Bryan is well qualified for commenting on Blood Over Gold as many of the ideas in the book spring from his imagination. BoG is designed with a very loose story arc which may or may not be followed. The fortunes of House Caroman is tied to the successes and failures of the heroes though there is a fair bit of wiggle room for abject failure. The numerous outside forces (Greymane, Prince Barthol, the pirates) whose schemes function semi-independently of character shenanigans though they can be influenced or even derailed by character actions.
In the end, the House lives or dies based on the decisions the heroes have made. What enemies have they chosen to make? What allies have they made? Have they paid too high a price for those friendships? What parts of the House have they built up? What has been torn down?
> Note that the Trader Princes didn't win their position by military
> might, but by negotiation and cleverness. House Caroman has its
> military arm, but the default mode of the campaign is that the
> characters are hired as a group of trouble shooters to deal with
> situations for which the existing branches of the house are not well
> suited. Hence, it is not about crushing the chaos creatures or the
like.
Yes. Its more about dealing with ambitious neighbors, unfriendly tribes, forging of alliances, and dealing with Fay Jee's peculiar magics. That said, there's plenty of opportunity to bust heads, explore Wenelia and Slontos' wrecked landscape - both mythical and physical, and hobnob with the locals.
> Finally, I don't think I'm giving too much away if I say that the
> Prince has three children, two sons who are for different reasons not
> entirely desirable as heirs, and a daughter who probably would be, if
> the Trader Prince tradition allowed females to rule a house.
The Trader Princes, despite their ambitious and daring beginnings are trapped in the past. They must both overcome their few remaining Malkoini roots and prejudices as well as adapt to the Opening and the great changes that have happened while they idled.
Without adapting to change, the Trader Princes are doomed. Period. Their ways will fade like so many others, absorbed into the feudal socieity that created them, suborned by barbarian kings, or wither away when their powers over trade and mediation fade.
> Blood Over Gold does not say who succeeds, it leaves it open to be
decided
> in game. And there is no obvious right answer. Deal with one son,
> make a figure head out of one son, buck tradition and make people
> accept the daughter, somehow keep the old prince alive, stage a coup
> and take over themselves, help someone else stage a coup, marry one of
> the children and rule through them, sell the place out to the highest
> bidder, just sit back and wait for things to work themselves out, take
> the place over in the name of some other power altogether.....its
> pretty wide open. At least by my interpretation of it.
That covers all the bases - and at least two I had not thought of!
But to the topic at hand: The daughter can be played a variety of ways but she's no Princess In Waiting. She will rule the city in her own right or through her husband. She knows that her brothers are utterly flawed and cannot rule as well as she.
Oh, did I mention one of the heirs or someone close to the Family is a traitor? It might be her, manipulating the family she has come to despise to its downfall.
> Speaking of which, I should see if any of the local stores have BOG in
> stock, I only have the pdf version so far, would love to hold it in my
> hands!
>
> --Bryan
I have recently gotten my contributor copies and one of them is certainly going out to you! Fay Jee just wouldn't have been the same without you, Bryan.
Seriously,
Jeff
>
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