Character Creation for Phantom of the Bastille
Welcome, Fellow Freemason
The scenario assumes that all or at least the majority of the player characters are Freemasons. Late 18th Century Freemasonry, especially in France, provides a perfect framework for assembling parties of player characters. The Masons drew from all levels of society and were one of the few institutions in rigidly classist France where disparate backgrounds interacted in a congenial and mutually respectful manner. Unlike in other countries, women were actively involved in French Masonic lodges and their presence and input were welcome and encouraged. Player characters need not be French. Freemasonry’s appeal was international, and they can come from anywhere in the world, but our story begins in Paris in July 1789.
While their stories will involve alchemy, malevolent spirits, ancient evils, and unexplainable phenomena, the characters themselves come from a very historical version of Freemasonry. These Freemasons are largely what they always claimed to be rather than what their enemies accused them of being. They are not part of a secret world conspiracy, nor do they engage in Satanic rituals or plot against the Catholic church (much). They are men and women who have embraced select Enlightenment ideals and gather together in a private society for mutual benefit and shared study of the mysteries of existence.
There were more than eighty Masonic lodges in Paris at this time, with memberships ranging from a dozen to upwards of a hundred. The lodges often organized around a particular shared interest. For example, The Nine Sisters Lodge, which is central to this scenario, was primarily focused on discussing philosophy. The Freemasons of the era were devoted to the ideal of making the world a better place, or at least paying lip service to that lofty goal. They prized friendship and mutual aid, and many of their rituals focused on sacralizing those bonds of brotherhood. It was of course common for these bonds of friendship to extend into the business and political world outside of the lodge, not unlike the mutually beneficial relationships formed in Freemasonry to this day.
Fraternité More Than Egalité
Aristocrats still dominate the Masonic membership in 1789, both in numbers and certainly in terms of leadership. Successful business owners can expect some feeling of equality and true friendship with the aristocratic members. However, it’s not uncommon for the upper class and wealthier Freemasons to treat fellow lodge members from the artisan and laboring classes more like servants than equals.
Women were not allowed full membership as Freemasons, but instead joined Adopted Lodges that were affiliated with the lodge. They were seen as important and often treated as intellectual and social equals, although these women typically came from the upper classes and thus brought some added societal cachet to the table. Mixed-gender meetings were usually held in public spaces like cafes instead of in the lodge proper, and women seldom participated in the secret society’s rituals.
Masonic rituals were integral to lodge membership and were designed to strip away the differences between members and put initiates off balance. Although they were by definition secret, it was more of an open secret, since by the late 1780s lodges often hired outside artisans to sew the costumes and create the elaborate decor. Yes, there was an esoteric air to the proceedings, but Freemasonry was very much a Christian organization and most of its members were not comfortable with or interested in occult matters. Some of course, very much were, likely including most or all of the PCs.
As a story hook, Freemasonry gives both the GM and the players multiple historically based precedents that perfectly suit a life of confronting dark mysteries and facing occult forces. They have an international network of contacts to call upon for help. Those contacts share an impetus towards moral rectitude and bettering the world, and yet customarily operate under a cloak of secrecy. Their fellow Masons will be more disposed to accepting the horrifying discoveries the PCs make and should some of their number succumb to the darkness, the lodge is fertile ground for new blood to join the party.
Character Creation
Follow the standard rules for character creation as detailed in the Fear Itself 2nd Edition rulebook, with a few modifications suitable to the setting, as detailed below.
Risk Factors and Sources of Stability
Players should define Risk Factors for their PCs that will drive them to persevere in the face of both occult entities and intimidating authority figures. For groups planning to carry on a complete campaign or mini-series after this scenario, a larger Questionnaire can fill in a lot of the details, but even for a one-shot, every PC should consider these questions:
Why are you a Freemason? As Freemasons, they have a large social network that supports devotion to knowledge for its own sake and service to the greater good. What do you get out of masonry? What are you willing to give up for your brethren? What Freemasonic ideals appeal to you most?
What is your attitude towards the coming revolution? No one can imagine now what a momentous the events of 1789 will prove to be, but everyone has an opinion about what’s wrong with France and the world. What do you think of the three estates, the power of the king, the rights of humans in general and French in particular? Was the American Revolution something to aspire to or something to fear?
The answers to those questions can also provide sources of stability. A masonic lodge is an ideal refuge in troubled times, with strong fraternal bonds and a safe space from the outside world. Political movements offer their own kind of support, a larger cause and comrades to provide perspective and steadying purpose in a chaotic world.
Alternate Investigative and General Abilities
Almost all of the PC’s ability options remain the same as presented in the core rulebook. The 18th Century setting requires a few changes and substitutions:
Current Events replaces Social Sciences, reflecting the importance of court intrigues, political ideologies, and the ever-shifting international events of the era.
Authority replaces Cop Talk and reflects the PCs facility with the web of nobility, clergy, and legal privileges that define power dynamics and law enforcement.
Engineering replaces Photography and includes the skills for reading and making schematics and building plans, principles of architecture and engineering, and even demolition and fortification.
Natural Philosophy replaces Science and includes fields of experimentation like alchemy and some of the predecessors to social sciences like economics and psychology.
Hunting replaces Outdoor Survival and includes tracking prey (animal or human) in both urban and wilderness environments.
Computer Use is eliminated from the list for available abilities.
Riding replaces Driving and covers both riding horses and driving carriages.
Sample Character Concepts
Abbé: You’re a teacher, trained by and affiliated with the Church in some way. You might teach in a school or as a private tutor. Favored Abilities: History, Humanities, Natural Philosophy
Aristocrate: You are a member of a noble family and might have a noble title. Your estates and holdings pay for your lifestyle, and you move in the highest levels of French society. Favored Abilities: Authority, Current Events, Flirting
Artiste: You produce art of some sort, be it painting, sculpture, literature, or music. You might make your living as a performer or by creating works for wealthy patrons. Favored Abilities: Flattery, Humanities, Notice
Avocat: You are a lawyer and represent individuals in legal cases, but are likely also actively involved in political movements and even revolutionary thought. Favored Abilities: Authority, Law, Bullshit Detector
Bourgeois: You own a small business and probably have a background as an artisan of some sort, putting you right in the center of political and economic life in Paris. Favored Abilities: Bullshit Detector, Bureaucracy, Negotiation,
Feuillant: You publish pamphlets and newspapers, usually with a specific political agenda and often without legal sanction. You’re on the front lines of politics. Favored Abilities: Current Events, Interrogation, Streetwise
Mouche: You spy for the police, the government, or perhaps some wealthy aristocrat. You make it your business to get into everyone else’s business. Favored Abilities: Authority, Impersonate, Notice
Occultiste: You study the dark and forbidden aspects of the human experience, making you a bit of a pariah in polite circles but much desired company in others. Favored Abilities: Occult Studies, Research
Philosophe: You’ve devoted yourself to science and the art of critical thinking, and likely perform experiments aimed at discovering the secrets of the universe. Favored Abilities: Engineering, Investigative Procedure, Natural Philosophy
Rentier: You make do with a small passive income from an inheritance, leaving you with plenty of time to pursue whatever strikes your fancy. Favored Abilities: Any abilities, but usually only one point in each.
Salonniere: You host and regularly attend salons where matters of philosophy, politics, and the arts are discussed and where society’s elite gather to make the real decisions. Favored Abilities: Humanities, Languages, Reassurance
Soldat: You are or were a soldier in some nation’s army. You might now serve as a private guard for a nobleman or as a mercenary, or you might simply be a veteran living off his pension. Favored Abilities: Engineering, Intimidation, Hunting
Voleur: You’re a thief, scoundrel, con-artist or other unsavory type. This fact is probably not general knowledge, and even your fellow lodge members probably believe your cover story, whatever it is. Favored Abilities: Law, Intimidation, Streetwise