JohnB's Games

Be aware that Noble Families are always involved in politics, and you will get sucked into this at some point. The closer you are to the head of the family - the more likely you are to get sucked in. Unless you make a very good case, it will be a minor noble family, tweaked to fit my world. If you want to be heavily Noble, you can use two or more of the techniques listed below to have links with more than one noble family. However, we work out the details later - so that we get a noble family that suits you and fits my game.

Before it gets complicated - if you want a distant (fluffy) connection with a minor aristocratic family, that adds to your character back-history and gives you some minor RP possibilities but doesn't really add any crunchiness - talk to the DM. This probably won't let you use a Nobiliary Particle in your name, but it gives you something to RP, if that is what you want to do.

These three options make you closer to the head of the family, and associated with a noble/aristocratic environment. You will have been brought up in an environment associated with Nobles. You will have lived in a decent house and there will have been a few servants - although some of them might be Military Auxiliaries or low ranking members of a church. However, you will still have spent part of your young life mixing with nobles and the aristocracy.

One of your parents might run one of the family farms, a family merchant house, a military keep or even an Abbey or Minster. You will have been in contact with your wealthier relatives regularly enough to know them and will have spent time with their children. You understand the Noble / Aristocratic life and think it is fairly normal.

• Trait: Noble - You are associated with a Noble Family in the area, but are more than two generations from the Head of Family.
• Trait: Noble in Exile - You are associated with a Noble Family from out of the area, but are more than two generations from the Head of Family.
• Trait: Lesser Noble - Your family still has the trappings of Nobility, but has no real power.

In all of these cases you would be entitled to us a Nobiliary Particle in your name as described here.

These two options mean that, somehow, you had a Noble upbringing. You lived in castle, palace, cathedral or something similar. There will have been many servants, and you will have mixed with nobles and aristocrats for most of your early life. You will have has tutors, and may have been sent to a finishing school of some sort. That might be Military, religious, academic, bardic … the specifics depends on the background we agree between us. It will probably be a major part of your character's persona.

You can be within one or two generations of the head of a Noble Family - a nephew, niece or first cousin - but with no chance of inheriting the title. If you choose a major family, you will be more distant, that if you are associated with a less well known family.

• NPC Class: Aristocrat - You may choose to start the game as an L1 Aristocrat.
• Feat: Noble Scion - You start the game with the Noble Scion feat, although you must meet the pre-requisites. You are within two generations of the Head of the Family and one of your parents is an aunt, uncle, niece or nephew of the Head of House.

In all of these cases you would be entitled to us a Nobiliary Particle in your name as described here.