Create some nobles

[haakon1]

I think it would be fun to crowd-source some nobles.

With the popularity of "Games of Thrones", my players are asking more questions about the nobility, their geneology, etc., thinking that sort of plot must be in the offing. I'd like to be able to have some of that.

So I'm thinking: Make up a noble family.

Doesn't need to be rules/edition specific, just fluff and character. Shouldn't be a copy from an obvious source like "Game of Thrones", LOTR, Star Wars, or even Downton Abbey or the Kennedy's or British royals. Shakespearean nobles would be fine.

My particular campaign is set in Bissel, in Greyhawk, but I think we want generic nobles, or whatever springs to mind.

I'll give you an example, though it's not a very good one (a little too obvious). This will show you why I need help.

The ruler is George II. He is an Aristocrat and Fighter. As a young man, he joined the Knights of the Watch, but he never saw combat, as his influential father, the head of the Knights of Dispatch (the spying arm of the Knights of the Watch) saw too it that he was given easy garrison assignments. He spent most of his time in the capital, and became wayward, drinking far too much and perhaps having other vices. During this time, he met a commoner, who was governess teaching the children of squirearchy in the city. They fell in love, and he mended his wanton ways. He gave up the drink and became a religious man, a serious patron of Pelor.

He has two daughter, Barbara and Jenna, who are teenage Aristocrats.

His brother, Jeb, is therefore his heir. Jeb rules a minor family territory granted to him by their father. He is an Aristocrat, but he's also been involved in merchantile activities, including money lending and land speculation. Jeb is married to a Flannae chieftain's daughter.

Jeb's heir, also called George, is nicknamed "The Little Brown One", based on his mixed race heritage. He is a Knight of Watch, noted for his strength and valor, and is third in line for the seat held by George II.

The young son, Jebby, is still a child.

George & Jeb's younger sister is Dorothy. Her husband is a wine growing and wine merchant, of wealth but not noble blood.

(In other words, I was modified George H.W. Bush's family -- which seems "fair game" as far as public domain info, but is boring because it's a little too obvious who is it.)

 

[Derren]

Too many non nobles in the family.
In "traditional" nobility, including the system displayed in GoT, marrying a non noble would be a huge scandal practically inviting all sorts of assassination and other attempts to depose the noble.

Having affairs with non-nobles? Certainly. Having children (bastards) with them? If it happens and the basterds are kept quiet about. But a noble marries only a noble.

Marriage among nobility is not done because of love (that applies often to commoners in those time periods as well), but to form alliances and to trade favors between nobility. Even in a primogeniture system where the firstborn inherits everything (which was not the only practiced system among nobility), marrying into a noble family fives you access to their titles, even if only though luck or schemes. A marriage with a non noble would give the noble nothing, except the scorn of his fellow nobles while the commoners might get the idea that they are somehow equal to nobles which nobility certainly doesn't want.

 

[SeprenMaelstrom]

Interesting query

There are a few ways you can go with a medieval-noble-family sort of deal. You can do the snooty and dignified, wealth-obsessed sort of air... But I feel like a fun way to set them would be the well-known socialites, being very boisterous.

Think of making the head of the family like a really good / convincing politician, who's able to speak well to others and be very jovial and captivating [Bard, eh? Eh?], and deals with the nitty-gritty behind the scenes.

A rough example:

Estrella Silverport, head of the Silverport family. Direct line herself, widowed of her husband from another family. The Silverports have long owned a successful trading company that deals in overland as well as oversea. A woman in her mid-40s, she is active and vocal at important social occasions, political meetings, and other big goings-on. Vivacious and well-articulated, she seizes a lot of sway on big decisions as soon as she enters a room. She manages the far-reaching prospects of the family business.

Her son Retonio is active in the financial district of the locale and sees over the books of the business. He's none too loud, but his clever wit is quick and sharp. He can gauge a businessman's mettle after a quick conversation.

Just as commanding a presence as her mother, Luccia Silverport works her magic on potential clients and business partners. She could likely talk the sword off a general. Smoothly as she seems to operate, there appears to be a deep, calculated purpose for anything she says.

Younger members of the family are all trained in seafaring and swashbuckling. One, Bedart, in his late teens, acts as right hand to the captain of the local guard.

So yeah, just something I thought up on the actively visible, vocal noble family front - and a front it may be, hahah. People putting on such a show often have something to hide. Interesting potential hooks!

 

[haakon1]

Assumptions

My assumptions about the nobles are:

Primogeniture: Primogeniture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Primogeniture has many variations. The simple version I'd choose goes like this:

1) Ruler's eldest son.
2) Failing existence of a son, the line reverts to the oldest brother of the ruler.
3) If the ruler has no sons and no brothers, it goes the ruler's oldest daughter.
4) If the ruler has no sons, no brothers, and no daughters, it goes to his eldest sister.
5) If the ruler has no siblings and offspring, the holding reverts to the crown. Traditionally, it should be given to a cousin, but it could be given to any retainer the crown see fit.
6) Bastards can inherit if the ruler and the crown agree. (William the Conqueror has a bastard, after all).

Marriage doesn't have to be to a noble. That's common, to create political alliances and because marriage of equals is preferred. However, as in modern England, there's no rule against marrying a commoner. And marrying RICH commoners for their money/a financial alliance is not uncommon (like 19th century Brits who were title rich, money poor marrying the daughters of "robber baron" industrialists).

The rules of inheritance of course favor males, but not completely, so female rulers are not the norm, but neither are they unheard of.

Also, the rules of inheritance make it fairly easy for a title to be recaptured by the crown, which is good for the crown because it allows the crown to reward adventurers, military leaders, and maybe even financial backers.

Demi-human nobles are rare -- the nobility are primarily human -- but a few half-elves and even halflings might be nobles. The problem with elvish and dwarvish nobles would be they just live too long.

Knights are generally of three types. Knighthoods like a British modern knighthood are for heroism in service to the crown. Knighthoods are also for retainers and younger sons of nobles. And there's the order of Knighthood, the Knights of the Watch.

Nobles are generally Aristocrats (in 3e terms) and heirs are encouraged to be Fighters. Some are Paladins or Rangers. A few follow the path of the Cleric, Wizard, or even Sorcerer. Other classes are rare.

2nd sons of noble families often take up roles in the military (as Fighters or related classes), in the church (as Clerics), or as adventurers of any class.

The military of Bissel (sorry, need to get specific to my campaign to explain it) is of four types:
1) The Border Companies are professional troops. 4 companies of 1000 each (regiments in modern terms) are a standing army, maintaining frontier and road garrisons. 4 more are reservists, often veterans and troops in training. They are the main strength of Bissel. Many are recruited from Bissel, but they also attract men of the surrounding lands, looking for excitement, training, and steady pay. Part of their cost is supported by the neighboring Kingdoms of Furyondy-Veluna and Keoland, both of which are allied with Bissel and interested in maintaining the border defense (against a different "civilization") in a highly strategic mountain pass. The Border Companies are well equipped and well-led.

2) The Knights of the Watch. The Knight watch over Bissel and two neighboring countries, defending against invaders on the same border the Border Companies watch, and watching for Giants and other monsters from the mountains. Their ruler of Bissel happens to their current commander. Their HQ is a town in southern Bissel (away from the border, and in the direction of the other two countries being defended from mountain monsters). In additional to knights, their forces include local trained bands from the territories they own, and professional garrisons for their towers and castles.

3) Feudal hosts. Knights (Aristocrat 1/Fighter 2, that sort of thing) and their retainers. These tend to be small forces, of varying levels of equipment and professionalism. They can be called up for national service for only 40 days, though in wartime, they often agree to serve longer. Feudal troops are typically attached to the Border Company under command of a Captain-General. Considered not of great ability or reliability, they are often given static defense tasks, while the Border Company and the Knights of the Watch are active field forces seeking to give battle to the enemy. Some feudal knights insist on taking the field. A few provide specialized troops, like sappers and siege experts.

In addition, nobles usually have militias at home, which are often very poorly organized and equipped (e.g., Commoner 1 with two spears, with a few experts with Light Crossbows) -- they are meant only for local defense when attacked.

4) Town Guards. Each significant settlement has a small force of professional Town Guards, usually about 1% of the population. These men man defenses, inspect people entering the gates, and lead fire fighting and thief taking as needed. They usually consider themselves overworked and undermanned, and they're probably right. In war time, a noble who owns a town will often attach some of the Town Guards to the feudal host.

As long as I'm talking police powers, the crown also has Sheriffs. This one man per territory. He's meant to enforce the king's peace, and can call upon feudal, militia, and Town Guard forces to help him, in posses. Sheriffs are often Rangers or other adventuring types, and are rarely of noble blood.