Perks for the Tudor England jump (also does this font look alright?)
PLANNED PERKS: - GENERAL PERKS: - Prevent diseases and complications from poor hygiene - free for the jump, £100 to keep. - CLERGY: - Perk based on the lives of monks and pilgrims which prevents the negative mental consequences of extended isolation from other people. - Hypocrisy perk which lets you spread ideals while not being called out if you don’t follow them yourself (reference corruption in the Catholic church as the historical basis). - Perk for generally spreading religious ideas rapidly (Reformation may be referenced). - NOBILITY: - Noble grace/elegance perk. (100CP) - Perk which helps you befriend powerful people (may not be included - too similar to the next suggestion + King 100CP perk). - Perk which helps in forming deals and alliances with other nobles - based on the presence of Faction in Tudor courts. - A perk which ensures you can be a major political player in future jumps regardless of who you are in the context of that world (maybe 600CP?).
- GENTRY: - A perk to be able to compensate for heritage and bloodlines through talent, even in the eyes of those in heavily elitist societies. - ‘Amicable Grant’ perk - Lets you reword things to sound better and more amicable than they actually are (100CP?).
COMPLETED PERKS:
Commoner
Peasant Toil (£100, Discount Commoner) The commoners of this period lived a gruelling existence, with little hope of long or comfortable lives. Even those who worked their hardest on the fields often found their livelihoods destroyed by a number of factors outside of their control. You’ve picked up a mild aura of luck to help your endeavours in this regard, causing your crops to grow even in poor harvests, passively avoiding nobility's predations through acts like engrossing and other minor changes to keep the structure of your life in order, assuming you continue to work hard and don’t begin to slack in your necessary duties.
Vagrancy (£200, Discount Commoner) The urban poor of the Tudor period often resorted to begging, a sign of their desperation given the harsh penalties inflicted on those who were caught doing so. Whenever you beg in public spaces, you’ll find yourself drawing the attention and sympathy of almost all who pass by, convincing all but the most cold-hearted of misers to spare you some change. If you’re able to avoid the long arm of the law, you could make a living with this power alone.
A Quiet Life (£400, Discount Commoner) Even when the harvests went well and the local lords kept their distance, commoners still had to deal with the threat of rebellious subjects or disgruntled mercenaries marauding through their villages and destroying their livelihoods. To avoid such a fate, you’ve gained the ability to totally isolate yourself from external threats. Once per jump, you may choose a location far from civilization to live out a hermit-esque existence. As long as you stay in this area and do not interact with the outside world, other beings will avoid the place, letting you live a quiet life with no fear of your home being burned down and your belongings seized.
Poor Law (£600, Discount Commoner) Contents undecided.
Mercenary
Livery and Maintenance (100CP, Discount Mercenary) When nobles hired mercenaries to work for them, they would provide them with uniforms and badges (‘liveries’) to indicate their positions as representatives of the local lord. Now, you and your allies are able to change your stripes in a similar manner, and at will you may instantly alter the design of clothing, vehicles and any other objects you may own to fit the colour scheme of the group or faction you are currently serving or ruling, and this can also include the group’s emblem or symbol if such a thing exists.
Soldier of Fortune (200CP, Discount Mercenary) You’re an expert in all aspects of warfare in the Tudor period. When it comes to wielding swords, firing muskets, riding horses and other practical talents, you’re among the best in the country. In addition, you have a strong knowledge of tactics and formations, able to assess the battlefield and determine the best course of action for your troops. This applies even if it’s your first encounter with a new enemy, with you able to quickly figure out how to best counter new threats like the arrival of Flemish Pikemen into European warfare.
Banditry (400CP, Discount Mercenary) When mercenaries weren’t being paid, they would often wander the countryside, pillaging and looting rural villages to sustain their bands of soldiers. From now on, whenever you commit crimes, anyone not directly affected by your actions will find themselves unnaturally apathetic towards their responsibility to punishing you. Those with a strong enough will can overcome this emotional manipulation, but local lords and Justices of the Peace will turn a blind eye to your thefts as long as you stay well away from their estates and loved ones.
Changing Loyalties (600CP, Discount Mercenary) In the name of His Grace, James IV, King of Scots! What’s that? He’s been slain? God bless Henry VIII, rightful King of England, France and Lord of Ireland! To survive as a mercenary in this world, you must be willing to change sides the moment you see the tides begin to shift. Luckily for you, no one seems to be concerned by your dubious loyalties. You could be fighting for a terrorist organisation one day, and working for the government they were plotting to overthrow the next. There’ll be no hard feelings, and as long as you are genuinely switching sides rather than just using this power to infiltrate rival organisations, you’ll face no repercussions for your sudden betrayal. In fact, they’d probably welcome you back if you ever change your mind again, assuming none of them have a personal reason to be aggrieved by your actions up to this point.
Heir to the Throne
Personal Monarchy (100CP, Discount Heir to the Throne) The nature of monarchy in the Tudor period ensured that success in court relied mostly on the individual relationship between a noble and his king, rather than their titles or actual ability. As such, everyone wanted to befriend the current monarch, and this will continue for you in future jumps regardless of if you hold a position of power. Those around you will be inclined to sycophantically try to win your favor, being unusually concerned about your desires and striving to avoid earning your scorn, even at their own expense.
Power of the Privy Chamber (200CP, Discount Heir to the Throne) Henry VII was notorious for his fine control of state finances. He moved the management of England’s funds from the inefficient exchequer into his own privy chamber, where he would go through and manually approve every single transaction made by his court, no matter how small or insignificant. You’ve picked up a similar attention to detail, and are able to quickly pick up on discrepancies and problems in any documents which pass you by, as well as being a master of micromanaging your subordinates whilst still keeping the bigger picture in mind and working towards an overall goal. Just don’t get carried away with your overzealousness, lest you end up tarnishing your reputation like a certain Winter King.
Right of Conquest (400CP, Discount Heir to the Throne) Aye, the same defense used to establish the Tudor dynasty after the Battle of Bosworth. After all, why would God allow me to slay the current King if I wasn’t the rightful monarch myself? With this perk, you may use this defense to legitimize yourself in other positions of leadership. People will still fight against you as you try to seize power, but once it’s in your hands, your lack of a rightful claim to your current position will never diminish your legitimacy in the eyes of your people. Note that although you can now gloss over the whole ‘right to rule’ thing, this will not prevent your citizens from supporting other potential claimants if they have alternative reasons to dislike you, such as poor leadership or controversial policies.
The King’s Great Matter (600CP, Discount Heir to the Throne) With enough power, one can achieve anything. Of course, whilst that is true in most cases, no amount of power can change someone’s internalised beliefs and ideologies. You may be able to make someone recant their religion through torture, but their words would ring hollow and their faith would remain firm in their private lives. But now, your attempts to convert people through bloodshed and threats of violence can work, and you can change people’s opinions and morality if you beat them into the dust hard enough. Conquer a city of Turks in the name of God and the citizens will find themselves drawn to Christianity, or change your country’s religion from Catholicism to Protestantism and even the most devout bishops will begin to doubt their chosen form of Christianity.