We’re headed up into the mountains of Montana for today’s Mythological Figure: the pioneering postwoman Mary Fields!
Mary was born into slavery sometime in 1832 in the state of Tennessee, and after her emancipation following the Civil War she took up work as a chambermaid on the Mississippi River steamboat Robert E. Lee and then as a household servant for Judge Edmund Dunne. When Mrs. Dunne passed Mary accompanied his children to an Ursuline convent in Toledo, Ohio to live with his sister Mother Superior Amadeus. In 1884 the Mother Superior headed to the Montana Territory to set up a school in St. Peter’s Mission, and when she came down with pneumonia Mary went to nurse her back to health then stuck around doing the “men’s work” as the forewoman for a decade. Eventually Mary’s temper and tendency took their toll, and when an incident occurred (some gunplay with an angry male subordinate) the bishop barred her from the convent so she moved to Cascade and opened a tavern. Unfortunately she was too kind and allowed too many people to eat without paying, so it didn’t last a year.
By the time 1895 rolled around Mary became a Star Route Carrier, delivering mail by stagecoach all over Montana as the US Postal Service’s first African-American woman employee. She was known to pack lead with her letters, carrying multiple firearms to fight off bandits, wolves, and whatever else threatened her on the trail. “Stagecoach Mary” (as she came to be known) was steadfast at her job and never missed a day, delivering mail in snowshoes when the snow was too deep for her horses. Understandably the people of Cascade thought very highly of her—they closed schools on her birthday, she received a mayoral exemption to a Montana law forbidding women from saloons, and after her retirement the town rebuilt her home when it burned down in 1912.
Design Notes: Mary was a pioneer’s pioneer and to reflect her implacable perseverance she’s getting fighter levels, using the scout archetype to represent her talent for roughing it in the wilderness. With six levels she can hit a Constitution of 20 and Constitution saving throw of +8, which seems about right for somebody in their later years hoofing it through chest-high snow with sacks of mail on their back. Let’s do the numbers! The DMG came in at 4.125, the Blog of Holding at 5.6, so Mary’s final challenge rating rounds out at 4.
Armor Class 14 (studded leather)
Hit Points 57 (6d8+30)
Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Str +4, Con +8
Skills Athletics +4, History +4, Investigation +4, Medicine +4, Perception +4, Stealth +5, Survival +4
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages English, one other
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Background: Outlander. Mary never forgets the geographic arrangement of terrain, settlements, and areas of wilderness. In addition, she can forage fresh water and food each day for as many as 6 people as long as the environment nearby can support it.
Action Surge (1/Short Rest). On her turn, Mary can take an additional action on top of her regular action and a possible bonus action.
Mastery Dice 1d8 (4/Short Rest). Mary can spend a mastery die to fuel one of the following effects. Each effect activates after the results of a roll are revealed.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Mary attacks twice when she takes the Attack action.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.
Revolver. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 40/120 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8+2) piercing damage.
Hunting Rifle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 80/240 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d10+2) piercing damage.
Mary was born into slavery sometime in 1832 in the state of Tennessee, and after her emancipation following the Civil War she took up work as a chambermaid on the Mississippi River steamboat Robert E. Lee and then as a household servant for Judge Edmund Dunne. When Mrs. Dunne passed Mary accompanied his children to an Ursuline convent in Toledo, Ohio to live with his sister Mother Superior Amadeus. In 1884 the Mother Superior headed to the Montana Territory to set up a school in St. Peter’s Mission, and when she came down with pneumonia Mary went to nurse her back to health then stuck around doing the “men’s work” as the forewoman for a decade. Eventually Mary’s temper and tendency took their toll, and when an incident occurred (some gunplay with an angry male subordinate) the bishop barred her from the convent so she moved to Cascade and opened a tavern. Unfortunately she was too kind and allowed too many people to eat without paying, so it didn’t last a year.
By the time 1895 rolled around Mary became a Star Route Carrier, delivering mail by stagecoach all over Montana as the US Postal Service’s first African-American woman employee. She was known to pack lead with her letters, carrying multiple firearms to fight off bandits, wolves, and whatever else threatened her on the trail. “Stagecoach Mary” (as she came to be known) was steadfast at her job and never missed a day, delivering mail in snowshoes when the snow was too deep for her horses. Understandably the people of Cascade thought very highly of her—they closed schools on her birthday, she received a mayoral exemption to a Montana law forbidding women from saloons, and after her retirement the town rebuilt her home when it burned down in 1912.
Design Notes: Mary was a pioneer’s pioneer and to reflect her implacable perseverance she’s getting fighter levels, using the scout archetype to represent her talent for roughing it in the wilderness. With six levels she can hit a Constitution of 20 and Constitution saving throw of +8, which seems about right for somebody in their later years hoofing it through chest-high snow with sacks of mail on their back. Let’s do the numbers! The DMG came in at 4.125, the Blog of Holding at 5.6, so Mary’s final challenge rating rounds out at 4.
Mary Fields
Medium humanoid (human), fighter (scout) 6Armor Class 14 (studded leather)
Hit Points 57 (6d8+30)
Speed 30 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 20 (+5) | 12 (+1) | 13 (+1) | 12 (+1) |
Skills Athletics +4, History +4, Investigation +4, Medicine +4, Perception +4, Stealth +5, Survival +4
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages English, one other
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Background: Outlander. Mary never forgets the geographic arrangement of terrain, settlements, and areas of wilderness. In addition, she can forage fresh water and food each day for as many as 6 people as long as the environment nearby can support it.
Action Surge (1/Short Rest). On her turn, Mary can take an additional action on top of her regular action and a possible bonus action.
Mastery Dice 1d8 (4/Short Rest). Mary can spend a mastery die to fuel one of the following effects. Each effect activates after the results of a roll are revealed.
- Roll a mastery die and add half the result to a Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Stealth), Intelligence (Nature), Wisdom (Perception or Survival) check.
- Roll a mastery die and add the result to a weapon attack roll made against a creature.
- Use her reaction when hit by an attack to roll a mastery die and add the result to her Armor Class, possibly turning a hit into a miss. An attack that still hits deals half damage.
- Difficult terrain doesn’t slow her group’s travel.
- Mary’s group can’t become lost except by magical means.
- Even when she is engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), Mary remains alert to danger.
- If Mary is traveling alone, she can move stealthily at a normal pace.
- When she forages, Mary finds twice as much food as she normally would.
- While tracking other creatures, Mary also learns their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Mary attacks twice when she takes the Attack action.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.
Revolver. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 40/120 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8+2) piercing damage.
Hunting Rifle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 80/240 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d10+2) piercing damage.
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