A duchess who can make a household a battlefield without a sword drawn.
At a Glance
- Name: Jacquetta of Luxembourg
- Race: Human
- Role: Duchess of Bedford; wife of Richard Woodville; political patron
- Age: About 39
- Alignment: Neutral
- Where: Royal court, Woodville estates and roads to London
- Present status: Alive in 1454
Jacquetta knows that a gentle voice may close more doors than a threat. She has survived the death of one powerful husband, a controversial second marriage and the exhausting discipline of royal service. It is not merely her connections that make her formidable: it is her memory of who owes whom a favour.
Widowed after the death of John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford, in 1435, she married Richard Woodville. In the present campaign their growing family and royal connections create risks and opportunities. The notorious allegations of witchcraft against her belong to later politics and are not historical proof of sorcery.
Game Statistics
Original game adaptations; not official published NPC statistics.
Jacquetta of Luxembourg
Medium Humanoid (Human), Neutral
AC 12; Initiative +1; HP 30; Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +5; Skills Insight +5, Persuasion +6; Languages English, French, Latin; Senses passive Perception 12; CR 2
Actions
Dagger. Melee Attack Roll +3, reach 5 ft.; Hit 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing.
Household Word (Recharge 5–6). One ally within 30 feet who hears the NPC gains advantage on its next Wisdom (Insight) or Charisma (Persuasion) check within 1 minute.
Jacquetta of Luxembourg — 5e (2014)
Medium humanoid (human), neutral; AC 12; HP 30; Speed 30 ft.; CR 2
Str 8 (-1); Dex 12 (+1); Con 12 (+1); Int 15 (+2); Wis 15 (+2); Cha 18 (+4)
Skills Insight +5, Persuasion +5; Senses passive Perception 12; Languages English
Actions
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing.
Household Word (Recharge 5–6). One ally within 30 feet who hears the NPC gains advantage on its next Wisdom (Insight) or Charisma (Persuasion) check within 1 minute.
Jacquetta of Luxembourg — Pathfinder 1e
CR 3; human aristocrat 6; Init +1; Perception +8
Defence
AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13; hp 30; Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7
Offence
Speed 30 ft.; Melee dagger +3 (1d4-1); Special Household Word (GM-controlled support action)
Statistics
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 18; Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 14; Skills Diplomacy +12, Knowledge (nobility) +9, Sense Motive +9; Feats Alertness, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Iron Will
Jacquetta of Luxembourg — D&D 3.5e
CR 3; human aristocrat 6; Init +1; AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13; hp 27; Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7; Speed 30 ft.
Base Attack +4; Grapple +3; Attack dagger +3 (1d4-1); Abilities Str 8, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 18; Skills Diplomacy +12, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +9, Sense Motive +9; Feats Alertness, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Diplomacy)
What Is Jacquetta of Luxembourg Doing Now?
A lady-in-waiting has stolen a sealed letter and vanished into the streets of London. Jacquetta knows the woman is frightened, not disloyal, and wants her reached before a court rival offers protection.
How Adventurers Meet Jacquetta of Luxembourg
At Jacquetta’s household, a page intercepts the adventurers before the outer gate. He has taken a letter from a lady’s room and fears that returning it will cost him his life. Jacquetta will receive outsiders only if they agree to hear the boy first. The letter names a royal servant who was supposedly nowhere near the court that day. A perceptive player may notice that the page has already broken the seal and resealed it with another person’s wax.
Encounters and Adventure Hooks
- A maid is accused of stealing a silver box, but Jacquetta suspects the box carries a coded royal appeal.
- A noblewoman asks the party to carry a sealed invitation that changes hands twice before it reaches the banquet.
- Rumours of uncanny ancestry swirl through the household. Jacquetta needs proof of who manufactured them—not an exorcist.
Personality and Relationships
Sharp, observant and unwilling to be embarrassed publicly; she is often warm to servants yet unforgiving of those who trade their loyalty as a commodity.
Her Woodville household, the king’s court and the lands once held by the Duke of Bedford. Her daughter Elizabeth has not yet become queen.
Who Has the Letter?
Jacquetta gives the party several names but never reveals the person she most fears. The queen’s servants, the Woodville household and the officers surrounding Henry VI all have reason to conceal a private message. Courtiers will offer payment for the same sealed letter without admitting that it has already been opened. Jacquetta’s real test of the adventurers is whether they protect the frightened bearer rather than sell her to the loudest nobleman.
| Person questioned | What they know |
|---|---|
| Household page | Who changed the wax seal |
| Royal messenger | Which gate the bearer used |
| Jacquetta’s steward | Who paid for the second horse |
Equipment and Rewards
Seals, household ledgers, a dagger, fine travel clothes and an extensive network of servants and messengers. Rewards can include a signed letter, a guarded passage, access to documents or introductions; none guarantees immunity from rival jurisdictions.
Related People and Places
Henry VI · London · British Isles NPCs
Sources and Game Adaptation
Jacquetta of Luxembourg. The campaign’s conversations, supernatural events, motivations and four-edition game statistics are fictional treatments, not claims about the historical record.
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