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Mythological Figures: Julie d'Aubigny aka La Maupin (5E)

Today's entry in Mythological Figures is another historical figure that’s taken hold of some zeitgeist and earned a place in today's popular culture. Julie D'Aubigny ("La Maupin") started appearing on social media last year and for good reason--she was a straight up badass.

Today's entry in Mythological Figures is another historical figure that’s taken hold of some zeitgeist and earned a place in today's popular culture. Julie D'Aubigny ("La Maupin") started appearing on social media last year and for good reason--she was a straight up badass.

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Many of us have seen one of the memes or articles article so I’ll keep it short:

  • Went around on the run with a fencing buddy and made it as a traveling minstrel (who crossdressed in men’s clothing, though never claiming to be a man). She was so good she joined the opera from here.
  • I’m just going to quote the wikipedia page on this one because wow:
Eventually, she grew bored of Sérannes and became involved with a young woman. When the girl's parents put her away in the Visitandines convent in Avignon, La Maupin followed, entering the convent as a postulant. In order to run away with her new love, she stole the body of a dead nun, placed it in the bed of her lover, and set the room on fire to cover their escape…La Maupin was charged in absentia—as a male—with kidnapping, body snatching, arson, and failing to appear before the tribunal. The sentence was death by fire.

  • Naturally she went back to singing on the road. Before too long she gets insulted by a young nobleman, duels him and wounds him, then visits him and they became lovers (and lifelong buddies).
  • Still a fugitive, her incredible singing talents get her a pardon so she can perform in the Paris Opera.

Mademoiselle Maupin’s habit and talent for winning duels (and singing like a champ when she wasn’t on the run from the law for beating people up) continued until she found true love, her paramour perished, and she shuffled off her own mortal coil at the age of just 33.

As ever the list of Mythological Figures is open to more entries so tell us who you want to see get a statblock!


Julie d'Aubigny (La Maupin, Mademoiselle Maupin)

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic good rogue (duelist) 9/fighter (master of battle) 7
Armor Class 16 (padded armor)
Hit Points 111 (9d8+7d10+32)
Speed 30 ft.

STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
14 (+2)20 (+5)14 (+2)12 (+1)10 (+0)16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +10, Int +6
Skills Athletics +7, Deception +13, Insight +5, Perception +10, Performance +13, Persuasion +13
Senses passive Perception 20
Languages English, French, German, Italian
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
Background: Virtuoso. La Maupin is never without a stage or room to sing for entertainment whether in a queen’s castle or a tavern. She receives free accommodations (including a room and meal) each night she performs and is recognized while going about a settlement where she’s sung at least one evening (and is typically well-liked for her vocal talents).

Action Surge (1/short rest). On her turn, La Maupin can take an additional action on top of her regular action and a possible bonus action.

Cunning Action. La Maupin can take a bonus action on each of her turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Duelist’s Edge. La Maupin has a +3 bonus to initiative rolls.

Evasion. When La Maupin is subjected to an effect that allows her to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, she instead takes no damage if she succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if she fails.

Maneuver Master (5d8 maneuver dice/short rest). La Maupin can expend a maneuver dice to perform a single maneuver with an attack.

  • Counter. La Maupin uses her reaction to make a melee attack against a creature that misses her with a melee attack, dealing 1d8 additional damage on a hit.
  • Disarm. A creature La Maupin has hit with a melee attack takes 1d8 additional damage and makes a DC 18 Strength saving throw or drops one held item of her choice
  • Feint. La Maupin can use her bonus action to feint against one creature within 5 feet. She has advantage on her next attack roll against that creature as long as it made is before the end of her turn. On a hit she deals 1d8 additional damage.
  • Lunge. La Maupin increases her reach by 5 feet for one attack, dealing 1d8 additional damage on a hit.
  • Menace. On a successful hit with a melee weapon, La Maupin deals 1d8 additional damage and the target makes a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or is frightened of her until the end of La Maupin’s next turn.

Martial Footing.
When La Maupin makes a melee attack against a creature on her turn, she does not provoke opportunity attacks from it until the end of her turn.

Rakish Edge. La Maupin can use an action to make a Charisma (Persuasion) check opposed by a Wisdom (Insight) check from a creature able to hear and understand her. On a success, for 1 minute creatures other than La Maupin do not provoke opportunity attacks from the target and the target has disadvantage on attack rolls against anyone but her. The effect ends if a creature other than La Maupin attacks the target or until she is more than 60 feet away from the target. When La Maupin uses this feature on a creature that is not hostile, the target is charmed for 1 minute or until she or her companions harm it.

Second Wind (1/short rest). On her turn, La Maupin can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+7 hit points.

Sneak Attack (1/turn). La Maupin deals an extra 31 (9d6) damage when she hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of La Maupin that isn’t incapacitated and she doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. La Maupin also deals her Sneak Attack damage if the only creature within 5 feet of her is the target of her attack and she doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.


ACTIONS

Extra Attack. La Maupin attacks twice.

Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d8+7) piercing damage.

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/40 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4+5) piercing damage.

Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 8(1d6+5) piercing damage.


REACTIONS

Uncanny Dodge.
When an attacker La Maupin can see hits her with an attack, she can use her reaction to halve the attack’s damage against her.
 

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Mike Myler

Mike Myler


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Ashrym

Legend
I support not going with a bard. A bard's role in society was to teach through parable and maintain history. As you pointed out, bards are magical. Not everyone who sings or tells stories is a bard just because bards sing and tell stories. (side note:everyone who is famous is necessarily high level or has max ability scores)

A fighter, rogue, or MC fighter/rogue are appropriate for class.

edit: not everyone who is....
 
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Yaarel

He Mage
And these individuals likely make fewer impetuous, damn-the-consequences choices than Mlle. d'Aubigny did. "Chaotic" doesn't necessarily mean "wild".

It depends if society has enough room for these individuals.

If society leaves no space for them to even exist, then there is no choice but to be fugitives. Consequences be damned.
 

Tony Vargas

Legend
People who groupthink and behave like sheep, by definition, have low wisdom.
Not sure I buy that. Yes, there's a modern (and by that, I suppose I really mean going back to the Enlightenment) tendency to value free-thinking, but I don't think that implies free-thinking actually requires a high stat.

Not so sure about 5e, but in the classic alignment scheme 'free-thinking' was an attribute Chaotic alignments, while Lawfuls tended to be more dogmatic.
 

BookBarbarian

Expert Long Rester
I support not going with a bard. A bard's role in society was to teach through parable and maintain history. As you pointed out, bards are magical. Not everyone who sings or tells stories is a bard just because bards sing and tell stories. (side note: everyone who is famous is necessarily high level or has max ability scores)

A fighter, rogue, or MC fighter/rogue are appropriate for class.

Indeed. i like that the Entertainer background opens up a lot of musical or performance based characters without being a "bard".

(Also that Outlander did the same thing for Barbarians.)
 

Yaarel

He Mage
Not sure I buy that. Yes, there's a modern (and by that, I suppose I really mean going back to the Enlightenment) tendency to value free-thinking, but I don't think that implies free-thinking actually requires a high stat.

Not so sure about 5e, but in the classic alignment scheme 'free-thinking' was an attribute Chaotic alignments, while Lawfuls tended to be more dogmatic.

For example, a Lawful Good paladin with high Wisdom can ‘save’ against peer pressure and oppose an unjust law.

By contrast, Maupin stikes me as Chaotic Good, absolutely focused on the wellbeing of individuals, and paying less attention to the ‘collective’.
 

Yaarel

He Mage
Nonconformist can have a high Wisdom.

Usually, eccentrics are either crazy or have crazy high willpower.



Plus, Maupin is a celebrated artist. She obviously has sophisticated Perceptive skill for esthetics that likewise correlates with very high Wisdom.
 

Yaarel

He Mage
I would say that the really wise people in situations where the crown is evil are indeed fighting against it, they're just wise enough not to get caught and be made fugitives.

Part of not fitting in was she was bisexual. The local church authorities wanted to burn her alive for rescuing her companion.

You cant ‘hide’ from this kind of persecution. Not if being true to oneself.

There is no choice but to oppose the ‘crown’.
 

Tony Vargas

Legend
I definitely looked at bard very hard but ultimately she felt more like a badass fighter and rogue-with-a-shtick. ... Moreover though bards mean spellwork
Kudos for resisting that temptation - I'd hate to see a build resorting to magic in order to model an historical figure!
 

Mike Myler

Have you been to LevelUp5E.com yet?
Part of not fitting in was she was bisexual. The local church authorities wanted to burn her alive for rescuing her companion.

You cant ‘hide’ from this kind of persecution. Not if being true to oneself.

There is no choice but to oppose the ‘crown’.

Oh but she did try to hide from that kind of persecution (leaving a fake body behind). She just wasn't wise enough* to get away with it. That's the thing about really good crimes--when they are done right, nobody can prove they happened.

Edit: Or had good sense enough to weigh the risks in her plans.
 
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