View unanswered posts | View active topics * FAQ    * Search
* Login 




Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 35 posts ] 
PassionateShadow
 
PostPosted: Thu, May 14 2015, 20:28 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 06 Jun 2014

So- I was wondering-- what does it take to make a 'noble' character?

_________________
❤ Amia is Fun Again! ❤
#GreenisNotACreativeColour

Image
"It's easy to feel like a hero. It's a little harder to be one."


 
      
Kudark
 
PostPosted: Thu, May 14 2015, 20:58 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 14 Dec 2009
Location: The Dark Side of the Moon

A Request.

_________________
Image


 
      
PassionateShadow
 
PostPosted: Thu, May 14 2015, 22:14 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 06 Jun 2014

Kudark wrote:
A Request.

Yes but what's required for such a request?

_________________
❤ Amia is Fun Again! ❤
#GreenisNotACreativeColour

Image
"It's easy to feel like a hero. It's a little harder to be one."


 
      
serbiris
 
PostPosted: Thu, May 14 2015, 22:36 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 14 Sep 2010
Location: Sydney, Australia

Same as any other. ie, a demonstration of sound knowledge of the lore in which the character is based, a compelling but believable story, a good reason that the PC only works as nobility, a reason for them to be in Amia/Ruathym/vicinity and often a willingness to work with DMs to find the ideal family/line to work with that fits Amia.

_________________
@Thanatopsis#6293


 
      
PassionateShadow
 
PostPosted: Thu, May 14 2015, 23:12 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 06 Jun 2014

Okay so - I think I want to play a character who's a knight from Cormyr.
Perhaps soem one who served in the military for a while.

_________________
❤ Amia is Fun Again! ❤
#GreenisNotACreativeColour

Image
"It's easy to feel like a hero. It's a little harder to be one."


 
      
serbiris
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 5:08 AM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 14 Sep 2010
Location: Sydney, Australia

That sounds good (Bah, more Cormyrians? Ruathym is closer!). I would first recommend having an understanding of knighthood and what it entails (within Cormyr in particular). My Cormyrian lore isn't very strong but I know they are pretty big on nobility. In real life, the vast majority of knights are bred - you're born into a noble family, as high as a lord's kin (maybe even a king's but dont count on that), as low as a landless knight's. From a young age you're sent off as a page, running errands and observing court. Helping the squires with their duties. Then if you're lucky you'll wind up being called to squire for a knight, being their personal servant, carrying their stuff, minding their horse, their gear, fighting alongside. Most wind up as men-at-arms, so often a house's private army/guard or the king's professional soldiers. The term is a bit inexact but the distinction I make is that being knighted isn't a guarantee (though having a powerful or prestigious family helps. Those who stand out are dubbed by the sovereign or a representative, occasionally any high ranking noble. Some provisions typically exist for young commoners being sent to court as a page in hopes of a better life, or handpicked by a knight. But all this hinges on Cormyr and its own lore and customs. So yeah look into that or ask a player who does know.

It will be tricky to justify being knighted in Cormyr and then moving to Amia so probably make sure this is dealt with adequately in the request. Knights are expensive and important, sovereigns want them close or doing something important. Knight errantry is a fixture of fantasy so it can be done for sure, but don't bet on it without a good reason/story. Church knights are another, trickier matter, see info on the deity in question and the Orders that exist in theie name.

So yeah that's all a summary, definitely make sure you look into the research yourself and be prepared to show it in the request.

_________________
@Thanatopsis#6293


 
      
Kamina
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 7:57 AM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 05 Jul 2007
Location: Kent, England.

serbiris wrote:
That sounds good (Bah, more Cormyrians? Ruathym is closer!).

I think a lot of players prefer to base their nobles from Cormyr due to it being able to be used for more Homebrew families, whereas due to Ruathym being a main part of Amia, offers less Homebrew options by default.

I've had a concept for a while that would very much fit a Ruathym-based noble, do you have any links or advice on how to dig up lore on the area?

_________________
Image
"Operating in the border between light and darkness, shadowdancers
are nimble artists of deception. They are mysterious and
unknown, never completely trusted but always inducing wonder
when met"


 
      
TheGoddessOfAmazing©
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 8:15 AM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 20 Jan 2007

Kamina wrote:
serbiris wrote:
That sounds good (Bah, more Cormyrians? Ruathym is closer!).

I think a lot of players prefer to base their nobles from Cormyr due to it being able to be used for more Homebrew families, whereas due to Ruathym being a main part of Amia, offers less Homebrew options by default.

I've had a concept for a while that would very much fit a Ruathym-based noble, do you have any links or advice on how to dig up lore on the area?


I would dig through the Rauthym forums,theres a lot of good info there. I'd also not hesitate to just ask BoB. She's the reigning queen of Rauthym lore right now, and is fleshing out areas where it's lacking.

_________________
Image
Image
Image


 
      
TheGoddessOfAmazing©
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 8:23 AM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 20 Jan 2007

Also worth noting, since we are discussing noble characters...... DM please correct me if I'm wrong, or confirm that I am correct .....

It was recently communicated to me that someone was under the impression that you can have a noble background without request so long as you do not put a title in the character name. (not pointing fingers or specific incidents! :) )

This is very much not so. If you have a noble background, you absolutely must submit a request for DM approval. This helps the DM team keep the lore intact and consistent. Not pointing this out to be mean, or spoil anyone's fun. I would really feel bad for someone who put a lot of work and effort into a character only to not be able to play them anymore because they did not submit a request. Do yourself a favor, (whoever you are out there) and write a request. It can even be a lot of fun. I find that the noble PC requests I have written have only made me take the character more seriously and flesh them out to be more dynamic then they would have been otherwise. If anyone wants help with this application process, having had three noble characters approved in past, I am more then happy to help.

_________________
Image
Image
Image


 
      
serbiris
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 8:52 AM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 14 Sep 2010
Location: Sydney, Australia

Kamina wrote:
serbiris wrote:
That sounds good (Bah, more Cormyrians? Ruathym is closer!).

I think a lot of players prefer to base their nobles from Cormyr due to it being able to be used for more Homebrew families, whereas due to Ruathym being a main part of Amia, offers less Homebrew options by default.

I've had a concept for a while that would very much fit a Ruathym-based noble, do you have any links or advice on how to dig up lore on the area?


On Cormyr: That's true, although it ends up with a lot of names that when they come up both player and character are saying "...Who?" Which diminishes the impact of the character I feel. I mean at least when my Ruathym noble introduces himself and people say "Who?" I can respond IG "We're from near Wiltun (a location in game that everyone knows), we're allied with House Avadon (a faction people are generally well aware of)." Or I can point people to this thread where my PC's family has a small write-up: viewtopic.php?p=1215632#p1215632 I'm not saying it can't work, as PCs like Robert have been very successful by way of getting involved and becoming well-known through their actions and the distinction of their background, but most do just fade into the background.

On a Ruathym PC: Firstly, that's great! RP in the Ruathym area is rich and currently expanding, got great DM support and plenty of players especially those who can be around in your timezone. This is a really good time to get involved. Now yes, there is a lot more set homebrew lore, but that's something you can work with to your benefit. Firstly check the Ruathym timeline assembled by BoB (viewtopic.php?f=103&t=82027), which has plenty of history on Wiltun and a decent amount of peripheral history. Secondly the thread I linked earlier (here it is again: viewtopic.php?p=1215632#p1215632) has information on existing families, though mainly concentrated in the Ostland area. Still a good template, giving an idea of what's going on, who your neighbours are etc. Most of that was assembled by Ego, with whom I worked to establish my own PC. That is, I picked a family that didn't have much going for it (importance or story-wise), submitted some info for approval and we sorted something out from there. I don't know if that option will be available with BoB but I'd say there probably is room for it as there are plenty of noble families throughout Ruathym that have barely been mentioned if at all. That said, being connected with existing lore is the best way to get established and involved, so I would encourage you to work with BoB (as Maryn suggests) to find a suitable starting point, and I'm quite happy to work with you as well if you wish for the assistance. Probably gorgy would be as well, though I can't speak for him.

_________________
@Thanatopsis#6293


 
      
PassionateShadow
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 15:18 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 06 Jun 2014

I honestly don't know anything about Robert as a character and anything I've seen hasn't been much help for my notes on what a noble character is on Amia.


I've actually already opened research and testing for a knight character with Matthew and often he get's mistaken for a knight with how he acts and his back-story works rather well. I'd say I've had some good practice with the Cormyr Lore as well. I fully understand the roles and how things work from Page boy to
knight and I've researched Cormyrian lore quite a bit.

With current faction standings I find it hard to rp as most factions seem to be kinda... tight knit?

Perhaps it's not the factions them selves but the majority of character interactions I've run in to. It's rare I am able to find characters willing to rp and work with me, with out my character suddenly becoming the center of attention in a group of character I don't know all that well... When this occurs I get the feeling that suddenly I've become the center stage act for everyone's entertainment.

When a character shows up to help it's not fun to suddenly be berated, or asked the same question ten times over, as to why you are there although it's been answered quite a few times.

Ruathym is a great setting with a great friendly and helpful DM backing things there and I would love to participate but there's already a good deal of nobility involved and I've been trying to associate a different character there.


Let me try and Bullet what I think might be needed for a noble character as I've recently been told I put too much effort and work in to scripting my character requests.


*House / family background Appropriate for Lore setting and area of origin
*Detailed House information on characters that also live and exist in said house
*House Banner? AKA a Coat of Arms.
*Character history / background in a chronological 'Flow chart'
*Explanation and list of other characters (npcs) belonging to the house?
*Character Build Planned and reasoning

_________________
❤ Amia is Fun Again! ❤
#GreenisNotACreativeColour

Image
"It's easy to feel like a hero. It's a little harder to be one."


 
      
PassionateShadow
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 15:24 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 06 Jun 2014

One of my most favorite relation ship archetypes to play is Master / Apprentice, Guardian / charge type relations and I really enjoy playing the former roles the most. I would love to embody this sort of ideal with this character and I feel that is can be best achieved through these means. I get the feeling I'm already pretty good, or at least have a good understanding of how to portray such a character as folks often mistake one of my characters fro a noble or a knight already. If I were to make this character I would be-able to start them at lvl 30... I currently have enough dc's to do with with them...

I've been thinking about perma-ing Matthew already due to OOC reasons, and I feel this might be a good out let for this sort of role that I wish to play.

_________________
❤ Amia is Fun Again! ❤
#GreenisNotACreativeColour

Image
"It's easy to feel like a hero. It's a little harder to be one."


 
      
serbiris
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 21:57 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 14 Sep 2010
Location: Sydney, Australia

Well you should be aware that being mistaken for a knight or a noble is easy - certain sorts of armour will fool some people, not to mention the prevalence of holy orders and conflation between paladins and knights. Making the request and then roleplaying in a manner consistent to the request is another thing altogether.

A house banner is not essential depending on location, though you may certainly wish to describe one if not have one visually represented.

You left out in the list "reason for being in the Amia region" which is probably the most important one. Like you can have the best most compelling and believable background but if someone reads through and their thought is "Well why would they want to leave?" you can very quickly find yourself written into a corner.

In any case if you think you've got it down pat - head to the Requests forum and go for it.

Quote:
Ruathym is a great setting with a great friendly and helpful DM backing things there and I would love to participate but there's already a good deal of nobility involved and I've been trying to associate a different character there.


Well that's fair enough, plenty of other places to RP but bear in mind that nobles get a lot out of congregating with other nobles, which is why you see them being drawn to Kohl (and manufactured there as well). Plenty of good RP for them in Cordor too though, but maybe not fun for the character themselves :twisted:

Quote:
With current faction standings I find it hard to rp as most factions seem to be kinda... tight knit?

Perhaps it's not the factions them selves but the majority of character interactions I've run in to. It's rare I am able to find characters willing to rp and work with me, with out my character suddenly becoming the center of attention in a group of character I don't know all that well... When this occurs I get the feeling that suddenly I've become the center stage act for everyone's entertainment.

When a character shows up to help it's not fun to suddenly be berated, or asked the same question ten times over, as to why you are there although it's been answered quite a few times.


Can't really comment on this much as it's beyond the scope of the topic of this thread, but short answer I'm gonna say: IC is IC. I don't know how many times I hear about people who think they're being hedged out of RP OOCly when it's a case of bad reputation IC or rumours (true or no) or a group who just prefers to keep to themselves. I played probably one of the most polarising PCs on the server for a while, plenty of hate and plenty of closed doors, you just gotta roll with it and not take it personally.

_________________
@Thanatopsis#6293


 
      
PassionateShadow
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 22:01 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 06 Jun 2014

Not due to clothing-- rather due to how the character presents them self and behaves.

_________________
❤ Amia is Fun Again! ❤
#GreenisNotACreativeColour

Image
"It's easy to feel like a hero. It's a little harder to be one."


 
      
serbiris
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 22:24 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 14 Sep 2010
Location: Sydney, Australia

Doesn't matter, those are still superficial details. That's why it's called "putting on airs" - anyone can do it. Just as any noble can act in any other way they please. As well, it's normal for people to jump to conclusions with insufficient evidence. You'll get to the real meat of nobility in the request, and it should prepare you for all the roleplay you can expect to encounter relating to nobility.

_________________
@Thanatopsis#6293


 
      
Burningoutbright
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 22:24 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 17 Mar 2007
Location: Where the She-Devils roam

TheGoddessOfAmazing© wrote:
Also worth noting, since we are discussing noble characters...... DM please correct me if I'm wrong, or confirm that I am correct .....

It was recently communicated to me that someone was under the impression that you can have a noble background without request so long as you do not put a title in the character name. (not pointing fingers or specific incidents! :) )

This is very much not so. If you have a noble background, you absolutely must submit a request for DM approval. This helps the DM team keep the lore intact and consistent. Not pointing this out to be mean, or spoil anyone's fun. I would really feel bad for someone who put a lot of work and effort into a character only to not be able to play them anymore because they did not submit a request. Do yourself a favor, (whoever you are out there) and write a request. It can even be a lot of fun. I find that the noble PC requests I have written have only made me take the character more seriously and flesh them out to be more dynamic then they would have been otherwise. If anyone wants help with this application process, having had three noble characters approved in past, I am more then happy to help.


This is correct. If you have nobility in your background (ex-nobility, current nobility, etc) it needs to be requested even if you do not think it is relevant.

And yes, I am very happy to work with people on Ruathym noble houses and so on.

_________________
Image
"The world takes and takes, even things that aren't offered. Finally, it gave us something back; I wish he was here to share it with me."


 
      
666WaysToHell
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 15 2015, 22:40 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 22 Nov 2010
Location: Western Australia

You can also be ennobled through your PCs actions, though it takes great amounts of dedication. It took me 4-5 years before Jacia was knighted by Kohlingen and then become a minor noble house through that Knighthood. There's no difference between how she was before and after the fact, I just think it was more for formality than the honour. :lol:

_________________
Aoth Nathandem - Wizard of house Tholaunt and chosen of Ma'at.


 
      
Overneath
 
PostPosted: Sat, May 16 2015, 17:59 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 08 Nov 2013
Location: Somewhere near the Atlantic (I hope)

What defines a 'noble' character? Does the lineage have to consider itself noble? Or is a given amount of power enough? Does previously belonging to any kind of faction count? If your father owned land, is that noble, or would he have had to run a country?

With so many societies and their presentations in available lore, it seems almost impossible to categorize this unless you go out of your way to broadcast that your character is ignoble. In mulhorand, clerics as essentially treated as a ruling class, but I don't have to make a request for that, do I? On the other side, if I'm a wandering or deposed ex-squire who happens to have vague family ties to the Cormyran royalty, I have to make a request.

Is this simply a matter of Roleplaying influence, in that you only need to make a request if you plan to go somewhere with it, or does the hammer come down on you if you happen to be related to Ordamorn, the King of Swiss Cheese?

What about deposed houses? If your lineage goes back to some lord that was ousted and forgotten, do you need to request that, or is it just a source of angst? Or, again, does it depend on the circumstances?

_________________
Contents subject to change without warning, reason, necessity, or logical imperative.


 
      
Richard_Edmund
 
PostPosted: Sat, May 16 2015, 18:07 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 23 Sep 2012
Location: Western Australia (+8 GMT)

It will be a case-by-case basis. If you have an idea, throw it around with a DM and they'll let you know if you need a request or not. It's sometimes better to not throw a blanket ruling over something with so many variations and exceptions.

_________________
Elwyn Sabel - Laura Jarshall - Mordoc Ebonhand

Discord: Bhaalorian#5715


 
      
TheGoddessOfAmazing©
 
PostPosted: Sat, May 16 2015, 19:51 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 20 Jan 2007

Overneath wrote:
What defines a 'noble' character? Does the lineage have to consider itself noble? Or is a given amount of power enough? Does previously belonging to any kind of faction count? If your father owned land, is that noble, or would he have had to run a country?

With so many societies and their presentations in available lore, it seems almost impossible to categorize this unless you go out of your way to broadcast that your character is ignoble. In mulhorand, clerics as essentially treated as a ruling class, but I don't have to make a request for that, do I? On the other side, if I'm a wandering or deposed ex-squire who happens to have vague family ties to the Cormyran royalty, I have to make a request.

Is this simply a matter of Roleplaying influence, in that you only need to make a request if you plan to go somewhere with it, or does the hammer come down on you if you happen to be related to Ordamorn, the King of Swiss Cheese?

What about deposed houses? If your lineage goes back to some lord that was ousted and forgotten, do you need to request that, or is it just a source of angst? Or, again, does it depend on the circumstances?


Nobility is actually typically very clear cut defined and easy to point out. For example, a family can be very wealthy, but not noble. Sum of gold does not a title make. If you plan on having any sort of nobility in the background, whether or not they are alive, dead, ousted, previous, whatever, you need a request. Bottom line, if your character, or anyone in their family background has official noble title, you need a request. Relation to canon factions are case by case, your best bet is to ask a DM. I hope that made it more clear. :)

_________________
Image
Image
Image


 
      
The Great Equalizer
 
PostPosted: Sat, May 16 2015, 20:03 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada

The rules for nobles were put in place primarily as a way to prevent any player and their mother from simply making up a noble of a house and then claiming they should have lots of IC support for things because of that background. The "noble" request stuff was really only in to prevent people from doing things like playing the nephew of the Lord of Waterdeep or another roll that entails actual IC power and responsibility.

On the other hand a "noble" that was a 4th son of the sister of the ruling lord of a smallish area of rural farms than they really never did require a request. Now presently it seems that the rules are tighter on this in no small part due to the heavily "noble" focused stuff that came with increased focus on places like Wiltun/Kohlingen.

Personally not a big fan of the current setup of requiring requests for virtually all nobles, simply because unless it relates to a noble house that is represented in game or the player wants some special considerations from being a noble then it shouldn't matter if they have nobility since they aren't asking for anything from it. Further it looks like the only thing that the request format has done is create MORE "SIR" "LADY" characters with claims to having in game power since the process doesn't look like its been very effective at curbing creation of those types but rather just encourages them to create IMPORTANT NOBLES! since the request already is being required and on top of that more likely than not focusing on Ruathym since it then also virtually ensures DM attention.



So back on point, you should probably request it given the current rules, but keep in mind that the less you want FROM a request the easier it generally is to get approval(Ideally).


Last edited by The Great Equalizer on Sat, May 16 2015, 20:06 PM, edited 1 time in total.

 
      
Pony
 
PostPosted: Sat, May 16 2015, 20:03 PM 



Player

Joined: 07 May 2005

Your choice primarily depends on what you are looking for in your character.

Robert is cormathan, because of two primary reasons. One, it made his noble heritage absolutely insignificant for Amia. The name of his bloodline did not grant him advantages so far from his home. The Sword Coast is already too distant to be of great interest to Cormyr (or vice versa), let alone the backwater isles off it's shores that Amia features. With that, my character had no beneficial contacts or resources available to him from his background. That simplified a lot for me, and I did not need to rely on DMs for anything related to his background.

The second reason is because the culture of Cormyr fit the character best on many levels.

These two aspects allowed me to play a character with a noble upbringing and a rich history, without it being in play on Amia. Roberts influence as a noble on Amia was based on storyline accomplishments that earned him additional titles of relevance to Amia and connections to PCs and NPCs.

The downside of foreign nobility, is that you need to come up with a story that keeps him away. Depending on the culture he is from, that could be easier or harder. With cormathan nobility, it is harder imo.



As for what defines nobility, that really depends on regional culture. Mulhorands nobility is very different to that of Halruua. The nobility of Evermeet is very different to that of Ruathym. The Ruathym nobility is very different to that in Cormyr.

Things like sigils, house mottos or titles are just fluff. A character allows you to dive into a world and experience an unfolding story that is personally interesting to you. On Amia, a very popular and almost exclusive theme is the noble that either starts as a man of the people or becomes one, and hence shuns the aristocratic expectations and behavior common in states like Waterdeep or Neverwinter.

Those are the things that matter more in creating your character. You research the culture that seems interesting to you, and think about the role of the type of character you want to play.

That particular theme never interested me much personally. With Robert, I wanted to explore a character that was in bondage to the weight of his families name and history, and the expectations that came with it; as well as the duties and obligations of his station of his culture. Someone who exceeded at it in his youth and had found joy, love and purpose in service to his homeland. A character who due to great personal tragedy and injustice lost everything, and was left wandering foreign lands - and the standards he was raised on since his birth are the last connection he has to his family and homeland. In no small part, to see if the tribulations upon these strange shores and his loss of his homeland could break him. I enjoy seeing my characters suffer. :wink:

That being just one of the several things I wanted to explore with the character. I was also interested to try to immerse myself in a character with a very different mentality than my own, who believes in the aristocratic ways and feudal system to try to see what made him tick.


 
      
Pony
 
PostPosted: Sat, May 16 2015, 20:19 PM 



Player

Joined: 07 May 2005

Oh, and if you go with Cormyr, read up the lore. Valo's Guide to Cormyr (2nd edition) is a good starting point. Cormyr Trilogy if you really want to get into it by reading novels. If your noble is warrior based look into the "Purple Dragon Knights", and if he is arcane based the "War Wizards".

The big obstacle with a cormathan nobility background is that cormyte nobility does not really leave Cormyr unless they need to flee as criminals, are outcast for some reason or are given a specific task in service of the crown. Cormyr is incredibly patriotic, and after the events of the Goblin War, so many of the nobility died that basically every nobleman is needed to keep the homeland safe. They also have so many threats to it, that basically any cormyte noble adventuring type character has no reason to leave the land.

As was pointed out above, cormyte characters with a knight of war wizard background would also be incredibly expensive and needed assets for the country. They are an investment, and their continued service is what helps pay that investment off. A page trains from six to eleven, a squire from eleven to twenty one, and a knight from there on. If the canditate gets knighted. Fifteen years worth of education, training and equipment.

With Robert, his wife died on the childbed and his father-in-law blamed him for it. His father-in-law being a Truesilver (one of the royal families) Robert was basically "voluntarily" outcast in order to spare his family the wrath of their feudal superiors. That after ten years of failing to die during the military appointments he was given. So he had a strong "disfavored and outcast" background.


Hope it helps!


 
      
Lutra
 
PostPosted: Sat, May 16 2015, 21:12 PM 



Player

Joined: 12 Feb 2008

What Pony said. You can also read into the nobility stuff in the Power of Faerún, a 3.5 sourcebook, which explains the system.

Nobility is different in every region, like in RL. Medieval nobility is different than nobility of the ancient Rome. The most common nobility is obviously a Feudal nobility systems what you can see in the case regional nobility of Amia or the Elven one in Winya. It is definitely harder to understand than in RL, because the various cultures over Faerun exited in a different era in RL, so here they simply coexist.

I will only highlight the feudal ones as RL history and the lore from Power of Faerun describes it. Hope it will help you coming up with a concept.

What makes you a noble?

You are a noble because you inherited or earned it from a liege lord whom you or the senior memeber of the family sworn an oath of fealty. In medieval Europe when the nobility emerged as a form of a "citizenship", while the rest of the population remained "subjects" of the crown, except the one with other privileges, such as the "free cities" directly under control the king.

When you are a noble person, you are only noble at the country where your oath of fealty (or the relevant comparison) is sworn. If you are a noble from Cormyr or Sembia the local court herald will recognize you and you might receive a certain amount of respect but it does not grant you any privileges. Or you can see the Cordorian nobles in Kohlingen who are being respected and tolerated as nobles, but in truth, they are nobody anymore as their liege lord, the Duke, doesn't want to be anyone anymore.

Nobility also has rankings from the ruler, down to the so called "landed Knight", who is barely a noble.


"Feudal Chain" aka how far can the nobility get in one country:

You swear and Oath of Fealty to a liege lord (senior) and thus you become his vassal. Now in certain cases, as you can see that in the case of Ser Bob Cormyte nobleman, he is a vassal of the Cormyte Throne becomes a Senior as well by having his own bannermen. That is the what some of the historians call the Feudal Chain and you can find it in medieval France of the feudal shield system of the early stages of the Holy Roman empire.

There are cases, such as England after the conquest of William 1066, where there can be only one Senior and his vassals are not allowed to become seniors themselves, since he pretty much wanted to prevent the decentralization what occurred in the post-Frank France.

"Feudal Web" AKA nobility goes cross-border

In most cases, during the medieval European history nobility couldn't remain in one country. That was mostly due to the ever-changing borders or the dynastic marriages.

An example: Burgundy, after the the splitting the Frank Empire in the treaty of Verdun in 844 AD, it had become an independent Central Frank Kingdom, which inherited the imperial crown under a person, known as Lothar. The CFK soon found itself contested between the Eastern (later known as the Holy Roman Empire) and the Western (later known as France) Frank successor kingdoms and eventually it fell under the rule of France and the HRE.
But what happened with the ruling house? On the French side the ruler of Burgundy had become the Duke of Burgundy and as such, he soon earned a senior noble status and the rank of the "pair" (royal elector in medieval France). On the HRE side, he held the status of the Baron of Burgundy, where he soon became an Imperial elector of the HRE. After various attempts to win its independence the greater noble status of the Lords of Burgundy had been dismantled.

Another example: the King of England, after William's conquest also held the Duchy of Normandy. That made William and his successor The King of England (AKA a sovereign ruler of a country) and the Duke of Normandy (The Vassal of the French King, a sovereign ruler of a different country). Later during the marriage with the Plantagenet dinasty it also made the King of England the Duke of Aquitania.
What is the problem with this? You would say nothing, but if feels uncool as a ruler sovereign country to swear an oath of fealty to another one. Which eventually lead to the "100 year war".


Amian example:
I'll bring you Ser Bob again. He has a dual nobility in both Cormyr and Cordor. He simply made an Oath of Fealty to the Duches, as his brother was the senior member of the House Caris. After his brother died he inherited the House Caris and kept his title as a vassal of the Duchy (in exile)

_________________
Lord Hector Sylgerand Image
Glendil Fettian, the black bard Image


 
      
AzureLuna
 
PostPosted: Sat, May 16 2015, 23:29 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 26 Jul 2010

Pony wrote:
Oh, and if you go with Cormyr, read up the lore. Valo's Guide to Cormyr (2nd edition) is a good starting point. Cormyr Trilogy if you really want to get into it by reading novels. If your noble is warrior based look into the "Purple Dragon Knights", and if he is arcane based the "War Wizards".

The big obstacle with a cormathan nobility background is that cormyte nobility does not really leave Cormyr unless they need to flee as criminals, are outcast for some reason..


SHHHHHH..... good lord, giving away all of the secrets!

But really, if you're going Cormyr, his advice is absolutely solid. READ THE NOVELS BEFORE COOKING A CHARACTER CONCEPT. You will be so much better off for it! The novels aren't that long and they do an excellent job of conveying the history and feel of the country. The stories are also very intertwined with nobility and the evolution of the royal family. Also, take care with the Amian timeline because some things were shifted around a bit for the purpose of staying in the 3.5 version of FR.

I am very biased, but I would say that it is one of the more rigorous backgrounds to play because there IS so much established lore and history to it.

_________________
Image



 
      
Lutra
 
PostPosted: Mon, May 18 2015, 5:01 AM 



Player

Joined: 12 Feb 2008

Pony wrote:
The big obstacle with a cormathan nobility background is that cormyte nobility does not really leave Cormyr unless they need to flee as criminals, are outcast for some reason..


They might probably leave if they are second or third sons of a noble house too, since in those cases, they wouldn't inherit anything.

_________________
Lord Hector Sylgerand Image
Glendil Fettian, the black bard Image


 
      
Elorathall
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 29 2015, 14:43 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 13 Mar 2011

Shameless advertising.

If there's still interest in playing a noble, and you'd like to play a noble native to Kohlingen, I'd suggest keeping an eye on this request. If and when it is approved, I do intend to expand to include other players.

_________________
Aernoud Van Brabant: Heir of the House. Proprietor of the Beer Wagon.
"Go to the Mayfields, have a pint, and wait for this to blow over."

Aurelius: Sunmaster of Amaunator. Contemplative. Aspirant to Transcendance.
"Sol Invictus"


 
      
davis114
 
PostPosted: Fri, May 29 2015, 15:10 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 16 Dec 2007

Still a big fan of that character, Elorathall. Especially with all the goodness that's happening in the Ruathym region.

_________________
Image

MoshingChris wrote:
Dude makes like a drunk even when he's sober.


 
      
joe15552
 
PostPosted: Fri, Jun 12 2015, 22:55 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 05 Nov 2006
Location: Atlanta, GA

Although, if you make a Drow, you have to make a request NOT to be a noble.


 
      
Dark Immolation
 
PostPosted: Thu, Jul 23 2015, 5:58 AM 

User avatar

Tester

Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Location: The downeaster "Alexa"

That's incorrect. Very incorrect. You can have a non-noble Drow without a request. It's just often assumed that if you're playing a UD drow, you'll be part of a house anyway, but there is nothing stopping a player from not being a part of one.

Edit: My apologies. Hidden as it may be, that seems to be our most recent ruling?

_________________
Image
You think Magic is your ally... but you merely adopted the Art. He was born in it. Molded by it.
Sometimes, an angel is simply a devil with better intentions.


Last edited by Dark Immolation on Thu, Jul 23 2015, 6:45 AM, edited 1 time in total.

 
      
Genar_Detkasa
 
PostPosted: Thu, Jul 23 2015, 6:04 AM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 22 Sep 2006
Location: Melbourne, Australia [GMT +10]

To the contrary....!

_________________
Image

NWN Account Name: KnightProtector


 
      
Dark Immolation
 
PostPosted: Thu, Jul 23 2015, 6:08 AM 

User avatar

Tester

Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Location: The downeaster "Alexa"

Well that's news. A change of policy that big should really be in the Subraces section along with all the other "must be requested" stuff if people are expected to know that. Hell, that announcement wasn't even stickied.

Edit: Ah, it's buried in the "Drow Links Compiled" section, but that really should be more visible. O.o What is that supposed to mean for non-UD or UD Drow based in Underport or L'Obsul?

_________________
Image
You think Magic is your ally... but you merely adopted the Art. He was born in it. Molded by it.
Sometimes, an angel is simply a devil with better intentions.


 
      
Drakos_Vek
 
PostPosted: Mon, Jul 27 2015, 14:09 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 22 Sep 2006

I've had Drakos for around 10 years now...

And I have never role-played him as a noble <_<

_________________
Kerath Zau'tar - Underdark commander and thief - Scheming and lurking.

Derryn de'Drenise - Watcher of Helm - Scolder of witches and wizards


 
      
Rigela
 
PostPosted: Mon, Jul 27 2015, 14:41 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Location: Grimy Old England

Those of us who played dirty common rabble were grandfathered in I'm fairly sure.

_________________
Image
Signature by Maryn! <3 I am also seen as DM Snuffles.


 
      
The Great Equalizer
 
PostPosted: Mon, Jul 27 2015, 15:19 PM 

User avatar

Player

Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada

The Drow "Nobility" thing was all entirely ridiculous especially since almost any Drow PC attains the equivalent status of at least a minor noble almost immediately (both in mechanical terms and generally in RP terms).If something was needed then it really should have just extended the old slave PC rules out to encompass permanently low level Drow as both those are rarely played and it achieves the same goals without restricting character options needlessly.
The only real upside for the Amia Drow Nobility rules is that they define all PC Drow as "Noble Drow" which (if you want to get technical) is important as to things like faerie fire.


 
      
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 35 posts ] 


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group