanding Aunt who expects one to be at her beck
  and call, issuing quite unreasonable edicts and insisting on full co-operation in impossible and
  embarrassing quests (such as getting engaged to a girl she thinks suitable). Such relations always crop
  up at the most inconvenient moments in a chap's life.
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  scenarios
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  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/advdisad.html [12/06/2001 09:05:50]
  
  Conscience
  This can be a disadvantage in some situations and may be taken for -1.
  Example
  Tommy Templeton has a sensitive conscience (-1) and does not join in the theft of a policeman's
  helmet on Boat Race night. He is still hesitating on the street corner as his mischievous companion
  races away with the helmet and has great difficulty in lying when the policeman asks him if he saw
  who it was that stole the helmet.
  He stammers a bit and says "No officer, I`m sorry, I must have been looking the other way". To
  determine the plausibility of this statement, he rolls a d10 and adds his Old Grey Matter rating (which
  is +1) but modifies the result with his Conscience of -1. He rolls a 4, gaining him a plausibility of 4
  (4+1-1).
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  scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  The Drones Role Play Game - the Conscience disadvantage
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/conscien.html [12/06/2001 09:05:51]
  
  Sports car
  A player can use one character point to acquire a sports car or three character
  points to acquire a really flashy sports car. Ownership of the car will reduce
  effective The Readies rating by 1 because of the costs of running the car. When in the car, The Outer
  Crust will go up by 1 (2 for a flashy car) when trying to impress another drone or a young lady. Other
  people may well be less easily impressed.
  Driving ability is only affected if the character is Tipsy or worse - it is up to the GM to decide if a car
  accident might occur under such circumstances.
  Ownership of a car frees the player from train timetables if there is any travelling to be done.
  Example
  Ernest Spencer drank too much at his brother's dinner party last night and is hung over. He is due to
  visit his Uncle Fred, who provides his monthly allowance. He does not employ a gentleman's
  gentleman so the chances of him missing the 10:45 from Paddington are high. However, he does own
  a car, so when he fails to get to the station on time he can still motor down and his Uncle is happy.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Advantages & disadvantages | Combat | Sample
  scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
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  Gentleman's gentleman
  The employment of a gentleman's gentleman can make a big difference to the
  life of a Drone quite aside from reducing a player's effective Readies level by
  one as long as he is employed.
  A good gentleman's gentleman also costs a character point. He will act as valet and butler, do his best
  to lay out clean, pressed clothes every morning and before dinner, and remind his employer about
  appointments, trains to catch etc. When taking his advice, a player can assume The Outer Crust of at
  least +1 (absolute) when setting out from home.
  A superior gentleman's gentleman costs three character points. He will do his best to make sure that
  his employer is well turned out and keeps important appointments. When taking his advice, a player
  can assume The Outer Crust of at least +3 (absolute) when setting out from home.
  Of course, a player may ignore the advice and reminders, so losing any advantage on that occasion.
  Example
  Left to his own devices, Spiffy has a tendency to poor taste in clothing. He buys a loud check jacket
  which he thinks is fashionable. His decidedly superior gentleman's gentleman, Harris, looks at it with
  disapproval and when he fails to persuade his employer to give the jacket away, he puts it at the back
  of the wardrobe. When Harris is away for a few days holiday, Spiffy remembers the jacket, finds it,
  and wears it to tea with his Aunt Amelia at the Ritz. In any encounter, Spiffy's The Outer Crust is at -1
  rather than the rather natty +4 he is usually enjoys.
  The Drones front page | Character generation | Advantages & disadvantages | Combat | Sample
  scenarios
  Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996
  The Drones Role Play Game - the Gentleman's gentleman
  http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/drones/gentle.html [12/06/2001 09:05:52]
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/The Drones/The Drones Corebook.pdf