Creative Help Needed!!!

[Piratecat]

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

1. Their land has a valuable resource -- a mine, salt, something like that - which a loyal liegeman can run for them. This will provide them with a certain amount of money a month once it gets going. (Note: this is a lousy reward, because adventuring pays MUCH better. But it is realistic.)

2. People try to curry favor. Effectively, they become the sports superstar of their time. That means fame! People throw feasts for them, beautiful/handsome young people try to marry them, someone puts up a statue of them, bards sing songs about them and paint their portraits, and people gift them with custom armor and weapons.

3. This will earn them noble enemies -- and if one is a REAL skunk and they eventually expose and/or kill him, the king might reward them with his lands, too.

4. More importantly, once they become nobles, a number of opportunities open up for them. They are invited to join elite organizations, such as prestige classes. People tell them important information that can help them. And they get introduced to useful people in other cities who can set them off on other adventures.

As a good rule of thumb, don't drain their coffers by having the estate cost them a ton of money. That'd be realistic, but it's not fun, and you want to encourage them to settle as nobles (perhaps?) Maybe the estate's income breaks even, more or less, with expenses - and they get a great headquarters for mostly free.

Also, let it be a safe place for them. Invading it all the time is tempting, but that just tells the players that it's better to not have an actual HQ. Maybe you can have an abjurer make their new home particularly safe against intrusion.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Incidentally, if you're planning on going this direction in your campaign, A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe is practically a must-buy.

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

And let us not forget, if you yourself are interested in progressing into the coveted Rat Bastard DM PrC, that once they're a part of the Nobility they get all the headaches to go with the riches and power.

I'm sure they're going to find at least one neighbor that will decide to take advantage of the 'poorly bred up-starts'. Maybe the borders of the lands are 'corrected' to the benefit of the neighbor, or they back someone who has some form of claim on said territory.

This can realy expand the role-playing opportunities.

 

[Plot-Device]

I love the ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope they screw up so i can throw ugly suiters at them.
Yes i'm going to be a evil dm (my players expect nothing less).
Also i found something about becoming a noble in the Waterdeep book for Faerun like you, it has helped a lot and is worth checking out.
special thanks to piratecat for rocking.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Check out these books at your FLGS:

Dynasties & Demagogues
A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe

Both go into a lot more detail than a few paragraphs in the Waterdeep book and are almost universally beloved among people doing campaigns like this.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

Let's not forget a Time Honored way to Wealth & Privledge.

You marry into it.

This could be the "Here's a lot of Loot for a Dowry Lord what ever your name is".

Captured Princess angle has been done a time or 8 thousand.

Or there is Duchess "I've buried 8 husbands before you cutie"

In my games I usually go with:

"Congradulations, by this writ I name thee Lords of the Misty Marsh! Now called the Death Swamp due to the Lich and his Hordes of Undead. Have fun storming the Castle."