Does social standing have a place in your game?

[Moon-Lancer]

Basically I have my characters background consistent with the skills abilities and feats i want him to use. I try not to waste skills. If he boast that he can do something he tends to be able to do it and do it well.

Normally I do Lots and lots of back story, but this latest character i did very little as he was killoran and they start adventuring at age 10 i think. Also i left alot of dm hooks. I think dm hooks are just as important as back story.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Sorry Raven Crowking I'm lazy today

Good luck on the rules and let us know what you come up with!

You must be, because I linked to the thread where I posted the rules I use.

RC

 

[Felix]

Does social standing have a place in your game?

Both in my game and the game I play in it makes a difference. Unless you're an officer in the army, ranking officers won't really listen to you. If you're not an elf, elves won't even consider that you are evolved enough to have an opinion. So both social and racial standing are very much part of the game.

When you make up a background for your character how much depth do you put into it?

I go about 3/4 of the way to a fully developed character as far as background goes. By that I mean I have my place of birth, parents, siblings, adult profession, but I leave the details for me to make up on the spot when it comes time to role-play.

Do you have rules set in place for backgrounds?

No, but a background is encouraged.

Does your DM give you bonus skill points of feats to help flesh out a background?

My DM doesn't. I give out 4 skill points at first level that may only be put towards a Craft or Profession skill.

Will your DM allow you to play a prince?

My DM allows PC princes. HOWEVER: playing a prince isn't necessarily recommended. You can order people around, but you have responsibilities commensurate with that power. That, and you are a target not only because you're a PC, but also because you're a prince. So it really opens the door for the DM to be a right bugger about things.

I don't allow PC princes on the grounds that I think it would make sense for a prince to have responsibilities and pressures that would get in the way of adventuring unless I (the DM) were to also be a right bugger and make the PC in question a big ol target for bad guys. I am satisfied with the amount of buggery I inflict upon the PCs, so I am leery about heaping more on.

 

[WayneLigon]

Does social standing have a place in your game?

Very much so. In many games I've run, it's probably one of the more important aspects of the game world. Don't have the right dialect or introductions from the Right People? Good luck getting in certain places without breaking into them.

When you make up a background for your character how much depth do you put into it?

It depends on the campaign. I put some thought and work into almost every character unless we're really just going for the 'beer-and-pretzels playing-a-game' one- or two-shot filler game. The detail depends on the circumstances of the campaign, the other characters involved, etc. The last superhero game I was in, I had a seven page background in 8-point type, with discography, npc's, enemies, etc. The last D&D game I played in, my background could have fit on a notecard.

The superhero guy was unusual. Usually I have to play a character for a little bit to get a good feel for him. Lost of times, background elements get filled in later, as we find out more fo the GM's world.

Do you have rules set in place for backgrounds?

Not really, no.

Does your DM give you bonus skill points of feats to help flesh out a background?

Sometimes, in unusual circumstances. I may say 'OK, everyone has 4 ranks in Prof: Sailor.. You've all lived around the ocean all your lives and have not been stay-at-homes, so that's just something you start with'.

Will your DM allow you to play a prince?

Probably. I would either be a third- or fourth- in line for the throne, or we'd be doing an unusual campaign where we were all sons and daughters of the King, or members of the Court. I doubt any would let me be the Crown Prince, and really, not such a good character choice. There's very little you'd get to actually do unless we were playing an all-political game. Again, depends on the campaign, though: being the first son of a viking lord is way different than being the first son to God-Emperor Louis MMCCXII.

 

[kensanata]

In my Kitsunemori (Oriental) game, one of the PCs is a samurai. He has taken the feat that gives him the right to bear arms in public, and it gives him a daisho (katana + wakizashi) from a well-known sword smith. They are now level 5-7.

In-game, the samurai is considered to be the leader of the party.

The local weapon smith only sold weapons to the party when he was told that they were all the samurai's retainers.

When the party rid the town of a demon that had held the local ruler's castle enthralled, the ruler granted the samurai a few households of tax income from one of the saved villages at 45 gp per month.

Other than that, most of my players choose to be nobodies from far away. Unfortunately.

 

[Graybeard]

In all the games I play in, a detailed background is required. The DM will give us bonus skill points and/or abilities based on our background. In the game I run, a more detailed background will help you in the game but everyone gets bonus skill points (+1 or +2 to a few skills) at character creation based on the background. I also give a free feat at first level chosen from a short list I made. all the PCs in my game have birthdates and sunsigns that may or may not grant additional benefits.

As for social standing, it is important in all the games I play in and the one I run as well. although I have never seen anyone play a Prince, if someone wanted to in my game, I would discuss it with them first to make sure they understand all the implications. In the Eberron game I play in, one of the players is a scion of house Vadallis. The DM brings it into play often in the game. Sometimes it is a benefit for the rest of the group, sometimes not.

 

[Desdichado]

Does social standing have a place in your game?

Yes. My setting actually has a fairly rigid caste system in the main area where the game starts. Players have to deal with social standing implications all the time.

When you make up a background for your character how much depth do you put into it?

Up front; not too much. Just a half-page sketch max. I'll develop more as the game goes, though.

Do you have rules set in place for backgrounds?

Nope.

Does your DM give you bonus skill points of feats to help flesh out a background?

Haha! No.

Will your DM allow you to play a prince?

Doubt it. Never came up and I wouldn't want to anyway.

By the way, I DM and play, so I'm kinda bouncing around in terms of what I think my DM's would do and what I would do as DM, etc.

 

[Desdichado]

For those of you that allow a social standing, does it give you an edge at character creation in your games you play or DM?

No, absolutely not. I refuse to give "edges" to players for something like that.

 

[Wombat]

Very important.

There are many organizations one cannot enter without the proper status. Nobles have inherent legal powers and authority that peasants do not. There are fine gradations in social standing and these match to allowed clothing, legal positions, ability to outright own land, the ability to wear a weapon in public and many other matters.

Our game is very far from a meritocracy. And we like it that way -- one more thing to struggle against!

 

[Pagan priest]

I'm still fiddling with the rules, but a campaign that I have been working on is "A Game of Houses" and is based around the idea that the PC's are members of noble houses. If you remember the TSR suppliment A Mighty Fortress, based on Rennaisance Europe, it had social standing as a 3-18 stat, with a monthly upkeep cost (in gold) and a listed cost for buying into that social rank from the level below. I started with that, borrowed a touch from Traveller T20 and various other bits and pieces, and have (mostly) wworked out a system for setting up characters as novice nobles looking to advance themselves socially. No princes, but I had a count and a courtesan in the first attempt at this.