Character Generation Guide

This page will provide information for use during character generation (CG). There are a number of steps to this and quite a few choices to be made along the way. By reading this guide and keeping in mind its suggestions, you will hopefully find your creation and application process streamlined. If at any point you find yourself with questions that the wiki doesn't answer, you can always feel free to ask on game, and people will be happy to help.

Rules

There are just a few key rules about PC creation on Steel & Stone, and we're going to mention them up front.

1. Do not apply to play a character named in the books, even if that character never actually appeared. If their name is in print, they will never be a PC on this game.

2. Each player is limited to two (2) noble character at a time.

3. Your character must have been born within the bounds of the Setting map.

4. Your character cannot be any of the things presently contained on the 'Forbidden Concepts' list below.

Basics

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Name

When choosing a name for your character, try to avoid common RL names, like Mike or Britney. Real world names that are less common may be acceptable, and small variations on real names can also help them fit the theme (for instance instead of Jeremy, we have Jaremy, and Jarod instead of Jared). Avoid names that would be anachronistic, like Laser; that are made up of descriptive adjectives/nouns, like Blackfire; or that are gibberish, like Qzzrxdlto; or that are a combination of the four, like Jimmy HotLaserLipsXdrzgt.

Fantasy name generators can be useful for helping coming up with original names, and you can get a better idea of the sorts of names used in the books here.

Age

The age you choose for your character will have an impact on what sorts of RP your character is most involved in. Playing young sons of nobles, or pages, will be a very different experience than playing a squire on the cusp of knighthood, or a lord at his prime, or a dowager on the way out of power. Young and old characters may be apped, but bear in mind that most political maneuvering and combat will be carried out by adults and older adolescents and that characters on both the upper and lower ends of the age spectrum may find their RP opportunities a bit more limited.

Gender

When developing your character concept, keep in mind that this is a patriarchal world. Men are the primary landholders and heirs, and women inherit only in the absence of any male heir. Even in those cases, the land is still generally held by the woman's husband. Women have as much self determination as society and the men in their life allow them, which means it can vary case-by-case, but the norm is for men to be in charge. While there may be some instances of a woman ruling as lady in her own right, they will not be many, and they will be considered unusual ICly and likely subject to IC scrutiny and criticism. The lower levels of society tend to be somewhat more egalitarian, but the notion of women stepping out of their traditional identities as homemaker and child-rearer would be seen as scandalous (though becoming a septa is the obvious exception to this rule). See more information on gender relations (link).

House

A house is essentially an extended noble family, including the landholder (lord, lady, or knight), the landholder's spouse, children, siblings, and cousins. Houses are associated with a specific piece of land and generally a seat (home or fortress) as well. If a younger brother or son acquires additional land and their own seat, they are said to have founded a cadet branch of a house. When this occurs the two branches are typically distinguished by reference to their location, such as House Arryn of the Eyrie and its cadet branch, House Arryn of Gulltown. If you wish to play a noble character, you will need to choose to which house they belong. The choices can be found here as well as in CG on the game.

Commoners can also be associated with a house. If your character is the acknowledged illegitimate child of a noble, a sworn sword, or a member of a noble's household (for example a retainer, septa, or servant), then you should set your +house in CG to the house for which your character works.

If your character is a commoner unaffiliated with any particular noble, then you should set your +house to 'commoner'.

Origin

In the setting of Steel & Stone, your character's origin is limited to places within the bounds of the setting map. Within this area, there live several different groups of which your character may be a part:

Rivermen (Terrick's Roost, Stonebridge, Hag's Mire): The most common inhabitants of the Riverlands. Local nobles will be from Riverland Houses, or visiting from holdings elsewhere. The Mallisters, Terricks, Freys, and Naylands are all local Riverlands Houses. Rivermen tend to be red or light brown haired and blue eyed. In the show Catelyn Stark and Lysa Arryn are Riverfolk.

Northmen (Flint's Finger): Most Northmen in this area are Woodsmen (hunters, trappers, tanners, woodcutters), and their families, the majority of which reside around Tall Oaks. Northmen keep the Old Gods and tend toward dark brown hair. Nobles from the North are unlikely to remain long this far south. The Starks (except Catelyn) are Northmen.

Ironmen (Iron Islands): Ironmen are disliked and mistrusted by most Riverfolk. Must have something to do with all the centuries of raiding. Seagard and the coastal watchtowers were built to defend against the Ironborn, but some Iron Islanders still come to trade. Ironborn PCs will be disliked by just about everyone, keep their own Gods, and aren't likely to be noble. Ironmen are fair haired (which they wear long, and bearded). In the show, Theon Greyjoy is an atypical Ironman. (We are not accepting Ironmen applications at this time)

Westermen (Banefort, The Crag): Most come as merchants or sailors, but there is a small presence of Baneforts at Terrick's Roost. Westermen have a disproportionate presence in the trade of finished goods (precious metalwork, clothmaking, etc). Westermen tend toward blond hair. In the show, the Lannisters are Westermen.

Crannogmen (The Neck): Odd swamp folk with a mystic reputation. Popular rumor holds that their teeth are green from eating frogs and moss. Very few ever emerge from the wetlands, and those that do will be smallfolk. Crannogmen tend toward brown hair and green eyes. There are none of these in the show, yet.

Position

Your character's position describes in broad terms their role in society or the job that they hold, and should be self-explanatory. More information on some of these positions will be provided below, in the 'So You Want to Play a…' section.

Professions

While the list of positions in CG is fairly minimal, the number of possible professions your character can hold is much larger. Below are some possible occupations for members of noble households and commoners, though these should be considered examples and suggestions, not conclusive lists.

Household and Retainer Positions:

- Master of Arms (senior knight of household, weapons trainer)
- Captain of the Guard (favored position among household knights, head of security)
- Sworn Swords (free lances, hedge knights, and unlanded vassal knights)
-Squires
- Master of the Hunt
- Kennelmaster (keeper and trainer of hunting hounds)
- Admiral (Mallister and Terrick only, appointed for a specific task, the rank is not permanent)
-Captain, runs a ship
- General (Noble Commander of house troops, appointed for a specific task, the rank is not permanent)
- Lieutenant (Assistant commander, given direction of detachments by a general)
- Serjeant (Common born sub-commander)
- Captain (Generic term for military leader. As a rank, specific to the master of a ship)
- Sheriff (the Lord's enforcer of law, to whatever degree the Lord wishes)
- Castellan (Lord's secretary, empowered to give orders in Lord's name, can be of common birth)
- Maester (often also Castellan, Master of Ravens, Chiurgeon)
- Master of Ravens (for houses without a Maester)
- Septon/Septa (priest/priestess)

Sample Smallfolk Jobs :
Apothecary, Builder, Carpenter, Carter, Cartwright, Cooper, Farmer, Fisherman, Fishmonger, Herder (sheep, cattle), Mason, Midwife, Miller, Potter, Septon/Septa, Smith (black, copper, white, weapon, armor), Tanner, Woodcutter

Rank

Ranks apply primarily to nobles. The landholder and spouse will use the titles Lord and Lady, while their children (or if they have no children, siblings) will use the titles Young Lord and Lady. Knights are Ser, unless they hold one of the higher titles already mentioned. Master and Mistress are titles will be used by commoners of higher station (or who think themselves of higher station), particularly those who are closely associated with a noble house or are wealthy. Otherwise, just choose Commoner. For more information and detailed examples, see Titles & Honorifics.

Stats

Steel & Stone uses a version of the FS3 stat and combat system.

One important thing to know about the way stats work on S&S is that your Attributes (Body, Presence, Mind, Reaction) are considered to be your character's innate abilities, and these cannot be changed after Chargen except in the case of something huge happening to a character like a crippling injury. Action and Background skills, on the other hand, can be raised through the spending of XP gained after Chargen.

When choosing how to stat your character, their position and their age are two of the most important determining factors. A knight will obviously have different stats from a much older knight or a squire, and will be very different from a septa, who will have very different stats from a blacksmith or a maester. The first trick to figuring out your stats is to look at those of others. Steel & Stone has open +sheets, and you can look at the +sheet of any player by typing '+sheet <bitname>'. This can help to give you an idea of what is standard for certain types of characters, though bear in mind that within any category there can still be a great deal of variation.

Skill Level Restrictions

As an example, the ranks of skills follow a scale roughly similar to the below (using combat skills as an example)

Melee 12: Legendary. Among the best in the world (Khal Drogo, Barristan Selmy)
Melee 11: Among the best in the Seven Kingdoms (or equivalent) (Jaime Lannister, Robert Baratheon)
Melee 10: Among the best in one of the Seven kingdoms (Loras Tyrel, Gregor Clegane)
Melee 9: Decades of practice, with great natural skill (Syrio Forel, Sandor Clegane)
Melee 8: Elite and highly trained warrior (Eddard Stark, Jorah Mormont)
Melee 7: Experienced and highly skilled (Shagga son of Dolf, Bronn)
Melee 6: Veteran knight skill level (Vardis Egen, Rodrick Cassel)
Melee 5: A well trained professional soldier (Jory Cassel, Night's Watch Rangers)
Melee 4: Have had regular training (Jon Snow, Robb Stark, most guards)
Melee 3: Great untrained talent, or some training (Theon Greyjoy, Gendry)
Melee 2: You've been in a few brawls. (Night's Watch recruits)
Melee 1: You know how to properly hold weapons, but lack practical experience (Arya Stark, Tyrion Lannister)
Melee 0: You have people to do this stuff for you. (Catelyn Stark, Joffrey Baratheon)

It’s important to know how your character’s age and experience is reflected through your sheet. Before you submit your application for approval, you should ensure that your character sheet accurately reflects where your character is in his or her story. Here are some general guidelines to help you understand how age and experience are considered when figuring out which level to set your skills:

Weapon Skills

• A weapon skill (Blades, Bludgeons, Spears, Marksmanship) of 6 requires a minimum of eighteen years of age with consistent training from a more experienced mentor.
• A weapon skill of 7 requires a minimum of twenty-two years of age with consistent training and some combat experience.
• A weapon skill of 8 requires a minimum of twenty-five years of age with consistent training and repeated battlefield and combat experience.
• A weapon skill of 9 is not obtainable in Character Generation.

Characters that are not a knight or squire must be one age group higher to qualify for a given skill level in Blades, Bludgeons, and Spears (i.e. a man-at-arms must be twenty-two years of age in order to have a Blades skill of 6). Marksmanship does not apply to this restriction.

Female characters must abide by stricter rules for weapon skills. No female character out of character generation, no matter their age, will be approved with a weapon skill above 4 unless their concept is approved by Staff. Noblewomen are restricted to one weapon skill in character generation at a maximum of 4, though it needs to be reiterated that it is frowned upon for a noblewoman to know how to use a weapon, no matter what it is. Note: At the moment, applications for a combat-centric noblewoman are closed.

The Unarmed skill represents how skilled you are in brawls; actual martial arts do not exist in this theme. While it is acceptable for a noblewoman to have a 1 in Unarmed, it is very rare (and highly unlikely) that a noblewoman would participate in regular brawls. Male characters are not limited by this restriction.

Regarding primary weapon skills (Blades, Bludgeons, Spears): If a character has any primary weapon skill above 4, it can be no more than double either of the others (i.e. a character with Blades 7 must also have bludgeons and spears at a minimum of 4).

Background Skills

While background skills are mostly freeform, there are some skills that have been developed for specific purposes:

• Administration: This skill is restricted to nobles and commoners who work on running a keep. This skill is strictly regulated based on age. Unless you are an heir or raised to run a household, most characters do not have more than a 4 in Administration.
• Commerce: This skill is also restricted to nobles and commoners who have dealings with the economic/finance structures of a household. This skill is strictly regulated based on age. In order to understand trade negotiations, tariffs, and other "macro" economic structures, your character should have this skill.
• Heraldry: Not only does this skill represent knowledge on house family trees, but it also represents etiquette and protocol. Most nobles would have this skill at 4 or higher, while commoners can have varying levels based on the amount of interaction they have with nobles.
• Mercantile: Similar to Administration, this skill represents how skilled a character is in running a business. Commoners and merchants are more likely to have this skill over nobles. Again, this still is strictly regulated based on age. Unless you have been operating a business for over a decade, you should not have more than a 5 in Mercantile.
• Performance: This skill is refers to acting or mummery. Musical and singing performers should put their skill points into a specific instrument or singing. This is also a good skill for prostitutes.
• Warcraft: This skill represents tactics, and should be explicitly explained in your background.
• Law: Most nobles should also have this skill, especially Sheriffs and Heads of House.
• Tracking vs. Hunting: Tracking represents your ability to track specific targets through various terrain; the higher the skill, the easier it is to track. Hunting represents your knowledge of game, slaughtering a carcass, and which parts of an animal is edible.
• Reading and Writing: We do not track literacy through skills. You do not need skills in reading and writing, but it is important to remember that most commoners are illiterate.
• Cipher and Calligraphy: Cipher is used to code and decode messages, while Calligraphy is used to forge documents.
• Sleight of Hand: Not only does this represent thievery, but it also can represent the same kind of behavior as stage magicians.
• Ravenry: This is primarily a Maester skill, though some rare nobles have learned how to handle and train ravens.

Most everyone only speaks Common. Languages such as Valyrian and Old Tongue are limited to Maesters. Additional languages will be considered for approval on a case-by-case basis.

Backgrounds

Backgrounds should describe your character's origins and present situation. They don't have to be particularly long; a few paragraphs will generally suffice. You should make sure that they include where your character comes from, their station in life and business in the region, and some info about what they're like as a person. If they have any specialized skills or training that you've included on their +sheet, you should include in the BG how they came by it. Other things to include vary by the sort of character you choose to play, and more specialized information can be found below in the 'So You Want to Play A…' section.

So You Want to Play a…

Below are a few more specialized suggestions about apping certain types of characters, in particular those who may have specialized training and (as a result) stats. Not every character will fall into one of the categories below, and not every character in each category will have the same sheet. This information is provided to help make clearer what the average knight, maester, etc. would probably be like. Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and deviating from the guidelines below does not guarantee your app will be rejected, just as following them doesn't guarantee it will be approved.

Knight

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Knights can be found among lords, heirs, and other relatives of nobles, including bastards. Men of noble blood who have attained knighthood and do not hold land are noble knights. Those who rule a house, or stand in line to rule a house (the heir) are considered Lordly knights. The role of a sworn sword, overlaps noble and common. By swearing fealty to a noble house, a knight becomes a sworn sword (a noble knight who serves a family other than their own is a sworn sword). Common born knights errant with no oaths of fealty are called a free lance, or more derogatorily: hedge knight.

There are two primary paths to knighthood. The first, and most common, is to begin as a page to a knight, generally around age 10. Pages act essentially as servants to the knights, taking care of their clothing and assisting them in dressing. They are generally taught things like riding, hunting, hawking, and games of strategy, as well as religion and manners and the basics of combat. They become squires sometime around age 14, at which point they train more seriously in martial skills like sword-fighting and jousting. They also care for the knight's armor and equipment, and aid him in preparing for tournaments or battles. A squire typically accompanies the knight he serves to tourneys and into battle. If a squire who has reached the age of 18 particularly distinguishes himself in battle or through other service, he is likely to be knighted. This may be carried out by the knight he serves or another, and the more important the knight doing the dubbing is, the more prestigious it is considered. Before being knighted, in addition to proving his worth, a squire must outfit himself with horse and armor. This can lead to some rather old squires.

The other path to knighthood is that of soldiers or others who commit exceptional feats of bravery and are honored for it with knighthood. These men may not have served as pages or squires, and are much more rare.

When it comes to statting a +sheet for a knight, the focus is obviously on weapons skills. Any application for a knight ought to include at least 4 dots in each of the following skills: blades, spears, bludgeons, animal handling; and at least 2 dots in unarmed and marksmanship. Of these combat skills, it is likely that a knight would have specialized in one of them over the others, blades or spears being the most common. Additional points may be spent in various ways, but a few suggestions are alertness, which is also an important skill for a knight, heraldry, which which applies to protocol as well as identifying sigils, and possibly administration, as most young men of noble birth are at least minimally trained in the responsibilities of rule and organization of followers. Religion is also appropriate for knights who stood vigil and were anointed by a Septon at their elevation, while Instruction reflects the ability to impart knowledge and be obeyed.

Jousting relies on Animal Handling and Spears skills.

Things to consider when writing a knight's background:
- Who did your character serve as a page and squire?
- How did he come to be knighted?
- If your character is old enough, did he fight in Robert's Rebellion? For which side and why?

- How did he acquire his horse, arms, and armor?
* For non-nobles, the most common ways are being the heir to a free lance (childless common-born knights often make their squires their heir, who will inherit horse, arms, and armor after them), or by being sponsored by a noble for some service. It must be a significant service, as the total gear for a low level knight (full maile, courser, broadsword, lance, and shield) is about $100,000 in modern terms. Even Free lances are more of a middle class than true peasantry, due to the wealth needed to outfit themselves.

Nobleman

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Things to consider when playing a nobleman:

Who does your family owe allegiance to?
Of the two primary PC families, both also have smaller vassal families. Sworn Swords, household knights, et cetera. Vassal families may not hold any land, but their sons often serve as pages, whether or not they choose to becomes squires.

Are you married?
Boys who stand to inherit will tend to marry young, in order to secure the line of succession as soon as possible. Boys who will inherit nothing often wait as long as their mid thirties to marry, in order to build their names and reputations in hope of securing a more advantageous marriage. Love is not commonly a factor in a marriage, which has given rise to the courtly phenomenon of unrequited love.

Do you have children?
In this society, the purpose of marriage is to produce children. Being barren is one legal reason to set aside a wife. Among some families a marriage is not seen as fully legitimate until the birth of the first child.

Beyond marriage, for noblemen, it is nearly a rite of passage to father a bastard child, ideally a son to prove the virility of their blood, as young men.

What are your talents?
Noblemen (knight or not) are expected to contribute to the reputation of their families in some way. A noble who is not a devoted knight would have little need and less cause for intensive weaponry skills.

Sample skills:
Animal handling - You can ride without the skill, but good horsemanship is a valued talent.
Blades (up to 3 for men) - up to 3 reflects regular training with a household instructor.
Marksmanship and/or spears (for those enjoying a hunt) - Self explanatory. Ladies favor Hawking, but gentlemen may enjoy hawking as well, without stigma.
Administration - Organizational skills, from running a household, to collecting taxes, or levying troops.
Calligraphy - good handwriting, as well as an eye for recognizing the handwriting of others.
Performance - Every good noble knows one art or another. Poetry, song, dance, etc.
Heraldry - Recognizing the crests, banners, seals of the noble families, and the etiquettes attached.
Religion - Part of a proper upbringing is being schooled in the Faith of the Seven.
Law - For obvious reasons.

Noblewoman

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Things to consider when playing a noblewoman:

Are you married?
Noble girls of prominent families are often betrothed as children, and many marry in their mid teens. The less prominent the family, the more likely a lady is to reach twenty unmarried, but much past this, and the lady risks gaining a reputation as a spinster. Most of the PC houses in our game are considered to be 'less prominent', so playing a young woman in her late teens who is not yet married is perfectly acceptable, though 20+ is going to begin to get into spinster territory. Unmarried women can exert influence and manage wealth, but without a husband they are at a disadvantage. Even if unmarried, it is entirely likely that well born noble ladies will be courted and considered as brides by the time they reach adulthood.

Where did you grow up? who are your friends?
Daughters are often made ladies in waiting to the daughters of their overlords, the intention being to create friendships from a young age. As a result, daughters of vassal families will often spend their early teen years at the household of their overlords, in close company with the daughters of that house. Much of the influence a lady is able to exert is social, and in the words of Joan Rivers: It's not 'who' you know, it's 'whom'.

What are your talents?
In addition to being pretty, proper noble girls are expected to show certain refinements, among which being the development of several arts. Poetry, singing, playing at the harp or lyre, embroidery, dance, riding, and other such skills are seen as marks of a lady's quality.

Do you have children?
A marriage without children is seen as incomplete, while a mother without a husband is seen as vulgar. Unlike the boys (unfair, but unforgiving) a noble lady who becomes pregnant outside of marriage does suffer the stigma of scandal. Among some noble families, a marriage is not seen as fully legitimate until the birth of the first child.

What are your responsibilities?
Married women will typically manage their households, while daughters who are also heirs will tend to be responsible for knowing the function of their family interests. Ladies younger than, or just into marriageable age have fewer responsibilities, but some would say more pressure.

Sample skills for a noblewoman:
Alertness - Self explanatory
Animal handling - You can ride without the skill, but good horsemanship is a valued art.
Hawking - hunting birds and hares with a trained raptor. Among the only socially condoned ways for a lady to hunt.
Administration - Organizational skills, from running a household, to collecting taxes, or levying troops.
Calligraphy - good handwriting, as well as an eye for recognizing the handwriting of others.
Performance - Every good noble knows one art or another. Poetry, song, dance, instruments, etc.
Heraldry - Recognizing the crests, banners, seals of the noble families, and the etiquettes attached.
Religion - Part of a proper upbringing is being schooled in the Faith of the Seven.
Law - Self explanatory.

Weapons skills: While some ladies do become familiar with armaments, it is seen as unbecoming and is frowned upon as a sign of being poorly raised. More than 1 or 2 dots total in weapons skills would raise eyebrows.

Important note:
Young ladies of noble blood should never be alone in the company of a young man. Whether having a silent lady-in-waiting within eyeshot, or a pair of guards standing against the wall, propriety demands that unmarried ladies never have complete privacy in the company of a gentleman. Even married noblewomen should be mindful of their reputations and not spend much time in privacy with a man. Servants have nothing better to do than gossip, after all.

Maester

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Things to consider when playing a Maester:

Who is your family?
While maesters forswear their birth (and their last name, going only as 'Maester Firstname' afterward) when taking their Maester's chain, and devote themselves entirely to the noble family to whom they are assigned, it is still important to know where you are from, as some people will always suspect you of serving someone else's interests, rightfully or not. Aspiring maesters are both common born (poor families who can't feed a child will often send them to the Citadel in Oldtown for training as a maester), or the leftover sons of nobility. Women are not presently trained as maesters.

What are your fields of study?
Maesters forge a chain of various metals, worn around the neck and shoulders to reflect their areas of study. Each of these is the equivalent of having a modern Bachelor's degree, in complex knowledge. Bear also in mind that maesters are professional scholars, so it would not be inappropriate for a maester in his 30s to wear a chain of six or seven links. An accomplished maester in his 40s or 50s could reach a dozen of the possible total of 24. Even an underachieving maester should be expected to forge a chain of at least a few links.

A partial list of metals and their fields of study follows:

• Black iron (Ravenry)
• Brass (non-canon: noble genealogy, covered by the Heraldry skill)
• Bronze (Astronomy)
• Copper (History)
• Electrum
• Gold (Economics)
• Grey iron (non-canon: Engineering)
• Iron (Warcraft)
• Lead (non-canon: Alchemy)
• Pale steel (Smithing)
• Pewter (non-canon: Herbalism)
• Platinum
• Red gold
• Silver (Medicine and healing)
• Steel (non-canon: Law)
• Tin
• Valyrian steel (Magic and the occult) - Study of such 'superstition' is frowned upon by many maesters. Less than 1 in 100 studies it.
• Yellow Gold

What are your responsibilities?
Maesters often (but not always) act as castellans and (always) advisers for the noble family to whom they are assigned, also typically having charge of the Rookeries and messenger ravens. As a result they are typically familiar with the coded shorthand used to send messages via Raven. Maesters are often tutors to noble children, but are forbidden to take up arms personally. Work with your intended noble family to get an idea of what your duties will be. NOTE: A maester is sent to a location, like Four Eagles Tower, or the Fortress of the Sevens, NOT to the service of the Terricks or Naylands, though they are expected to counsel the masters of their post loyally.

Sample skills for a maester:
While every skill imaginable could be on your sheet, a few are more crucial than others.
Instruction: professional learners must also be able to pass on knowledge.
Administration: household organization skills.
Ravenry (minimum of 4)
Herbalism
Chiurgeonry

Plus whatever other focus skills are represented by your chain. 4 dots in a skill is judged sufficient to forge your link in that field, but a maester is not considered truly proficient until 7, and not even considered for standing as an Archmaester (the acknowledged master of their field) until 10 or higher.

Maesters are also among the only characters with access to foreign tongues, such as Asshai, Braavosi, Dothraki, Ghiscari, Ibbenese, Lysene, Myrish, Norvosan, Old Tongue, Pentoshi, Qartheen, Tyroshi, Valyrian, and Old Valyrian

Wardship & Squiring

Often times, a noble child will be sent away from their House to be warded or squired. This is used to help maintain, create, or even repair relationships between Houses. As a general rule of thumb, a noble character can only be warded or squired with a House one step in power above their own. For example, a Terrick could be warded or squired with the Mallisters, but could not be warded or squired with the Tullys. There are a few exceptions to this rule, however. A Young Lord or Young Lady can be given a rare opportunity to squire or ward with a House two steps above their power level. If you are unsure where your House falls in the power structure, please ask Staff for clarifications.

Book Characters & You

We are very blessed that George R.R. Martin has given us a fantastic roster of book characters that exist in this timeline. However, it is important that respect be given to those creations. Even Staff limits their usage of book characters in order to maintain some continuity with the Song of Ice and Fire world. As you write your background, please limit references and interactions with book characters.

Forbidden Concepts

• Characters from outside the area of the Riverlands shown on this map. Westeros is huge, and travel is time-consuming, expensive, and often dangerous. People in the Riverlands but not of the Riverlands would be few and far between.

• Characters belonging to any of the great families of Westeros whose lands are in or border the map, namely the Tullys, Starks, and Lannisters will not be approved. Vassals of these families and commoners from their lands are acceptable, but no family members.

• Characters with Targaryen blood.

• Characters fathered by Robert Baratheon will not be approved.

• Anything involving magic. Folklore and superstition are fair game, and having a reputation for being some sort of mystic is acceptable, but nothing blatantly supernatural will be approved.

• Current professional tournament knights. In order to support themselves, these knights would need to be traveling and competing constantly, which would mean they would be off-grid roughly 99% of the time. Obviously, this wouldn't work. Knights who have held this role in the past are fine.

• Bastards, Noble or Common, will not be accepted at this time. This concept may open back up in the future, but at this time no applications in which the character is a bastard will be approved.

• Wild Child Noblewomen will not be accepted at this time. This concept may open back up in the future, but there are already too many of this archetype in the game.

• Character's warded to a Great House (Tully, Stark, Lannister etc..)

Limiting Concepts

• Be cautious with openly outlaw concepts. They aren't forbidden, just be aware that the focus of the game is on political struggles and noble tensions, and the further removed from that a PC becomes, the less protection they have, and the more likely it is that their lives will be nasty, brutal, and short. If that still sounds fun to you, then have at.

• Be careful with purely military concepts. While fighting is bound to happen sooner or later, remember that nobles have clear duties during peacetime, as do their retainers. Also, standing armies with standing command structures are rare and hideously expensive. Much more common is keeping a small household guard and then calling up levies to form armies when needed. As noted above, no one is walking around called 'General'. That is a rank temporarily bestowed on the knight put in charge of an army to accomplish a specific objective.

• Whores/Former Whores. Especially in combination with being a Noble Bastard, no more of these are going to be allowed on-grid for the moment. You can still be a whore if the concept really grabs you, but not the child of a noble.