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Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen
Campaign Systems / Lineage

Developing Your Family

Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 166
The most obvious manifestation of your character’s lineage is his still-living relatives. Many of these NPCs have been with the character since birth, and helped shape him into the person he is today. A character’s family is an extension of that character’s backstory, and so you should ultimately have the final say over its size and nature. The GM should only intervene when your desired family would disrupt the campaign in some way or give you an unfair advantage. For the same reason, the GM should avoid introducing new members to your character’s family after the campaign begins, unless the circumstances of the story (such as marriage or pregnancy) demand it.

The first thing you need to do is to determine the size and composition of your character’s family. This can be chosen arbitrarily, within reason, or can be generated randomly using the rules in Chapter 1 of this book. One character’s family might consist solely of the single parent who raised him, while another character might be a part of a large clan or noble house. Once you determine the size of the family, you can use the guidelines in this book and in Nonplayer Characters to further develop the personalities of these relatives. Every family is different, so it’s hard to generalize a PC’s relationship with his relatives. The following guidelines are a good place to start. This assumes a happy, functional family. For other family types of dynamics, see <%Complicated and Dysfunctional Families&Category=Lineage">Complicated and Dysfunctional Families.

Immediate Family: This group includes anyone who played a direct role in raising the character, or anyone whom the character is raising (such as a child or younger sibling). Generally this includes the character’s mother, father, surrogate parents, brothers, sisters, and any other live-in relatives. The character’s spouse (if any) also belongs in this category, as do any children. The size of an immediate family varies by culture, but for most campaigns they shouldn’t be too numerous. These family members are usually very loyal, and start the campaign with a helpful attitude toward the PC (though in most campaigns they are low-level NPC-class characters and can’t provide much support in terms of finances or gear). It should be difficult to permanently worsen their attitudes, barring exceptionally heinous actions. A character’s greatest obligations are often to immediate family members, and when times get rough for the family, he may be expected to spend time or money helping them.

Extended Family: These family members had a less important role in the character’s life growing up, but nonetheless played a part. This group often includes aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Married characters might also count their in-laws. A character’s extended family is almost always larger and more diverse than her immediate family, but also less willing or able to help her in times of difficulty. Usually these relatives have a friendly attitude, though a few might be helpful, indifferent, or even hostile, depending on the family’s circumstances. A character generally has fewer obligations to her extended family, though these relatives may still expect the occasional favor from the PC.

Distant Relatives: Any person who is only loosely related to your character and has no strong emotional bond to the PC is considered a distant relative. These characters have little connection to you beyond (possibly) a shared surname, or are extended family of someone in your character’s extended family. They are the character’s most numerous and diverse group of relatives, and so can come in handy in a wide variety of situations, though she can’t rely on them for help too directly or too often. These NPCs generally start with an indifferent attitude, though a particularly family-oriented relative might be friendly instead. They also generally don’t expect many favors from the PC in return. They can usually be counted on to take the PC’s side when dealing with people outside the family.