BASE KINSHIP
Base Kinship is 9 modified by traits:
Just 13+ (+1)
Honest 13+ (+1)
Trusting 13+ (+1)
Generous 13+ (+1)
Merciful 13+ (+1)
Forgiving 13+ (+1)
Arbitrary 13+ (-1)
Deceitful 13+ (-1)
Mistrust 13+ (-1)
Selfish 13+ (-1)
Cruel 13+ (-1)
Vengeful 13+ (-1)

BASE LOVE
Kinship = base love modified by:
The couple have had no children -5
The couple have no living children -2
The couple have only living daughters +1
The couple has a living son +2
The couple has two or more living sons +5
The spouse has an appearance 13-15 +1
The spouse has an appearance 16-17 +2
The spouse has an appearance 18+ +3
The spouse has an appearance 6-8 -1
The spouse has an appearance 4-5 -2
The spouse has an appearance 3 or less -3
A spouse has neglected the other sexually for one year -2/year (not applied to chaste 16+ characters double for lustful 13+ characters).
The wife has ever committed adultery -3 (for both if the husband knew).
The wife is committing adultery -6 (for both if the husband knows).
Either spouse has ever saved the others life +3

Yearly only
The spouse has succeeded in a Romance roll +2
The spouse successfully romanced the character +2
Both spouses have successfully romanced each other +6
Another has successfully romanced the character -3
Another has successfully seduced the character -6
The husband is keeping a courtesans -2 (for both)

I agree that the passion Love(family) is very different from the other love passion so would support the change in names.

Kinship: Again this is a passion that does not seem to link to other traits. Even a Cruel PK can have a high Kinship passion. In that case anyone who is touching his family will know his cruelty, but his own family is safe. The same goes for a selfish person.

Love(spouse): Would you give this to every PK or NPC? I would not. Most marriages are arranged and as such love is only second. Only when a PK actively woes his own wife do I allow him to have a Love(spouse). The height is then more determined by the reasons he gives me than by facts like appearance and children.

I like the yearly modifiers, but would not give them as bonuses, but if the spouse is successfully romanced give a check. gifts may add in the check (for instance +1 for each Libra off the gift).

I agree that the passion Love(family) is very different from the other love passion so would support the change in names.

Kinship: Again this is a passion that does not seem to link to other traits. Even a Cruel PK can have a high Kinship passion. In that case anyone who is touching his family will know his cruelty, but his own family is safe. The same goes for a selfish person.

Love(spouse): Would you give this to every PK or NPC? I would not. Most marriages are arranged and as such love is only second. Only when a PK actively woes his own wife do I allow him to have a Love(spouse). The height is then more determined by the reasons he gives me than by facts like appearance and children.

I like the yearly modifiers, but would not give them as bonuses, but if the spouse is successfully romanced give a check. gifts may add in the check (for instance +1 for each Libra off the gift).


Yes, I would give the passion to every married person. anyone will feel something for someone they're sleeping with and caring for. Arranged marriages end in love just as often as "love matches". Real Love as opposed to the madness of amour, happens slowly, being the result of mutual affection and care rather than any lust, and it's sexual expression is one of mutal affection not body heat.

I had two three objects in writing these household rules: to make character generation both more realistic and with the seeds of conflict already built in; to explain why about half the Knights of Logres were against King Arthur; to make character generation quicker and easier to record.

Your criticism is both logical, but an initial passion is not where any passion is likely to remain. If all the Noble and base traits start at ten or nearly so, everyone would be an amoral, calculating, venal, hypocrite doing what was in their self interest and whim only. There is a built in conflict between good and evil in the human heart and different people will be moving towards evil and towards good. Kap has the players playing good, idealistic without any reason and one can't separate character from the passions,as it is one's character that leads to development of any passion, even the darkest may be embraced for noble reasons.

I must agree with you that the character generation in the core book makes for all evenly balanced characters (as they all start at 10), except for maybe one high trait. It is a good way to start for novice players and GMs. But I prefer the system used in Book of Knights and Ladies. In that case the traits and passions are randomly rolled with some modifiers due to the background of the character. This system gives a more varied set of traits and passions.

I think that the reason a person feels something for his wife is in general first determined by his love for his family (or kinship). So those who do not have a love(spouse) would roll for that. So for example a PK without a love(spouse) would let himself be wooed by a lady, while a PK with such a love would roll it opposed. The first knight is only ruled by his chastity, but the second will actually feel bad about betraying his wife. But rescuing his wife from bandits who captured her would be something both get inspired to do.

Love(spouse): Would you give this to every PK or NPC? I would not. Most marriages are arranged and as such love is only second. Only when a PK actively woes his own wife do I allow him to have a Love(spouse). The height is then more determined by the reasons he gives me than by facts like appearance and children.


Even most arranged marriages have SOME level of attachment. There is no need for it to be high. And much humor can be had from a serious mismatch...

Sir Talroc, he had this Love Cyn of 3, she had a Love Talroc of 20. Which came in handy in preventing her from killing him as he kept bringing home his bastards... (He was Lustful 21 and Reckless 16. And loved the peasant lasses.)