Hello everybody :)

So I've been reviewing Pendragon for a while and I'm excited about starting a game of it. I got a couple weeks to get my character ready although we did some preliminary rolls. My character is Galerus and he's Roman. Using the BoKL I randomly rolled that he is the fourth son of an equite of an aristocrat family from London (he's still a knight - rich uncle or whatever sponsored his training).

I'm not sure if I understand his position right...I get that, as a fourth son, his general wealth level is decreased. I'm confused if he, or his family, holds land. I'm assuming no because that's the purview of the possible roll, freeholding equite. So does his father count as a household knight and therefore net the -3 on the family wealth roll, or is 'equite' something...separate...from 'household knight'? Would that just cancel out the +3 from being an urban aristocrat? How big of a deal would it be for the family's eldest son, Galerus' older brother, to marry a wife whose dowry comes with a manor?

Also, in looking over the Roman luck items, I notice an arm-ring of chastity which grants a +3 to chaste. Galerus' chaste/lustful is 10/10; if he had this item would it change to 13/7 or would the item modifier only affect the left score and make it an effective 13/10?

My character is Galerus and he's Roman. Using the BoKL I randomly rolled that he is the fourth son of an equite of an aristocrat family from London (he's still a knight - rich uncle or whatever sponsored his training).

I'm not sure if I understand his position right...I get that, as a fourth son, his general wealth level is decreased. I'm confused if he, or his family, holds land. I'm assuming no because that's the purview of the possible roll, freeholding equite.

Not exactly.
Pages 36-37 explain the equites types
Roman "knights" are a bit different, in that they work for their larger family, which collectively holds the lands, businesses and so on
All non-freeholding (i.e. allodial) equites are the equivalent of household knights


So does his father count as a household knight and therefore net the -3 on the family wealth roll, or is 'equite' something...separate...from 'household knight'? Would that just cancel out the +3 from being an urban aristocrat?

I'd just give him the +3 for being urban


How big of a deal would it be for the family's eldest son, Galerus' older brother, to marry a wife whose dowry comes with a manor?

Getting land is always a big deal
Do you mean is it appropriate?
Yes
Then however the older brother has conflicting loyalties--to his city/family, and his liege lord. Since he cannot get married without his family's consent anyway, they will try to make sure he gets control. Somehow.


Also, in looking over the Roman luck items, I notice an arm-ring of chastity which grants a +3 to chaste. Galerus' chaste/lustful is 10/10; if he had this item would it change to 13/7 or would the item modifier only affect the left score and make it an effective 13/10?


13/7

Wow, thank you! That was very quick and thorough.

So, generally, his family (like his deceased father) have owned land as a Roman equite? Who then, if anyone, counts as the 'vassal knight' of the family? I guess what I'm trying to figure out at this point is how Galerus might make use of Book of the Manor :P He wouldn't be the one 'in charge' of handling the land, right? It'd be the higher ups in his family - his elder brothers, uncles, cousins and whatnot...


Since he cannot get married without his family's consent anyway, they will try to make sure he gets control. Somehow.

Do you mean his family will make sure Galerus' family becomes the land's liege versus the lord whose domain the property falls under?

Wow, thank you! That was very quick and thorough.

I guess I made up for it with this response :(


So, generally, his family (like his deceased father) have owned

Just wanna check here: by "have owned" you mean "own property"


and as a Roman equite? Who then, if anyone, counts as the 'vassal knight' of the family?

A Senator of the city


I guess what I'm trying to figure out at this point is how Galerus might make use of Book of the Manor :P He wouldn't be the one 'in charge' of handling the land, right? It'd be the higher ups in his family - his elder brothers, uncles, cousins and whatnot...

Yes, that is right. The remaining equites of the land are relieved of all duty except that of fighting. A bit of change from the old Roman way of course, but there's a reason they were called "horsemen" in the first place, and we've just revived that for the good of the nation."
An equites is the equivalent of a Household Knight.
He will do anything told, legal or illegal, because he is a good soldier and example to those who follow him.



Since he cannot get married without his family's consent anyway, they will try to make sure he gets control. Somehow.

Do you mean his family will make sure Galerus' family becomes the land's liege versus the lord whose domain the property falls under?

Sir! That sounds illegal, and the Romans never ;) abuse the Law!
What I mean is that they will not let him marry anyone who doesn't bring a profit to the family, whether movable goods, contacts, land, urban resources, or a decent chance of inheriting any of those when the actual heir dies.
Here's another thing about the Romans: they cheat on the economics. They are urbanites, and while the equites are perfectly clean of any actual labor or monetary obligations (see how pure the equites are? (sniff.) No exceptions to them for the rules!), others in the family freely engage in collecting rents, making profits from owing potteries and wood mills, buying and selling, lawyering and other such whoredoms, which are not available whatsoever to ordinary knights--it's a good thing they don't want them! :D