Results 1 to 4 of 4
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    the Sielwode
    Posts
    42
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Does anyone know how far back "Blood History" takes you? Several generations back (fixed number, variable?)? Back to the Battle of Mount Deismaar? Back to the beginning of the line (before or after the aforementioned Battle)? Back to the creation of the world (of which we have precious little information)? What if blood is invested/divested/stolen outside the family? Will the recipient remember the original family or his/her own? Does one remember both sides of the family? Does one remember both sides of both sides of his family? Is there a maximum number of people whose memory can be carried by one person?

    What would you, as DM, do if, when confronted with a dilemma or trouble, a player asks: "And none of my ancestors ever encountered a similar problem? Ever?" wanting you to give him the answer, I mean there's a reasonable limit to how many times a DM can say: "This is a problem that has never ever arisen to any of your many ancestors, who cover half the noble lines in Anuire and some in Brechtur"...

  2. #2
    Birthright Developer irdeggman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Virginia Beach, Virginia
    Posts
    3,945
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Are you playing 2nd ed or 3/3.5? It matters.

    The 2nd ed description doesn't give a limit as to what can be learned (it is up to the DM) nor how far back it goes. The concept I'd use is of direct bloodline here. Follow the family's bloodline and not the ones of interrelated marraige - it is not all relatives. That is the stronger one so if it followed the maternal side that is the side to follow.

    In 2nd ed there were no real mechanics for how to ejudicate this, it was soely up to the DM to figure out. Basically it was designed to give the player's hints about infor they were stumped on getting - not a tool to bypass research. Again, by interpretation.

    In the BRCS this was basically handled by making it similar to bardic lore, which has its own set of rules and guildelines - but gives a consistent way of application and information that can be gleamed.
    Duane Eggert

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    New Haven, CT
    Posts
    231
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    I always handled Blood History as something that would allow you to trace back through all your blooded ancestors up to the point of conception of the next generation. If you wanted to spend the time to dig through the genetic memories, you could go all the way back to Deismaar.

    However, I had a nice problem associated with it. Anyone familiar with Dune will know that Saint Alia of the Knife has her personality subverted by her strongwilled ancestor, Baron Harkonnen. I would allow the same thing to happen.

    Here's the rules that I used:

    1. Every year back you went required 1 round of concentration. This was a general fast scan, allowing you only to know what year it is, no other info. When you reached a branch (ie, birth of an ancestor) you had to choose which branch to follow. No time is required for this, but as DM I had to determine a chain of ancestors so I would know if the player followed the right path to reach the memory.

    2. If you wanted to dig into a year for more information, I rolled a d12 to find out what month you "landed" in. It took 1 round of concentration per month fast scanned to get to the month you wanted.

    3. It took 1 round/week to dig through the month to find the appropriate week, and then 1 round/day to find the right day.

    4. Finally, once you were in the day, memory time was just live time in your head. I'd roll 2d12 to find out the hour you landed in, and you would live in the memories, no fast scanning allowed. If you landed in an hour after the event you wanted, you had to go back to the week and find the day again.

    Now for the penalty! You got your Wis score in free rounds with which to scan. So a character with a 12 Wis could scan through memories for 12 rounds with no problem. Recent memories would be fairly easy to access.

    After you used up the free rounds, you start making saving throws. Each additional round after the free, the player had to make a saving throw vs. paralysis. Failure resulted in a temporary loss of 1 point Wis. Future saving throws would be affected by temporarily lost Wis. If Wis dropped to 0, I had another saving throw, this time vs. Death. If this one failed, you became possessed by an ancestor. If you made it, you simply fell unconcious until your Wis was restored to full at the normal recover rates. So yes, a person could be out for a LONG time. If you were possessed by the ancestor, it may not be obvious. I used standard rules on possession.

    I hope this helps!

    Benjamin

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Posts
    60
    Downloads
    8
    Uploads
    0
    I put it similair to instinct. After all its in your blood not your head... information is 'hard-coded' into your blood only when you have the ability. So it goes back as far as the family had the ability (should one or two or ten generations not have it the memories skip back to those times when they did). it works similair to the human thought process... the more powerful or common the particular experience is the easier it is to access (more paths lead to it) whereas whether great grandpappy salted or peppered his eggs on spring I, 22 MR, day 27 would likely not be remembered (unless he was poisoned, hehehe) should userpation occur the usserper gain tiny fragments of the victims past and (if thusly gained the ability) start thier own famlily history at the moment of acension. if bloodtheft occurs all memories go with it. Its not glamorus or fantasy but it is logical. It is also very restrictive.

    really Bejamins idea sounds better for most playing styles. i would add that as you dig through these genetic memories you'd best not try to go before Deismarr.... just imagine.... and if any of azrai's blooded were to have blood history.............

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
BIRTHRIGHT, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, the BIRTHRIGHT logo, and the D&D logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used by permission. ©2002-2010 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.