Creative Help Needed!!!

[Plot-Device]

Alright, I'm a many time player few time DM and I am running a campaign with some new players. Surprisingly it is going very well, but I need some advice/help on the achievement of nobleness. The players have recently earned a kings favor by a bizarre turn of events, and they requested some sort of test to prove they can become nobles. Normally I would just say no, but its a frecking kings favor so ill give them a chance. The problem is what should I make them do?

Consider that knighting someone will make them a noble
have to go if you need more information just ask ill be checking this frequently

 

[Piratecat]

I'm not sure, but I KNOW it has to involve a high-society party full of nobles!

Perhaps "attend a party and show that you can comport yourselves appropriately." Then have something despicable happen at the party, and the PCs are forced to have to deal with it subtly or without visible combat. This is a little bit like a superhero having to deal with a villain while in his secret identity, and might be a fun change of pace.

Really, being a noble includes:

- having enough money
- having the right social skills
- being from the right family
- knowing the right people

Perhaps they need to find three noble families willing to sponsor them, and they'll have to play politics and do favors to achieve this. Or they go hunting with the king to prove their worth, but need to know that they shouldn't get the kill themselves.

Or perhaps they need to marry a noble...

 

[RichGreen]

How about a tournament? As well as jousting etc, maybe the PCs have to demonstrate their skills at other sports they may have little experience in such as falconry?

Piratecat's suggestions are good. You could add one or two snobbish existing nobles who believe that nobility only comes from birth and cannot be bestowed. They therefore conspire to show the PCs up for the riff-raff they are.

Cheers


Richard

 

[smootrk]

classic nobility in feudal society also included land holdings, which could be taxed and manpower for armies could be 'enlisted' to contribute to the Liege's armed forces.

Add this to Piratecat's prerequisites.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I like all the suggestions. I'd go in stages, proving they have the right to become nobles:

1) Big social party. They better have good rolls on Diplomacy and Knowledge: Nobility if they want to survive the party circuit!

2) Test of arms. The champions of other nobles conspire to beat them down during the tournament.

3) Claiming a realm. The king says "great, you've passed steps one and two. Now you just have to go and clear out this problem area and claim it for your own. The army gave up on it decades ago, but I'm sure you can handle the monsters and bandits and all the rest, right?"

 

[BiggusGeekus]

3) Claiming a realm. The king says "great, you've passed steps one and two. Now you just have to go and clear out this problem area and claim it for your own. The army gave up on it decades ago, but I'm sure you can handle the monsters and bandits and all the rest, right?"

The king gets a larger realm and more taxes, the new barons get a title with whatever you've decided that confers. Everyone wins.

Sidenote: historically, once a peasant was knights for slaying ... a wild boar! Actually a pretty impressive feat given the resources he had (none) and the ferocity of the creature (very).

 

[AFGNCAAP]

I'd have to agree with a lot of suggestions given so far. Adventure-wise, I'd say go for a combination of the suggestions: have the PCs conquer a wild territory (gaining land to rule), and have them conduct themselves accordingly among other nobles. Conspiracy has lots of room to play--the "nobles are born" crowd could conspire not just to sow up the PCs, but any whose lands border those the PCs are trying to obtain may try to expand their holdings. Some may try to use forged documents to "claim" the land out from under the PCs ("By right and law, that land was always mine--thank you for freeing it for me..."), and if the PCs prove them wrong, there's a nice new sworn enemy to work with.

 

[Piratecat]

classic nobility in feudal society also included land holdings, which could be taxed and manpower for armies could be 'enlisted' to contribute to the Liege's armed forces.

Add this to Piratecat's prerequisites.

Whoops! Thought I'd listed this. Good catch -- and I love the concept of having the PCs go clear their holdings in order to claim them.

 

[RichGreen]

Whoops! Thought I'd listed this. Good catch -- and I love the concept of having the PCs go clear their holdings in order to claim them.

It's a cool idea and a nice throwback to the name levels of 1e!

Richard

 

[Plot-Device]

I love these ideas, this is going to be what I try.

Prove that they are courtly enough to be nobles.
THEN
Clear some sort of old run down tower or mansion out (i love that idea tx much)
THEN
Spend a certain amount of money on their new estates to restore it. This would include hiring servants to maintain it and just repair of the grounds.

They have proved their martial skill already, and jousting is something that i would expect them to do to gain respect once they become nobles. But i still feel like something is missing.

Is something missing?
How would you reward them for achieving this

Thanks so much for all your feedback!!!