Saturday 15 October 2022

The why of noble families

A set of tables for figuring out the local rulers and what their deal is.

These nobles are (1d6):

  1. the last scions of a fading dynasty.
  2. a small and tight-knit crew.
  3. an extended clan of half-siblings, cousins and adoptees.
  4. multiple branches at odds over the family money and land.
  5. an obscure distant cousin and blood relatives who inherited from the main line.
  6. a recently-elevated fighter & family, trying to act respectable.

Their family head is (1d6):

  1. a stolid warrior, experienced in war and administration.
  2. a second son who inherited when his brother died. Possibly mad.
  3. a disciplinarian grandmother who rules her descendants with an iron fist.
  4. a scheming uncle, always looking for ways to increase his family's fortunes, and therefore, his.
  5. a weak-willed figurehead with a cunning spouse whispering evil plans to them.
  6. a brash and impatient hunter who prefers entertainment over business.

Their realm is mostly (1d6):

  1. farmland.
  2. riverland.
  3. forest. 
  4. rocky.
  5. marshy.
  6. mixed (roll twice).

It sometimes suffers from (1d6):

  1. drought.
  2. flooding.
  3. heatwaves.
  4. freezing winters.
  5. crop blight.
  6. plague.

Their income is from (1d6):

  1. collecting rent.
  2. investment and moneylending.
  3. mining on family land.
  4. timber and sawyering.
  5. charging tolls on a trade route.
  6. sources they don't talk about.

A notable family accomplishment is (1d6):

  1. victory in a historic battle.
  2. victory in an honour duel.
  3. ridding the district of a dangerous monster.
  4. cultivating a new wine grape.
  5. pacifying a warlike people.
  6. draining a swamp to create arable land.

A family misfortune is (1d6):

  1. madness in the bloodline.
  2. no suitable heirs.
  3. a rivalry with another noble family.
  4. a debt to a supernatural creature.
  5. declining finances.
  6. a generational curse.

An advantage they have is (1d6):

  1. an alliance by marriage to a more powerful family.
  2. a sturdy and well-provisioned keep.
  3. a busy trade route through their land.
  4. a local religion which venerates their ancestors.
  5. a powerful knight sworn to them.
  6. a wise and loyal advisor.

Their current biggest problem is (1d6):

  1. unrest among the peasants.
  2. evil cults gaining a foothold in their territory.
  3. monsters killing people at night.
  4. banditry.
  5. a dismal prophecy.
  6. omens and portents.

In their lands, adventurers are (1d6):

  1. expelled.
  2. barely tolerated.
  3. watched, but allowed to work.
  4. ignored for the most part.
  5. encouraged.
  6. celebrated.

Click here to randomly generate:


(Thanks to Spwack of the Slight Adjustments blog for the generator code.)

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