Work on an upcoming fantasy setting has me thinking about nobles. There are a few noble houses I want to flesh out, and since I’m on an Inspiration Pad Pro kick, I thought a set of carefully crafted random tables was in order.
I’ve incorporated a few assumptions into these tables (which is code for “I reduced the scope so I could meet my deadline”). Specifically, these tables assume a quasi-feudal environment, so they may require some adjustment for your campaign. That said, here’s the basis I’m working from:
- Nobles are landowning aristocracy and direct vassals to the king
- The “King” is whoever runs the country, probably in an “absolute rule” sort of way
- Nobles have their own vassals, to which they parcel out their land
- Consequently, nobles represent the only possible check against the king’s power
The tables below suggest a noble house’s background, from which you can glean its role in the campaign. You’ll still need to fill in some details of your own as (and when) you need them (e.g., house names and details about prominent members). You’ll also do well to come up with a coat of arms for each house—the campaign detail is worth the effort, and Inkwell Ideas Coat of Arms Design Studio is a fast and free tool.
Other than that, these tables should get you started. For each noble house, roll for Head of Household, Alignment, Influence, Holdings, Family Size, Recent Activity, Current Ambition, and Closet Skeletons.
Head of Household
The house’s patriarch (4/6) or matriarch (2/6), who ultimately directs or approves any activity that impacts the family’s status and fortune. Roll for general age category and corresponding personality:
Roll 1d6 twice:
1: Young (d6: 1 naive; 2 bold; 3 confident; 4 fearful; 5 rash; 6 arrogant)
2-4: Middle-aged (d6: 1 calculating; 2 assertive; 3 savvy; 4 cautious; 5 aggressive; 6 bullying)
5-6: Old (d6: 1 cunning; 2 demanding; 3 prudent; 4 subtle; 5 detached ; 6 domineering)
Alignment
The noble house’s default approach toward achieving its goals; exceptions amongst individual family members may (and in fact, are likely, to) occur.
Roll 1d6:
1-2: Lawful
3-5: Neutral
6: Chaotic
Influence
An aggregate measure of power, wealth, and prestige. Influence is helpful when approaching the king, dealing with other nobles, and leaning on vassals. In game terms, think of this as “What are the chances of the family achieving its goals?”. Use this to gauge the success of the noble’s plots, plans, and acquisitions. If you want to quantify influence for specific in-game ventures or your own OCD, roll 1d6 every time the noble wants to do something major (see “Current Ambitions,” below). If the result is less than their original Influence roll below, they push through on their plans.
Roll 1d6:
1: Nil
2: Scant
3: Marginal
4: Average
5: Significant
6: Considerable
Holdings
A noble’s real estate is their holding. Roll 1d6 on the table below to see how much land the noble owns; the number in parenthesis indicates how many 5-mile hexes are under the noble’s control (note that some or most of these hexes are unsettled wilderness). Assuming the feudal model is in use, the noble holds these lands in fief from the king, and has probably subinfeudated portions of it to vassals of their own.
Roll 1d6:
1-2: Modest (1d10 hexes)
3-5: Appreciable (1d10+10 hexes)
6: Extensive: (1d10+20 hexes)
Family Size
The number of relatives who can lay claim to the noble house’s resources. These are all relatives—not just immediate family. You can use this value in two ways. First, whenever you create an important NPC, check the size of noble families—it may make sense to squeeze them in as a relative (known or unknown). Second, whenever the noble needs a favour or has to draw on a connection, they’ll probably try relations before strangers—the bigger the family, the more resources they have to pick from. Whatever you do, don’t try to detail (or even identify) every family member straight away. Instead, add relatives as you need them, up to the number indicated below.
Roll 1d6:
1-2: Small (2d6)
3-5: Medium (2d6+6)
6: Huge (2d6+12)
Recent Activity
These are noteworthy events in the family’s recent history that happen by circumstance (i.e., the noble doesn’t specifically set out to achieve them, like “Current Ambitions” below). Use these to put a name behind important campaign events, or to justify a family’s current outlook (e.g., Lady Merrywhite is bitterly opposed to continued skirmishes in the north because she lost all her sons in the last border war). Players can use this info as a conversation starter the next time they find themselves at court. Not all houses are active, and the chance-in-six that you’ll roll on this table is based on family size (Small: 1/6, Medium: 2/6, Huge: 4/6).
Roll 1d20 (+1d6 as needed):
1: Favoured by the king (d6: 1-2 staunch loyalty; 3-4 the Midas touch; 5-6 shrewd politicking)
2: Achieved overwhelming military victory
3: Achieved Pyrrhic military victory
4: Supported a new vassal
5: Driven out/slain marauding monster
6: Returned after adventuring expedition to (d6: 1-3 local wilderness; 4-5 king’s wilderness; 6 foreign country)
7: Captured (d6: 1-3 outlaws; 4 spies; 5 marauding monster; 6 humanoid rabble)
8: Brokered diplomatic agreement on king’s behalf (d6: 1-3 trade agreement; 4-5 mutual defence pact; 6 truce)
9: Discovered valuable commodity (d6: 1-2 precious metal; 3-5 industrial material; 6 gemstones)
10: Birth in the family
11: Death in the family (d6: 1-2 natural causes; 3-4 battle; 5 accident 6 questionable circumstances)
12: Wilderness within fief is plagued by (d6: 1-2 outlaws; 3-4 wandering monster; 5 refugees; 6 humanoid band)
13: Family member ransomed by (d6: 1-2 foreign enemy; 3-4 outlaws; 5 humanoids; 6 unknown kidnapper)
14: Participated in a duel (d6: 1-2 won; 3-4 lost; 5-6 draw)
15: Afflicted by plague
16: Adventuring family member(s) presumed lost or dead
17: Losing money as a result of (d6: 1 stolen heirloom; 2-3 bad business; 4 raiders; 5 rival noble; 6 freak accident)
18: Vassal settlement endangered by (d6: 1 attack; 2-3 plague; 4-5 low food supply; 6 bandits)
19: Suffered military defeat
20: Snubbed by king for (d6: 1-2 poor military performance; 3-4 late rents; 5-6 causing trouble at court)
Current Ambition
This is the noble’s (current) pet project. For plot purposes, it’s their primary goal, though there could be multiple motivations (e.g., money, power, favour, prestige, etc.). The noble will set about to achieve this goal will all possible haste, using all available resources. Make sure to temper roll results with the noble’s alignment (e.g., a Lawful noble will not marry for nefarious purposes of their own, but they might be the unwitting pawn in another noble’s game).
Roll 1d12 (+1d6 as needed):
1: Support the king’s top priority plan (d6: 1-2 expansion; 3 warfare; 4-5 diplomacy; 6 rooting out dissidents)
2: Advance the (d6: 1 church; 2-3 pet construction project; 4 local commodities; 5 military; 6 population size)
3: Acquire more land (d6: 1-2 strategic location; 3-5 valuable resource; 6 special feature)
4: Dispose of (d6: 1-2 another noble; 3 non-secular official; 4 military officer; 5 high-level bureaucrat; 6 powerful adventurer)
5: Marry into a particular family for (d6: 1 wealth; 2 love; 3-4 political advantage; 5 lust; 6 nefarious purposes)
6: Bring about (d6: 1-2 political; 3-4 economic; 5 religious; 6 judicial) reform
7: Take a bite out of crime
8: Build fortification (d6: 1-2 defensive wall; 3-4 tower; 5 keep; 6 castle)
9: Establish a new settlement
10: Build infrastructure (d6: 1-2 road; 3 bridge; 4 watch tower; 5 signal beacon; 6 folly)
11: Clear stain on family name
12: Make a name for the family via (d6: 1-2 adventuring/exploring; 3-4 amassing wealth; 5 military conquest; 6 political influence)
Closet Skeleton
Bumps on the road to power are the heads you have to step on to get there. These are some dirty family secrets held by one or more members of the noble house. These issues may be common knowledge within the family, but they are carefully hidden from outsiders for fear of financial or political fallout. Not all houses have skeletons, and the chance-in-six that you’ll roll on this table is based on family alignment (Lawful: 1/6, Neutral: 2/6, Chaotic: 4/6), depending on how aristocrats roll in your campaign.
Roll 1d12 (+1d6 as needed):
1: None (outwardly, things seem a little too perfect…)
2: Engaged in treasonous activity with (d6: 1 independent actor; 2-3 official body; 4-5 foreign power; 6 dissident element)
3: Perpetrated and covered up a capital crime (e.g., murder, rape, arson)
4: Under the enchantment of a (d6: 1-3 cursed item; 4 spell caster; 5 demon; 6 demanding immortal)
5 fey creature; 6 geas (or similar spell))
5: Manipulates the system to avoid military service
6: Supports a band of (d6: 1-3 outlaws; 4 humanoids; 5 organised thieves; 6 dangerous mercenaries)
7: Withholds the king’s fees to (d6: 1-2 amass personal hoard; 3-4 divert funds; 5 cover gambling debts; 6 pay an extortionist)
8: Sideline poacher (d6: 1-2 fish & game; 3-5 natural resource; 6 valuable commodity)
9: Afflicted with lycanthropy (or similar disease)
10: Family history of mental illness
11: Member of (d6: 1-2 death cult; 3-4 outlawed profession (e.g. sorcerer); 5-6 seditious faction)
12: Addicted to (d6: 1-3 legal or widely available intoxicant; 4 committing crimes; 5 material possessions; 6 exotic drug)
Final Words
Noble houses probably do not assume a direct role in the campaign, so I’m not much interested in their stats or family trees. But nobles do have agendas, based on all kinds of motivations, and these are the bits that—as patrons, employers, foes, or allies—can influence the party’s activities. This makes them useful pieces of setting background for all kinds of campaigns. If your group is all about exploring, use nobles to sponsor PC forays; if your campaign is about urban intrigue, use nobles to drive plot; if your campaign is about dominion, use nobles as peers to help or hinder the PCs’ plans for conquest. Either way, give the tables above a few shakes and see what kind of nobles end up populating your setting.
Very nice. Though I think there should be a tired/resigned entry for the old heads of noble household.
@Sean Holland : Thanks for reading. The thought occurred to me, but I figured that any noble who had led his household until old age would want to maintain some level of power until he kicked over (q.v., the Elder Bruce in Braveheart), if for no other reason than to mentor the successor. If the suggestion is to indicate a noble who’s no longer interested in being the head of the household, I’d recommend adding a “Closet Skeleton” that implies abdication.
For some reason, these Random articles always remind me of the tables in the 1E DMG. That’s probably a compliment, as it’s one of my favorite RPG books.
Randomness is a funny thing. It’s terribly useful when you don’t have a starting point and need some sort of inspirational nudge, yet terribly annoying when you do have a plan into which the random elements refuse to fit. When in need of a noble, I see myself rolling many of these and selecting one from the bunch that seems appropriate to the campaign, or perhaps rolling several in advance just for that purpose. (If Inspiration Pad Pro can automate that process, that’s a huge bonus.)
The remaining problem is the same one that afflicted the 1E DMG tables — lack of restraint in their usage. There just isn’t a table system large and complicated enough to generate something resembling realism, so if you rely too heavily on tables you end up with a sort of cartoon universe. Inevitably, some unreasonable percentage of the people walking down the street will have a dark past, or lycanthropy, etc. To combat this issue, one really needs to make many, many uninteresting characters in strict defiance of the tables.
In this particular case, that means some nobles that lack one or more of the color features, namely “recent activity”, “current ambition”, and/or “closet skeleton”. The suggestion is not to play with the probability of the tables themselves, rather to assume that there are many more less-colorful characters in the universe that need not be sketched out in great detail and omit certain parts.
Great stuff, Erin! You are:
1 Excellent
2 A great help for GMs
3 Cruel to certain nobles
4 An egg sandwich
5 Super for using IPP
6 Roll again twice
@deimos3428 : Yup – it’s easy to get results that rapidly spin out of control (like 42% of your houses populated by were-nobles). Like you, I use these as idea starters, with the goal of pointing me in a good direction when I don’t already have one of my own. I like to see what the rolls give me; if something starts to form, I’ll pick through it and tweak.
That said, I could see adjusting the chance of checking the Activity, Ambition, and Skeleton tables – that might make the IPP results more palatable with less manual effort. Watch this spot for an update.
@Johnn : I keep rolling 6’s…
@Sean Holland : Including “tired/resigned” as an Old personality trait is making more and more sense. Curse you, Sean, for planting this kernel in my head…
In the meantime, I replaced “reckless” with “detached,” which I think is what you’re after?
First of all, I love tables.
Secondly, these tables are awesome. Thanks for making them available.
-Tourq
Maybe I should translate these too …
@Benjamin : Be my guest, Benjamin. Let me know if there’s anything you need from me.
(Small: 1/6, Medium: 2/6, Large: 4/6).
Roll on this table based on family alignment (Lawful: 1/6, Neutral: 2/6, Chaotic: 4/6), depending on how aristocrats roll in your campaign.
how do you roll this there has been some confusion with some people they say to roll it 4 times for every 6 family members and that really just doesn’t seem right to me
@Riser : You’re right: the numbers indicate the chance that you’ll roll on a certain table. For example, there is a 2-in-6 chance that a Medium-sized family rolls on the Recent Activity table, or there is a 1-in-6 chance that a Lawful family rolls on the Closet Skeleton table.
Inspiration Pad Pro link is outdate. I’ve pasted the new link into website field in this form 🙂
@studiogeearch – Good catch. Link is fixed above. Thanks!
For the holdings, what does the (1d10_10 hexes) mean? 1d10 + 10?
Hi Jess – Yes, should be 1d10+10 and fixed this above – thanks for pointing that typo out!
I ran an entire year-long campaign about politicking and cooperation between noble houses using these tables as a starting point and the game came out wonderful! thank you!
That’s excellent – glad these were so helpful!