Birthright [Bloodstrength]

[Jan P. M. Arnoldus]

I've tried to send this message before but it seems to have gone astray.
I wondered if anybody would care to comment on these thougts about
bloodstrength and procreation.

I've just started DMing an Birthright Campaign and I still have some
questions about bloodstrength.
What I would like to know is how does bloodstrength get passed on to
children? With this I do not mean the simple
Strchild=(Strfather+Strmother)/2 formula that is given in the rulebook.
I am talking about the question why a lot of the big evil Awnsheglien
don't already have a bloodstrength of 200+. In my view a truly evil
Awnsheg could charm a minor blooded male character and have him perform
as a stud. When the babies are born the Awnsheh would just kill them and
voila extra strength.
I think that in my own campaign I'll probably rule that most of those
truly evil Awnshehlien who would be interested in these practices are
infertile themselves and that there has to be some true feelings of
"love" between both partners to create a blooded child.
This means that a character who is charmed wouldn't pass on his
bloodline. It also has some ramifications in truly diplomatical marriages
between regents of course.

But this got me thinking about the moment when a character gets his
bloodstrength. Does the bloodstrength manifaests itself at birth or does
the unborn child already have it.
If the unborn child has it, it opens up al kind of nasty plotlines.
( Remember the tighmaevril knitting needles our famous elven smith made
for his wife, what would happen if they were used in an abortion.)

Another question on the matter of bloodstrength is the additional effect
of sielshegh gems. As I read the book I take it to mean that only a
character of the right bloodline for the gem recieves the extra
bloodstrength points. Is this correct? I wonder as this is the only time
a characters derivation has an impact on the bloodstrength.
(The sielshegh stones also offer nice plotlines. One of my players is
going to unknowingly come into contact with one of them. Them he's going
to transport himself to the other end of the world using his additional
travel ability, which will disappear after the 24 hours are over.)


Greetings Jan Arnoldus 080768ja@student.eur.nl
************************************************** ***********************
Let the arm of the Lord of the Dawn shelter us from the Dark, and the
great sword of justice defend us. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds
of time.
(Charal Drianaan te Calamon, the Cycle of the Dragon)

[Sean Brown]

From what I understand, most bloodline (hereditary) power usually
manifest themselves around adolescence (10-13). No this isn't out of
the rule books, but it is something I gleaned from the novels. This
is not to say that an exceptionally strong bloodline may not manifest
earlier.

And as for the sielshegh, they are specific for each bloodline. The
stones for one bloodline won't work for someone of a different
lineage

Sean