How does one address a baron?

[Pbartender]

I believe an obsequious "Si Baroni" is appropriate, but only if the Baron in question happens to be an evil toad.

Oh, crumbs!

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Oh c'mon. Even the lowliest peasant knows that you address your betters as M'Lord or M'Lady. At the worst, you'll be corrected if something more exalted is proper. (Well, a real Evil snot might have you chopped, but chances are you'll have heard about that!) Of course, a real suck up might try a Your Worship or something, but unless the noble feels that he's being mocked he'll probably be pleased. Most prefered flatery anyway.

 

[Barak]

Considering the possible repercussions for being disrespectful, I'd think that anyone native to the culture will know the basic forms of address. They may not be informed of the details and nuances of precedence, but they'll know the basic forms.

I'd likely consider this background knowledge, much as a PC will know if orcs are native to his area, and the names of the nearby towns and rivers. If not, surely it's one of the first things that comes with the Diplomacy skill. So your bard is more likley to know it than the knight, actually, since he's got the skill points...

True dat! But adventuriong groups.. Are likely to be less than uniform. Would the elven wizard know, or care, the proper way to adress a human baron? What about the half-orc barbarian that was raised in the no-man-land between human and orc civilizations? Or the dwarven fighter, son of a reknowned dwarven blacksmith? Or the halfling rogue who just arrived in the region with the carnival (Ok, that one would probably know)?

 

[fusangite]

My Lord is a good generic title to use whenever there is significant social differentiation. It is very rare that it will be viewed as insufficient except in the case of the very powerful who often excuse it, given how inexperienced everyone except high aristocracy would have in addressing the august personage in question.

 

[Imperialus]

"Lord Midwood" or "Baron Midwood" is always a safe one even if the PC's are nobility themselves. If they happen to outrank him then Sir would probably be appropriate though "Lord Midwood" would be more polite. After initial formalities are over however calling him Sir is defiantly appropriate. If he outranks them, and especially if they owe homage to him then "My Lord Midwood" or "My Lord" are probably the best. If they meet his wife then "Lady Midwood" would be the only appropriate form of address.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Not until you knight him, make him a judge sitting in court, and then promote him to Admiral of the Fleet.



"His Lordship, the Right Honourable Admiral Sir George Lord Sandhill, 12th Baron of Underwood, 6th Count of Redcastle."

Depending on who you are, you can address him as:

Your Honour
Your Grace
My Lord
Admiral Sandhill
Sir George
Lord Sandhill
Baron Underwood
or
Count Redcastle

...did I miss any?

Well, to add to the fun... it was not all that uncommon in a feudal society for a vassal to owe fealty to several monarchs, so he might be Baron Underwood of Anglia, Count Redcastle of Franconia.... But wait! There's more - a knighthood could be bestowd by the church as easily as by a lord, and that adds yet another level to the web of duties and privileges.

And the two countries in our own world's Europe that were most likely to have dual titles were also the two countries that went to war against each other more often than any other - England and France, which made shifting loyalties a quagmire.

Then you could toss in the Polish tradition of electing their monarchs from the nobility, not necessarily the Polish nobility (the Knight Protector of England once turned down the job), and you can have a real mess. (Polish nobilty was a mess in any event - all the sons of a noble got a portion of the lands and title, which fractured the not overly large nation within four generations....)

The Auld Grump