Status

[Carriker]

A "merchant prince" isn't any sort of official title or anything. There's no hard and fast rules on how to determine if one is a merchant prince. Generally, the term is meant to imply that class of merchants who are wealthy enough to rival the noble classes.

They are more common outside of Westeros, as many of the Free Cities are ruled by merchant classes. Also, in Westeros, the Houses jealously guard their exalted status in society, and are likely to try and take over a successful merchant's venture for themselves, marry them into the family to gain their wealth or those merchants find a way to turn themselves into nobility (see House Spicer for a recent example of that). But it is possible for such characters to exist, usually within major metropolitan areas.

[devilsgrin]

Re: Status
by Mat » Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:21 am

So...let me see if I understood well:

- Status 1 = outcast
- Status 2 = smallfolk/hedge knight
- Status 3 = low nobility/semi nobility (landed knight, rich merchants), retainer/member of a House
- Status 4 = Minor Lord, Maester, sons of Higher Status lord
- Status 5 = Major Lord, sons of Higher Status lord, Lord Commander of Night Watch, Maester of Great House.
- Status 6 = Great Lord, sons of King, Queen, Council members, ArchMaester, Commader of Royal Guard.
- Status 7 = King (I would put in also Warden of the North/East/West/South), Grand Maester, High Septon.

I scaled everything with 7 as maximum rank in Status. Those in black I am not sure.
If I miss some important character please add them.
Mat
Bystander



These are the numbers as printed in the Game of Thrones edition of the SIFRP core book.

0: Slave
1: Common smallfolk, Initiate of the Faith, standard Man of the Night’s Watch, most squires, low-born foreigner
2: House retainer, lesser merchant, acolyte maester, hedge knight, foreign merchant prince, established Man of the Night’s Watch
3: Landed knight, Merchant, sworn sword, veteran member of the Night’s Watch, member of a minor house
4: Lord of a Minor House, maester of a minor house, junior member of the Faith, member of a noble house, heir to a minor house, important foreign dignitary, officers of the Night's Watch
5: Lord of a powerful Minor House (often one with bannermen), Merchant Prince, maester in a great house, Castle Commanders and Firsts of the Night’s Watch, member of a great house, heir to a house, foreign noble
6: Lord of a Major House, officer of the Faith, archmaester, Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, heir to a great house
7: Lord of a Great House, member of the Small Council, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Grand Maester, High Septon
8 Member of the royal family, Warden of the East, North, South, or West
9 Queen, Crown Prince, King’s Hand
10 King of the Seven Kingdoms

funnily enough, these two rankings are not as opposed as initially appear.
The one provided by Carriker, reflects the "Ideal" and therefore is accurate (as a guide). However, that provided refers to Westeros as ruled by a Targaryen King, prior to Robert's Rebellion/Usurpation. Even Aerys would have ranked a Status 10 - how else could he have gotten away with the high-born murder he perpetrated so often. in the campaign guide however, the status for King Robert was listed as 7 status, and not 10.
In Westeros as we meet it... Robert would have his 7, Ned, Jon Arryn, Tywin, and Mace Tyrell would almost certainly have rank equal to his - considering the weakness of the Baratheon throne. Doran Martell, Balon Greyjoy, Hoster Tully, Stannis and Renly, would each qualify for 6's.

i am of the opinion, that its impossible for ANY true-born son or daughter of a Noble House to be at anything less than Status 3. Using house creation rules, this is impossible - especially for a family, for example, like House Frey. However, i suggest that for any person in the House that cannot have their Status purchased using Influence, their status should be able to be purchased at the usual character creation cost. With the assumption, that their House name alone, be enough to warrant the status. (owing to the House having the required status to rank its lord at least a 3)
If the House Lord is Status 3, he can't really be a lord. Unless during house creation, at some point, before events, but after realm modifiers, the house was raised up enough, or began high enough, to earn the title. Even then, a Status 3 Lord's children would be able to use the same status, due to the family's name, and not to their likelihood of inheriting.
If the House is simply that of a Landed Knight, then my opinion differs. The Knight himself could easily be 3, and perhaps his lady and heir... but being not noble, the rest of the family would need to earn their status in other ways - earning their own knighthoods for instance, or marrying well...

[Martionman]

The way my group has been playing it is that I don't allow house influence to maximise status but it limits how much practicle status you have. I.E. a low influence house could have a minor lord at status 4 but can only practically use 2, this applies both to the commoners (I.E. they don't see you as that much above them but are force to respect you on some terms.) and the other Lords (I.E. they don't see you as their equals because of your house's low position.)

A character's status is basically their rank in the grand scheme of things. but their house limits how useful it is.