NPC Parents of PC's - Ages are tricky?

[Trevis]

I have a PC who's chosen one of the opposite side relationships to be his mother, who was the mistress of the former ruler of the planet. She is not a FON. Here's the problem, the character in question is at least 50 (he's a 7LP character.) To get the ages right I'd almost have to make a 9 or 10 LP NPC. She could hardly have had him any earlier than maybe 13 years old? And that's kind of pushing it, though appropriate for a "middle ages" game I suppose.

What would you do? Less LP's and fudge the age numbers?

[kksimons]

I have a PC who's chosen one of the opposite side relationships to be his mother, who was the mistress of the former ruler of the planet. She is not a FON. Here's the problem, the character in question is at least 50 (he's a 7LP character.) To get the ages right I'd almost have to make a 9 or 10 LP NPC. She could hardly have had him any earlier than maybe 13 years old? And that's kind of pushing it, though appropriate for a "middle ages" game I suppose.

What would you do? Less LP's and fudge the age numbers?

If she's not a FON why are bothering to burn her? If the need arises just assign a number arbitrarily based on what you (or the player who's mom it is) thinks it she be, a belief if necessary or perhaps an instinct. Just assign as needed I would suggest, give her 4s in everything if it suits her - maybe I'm just lazy but I wouldn't give her a full burn if she's not a FON

[Verax]

This sounds like BE (which I don't possess), but does it have a "Repeating Lifepaths" rule similar to p. 36 of the Character Burner?

[luke]

The Law of Diminishing Returns is on page 102.

[Rafe]

Also, keep in mind that someone with 4 lifepaths has pretty much just "completed" the fourth, so to speak. That doesn't mean a NPC can't have four lifepaths and be 40, 50 or 80 years old.

[Trevis]

http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?9576-NPC-Parents-of-PC-s-Ages-are-tricky

Posted in the wrong place before


I have a PC who's chosen one of the opposite side relationships to be his mother, who was the mistress of the former ruler of the planet. She is not a FON. Here's the problem, the character in question is at least 50 (he's a 7LP character.) To get the ages right I'd almost have to make a 9 or 10 LP NPC. She could hardly have had him any earlier than maybe 13 years old? And that's kind of pushing it, though appropriate for a "middle ages" game I suppose.

What would you do? Less LP's and fudge the age numbers?


Also my understanding was that any relationships of the players needed to be fully burned up.

[Trevis]

That's what I get for trying to post after the third drink. I restarted the thread in the BE forum.

http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?9579-NPC-Parents-of-PC-s-Ages-are-Tricky

[stormsweeper]

Don't have my book at hand, but pretty sure only "second in charge" relationships require a full burn.

[Trevis]

Hmmm. It seems my mind constructed something that wasn't there? Wouldn't be the first time. I can't find it in the book.

All relationship characters don't have to be burned? And I suppose if I did burn them that the repeating LP rules would keep it from being too unweildy. Though the opening of p626 suggests that PC relationships would be full burns.

[Aramis]

If you want to burn her, remembering the repeating of lifepaths; probably repeated at least one 2-8 times; perhaps another one 2-3 times.

So, looking at age 80... and, say, Noble Lady...
Born to Rule 8y (08) R 2 (02) C 1 (1) SP 5 TP 1 St -
Cœptir _____ 5y (13) R 1 (03) C 0 (1) SP 4 TP 1 St P
Companion __ 8y (21) R 1 (04) C 1 (2) SP 7 TP 2 St M
Lady _______ 7y (28) R 2 (06) C 2 (4) SP 8 TP 1 St M <- 1st child probably born during this one.
Lady 2 _____ 7y (35)R 2 (08) C 2 (6) SP 8 TP 0 St M
Lady 3 _____ 7y (42)R 1 (09) C 0 (6) SP 4 TP 0St - <- firstborn might be out of the house by now
Lady 4 _____ 7y (49) R 1 (10) C 0 (6) SP 0 TP 0St - <- firsborn probably out of the house.
Lady 5 _____ 7y (55) R 1 (11) C 0 (6) SP 0 TP 0 St -
Lady 6 _____ 7y (61) R 1 (12) C 0 (6) SP 0 TP 0 St -
Lady 7 _____ 7y (67) R 1 (13) C 0 (6) SP 0 TP 0 St -
Lady 8 _____ 7y (73) R 1 (14) C 0 (6) SP 0 TP 0 St -
Lady 9 _____ 7y (79) R 1 (15) C 0 (6) SP 0 TP 0 St -


3 mental stat points, 1 physical stat point, 5 general skill points, 31 career skill points, 6 circles points, 5 trait points (one required to be spent on Mark of Privilege), and maybe as many as 15 resource points.

Nothing too scary; really about 5.5 careers power-wise. While not in the rules as such, it's pretty much true that the 3rd trip on a given LP entry is mechanically just shy of half a LP, and the 4th and later are pretty much worthless except for building resources.

My initial thought was to move to courtier instead of lady 6 (kids are gone, now doing new stuff as hubby becomes ruler-type)

Courtier ___ 6y (60) R 1 (12) C 2 (08) SP 8 TP 2 St -
Courtier 2 _ 6y (66) R 1 (13) C 2 (10) SP 8 TP 2 St -
Courtier 3 _ 6y (72) R 0 (13) C 0 (10) SP 4 TP 0 St -
Courtier 4 _ 6y (78) R 0 (13) C 0 (10) SP 0 TP 0 St -
Courtier 5 _ 6y (78) R 0 (13) C 0 (10) SP 0 TP 0 St -

She now jumps to 3 mental stat points, 1 physical stat point, 5 general skill points, 51 career skill points, 10 circles points, 9 trait points (three required to be spent on Mark of Privilege, Fop, and Rapier Wit), and maybe as many as 13 resource points.
About a 7-8 career equivalent.

If you feel she's too powerful, charge an extra point or two for her as a full-burn with that many LP.

Now, if she moves to courtier earlier, she's actually nerfed more, since Courtier is worthless after the 3rd trip through.

[Trevis]

You're right. That makes sense. I guess my rpg brain was avoiding the repeating LP and thinking the power level involved seemed....extreme. Should be thinking fiction first. Makes more sense that way.

Thanks.