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Famous Lineages

Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 169
Your character’s deceased family members can have just as strong an influence over the campaign as you do. Lineages vary widely; one character might be descended from an ancient line of kings, and another could be the child of an infamous thief. Rather than simply granting your character benefits or drawbacks based on her ancestors, your character’s legacy should be used to provide hooks for further adventures and quests.

For example, a powerful evil NPC might owe your character’s dead grandmother a favor and plot to discreetly eliminate your character before you learn of this debt and try to collect on it. If your character survives long enough to discover the NPC’s motives, the favor may be of great benefit. Similarly, clues might surface implicating a dead ancestor in a terrible crime, prompting the local governor to place your character on trial in his stead because of a law that allows punishing descendants for an ancestor’s offenses. To survive, your character needs to delve into your family history in order to clear the ancestor’s name (and save your life), perhaps recovering a forgotten title or long-lost heirloom as a reward.

By drawing both positive and negative consequences from your character’s past, the GM can present a nuanced and realistic portrayal of your character’s legacy, while simultaneously producing scenarios versatile enough to capture the interest of the other PCs.

Archives of Nethys

Rules Index | GM Screen

Famous Lineages