Courting NPCs in your games

[farinal]

I always like reading about how others play their games and what kind of interactions they had with the same NPCs we all probably use in our games. My question is have anyone in your group ever courted one of the NPCs in the published material and have anyone in your group ever actually married one? If so, how did it go?

For example my current Mirkwood Elf in our RotN campaign has taken an interest at Gondril in Rivendell.

[Summerhawk]

In my first campaign, the Beorning character courted and married Ennalda. It required getting Beorn's blessing and impressing Ennalda. I decided to tie it to the main threat they were facing, the Werewolf. I decided that Ennalda's father had been killed by the Werewolf before she became a ward of Beorn, and that she has vowed not to marry while the Werewolf still haunts the forest. So for that, part of the courtship involved a number of adventures around the hunting of the Werewolf.

[ThrorII]

In my old campaign, our Barding Wanderer became intrigued with Ennalda the Spear-maiden. He decided she was the girl for him!!

He spent time in the adventuring phase with her and learning about her. He then stated he wanted to court her. I decided it would take 3 long Fellowship phases: 1. Spent a Fellowship phase working with the Beornings (Guarding the Old Ford, etc.) to build her trust and overcome her dislike of 'adventurers'; 2. Spend an undertaking actually courting her; 3. Spend an undertaking with Beorn to get his blessing.

After those three undertakings were completed, they were married the next Spring Fellowship. The Barding was appointed a Thane and given a stockaded house of his own by Beorn (receive title). The other players spend Treasure to give him wedding gifts (two gave him 6 horses each to start a breeding program, one gave him several bottles of fine Dorwinion wine to host important guests, and one gave him a warhorse from Dale).

He essentially 'went native' and became more of a Beorning than a Barding. We had plans for his child to be a Beorning 'Child of Two Folks'.

All in all, it worked out real well.

[aramis]

I treated it as a variant social situation the one time it came up...

I used basic wits, adjusted normally for ethnic, as the tolerance... but it's lifetime, not single encounter.
(In the future, I think I'll use standing, instead).

Total successes needed was where I just inged it. Since it was different cultures, I set it blankly at 10 for marriage... but thinking back to pendragon, I think it should be staged.

One roll maximum per season, one failure marked per year without a success, and per failed task.

[Arthur Fisher]

My group's Barding married Aestid, Viglund's daughter and our Hobbit married Byrgol of the Wild Hobbits once they found them.

Here's the rules I use for Courtship: viewtopic.php?f=56&t=7516

[Tuoni]

Hello everyone. This threat prompted me to register here and share a story from our campaign

My Barding shieldmaiden, Edda of Dale, courted and later married Oberyn, the brother of Queen Una the Fair. Their child, Beren, is cousin of the young prince of Dale.

Another member of the fellowship courted and married one of Queen Una's ladies-in-waiting. They settled in Dale.

--

Edda's parents were merchants who traded with Dorwinion. When they perished in the destruction of Laketown, Edda and her siblings followed King Bard to Dale. Edda's older brother continued the family business while she started her adventuring career with a fellowship called Dawnbringers.

Dawnbringers were once appointed to meet ambassadors of Dorwinion (i.e. Una and Oberyn) near the Crossings of Celduin. As it happened, Easterling raiders attacked the caravan. In the ensuing battle, Oberyn fought alongside the fellowship and stepped in to take a swordblow that would have cut Edda down. The fellowship prevailed but Oberyn was grieviously wounded.

Edda felt obliged to visit Oberyn during his recovery and grew keen on his company. They met again when she returned home to Dale to spend winter months there (i.e. fellowship phase undertakings). Edda is quite a headstrong woman but over the years their friendship turned into affection. Their wedding was celebrated in the Royal Palace.

Edda continued her travels but late one summer she found she was with a child. However, the fellowship was on their way too deep within Mirkwood to turn back. The adventure was harsh a experience for her (she gained permanent shadow) but there was more in reserve for her. Months later, the fellowship returned to Dale just in time to participate in the "Crossings of Celduin" events. She retired just before the finale of the campaign.

Edda's tale inspired me to write few short stories to share with other players. It was sad to let her go but I think she accomplished much more than anyone could hope for. Or as my daughter commented: "Some characters just begin to live a life of their own."

--

[Scrollreader]

So. I'm about 20+ sessions into DoM (7 in-game years), and most of the PCs are now married.

One of the Woodsmen (The Blackshirt) married Amaleoda, his childhood sweetheart. They got back together at the moot, and have a child on the way. Right around the same time, the other Woodsman (The Bard) decided to take up residence in Tyrant's Hill to keep an eye on things. He married Dagmar strategically, but they have become fond of each other, and have a son, Radafast. The dynamic between their extended families is ... Tense to say the least, but they grew up almost as brothers, and are trying to mend relationships between the two settlements (with mixed success).

One of the Bardings, Lorrie, ended up sort of accidentally attached to a member of Queen Una's escort, after the party saved his life during an ambush on the Queen. She was completely oblivious, until he threatened to duel a party member over her, but ended up getting swept off her feet by his exotic looks and courtly charm. She has twins.

The final married man, Farmann, decided his rank and standing meant he should marry. After some downtime investigation of his options (and the interference of Lorrie) he ended up marrying the daughter of an important Dalish noble. His father in law is ... more loyal to Dale than to King Bard, which occasionally causes some issues with the devoted Kingsman, but having a politically savvy spouse to look after his interests while he adventures has been quite useful to him. He has a son, and another child on the way.

So it has been a mix of love matches and political alliances, and the PCs are generally marrying within their strata and culture. They are really leaning into the setting and the generational campaign. (The Elf isn't married, and probably won't, until she meets her soulmate, because Tolkien)