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Familial Social Status

gchuck

SOC-12
Knight
Looking for some POV's on this.

Does a PC/NPC gain the same SS as a his/her spouse/companion who has a higher SS?

I know, it's all a handwave, but, I'm curious if any refs have dealt or tried to deal with this before.
 
Looking for some POV's on this.

Does a PC/NPC gain the same SS as a his/her spouse/companion who has a higher SS?

I know, it's all a handwave, but, I'm curious if any refs have dealt or tried to deal with this before.

According to OTU canon, yes. A spouse is the same SOC as the title-holder proper; children have SOC one level lower, the heir inheriting the higher SOC when s/he assumes the title. Note that this is similar to many European traditions of nobility in which all family members are considered noble (and this is explicitly mentioned in CT core rules as to how high-SOC titles are used), as opposed to the British tradition in which only the title-holder proper is considered noble, and family members are commoners who bear "courtesy-titles".

IMTU I would also allow the children of the cadet (i.e. non-inheriting) lines to continue to degrade in SOC by one level for each additonal generation removed until they reach either SOC=9 or SOC=10. This gives an additional possible explanation for some PC/NPC high SOC-values (i.e. SOC-increases during CharGen may represent SOC-accrual by a relative, and the PC/NPC benefititing by the relationship.

Of course in non-OTU, it is the referee's decision how the nobility-structure passes on SOC to relations.
 
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Social hierarchies are clusters of complexity, which, as with most things, Traveller simplifies.

If we use Cinderella as an example, once she marries the Prince, she'd have the title of Her Royal Highness, and all subjects of the Kingdom would be expected to pay her the due respect that is attached to that title.

At best, she's upper middle class, assuming her father was a rich merchant, but having laboured away as a scullery maid, and the likelihood that no one (who counts) knew she was alive, you can drop that score several notches.

Essentially, you could view her elevated social standing score as temporary, until the Prince is crowned King, she gives birth to a son and heir, and/or she networks heavily in the salons of the aristocracy.
 
If you have not watched "The Crown" on Netflix, it provides interesting insight to the whole thing about titles and customs and standing and such.
 
Looking for some POV's on this.

Does a PC/NPC gain the same SS as a his/her spouse/companion who has a higher SS?

I know, it's all a handwave, but, I'm curious if any refs have dealt or tried to deal with this before.
I've wondered something similar about Psionics.
 
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