Post by Father on Jan 4, 2017 13:58:16 GMT 1
Status is the general ability to command the respect and authority given by one's birth and position, though King's, Princes, Great Lords and the members of the small council can have 7+ ranks, a great many of them do not, because like everything else, 7 ranks in an ability is exceedingly rare, most "cheat" by picking up the High Station benefit.
While a character are in no way required to assign XP to status, their birth/position imposes a limit upon how many ranks they may purchase with XP, however, any character may buy up to one rank above this limit. However, for every rank above their current limit, characters suffers -1D to status tests (it is also possible that high status as afforded by a position on the small council is much lower than what is allowed if one ceases to hold it, thus imposing multiple penalty dice).
As abstract as status may be, there are two important aspects to it:
1. The ability to compel a character of 3 or more ranks lower than you through simple intrigue, while still limited to short-term effects, allows you to make a single persuasion test against the intrigue defense of your chosen target with none of the associated risks of true intrigue.
2. Any character with a status rank of 3 or more has the right to call witnesses to his defense should he be accused of wrongdoing, they may also demand trial by combat (as might the accusing party, note however that a lord might choose against allowing charges to be brought forward, also observe that most lords of the Reach will only accept chivalrous knights as eligible champions, the accuser/accused can ordinarily fight without having spurs though.). While technically, this right is tied to maximum status 3 rather than actual status, rank 3 signifies the point where your reputation and/or allies is such that no lord can safely have your head removed at a whim without risking to be charged with murder. A king can of course, do as he likes, but even a king might risk rebellion or assassination. Note that maesters, septons and septa's does not actually have such rights, but the Citadel and the faith are not without power.
The limits are as follows (more will be added as needed):
1. Smallfolk of all sorts and stripes.
2. Important members in a household, Hedge Knights*, notable merchants and masters of a craft, noble bastards.
3. Knights and their immediate family, members of lesser branches of a noble house. Septons or Septas with rank of authority**.
4. Landed Knights, immediate family of lords, Maesters, members of lesser branches of great houses. Knights holding esteemed positions at Great Houses.
5. Lords, immediate family of lords paramount, Archmaesters, Great Bastards***. Knights holding esteemed positions in direct service to the King. The Most Devout.
6. Lords of particularly prestigious houses.
7. Lords Paramount, members of the small council, wardens of south, east, west and north, the High Septon.
8. Hand of the King, members of the Royal family.
9. The King's Regent, the heir apparent to the Iron Throne.
10. King of the seven kingdoms.
*Hedge Knights gets lumped in here because in many cases, their knighthood is unverified, and sort of assumed to be unworthy if they cannot find a lord to take their service. PC level Knights Errants of proven quality is another matter entirely, though they are often given the honor of being treated as guests by most lords.
**Heads of septry's and motherhouses qualifies, as does septons in charge of a sept of sufficient size or import (it need not be very large if the lord frequently attends the sermons), in certain cases, such as the septon at Highgarden and the one at Starkwood (because of the ridicuously huge sept there) it can be 4.
***Must take the relevant benefit, all NPC Great Bastards do.
While a character are in no way required to assign XP to status, their birth/position imposes a limit upon how many ranks they may purchase with XP, however, any character may buy up to one rank above this limit. However, for every rank above their current limit, characters suffers -1D to status tests (it is also possible that high status as afforded by a position on the small council is much lower than what is allowed if one ceases to hold it, thus imposing multiple penalty dice).
As abstract as status may be, there are two important aspects to it:
1. The ability to compel a character of 3 or more ranks lower than you through simple intrigue, while still limited to short-term effects, allows you to make a single persuasion test against the intrigue defense of your chosen target with none of the associated risks of true intrigue.
2. Any character with a status rank of 3 or more has the right to call witnesses to his defense should he be accused of wrongdoing, they may also demand trial by combat (as might the accusing party, note however that a lord might choose against allowing charges to be brought forward, also observe that most lords of the Reach will only accept chivalrous knights as eligible champions, the accuser/accused can ordinarily fight without having spurs though.). While technically, this right is tied to maximum status 3 rather than actual status, rank 3 signifies the point where your reputation and/or allies is such that no lord can safely have your head removed at a whim without risking to be charged with murder. A king can of course, do as he likes, but even a king might risk rebellion or assassination. Note that maesters, septons and septa's does not actually have such rights, but the Citadel and the faith are not without power.
The limits are as follows (more will be added as needed):
1. Smallfolk of all sorts and stripes.
2. Important members in a household, Hedge Knights*, notable merchants and masters of a craft, noble bastards.
3. Knights and their immediate family, members of lesser branches of a noble house. Septons or Septas with rank of authority**.
4. Landed Knights, immediate family of lords, Maesters, members of lesser branches of great houses. Knights holding esteemed positions at Great Houses.
5. Lords, immediate family of lords paramount, Archmaesters, Great Bastards***. Knights holding esteemed positions in direct service to the King. The Most Devout.
6. Lords of particularly prestigious houses.
7. Lords Paramount, members of the small council, wardens of south, east, west and north, the High Septon.
8. Hand of the King, members of the Royal family.
9. The King's Regent, the heir apparent to the Iron Throne.
10. King of the seven kingdoms.
*Hedge Knights gets lumped in here because in many cases, their knighthood is unverified, and sort of assumed to be unworthy if they cannot find a lord to take their service. PC level Knights Errants of proven quality is another matter entirely, though they are often given the honor of being treated as guests by most lords.
**Heads of septry's and motherhouses qualifies, as does septons in charge of a sept of sufficient size or import (it need not be very large if the lord frequently attends the sermons), in certain cases, such as the septon at Highgarden and the one at Starkwood (because of the ridicuously huge sept there) it can be 4.
***Must take the relevant benefit, all NPC Great Bastards do.