A wealthy lord whose protection is not the same thing as peace.
At a Glance
- Name: William Bonville
- Race: Human
- Role: Lord Bonville; southwest magnate and rival of the Earl of Devon
- Age: 62
- Alignment: Lawful Neutral
- Where: Shute, Devon, and Bonville interests across the southwest
- Present status: Alive in 1454
Bonville can afford patience where younger rivals prefer a charge. His men hold valuable properties, his lawyers know every disputed boundary and his correspondents see an insult before the victim has heard it. A good bargain with him can save a village; a bad one may start a siege.
Created Baron Bonville in 1449, William is an established southwestern lord in 1454. He has long disputed position and offices with Thomas Courtenay, Earl of Devon. The violent confrontations of later years remain ahead of the campaign.
Game Statistics
Original game adaptations; not official published NPC statistics.
William Bonville
Medium Humanoid (Human), Lawful Neutral
AC 17; Initiative +1; HP 82; Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +5; Skills Insight +5, Persuasion +6, Athletics +6, Intimidation +6; Languages English; Senses passive Perception 12; CR 5
Actions
Longsword. Melee Attack Roll +6, reach 5 ft.; Hit 8 (1d8 + 3) slashing.
Command Retainers (Recharge 5–6). Up to two allied creatures within 30 feet gain 5 temporary hit points and can move 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
William Bonville — 5e (2014)
Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral; AC 17; HP 82; Speed 30 ft.; CR 5
Str 16 (+3); Dex 12 (+1); Con 15 (+2); Int 13 (+1); Wis 14 (+2); Cha 16 (+3)
Skills Insight +5, Persuasion +5; Senses passive Perception 12; Languages English
Actions
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 8 (1d8 + 3) slashing.
Command Retainers (Recharge 5–6). Up to two allied creatures within 30 feet gain 5 temporary hit points and can move 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
William Bonville — Pathfinder 1e
CR 6; human fighter 5/aristocrat 2; Init +1; Perception +8
Defence
AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18; hp 82; Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +5
Offence
Speed 30 ft.; Melee longsword +9 (1d8+3); Special Command Retainers (GM-controlled support action)
Statistics
Str 16, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16; Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 20; Skills Diplomacy +12, Knowledge (nobility) +9, Sense Motive +9; Feats Alertness, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Iron Will
William Bonville — D&D 3.5e
CR 6; human fighter 5/aristocrat 2; Init +1; AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18; hp 79; Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7; Speed 30 ft.
Base Attack +6; Grapple +9; Attack longsword +9 (1d8+3); Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 15, 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 William Bonville Doing Now?
A sealed survey lists boundaries favourable to Bonville, but its surveyor has disappeared. Two households offer competing rewards for his testimony. Bonville needs the truth—or a document the court will accept as truth.
How Adventurers Meet William Bonville
Bonville receives adventurers in a guarded hall where a surveyor has marked a contested hill with six different boundaries. He will pay for a neutral inspection but insists on witnesses from both households. In the field, the party discovers that one boundary stone is genuine and the others are fresh forgeries. A violent solution will satisfy neither side: only evidence about who paid for the stones can avert retaliation.
Encounters and Adventure Hooks
- Escort a missing surveyor through roads guarded by rival lords.
- An armed man claims to have been hired by Bonville to burn a farm; Bonville says the retainer is a ghost.
- An ancient marker on disputed land has begun moving at night; both houses demand its return to their side.
Personality and Relationships
Measured, affluent and careful to dress personal ambition in the language of public order. He admires effective service and often mistakes stubbornness for treachery.
The Bonville family, southwestern officeholders, gentry dependants and his bitter enemy Courtenay.
What the Dispute Will Cost
Bonville is dangerous because his quarrel is rarely confined to the men carrying banners. If the party escorts his surveyor, the Courtenay household may call them spies. If they burn forged boundary documents, the tenants who paid rent under those documents may lose the only proof of their holdings. Bonville prefers a result that can survive examination by a royal officer. He will reward competent witnesses more generously than men who merely break a rival’s gate.
| Evidence recovered | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Genuine survey | A lawful hearing becomes possible |
| Forged seal | An allied steward faces arrest |
| Missing tenant list | Families risk losing winter rents |
Equipment and Rewards
Court sword, long coat over mail when on the road, ledgers, parchment surveys, signet, armed household retainers. Rewards can include a signed letter, a guarded passage, access to documents or introductions; none guarantees immunity from rival jurisdictions.
Related People and Places
British NPCs · Richard, Duke of York · British Isles NPCs
Sources and Game Adaptation
William Bonville, Baron Bonville. 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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