So we were playing the Winter Phase last night and, rolling on Spoonist's excellent extended Family Event table, we learned that a brother gave a gift to the PK of £6 from his wild success in Raiding. I rolled to see the brother was on the PK's or wife's side and rolled the wife. Now, the interesting thing is, the PK has an uneasy relationship with his in-laws because he knocked up his lady wife out of wedlock. So the males in that family really had it out for him (with Hate passions and everything) until he married her. Now, the PK has had two disastrous harvests in a row, and money's been tight. So this unexpected windfall is a welcome development—except for that Proud thingy. Should I make the PK roll Proud and if he fails give him a check in Modest if he takes it anyway? I'd like for there to be a chance that he just refuses the charity of the brother-in-law, thinking he's doing it just to humiliate the PK at court. Is there a way I can roll the wife's influence on the PK? Because clearly she wants the dough. Should Love (family) or (wife) play a roll in the process?

A finely constructed knot and plot point, courtesy of a random roll on a table!


T.

I'd say it depends a lot on the brother-in-law, how insultingly he puts it:

"Here. I can't watch my sister starve and go around in rags just because you are unable to provide for her like a true husband should..." (And watch Proud flaring and fists flying...)

Of course, if he is wishing to be diplomatic, he could just slip the money to the sister and tell her to just pretend that she is making the petty cash stretch further than it should, etc.

Or he could buy something from the PK. "Say, that is a fine looking rouncy you have there! I'll pay you 6 libra for it!"

Hehe, nice to see them in effect. I wouldn't dare tell my players how much of their plots comes from those tables... :o

But I'd leave the decision up to the player, if he wants to roll fine, but there is no need for him to roll.
Just color out the predicament/dilemma in the gaming session, presenting the scornful brothers coming to their sisters aid etc. Then give the choice up to the PK asking him not only for what he does but also for a motivation why he does so. Then play it from there, given a motivation and some interaction with the wife + her kin should give lots of opportunity to give checks etc.
Also prepare for the different outcomes yes/no and the responses of the brothers depending on how you want things to progress.

Its usually much better if actual character discribing plot points are choices made by the player rather than a random roll. (Unless they themselves are confused and want to roll).

Here's what we ended up doing (FWIW):

First I used Morien's excellent knight generator to generate some quick random stats for the NPC men of the PK's wife's House, which I'd already determined to be Newton. I'd also determined that the uncle Hated her PK husband with a 15 and two of her brothers Hated him with a 13. So now I finally got around to resolving if their Hate had diminished after the PK "did the right thing" by marrying her and adopting the bastard as his true heir. I reasoned 1d6 would work and we determined that the brothers both dropped to a 10, but the uncle remained at a 15. Not fanatical, but pretty strong feelings, still. Only three of the wife's male relations the Hatred and two of them were now more or less neutralized, even though they'll never care much for the PK.

Next, I decided I would determine if any of the wife's family had ulterior motives by rolling Vengeance on any of the men who were left with a Hate of more than 12. This means I only had to roll for one, the Uncle with Hate 15. He failed his Vengeance roll. So, no conspiracy to embarrass the PK.

However, I had the player roll Trusting (of the gift-bearing brother's motivations), which he failed. On rolling Suspicious, he failed that, too. So the player rolled Intrigue successfully, which I said meant he could trust the brother's stated intentions, no guile was in the brother-in-law's delivery.

Of course, in the PK's mind, accepting the money could still cause tongues to wag at court, regardless of the benefactor's motivation, so he decided not to accept the money. This year was looking much better financially anyway, and he didn't really need a fancy new dovecote that badly. So, I established one of the non-hating brothers as the concerned sibling who was genuinely trying to help his sister. Now the PK had to roll Courtesy to decline the gift graciously. I also made him make roll Hospitality for the visiting brother. He failed the Courtesy, but made the Hospitality. We agreed that the PK's declining of the gift was rather clumsy, but the Hospitality shown sort of made up for it. So the wife's brother went away, taking his £6 with him! Since the PK did not Fumble the Courtesy roll, the brother did not go away angry.

Now for the wife's reaction. Torn between loyalties, I had her roll on her Love for her old family vs Love for her PK spouse. Her family won! So she sided with them and was pissed that the PK didn't take the money! I guess now there's a chance she could go back and ask the brother for it and take it any way, in secret. Roll Selfish and Deceitful, eh? Or maybe roll these to determine her inner desires but then roll against Love (PK) to see if she secretly goes against his wishes?

Although I understand there's no "right" way to handle these things, is this the way I'm supposed to think about these character dynamics and simulate them in play? I'm still kinda getting my PENDRAGON "sea legs." It is different than any game I've played before.

We had fun working through this—my wife really digs this aspect of the game, more so than the 9-hour battles—so I'm looking for opportunities to turn up the soap opera aspect, if you will. You can weave quite a tangled web (or as tangled as you want it) with a few good random tables and by thinking through the motivations of all the NPCs. Family and "business" connections (and rivalries) provide quite a broad foundation to build all kinds of intrigues upon.

T.

Although I understand there's no "right" way to handle these things, is this the way I'm supposed to think about these character dynamics and simulate them in play? I'm still kinda getting my PENDRAGON "sea legs." It is different than any game I've played before.
Yes, yes, yes. Its all about dilemmas defining the characters. No easy choices, instead always making the players talk about their motivations for doing what they do.
Now I'd give a small warning on letting too much of this being determined by rolls as opposed to choices by the player. This could leave the players into the feeling that they are not in control - but I think that you could just simply ask your players to tell you if that becomes the case.

Also you have now tied, lots of trivia into actual actions and intrigue. That means that the backdrop story of that player has become richer. So think a little about the future and plan some short plot hook some 3-5 years ahead, players love such stuff. For instance, what happened to that £6? Maybe they apprenticed a steward that they hope will assist the wife in the future, like a cousin or somesuch, which starts showing up - and then as bad events happen tries to fix things. Or what should happen when the PK dies, will a bitter widow try to make "Newtons" out of the kids?

Now I'd give a small warning on letting too much of this being determined by rolls as opposed to choices by the player. This could leave the players into the feeling that they are not in control - but I think that you could just simply ask your players to tell you if that becomes the case.

Yes, the player had resolved not to take the money for roleplaying reasons. Indeed the PK took the money even when the brother-in-law was found to be "guile free". But all of the rest of the intrigue—including the situation itself of the £6 gift—were the results of rolls. Really mostly determining NPC actions and reactions.


Also you have now tied, lots of trivia into actual actions and intrigue. That means that the backdrop story of that player has become richer. So think a little about the future and plan some short plot hook some 3-5 years ahead, players love such stuff. For instance, what happened to that £6? Maybe they apprenticed a steward that they hope will assist the wife in the future, like a cousin or somesuch, which starts showing up - and then as bad events happen tries to fix things. Or what should happen when the PK dies, will a bitter widow try to make "Newtons" out of the kids?

Yeah, I don't think the wife's that bitter. I think everything's been smoothed over somewhat when the PK took her to Easter Court at Warwick. She's never been that far from home before and they left the kids at home. Just a nice romantic jaunt for a month or so. Smoothed things over some, but I still may roll to see if the wife goes around the PK...

Thanks!


T.