Jane Austen/Regency flavor to throw into an adventure?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm thinking for my strong start, I want to have the characters plunged into a combat encounter (!), set a week or two before the formal adventure actually begins. I'm thinking a dire goose (probably a reskinned bear*) invades the pond at the center of the town and is making a menace of itself. (Think Untitled Goose Game if the goose could also murder any humans it wanted to.) The townsfolk are grateful after the adventurers chase it off and the heroes are hanging around in the tea garden a week later when the messenger arrives with the start of the real adventure.

* Picking up the Honkonomicon is probably overkill for a single short encounter.

EDIT: Actually, Wild Beyond the Witchlight has stats for a Giant Swan. I'll just turn its alignment from Neutral Good to Chaotic Neutral (because it's a goose) and take away its ability to speak languages and we should be good.

 

[Parmandur]

I think a Lydia Bennett and Mr. Wickham style situation could be a good plot hook with reasonable chance of borh roleplay diplomacy and Setting appropriateviolence, perhaps even a way to get an NPC like Mr. Darcy as a long term patron.

 

[GuyBoy]

A dashing young cavalry officer just returned from an overseas war could figure as an NPC.
Equally, a group of ragged, ex-soldiers all returned from the aforementioned war and thrown into destitution and banditry; an adversary group that raises moral questions.

 

[Divine2021]

Chaosium’s Cthulhu Regency book recently published might be something you find helpful.

 

[Longspeak]

Just have to say... Dire Goose... flippin' awesome.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Here's the dire goose's stats, no longer so close to the giant swan's, as I've tweaked them based on the Lazy DM's Forge of Foes. The description is of a real prehistoric ancestor of the goose.

Dire Goose
Large Beast, Chaotic Neutral

Armor Class: 12
Hit Points: 33 (4d10 + 4)
Speed: 10 ft., fly 80 ft.

STR 16 (+3)
DEX 17 (+3)
CON 13 (+1)
INT 2 (-4)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 10 (+0)

Skills: Perception +4
Senses: Passive Perception 14
Challenge: 1 (200 XP)
Proficiency: Bonus +5

Keen Sight. The goose has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Actions
Multiattack. The goose makes two attacks with its wings.
Batter. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Description
Dire geese stand five feet tall and weigh 50 pounds or more. They are fearless and aggressive, often moving into a community and wreaking havoc before they are run off.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I love the internet.

Austen Writer

Austen Writer

writelikeausten.com

Austen Character Generator

perchance.org

Regency Female Name Generator

Regency Name Generator (Female) These names were pulled from a variety of primary sources from the era including Debrett's, church records, and magazines/b

regrom.com

Check out Dimension20 A Court of Fey and Flowers if you get a chance. Even just the first episode.

The epistolary phase and rumor phase are brilliant, as is the idea of shifting Standing, and appellations one can earn as you standing increases, like Hospitable or Daring.

 

[Longspeak]

Here's the dire goose's stats, no longer so close to the giant swan's, as I've tweaked them based on the Lazy DM's Forge of Foes. The description is of a real prehistoric ancestor of the goose.

Dire Goose
Large Beast, Chaotic Neutral

Armor Class: 12
Hit Points: 33 (4d10 + 4)
Speed: 10 ft., fly 80 ft.

STR 16 (+3)
DEX 17 (+3)
CON 13 (+1)
INT 8 (-1)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 10 (+0)

Skills: Perception +4
Senses: Passive Perception 14
Challenge: 1 (200 XP)
Proficiency: Bonus +5

Keen Sight. The goose has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Actions
Multiattack. The goose makes two attacks with its wings.
Batter. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Description
Dire geese stand five feet tall and weigh 50 pounds or more. They are fearless and aggressive, often moving into a community and wreaking havoc before they are run off.

Int 8? Not like, 1 or 2, beast numbers?

Otherwise awesome. Might replace my Circus' pack of Dire Squirrels.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Int 8? Not like, 1 or 2, beast numbers?

Otherwise awesome. Might replace my Circus' pack of Dire Squirrels.

You're right. That was a leftover from the intelligent Giant Swan in Witchlight. Fixing that.

 

[giant.robot]

Just to throw an idea out there: the "tavern brawl" could be replaced by a duel, either physical or a duel of words. A verbal duel, I bite my thumb...but not at thee, could set the same overall tone as a brawl. Both sides insulting each other as obliquely as possible while staying within the constraints of the era.

Then when the groups encounter each other later you've got the same bruised egos as a brawl without the bruised faces. The verbal duel could even end up with a challenge to a duel that doesn't take place until the party/event where it's further postponed until the two challengers maybe encounter each other alone during the hunt for the murderer.