[BIRTHRIGHT] -3 Bloodline Questions + a Vos no

[Bearcat]

>1) A a child is born to parents who have the following bloodlines;
> Father Andurias Minor Strength 30
> Mother Reynir Major Strength 20
>The child is definitely going to be Andurias with a strength of 25 but will
>it be a Major line or a minor line ? The rules do not say but imo do imply
>the latter somewhat.

I would think that the child would be Reynir minor 25

>2) How does a minor line become major if simply getting a greater bloodscore
>does not do it ?

It can't. You cannot increase your bloodline power. This is one of
the reasons why it is so important to make sure you marry well-blooded
individuals.

>4) As a long term proposition there is nothing to stop a line from becoming
>a line of Champions for one of the new Gods. As such they would become a
>"True" line wouldn't they ?

True lines belong only to those individuals who were champions of
the old gods but didn't rise to godhood itself.

[Tripp]

James Donald Lail wrote:

> 3) It occurrs to me that the Vos are much more Cossack than they are
> "Muscovite" Russian.

I've always pictured them as the Primitive Rus.

However, we've had players that played them more Cimmerian[excuse the
spelling], more of a Conan type.

Tripp

[Sythryc]

#1 actually the line would be reynir major 25 in my opinion, unless i have
misinterpreted something in the rulebook.

#2 it could be the result of a quest or perhaps and arcane spell long
forgotten, or the affect of a relic

#3 - -

#4 as long as all members survive (or die without bequeathing their 'blood')
then your statement is true

All of this is my understanding of the rules, but then again the rules are
supposed to be flexible and as such are guidelines.

[Jan Arnoldus]

At 13:29 24-01-98 -0500, you wrote:
>1) A a child is born to parents who have the following bloodlines;
> Father Andurias Minor Strength 30
> Mother Reynir Major Strength 20
>The child is definitely going to be Andurias with a strength of 25 but will
>it be a Major line or a minor line ? The rules do not say but imo do imply
>the latter somewhat.
The rules indeed say that the child will be Anduiras 25 and not Reynir 25 as
Sythric wrote. The derivation being dependant on the parent with the highest
bloodlinescore, and the bloodlinescore being the average of both parents.
The bloodline strength would be the highest of the parents in my opinion.
The idea being that bloodline strength is a representation of the deeds of
the previous generations. The child would be seen to have all those
ancestors from a major line and therefore be deemed to have a major line as
well.

>2) How does a minor line become major if simply getting a greater bloodscore
>does not do it ?
As I see it a line changes in bloodline strength because of heroic actions
or enormous gaffes that are committed by the persons. A major line ruling 10
provinces which manages to lose 78 of those provinces over one or two
generations would be seen as in decline and would start being reffered to as
minor. In contrast when they manage to extend their grasp and come to rule
say twenty provinces in the same time frame people might start to refer to
them as being a great line.
This process can obviously include other things such as Awnsheghslaying,
Intrafamilyassassinations, etc. you name it.
The first four categories of bloodline strength are just indications of the
status the line has in society. This is why it is so difficult to raise it
just raising the bloodline strength is not enough. A PC might be able to
perform such feats but the result would most likely be that only his
offspring would be seen as coming from a higher bloodstrength, with the PC
being the effector of this change.

>4) As a long term proposition there is nothing to stop a line from becoming
>a line of Champions for one of the new Gods. As such they would become a
>"True" line wouldn't they ?
This is the last category of bloodline strength and the one most difficult
to run.
A true line must come from the chosen champion of the god who must have
survived Deismaar.
What you are asking is would it be possible that a new true line comes into
existence.
Well in view of what I said before it must be obvious that at a certain
point in time a line could migrate to the topmost position in the
Greatcategory of its derivation. This meaning that it is the best know and
most famous bloodline of that derivation.
When there is a crisis involving the direct intervention of a god and this
god is in need of a chqampion, he might go looking on Cerillia for a worthy
hero. Where would he go looking but in top of the bloodline connected with
his predecessor. When the hero survives the next adventure yes he might be
accorded true status.
One problem in this might be that the great bloodline of i.e. Anduiras is at
the moment leading the theocracy of Cariele & Dhoesone in the faith of Erik.
At this point the god will be looking elsewhere.
This is the problem of religious incompatibility, because a character has a
certain derivation doesn't mean that he will believ in the god/religion
connected with this religion.

Hope this helps Jan Arnoldus

[dragon]

Bearcat wrote:

> >2) How does a minor line become major if simply getting a greater bloodscore
> >does not do it ?
>
> It can't. You cannot increase your bloodline power. This is one of
> the reasons why it is so important to make sure you marry well-blooded
> individuals.
>

I would let one of my player's increase his bloodine power through great acts and
deeds (as someone else mentioned). It would definetly be hard work though.

> >4) As a long term proposition there is nothing to stop a line from becoming
> >a line of Champions for one of the new Gods. As such they would become a
> >"True" line wouldn't they ?
>
> True lines belong only to those individuals who were champions of
> the old gods but didn't rise to godhood itself.

Agreed. The highest bloodline normally obatinable by someone who wasn't actually
present at Deismaar (or their direct descendants of course) would be Great,
although if someone was able to get one of the "owner's" of these True bloodlines
to be involved in an investiture ceremony in which the entire True bloodline was
transferred to a PC (a fairly hypothetical situation, i know :)), I would maybe
think about letting that PC actually gain a True bloodline.

Dragon
- --
email: dragon@uq.net.au
Website: Dragon's Lair (http://www.uq.net.au/~zzphodge)
ICQ: 2863795

[Bryan Ruther]

Dragon wrote:

> Bearcat wrote:
>
> > >2) How does a minor line become major if simply getting a greater bloodscore
> > >does not do it ?
> >
> > It can't. You cannot increase your bloodline power. This is one of
> > the reasons why it is so important to make sure you marry well-blooded
> > individuals.
> >
>
> I would let one of my player's increase his bloodine power through great acts and
> deeds (as someone else mentioned). It would definetly be hard work though.

I had considered this problem also. After much consideration (much more than was
needed, as it has not occured in my campaign yet) I decided that it would be possible
to increase the bloodline strength of a character in the following way.

1) The hopeful character already has a bloodline score higher than the maximum for
his current blood strength (i.e. a character with a tainted bloodline with a
bloodline score of 17 or higher).
2) The character actively seeks a way to increase his bloodline strength.
3) The character undergoes a special investiture ceremony where he must spend RP
equal to TWICE his bloodscore.
4) The player makes a face, grimacing and hopes that the investiture is successful.

Bryan
- --
Mankind being originally equals in the order of creation,
the equality could only be destroyed by some subsequent
circumstance...
Thomas Paine, Common Sense

[KAI BESTE]

> 1) A a child is born to parents who have the following bloodlines;
> Father Andurias Minor Strength 30
> Mother Reynir Major Strength 20
> The child is definitely going to be Andurias with a strength of 25 but will
> it be a Major line or a minor line ? The rules do not say but imo do imply
> the latter somewhat.

It may not be official, but I'd rule the child gets Reynir, major 25.
This is because the Reynir bloodline runs stronger (*major* strength
as opposed to just having a few more blood points)

> 2) How does a minor line become major if simply getting a greater bloodscore
> does not do it ?

Hmm...it'll probably take something truly heroic, or wise and
competent rule over *generations*.

> 3) It occurrs to me that the Vos are much more Cossack than they are
> "Muscovite" Russian.

There could be a point for either one. Maybe some of them are more
civilized than others. Any experts on Russia on the list?

> 4) As a long term proposition there is nothing to stop a line from becoming
> a line of Champions for one of the new Gods. As such they would become a
> "True" line wouldn't they ?

Hmm...maybe. But only if the line was great to begin with. And then
the bloodline and the "sponsor" god have to be similar (such as
Anduiras bloodline and Haelyn's champion...)

just my 2GB

Kai