D&D 5E How do you handle PC nobles?

Derren · Feb 1, 2015

As 5E made the noble a run of the mill background everyone can take I wonder how do you handle PC nobles in the game?

Historically being a noble gave you a lot of power. Nobles had a lot more rights than peasants. Depending on the culture they could kill disrespectful peasants at will (Japan), but even in a tribal setting where the gap between serf, freeman and noble wasn't as pronounced they were a better breed of people.
At the same time, they also had several responsibilities normal people had not and were also under greater scrutiny by others.

How much are you using those things in your game? Do you ignore them completely? Do you restrict the noble background? Something else?

GMforPowergamers · Feb 1, 2015

I go with a noble isn't a king or even duke... so if you push it to far someone higher will come down on you... always a bigger fish

dracomilan · Feb 1, 2015

I'm developing a full aristocrat class for my 5e campaign setting.
The noble background will be nerfed and will grant full benefits only if you have 1 to 3 levels in the new class (which has archetipes such as the knight, the prelate and the ruler).

Paraxis · Feb 1, 2015

I give people exactly what it says in the book under the Feature: Position and Privilege.

1. Thanks to your noble birth, people are inclined to think the best of you.
2. You are welcome in high society, and people assume you have the right to be wherever you are.
3. The common folk make every effort to accommodate you and avoid your displeasure.
4. Other people of high birth treat you as a member of the same social sphere.
5. You can secure an audience with a local noble if you need to.

No more, no less. Doesn't say anything about gaining extra money, power of people's lives, legal immunity, or the privilege to wear certain colors like purple. There is also no extra responsibility, you don't have to hear the problems of the peasants or get beheaded when your cousin does.

Ohh and most of the perks are only applicable if people recognize you as a noble, and since you are running around with scruffy adventurer types, people tend to think of you as a scruffy adventurer type until you are cleaned up or they are informed otherwise of your station.

PnPgamer · Feb 1, 2015

My wild sorcerer is a noble baronet tiefling, and I generated a backstory in which he tries to prove his worth to heir the title of his father, baron, over his older brother. He went onto his proving journey by himself and kind of like snuck out of the window by a rope made out of sheets.

Sir Brennen · Feb 1, 2015

Just curious - for those of you that play or have a PC with the noble background, what race are they? Do the benefits of the background apply to lower classes of other races? So, if you're an elven noble, to human peasants afford you the same courtesies they would a human noble?

iserith · Feb 1, 2015

Sir Brennen said:
Just curious - for those of you that play or have a PC with the noble background, what race are they? Do the benefits of the background apply to lower classes of other races? So, if you're an elven noble, to human peasants afford you the same courtesies they would a human noble?

My paladin (oath of the ancients), Don Coyote, is a human and not even many humans recognize his nobility because he's kind of crazy.

[sblock]
Don Hidalgo Pronto, a minor noble growing into his later years, was obsessed with tales of knights and adventures, devouring book after book in his once-great library. One day after eating a purple worm pupa floating at the bottom of a bottle of tequila distilled in Fandango, Don Hildalgo wandered off into the desert known as The Stain believing he was a knight-errant on a mission to rid the world of evil and demonstrate goodness by his deeds. After many trials and visions that may have shattered his mind entirely, he took on the name of Don Coyote and drew a group of ragtag retainers to his side. Together they go on quests both real and imagined throughout the region.

Retainers:

Poncho Sanza, his human squire and secretly the old partner-in-crime of Chuck Dagger, who is laying low after escaping from prison.
Cardenio the Ragged, his half-elf valet and disinherited son of a duke. He is a better poet than a valet.
Cervantes, his human groom who looks after the mounts when they are available. The last mounts were eaten by giants due to an oversight by Cervantes and have not yet been replaced.

[/sblock]

Sunseeker · Feb 1, 2015

iserith said:
My paladin (oath of the ancients), Don Coyote, is a human and not even many humans recognize his nobility because he's kind of crazy.

Does your character regularly burst out into self-aggrandizing song?

Cernor · Feb 1, 2015

Sir Brennen said:
Just curious - for those of you that play or have a PC with the noble background, what race are they? Do the benefits of the background apply to lower classes of other races?

The only noble I ever made, and played 2 sessions before I left the game, was a half-orc rogue: he was the son of a count who grew up in, and eventually became chieftain of, a tribe of orcs. The tribe of orcs was nearly wiped out and his parents were killed, so he went to find his estate. The plan was he'd take charge of the estate and lead his tribe there so they'd have a safe place to recover their losses. He definitely carried himself like a noble and took charge of the party, but there weren't enough interactions with NPCs to see if other races would treat him as a noble as well as orcs and half-orcs.

It's a shame he was made for Encounters, because I quite liked that character but Encounters was terrible.

GSHamster · Feb 1, 2015

I would read some Georgette Heyer and model the aristocracy off of that. It's the Regency period (early 1800s), not strictly medieval, so obviously you'll have to adjust some things. For example, there is a middle-class of people in trade. And the role of religion is probably lesser.

But I find that the Regency period is closer to how players imagine a class-based society to work. (Unless, of course, your players are sticklers for historical accuracy.) It has an aristocracy with privileges and duties. But it also has scope for people outside the aristocracy to interact. The boundaries between classes are a bit softer, which is very useful in a game. It also distinguishes the aristocracy by their attention to manners and polite behaviour, rather than strictly in terms of the power they wield.