Lineage
A hero doesn't just blink into existence the moment you fill out a character sheet — she came from somewhere. For most characters, that means a family: a mother and father, who in turn had their own, stretching back into the past. Some lineages are complex — adoption, sorcerer bloodlines, reincarnation — but the idea of family is still important beyond immediate blood ties. Whatever form it takes, lineage has a profound effect on the character's life, story, and role in the campaign.
Developing Your Family
Determine the size and composition of the character's family — chosen arbitrarily or generated randomly. One character's family might be a single parent; another might belong to a large clan or noble house. The player should have final say over size and nature; the GM intervenes only when a desired family would disrupt the campaign or provide an unfair advantage. The GM should also avoid introducing new family members after the campaign begins unless story circumstances demand it.
Parents, siblings, spouse, children, live-in relatives
Anyone who played a direct role in raising the character, or whom the character is now raising. Usually very loyal — starting attitude helpful. It should be difficult to permanently worsen these relationships, barring exceptionally heinous acts. Greatest obligations flow here: when times are hard, the character may be expected to spend time or money helping them.
Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, in-laws
Less central to the character's upbringing, but still part of the story. Larger and more diverse than immediate family, but also less willing or able to help in difficulty. Starting attitude typically friendly, though a few may be helpful, indifferent, or even hostile. Fewer obligations, but they may still expect occasional favors.
Loose relations, shared surname only
Only loosely related, with no strong emotional bond. Most numerous and diverse group — useful in a wide variety of situations, though the character can't rely on them too directly or too often. Starting attitude indifferent (a family-oriented relative might be friendly). Few expectations in return, but they generally take the character's side against outsiders.
Complicated and Dysfunctional Families
Not all families get along. Past trauma, abuse, neglect, political rifts, religious differences, or simple personality clashes can turn what should be healthy relationships toxic. Such family members begin with a worse attitude — usually unfriendly at worst, though hostile is possible in extreme cases.
Whether the character initially gets along with his family is the player's choice. Once the campaign begins, it's the GM's responsibility to control these relatives and track how their attitudes shift. A character who acts against the family's interests, repeatedly fails obligations, or behaves contrary to the family's ethics should expect relationships to sour. Handle this delicately — turning a character's family against him seriously alters his place in the campaign. Most families are forgiving; only the most egregious acts should have a permanent effect.
Family Values
A true family is more than a collection of NPCs with the same surname. Families have traditions, shared folklore, and values that set them apart. When developing the character's family, consider what makes it unique:
- Famous (or infamous) ancestors — proud stories or hushed secrets?
- Special naming traditions or an unusual patron deity?
- Songs, sayings, or a family motto?
- Members with notorious reputations?
- Values the family holds dear — and behaviors it condemns?
- What do the elders tell, versus what do younger members whisper?
- Heirlooms with stories attached?
- Trade, craft, or profession the family is known for?
Including Families in the Game
The family's role can be a background element that fleshes out a character concept, or a pivotal force in the campaign's story. Creating a family establishes an emotional connection to the setting. The GM should encourage this by giving the family some measure of in-game significance — otherwise the investment is purely cosmetic and fails to generate story.
Placing too much emphasis on one character's family gives that player undue influence. Unless the whole party is connected to the same family, the other players may feel underrepresented. Watch for families that grant too much power — a character disliked by a powerful relative, or whose family is weeks of travel away, satisfies the flavor without distorting play.
Support and Obligation
Most families can offer simple mundane aid: a meal, clean clothes, a roof, a few extra hands. Beyond that, support depends on the family's skills — artisan families can craft non-magical equipment or lend tools; musician families can broker introductions to noble patrons.
Family members should never fight the PC's battles. However, a family member taken as a Leadership cohort follows normal cohort rules. Use NPC Boons (favor and skill boons) as a clean mechanical framework for the family's ongoing assistance — usually from immediate family only, and only as often as the GM deems appropriate.
Help doesn't come free. The character is expected to assist the family when problems arise. Primarily small favors — a Diplomacy check to help a niece enroll in an academy, a small loan to help a brother start a business.
Favors should play to the character's strengths and come with tangible return (library access, a trade discount) so the obligation feels rewarding rather than punishing. These interactions happen during downtime. Larger obligations naturally become short side quests — but include plot hooks that engage the whole party, not just one player.
Inheritance
The GM may decide a character inherits something from a deceased relative. The item can be innocuous (a village farm, a city house), an adventurer's heirloom (a masterwork rapier, a ring of protection +1), or something cryptic (a glowing idol, a skull that whispers secrets).
Family Members as Foes
Villainous relatives are everywhere in fiction — and for good reason. Confronting a family member over bad politics, theft, or dangerous criminal acts carries dramatic tension, and the fallout can impact the whole family for generations. Use this as a plot device sparingly: turning relatives into villains is predictable and can focus the campaign too much on one player.
A more effective approach: plant seeds for shady family members that the GM can use or ignore. A cousin who fell in with horse thieves. An uncle who joined a cult. An eerie relative who departed to study necromancy. These NPCs may surface later as obvious foes or as morally ambiguous characters — after all, the adventuring PC may be the black sheep, the embarrassment nobody decent talks about at family gatherings.
Death in the Family
Famous Lineages
Deceased family members can have as strong an influence on the campaign as living ones. A character descended from an ancient line of kings, or born to an infamous thief, carries that weight — and the story possibilities that come with it. Rather than granting flat mechanical benefits or penalties based on ancestry, use legacy as a source of hooks, quests, and complications.