A young courtier whose greatest weapon is knowing when not to speak.
At a Glance
- Name: Thomas Stanley
- Race: Human
- Role: Royal squire and heir to a powerful Lancashire family
- Age: About 19
- Alignment: True Neutral
- Where: The royal household, Lancashire and Cheshire
- Present status: Alive in 1454
Thomas has a useful knack: when two powerful men are arguing, he is often the only one who hears what both said. The name Stanley opens doors in the northwest, but Thomas is still learning which to enter and which to leave shut.
In 1454 Thomas is a squire of Henry VI’s household. His father is alive. Thomas has not inherited the Stanley lordship and is decades away from becoming Earl of Derby; later decisions must not be placed in the mouth of this young courtier.
Game Statistics
Original game adaptations; not official published NPC statistics.
Thomas Stanley
Medium Humanoid (Human), True Neutral
AC 14; Initiative +2; HP 31; Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +5; Skills Insight +5, Persuasion +6; Languages English; Senses passive Perception 12; CR 2
Actions
Rapier. Melee Attack Roll +4, reach 5 ft.; Hit 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing.
Smooth Escape (Recharge 5–6). This NPC and one ally may move 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Thomas Stanley — 5e (2014)
Medium humanoid (human), true neutral; AC 14; HP 31; Speed 30 ft.; CR 2
Str 12 (+1); Dex 14 (+2); Con 12 (+1); Int 13 (+1); Wis 14 (+2); Cha 16 (+3)
Skills Insight +5, Persuasion +5; Senses passive Perception 12; Languages English
Actions
Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing.
Smooth Escape (Recharge 5–6). This NPC and one ally may move 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Thomas Stanley — Pathfinder 1e
CR 3; human aristocrat 4; Init +2; Perception +8
Defence
AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14; hp 31; Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7
Offence
Speed 30 ft.; Melee rapier +4 (1d6+1); Special Smooth Escape (GM-controlled support action)
Statistics
Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16; Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 16; Skills Diplomacy +12, Knowledge (nobility) +9, Sense Motive +9; Feats Alertness, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Iron Will
Thomas Stanley — D&D 3.5e
CR 3; human aristocrat 4; Init +2; AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14; hp 28; Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7; Speed 30 ft.
Base Attack +3; Grapple +4; Attack rapier +4 (1d6+1/18–20); Abilities Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16; Skills Diplomacy +12, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +9, Sense Motive +9; Feats Alertness, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Diplomacy)
What Is Thomas Stanley Doing Now?
An official tries to use Thomas’s family connections to smuggle a forged safe-conduct to Cheshire. Thomas has noticed the fraud but would rather discreetly resolve it than publicly accuse an older courtier.
How Adventurers Meet Thomas Stanley
Thomas Stanley offers the party a sealed escort order, then quietly warns them not to show it to the first patrol they meet. The same officer who issued the document also promised safe passage to the patrol’s enemies. Thomas wants the contradiction exposed without making his family a target. A careful group can solve it by interviewing the two clerks who witnessed the seal, rather than fighting through the roadblock.
Encounters and Adventure Hooks
- A Stanley messenger rides with two opposing instructions written in the same hand.
- A noble guest disappears after a feast, and Thomas knows the last person to speak with her.
- One court faction offers a reward for proof that Thomas has sworn a private oath to its rival.
Personality and Relationships
Patient, observant, polished and wary of declaring a choice before learning its consequences. He is not yet the master political survivor later generations may know.
The Stanley family of Lancashire and Cheshire, Henry VI’s officers, and courtiers divided over the Protectorate.
What Thomas Can Promise
Thomas cannot command a royal company or pardon an outlaw. What he can provide is access. A castle porter may admit a messenger bearing his name, a household clerk may confirm whether a writ is genuine, and a Lancashire steward may quietly arrange lodging for people who cannot safely use the main road. He asks for discretion, not blind loyalty. If the adventurers turn his good offices into a public insult against another lord, he will deny that he ever met them.
| Favour | Price and risk |
|---|---|
| Introduce a clerk | Protect the clerk’s identity |
| Arrange a safe night’s lodging | Carry no stolen royal seal |
| Confirm a disputed warrant | Give him a copy of the evidence |
Equipment and Rewards
Court sword, riding boots, travelling cloak, wax seals borrowed from superior officers and a discreet purse. 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
Thomas Stanley — History of War. 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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