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. Their match crossed the expectations of the royal court; Richard is now Lord Rivers, and their growing family has strong connections at home and abroad. Jacquetta knows Queen Margaret of Anjou through kinship and court service, but friendship with a queen cannot guarantee the safety of anyone caught between rival factions.
Jacquetta’s Luxembourg ancestry gives her a reputation for unusual connections, not proof of supernatural powers. If hostile courtiers spread stories of witchcraft, those accusations are instruments of political coercion unless genuine magic is established through events in the campaign.
Game Statistics
Jacquetta survives through patience, careful questions and the loyalty of her household. She avoids fighting personally and entrusts danger to guards, messengers and discreet allies.
Jacquetta of Luxembourg — D&D 2024
Medium Humanoid (Human), Neutral
Armor Class 13 (lined travelling coat); Initiative +2 (12); Hit Points 27 (6d8); Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 (−1) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 17 (+3) |
Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +5; Skills Deception +5, History +4, Insight +7, Perception +5, Persuasion +7; Senses Passive Perception 15; Languages English, French, Latin; Challenge 1/8 (25 XP; PB +2)
Traits
Household Network. In a place where Jacquetta has known allies, she can arrange for a servant, messenger or guarded passage during the next hour, provided that help is genuinely available. The helper acts independently and is not created by magic.
Actions
Dagger. Melee Attack Roll: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) Piercing damage.
Quiet Counsel (Recharge 5–6). Jacquetta chooses one willing creature within 30 feet that can hear her. The chosen creature gains Advantage on its next Wisdom (Insight) or Charisma (Deception) check made in the next minute to uncover or protect a secret in a social encounter.
Reactions
Protect the Bearer (1/Day). When a willing creature within 30 feet that can hear Jacquetta fails a Charisma (Deception) check, it can reroll the d20 and must use the new roll. Jacquetta must have heard the exchange.
Jacquetta of Luxembourg — D&D 2014
Medium humanoid (human), neutral
Armor Class 13 (lined travelling coat); Hit Points 27 (6d8); Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 (−1) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 17 (+3) |
Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +5; Skills Deception +5, History +4, Insight +7, Perception +5, Persuasion +7; Senses passive Perception 15; Languages English, French, Latin; Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Traits
Household Network. In a household where she has trusted contacts, Jacquetta can secure the help of a real servant, messenger or guide within one hour, assuming such a person is present and willing.
Actions
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Quiet Counsel (Recharge 5–6). One willing creature within 30 feet that can hear Jacquetta gains advantage on its next Wisdom (Insight) or Charisma (Deception) check within the next minute when questioning or protecting a secret.
Reactions
Protect the Bearer (1/Day). When an ally within 30 feet who can hear Jacquetta fails a Charisma (Deception) check in a conversation Jacquetta hears, the ally rerolls the d20 and must use the new result.
Jacquetta of Luxembourg — Pathfinder 1e
Jacquetta of Luxembourg CR 4; XP 1,200
Female human aristocrat 4/expert 2; N Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +14
Defense
AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 11 (+1 padded court coat, +2 Dex); hp 27 (6d8); Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +10
Offense
Speed 30 ft.; Melee dagger +3 (1d4−1/19–20); Ranged dagger +6 (1d4−1/19–20); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.
Statistics
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 17; Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 15
Feats Alertness, Deceitful, Negotiator, Skill Focus (Sense Motive)
Skills Bluff +14, Diplomacy +14, Perception +14, Sense Motive +19, Knowledge (nobility) +11; Languages English, French, Latin
Gear Padded travelling coat, dagger, correspondence, household seals, keys and a purse of courier money
Special Abilities
Quiet Counsel. Jacquetta can use the aid another action to support an ally’s Diplomacy, Bluff or Sense Motive check when she can participate in the same exchange, using the normal rules for that skill.
Jacquetta of Luxembourg — D&D 3.5e
Size/Type Medium Humanoid (Human); Classes Aristocrat 4/Expert 2; Hit Dice 6d8 (27 hp); Initiative +2; Speed 30 ft.
Armor Class 13 (+1 padded court coat, +2 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 11; Base Attack/Grapple +4/+3
Attack Dagger +3 melee (1d4−1/19–20); Full Attack Dagger +3 melee (1d4−1/19–20); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks None; Special Qualities Human traits; Saves Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +10; Abilities Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 17
Skills Bluff +14, Diplomacy +14, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +11, Sense Motive +17, Spot +14, Listen +14
Feats Alertness, Deceitful, Negotiator, Skill Focus (Sense Motive)
Environment Royal court and Woodville households; Organization With attendants and messengers; Challenge Rating 5; Treasure Standard; Alignment Neutral; Advancement By character class; Level Adjustment +0; Languages English, French, Latin
What Is Jacquetta of Luxembourg Doing Now?
A lady-in-waiting has taken a sealed letter and disappeared into the streets of London. Jacquetta believes the woman is frightened rather than disloyal. The letter names an intimate servant of Queen Margaret and describes a secret meeting with one of Richard Woodville’s rivals. If the messenger is caught, she will be blamed for a scheme she did not arrange.
Jacquetta pays the adventurers to find the woman alive, secure the letter without showing it to the wrong household, and discover who supplied the second wax seal. She will not order a servant to sacrifice herself to protect a lord’s reputation. The courtier who arranged the trap expects her to do exactly that.
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
- The missing bearer. A frightened attendant knows who replaced the queen’s private message. Find her before a mounted pursuer reaches the river crossing.
- Woodville blood. Men wearing the livery of a friendly lord take Jacquetta’s nephew hostage. She suspects the colours are stolen; the kidnappers want her to condemn the wrong ally.
- The price of kinship. A visiting Luxembourg cousin offers vital information from overseas, but asks Jacquetta to betray a servant who helped her family during a siege.
- A whisper of witchcraft. A court pamphlet names Jacquetta as a worker of forbidden magic. A witness was paid to invent the tale; reveal the patron before the rumour reaches the queen.
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 husband Richard Woodville, Lord Rivers, their sons and daughters, and the attendants of Queen Margaret form her closest circle. Her daughter Elizabeth, married to Sir John Grey, has her own obligations and influence rather than any guaranteed future destiny.
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 · Richard, Duke of York · Alice Chaucer · London · British Isles NPCs
Sources and Game Adaptation
Historical background: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography — Jaquetta de Luxembourg and Queens’ College Cambridge — Elizabeth Woodville. The household incidents, dialogue and game statistics are adaptations. Later allegations of witchcraft are not evidence of actual sorcery.
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