Every so often an article is written on how player characters could be made more like the heroes out of romantic fantasy rather than the more common weekend slash types. This article is a response both to them and to the many cries of "...if I'm going to be a Romantic , where's the Romantic Heroine?" The single most prominent part of the Heroine is her rough equality to the hero. Sadly, there are many good role-playing reasons why this equality can't show up on the battlefield. Player Characters are supposed to be the focus of the game, and more than anything else exceptional combat ability is what sets them apart, if only in the minds of the players. A Romantic Heroine who can cast spells as well as they can is trouble waiting to happen. For every time such a powerful ally is welcome in combat, a dozen times her presence on the battlefield is resented, both as a distraction when the Game Master should be paying attention to the players, and as a bit player stealing the spotlight away from the stars. This isn't rooted in gender jealousy by any means. Every other kind of henchman, sidekick, and subordinate is inferior in combat Ability to the players' characters for these same reasons. Once out o f combat, players need more than faceless contact to interact with. Good RPGing demands three dimensional characters with depth, and the reason a Romantic Heroine is in a campaign in the first place is to encourage role-playing. So the non-combat aspects of the Romantic Heroine must define the character. Two non-combat facets of the Romantic Heroine are crucial. First, the most beautiful part of her should be her soul. Second, whatever she does, she's very good at itAn the body of this article the author hopes to expand on these two aspects and end with a campaign suggestion to help the novice GM. The Most Beautiful Part is Her Soul Lacking combat ability, too many socalled Romantic Heroines are given fantastic good looks as compensation, and are often saddled with a childlike personality and a complete lack of brains to ensure they don't steal the hero's thunder. Nothing could be less accurate or a greater disservice to the classic Romantic Heroine; it is as bad as having every Barbarian warrior be an oatmeal- brained killing machine. Conan of Cimmeria is the prototype for all barbarian fighters and, though unschooled, was as quick- thinking, clever and resourceful an individual as you could meet. Just reflect for a moment on all the languages he spoke with his barbarous accent. Likewise, no one who knows what a Romantic Heroine is supposed to be is going to be satisfied with a balloon-brained bimbo. A classic example of a gorgeous-souled heroine is a lady named Tavia from Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel A Fighting Man of Mars, from his Barsoom, or Mars, series, Although described in as many words as being boyish and unbeautiful, she was also courageous, honorable, intelligent, resourceful, self-disciplined and always came through in the clutch -- as well as being stone cold death in a fight. But her willingness to do what was best for the man she loved, rather than her combat ability, is what makes her so special. The hero thought he was in love with a gorgeous daughter of wealth and privilege and Tavia, rather than trying to thwart the romance (or convince him he really wanted a plain-jane, dirt-poor nobody) did all in her power to help. To the hero's credit, he was already in love with Tavia by the time he discovered the other woman's beautiful body hid a soul full of blow flies. And shortly afterward he realized marrying a woman with a gorgeous soul, such as Tavia, was a greater wealth and privilege than any man could ask. Nor is Tavia the only example of a classic Romantic Heroine with ordinary looks and an extraordinary spirit. Andre Norton alone has a number of stories involving heroines who more closely resemble Joan of Arc than Helen of Troy, and no man with a brain in his head ever complained about the difference. Even Romantic Heroines with great good looks have inner beauty at least the equal of the outer kind. Lady Eowyn of Rohan from J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy had legendary beauty; but she is most famous for the spirit and courage which allowed her to face and defeat the leader of the Nazgul. Yes, we are dealing with fantasy role playing games, for which reason most prefer the heroine to be gorgeous in addition to everything else; but the everything else is what is most important. In gaming, as in real life (believe it or not), the woman with the charismatic spirit is cherished and remembered long after the classic faces and figures have faded and been forgotten. All of the above speaks to the lady's heroism, but what about the romance part? Her strength of character is every bit as evident here as well. Even the Romantic Heroine isn't above the kind of pranks and antics which make up the courtship game; but her teasing games are the kind close friends or family play with one another. The malicious manipulation taking place all too often in the real world is anathema to her. The Romantic Heroine is honest about her feelings. If she hasn't chosen a suitor it is because her heart has not yet spoken; she doesn't force her boyfriends to jump through hoops just to please her childish vanity. She can't be bought by baubles or mesmerized by minor magical knickknacks. A suitor must demonstrate the beauty of his own spirit. Mercy, intelligence, honesty and concern for others are some of the qualities a prospective husband should possess. An adventurer is assumed to be brave and deadly; he must have moral courage, and be willing to nurture rather than slay. As this is happening within the framework of a role-playing campaign, the GM must give the player character(s) ample opportunity to demonstrate these finer qualities, as well as provide other romantic obstacles to overcome; then let the player(s) role-play the situations out. Some of the classic obstacles on the path of true love are rival suitors, disapproving guardians, vast differences in caste, class, or religion, and previous promises to wed which duty and honor require she fulfill. A classic bit which isn't as effective as it once was is The Unworthy Suitor. The Suitor is someone whose surface charm conceals a soul at best second-rate, and at worst ruled by depravity and unspeakable evil. The party can tell the fellow is worthless, but everyone else is crazy about him. Trying to protect others from a threat they refuse to believe exists is a powerful theme, and a key aspect of many horror stories. The problem lies with the heroine. If she is nothing more than a pretty face who needs a man to make her decisions for her, it makes sense for her to be taken in by the dastard; but a Romantic Heroine has a lot more on the ball. If the heroes can see the guy's a creep, why can't someone as sharp as the heroine see it? The way this works nowadays is for the characters to know some secret about the suitor no one else will believe without proof (which necessitates an arduous and dangerous quest to obtain the damning evidence). Even then, the heroine should have begun to suspect the truth before the heroes can prove their claims. Whatever She Does She Is Good At It The second defining aspect of the Romantic Heroine is her competence. While it is unreasonable to expect a noble lady raised in a psuedo-medieval culture to' be able to fight or cast spells (a convenient excuse for a lack of combat ability on the part of non-player characters), it is reasonable to expect her to be competent at the sort of things such people were trained in. And given her keen mind and diligent spirit she should be more than just competent! She should have been trained to manage a noble household and its lands, since its lord might be absent for long periods while fighting on behalf of the king. At the very least the holdings should not suffer under her leadership. If the lord is one of those characters whose only non-combat skills are things like Fletcher or Alchemist it probably prospered with him gone. Most of the Romantic Heroine's skills will be supportive of the player character and useful in furthering his goals, rather than ones which allow her to stand alone and go her own way. (Again, this is because the heroine is a non-player character and shouldn't dominate the spotlight, rather than any innate weakness on her part.) She takes little part in a pure hack and slash game, but looms larger as political, economic and cultural concerns enter the campaign. Now the GM can showcase the value of her peaceful skills. A heroine with musical training might know an old ballad with a Vital clue, or be able to sing the words required to activate a magic item. The one with knowledge of weaving could tell if a tapestry is a valuable heirloom or bargain basement eyesore; possibly even have an idea as to its source, which might hint of some secret deed of treachery. All this, plus the Romantic Heroine's more traditional roles of advisor, advocate and informant at court, are just some of the things she can do in the overall campaign. She can also serve as plot device and voice of the GM. Local legends, politics and common knowledge are easily provided by her as well as key hints about which seeming friend is readying a backstab and which gruff old codger blusters to hide a soft heart. Sometimes the heroine is also the last-resort voice of caution when the players are about to do something disastrously foolish. In short, the Romantic Heroine is a smart, strong, vital and capable woman who is skilled at whatever she turns her hand to. And many of the weaknesses she shows are required by the game system, rather than some sexist need for masculine superiority. If you want to know whether a particular female NPC is a Romantic Heroine ask yourself the following questions: Were she to command an evacuation, would her emergency preparations prove adequate and does she inspire the weak of heart with her faith in her husband's ability to delay the enemy? Should she and her lord face the smoldering wreckage of what had been their home, would she speak of rebuilding better and stronger than before? And when their foes lie beaten before them, does she help her beloved turn away from vengeance and toward mercy? If the answer to these three questions is "yes" the lady is a true Romantic Heroine. Any GM who introduces her into the campaign is likely to have any number of potential Romantic Heroes eager to win her hand, no matter how plain or pretty she may be. The Winning Of a Romantic Heroine With all due respect to Princess Jasmine from the movie Aladdin, her heart, and the heart of any other Romantic Heroine, is a prize to be won: a prize beyond all the jewels of the earth, but a prize not to be won by macho posturing and vainglorious boasting. Caring and kindness, tenderness and thoughtfulness, as well as the more traditional adventurer virtues of courage and loyalty, are needed to win this contest. In the end the prize will award itself; but there can be no doubt the winning and the awarding is a sub-plot worthy of lengthy exploration in the overall campaign. What follows is a single possible scenario. The party comes upon a wilderness holding overwhelmed by raiders. Only a single small building remains and it is about to fall as well. One player character, who wishes to take on the role of Romantic Hero, sneaks in and discovers the only survivors are a woman and her two children. She is telling the elder child to take his sister through the secret passage and into the forest; she will stay behind and buy them time. When the hero reveals himself the lady instantly knows he is not one of the butchers outside, so she begs him to go with her children. An adult warrior is quite capable of seeing them to safety, but no fighter, no matter how warskilled, could hold out against the horde of attackers. This gives the hero a chance to showcase his combat ability by playing "Horatius at the Bridge" and holding the doorway until the combined might of the party routs or slays the attackers. During the long journey back to civilization the Heroine is hard working, uncomplaining and a rock of reassurance to the youngsters, mourning her fallen -lord with silent tears only where the children will not see and be frightened by them. Whatever the adventures that befall, she is cool headed, brave, resourceful and pulls a great deal more than just her own weight. By the time they've reached the royal court the Hero has decided to seek the Heroine's hand -- or will if he has the brains of a rock! Unfortunately, she can give no answer until an honorable period of mourning has passed; so for now they can be nothing more than friends. Less scrupulous rivals eye the inheritance she holds in trust for her son and try to force her into marriage. But the political infighting succeeds only in making the hero, the heroine and the children closer than ever. Then a thwarted rival takes revenge. A peace treaty with a neighboring kingdom requires a bride be provided for a political marriage and he arranges for the heroine to be chosen. Worse yet, the laws of the other kingdom require the issue of her previous marriage be executed in order to safeguard the succession. Then the players discover there is no way for the marriage or the execution to be prevented without renewing the war! As a final irony, the Duke she is to marry is a nobleman in every sense of the word, and has no desire to force her into a loveless marriage or cause the death of her children. In fact, to protect the children he is willing to let himself he assassinated if the party can figure a way which won't trigger a new war. Thus he will be able to join his childhood sweetheart in death. She had been his fiancee before she was lost at sea, and were she still alive their engagement would have made him ineligible for the position of treaty groom. If the players have even a drop of Romantic Hero blood in their collective veins they will refuse to consider murdering this good man and turn to their last option. While Heroine and Duke stall like Penelope and Telemachus waiting for Odysseus, the player characters embark on a hopeless search for a woman both their good sense and their magic tells them is dead! After a lengthy quest, where the characters thwarted evil, upheld virtue and generally acted like the figures out of myth and legend they are (or would like to be), they manage to find the Duke's betrothed in the stronghold of some evil being powerful enough to subvert the magic which had been seeking her. Once rescued, the party must still get her to the church on time in order to stop both marriage and execution. On the journey back all the good deeds the characters performed are repaid with interest. Only the mountain village they rescued from raiding monsters can show them the secret pass. Only the fishing village they saved from slavers knows the way through the deadly reefs and shallows. Only the captain and crew they protected from pirates is bold enough to take to sea during the typhoon season. Finally, there is the last, long speed run: a hell race only the characters' matchless Arabian steeds, gifts of a grateful caliph, can hope to win. As the PCs arrive in the nick of time, who can blame the Hero and Heroine if they join with the other reunited lovers in marriages which give meaning to the phrase "sacred union." What follows afterward is up to the GM and players. It would make for some very interesting role-playing if the Romantic Hero tries to learn what his wife has to teach him in the way of courtly graces and manners; likewise if he tries to teach her some war skills. It goes without saying she'll be using the best equipment available, but a single unlucky shot could still be fatal. It should be an illuminating experience to watch these mighty adventurers sweating blood over a little bandit hunt: the GM is encouraged to make the most of it. In the preceding article certain assumptions were made. That the Romantic Heroine would be a noble woman is a standard convention; that most of the players would be male is the standard at conventions. Both GMs and players are encouraged to set new standards. A Romantic Heroine who is a commoner might just have the horse sense and fresh viewpoint to become the court favorite. The lady hero seeking the hand of her gentleman of choice should be just as much fun, though the GM should come up with a good reason for his lack of war training. All in all, adventures centering around the Romantic Hero and Heroine can be some of the most enjoyable role-playing around. This author hopes yours turn out that way. Back to Shadis #22 Table of Contents Back to Shadis List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines © Copyright 1995 by Alderac Entertainment Group This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com