... The T5 Nobles System has differences relative to prior canon, but they and the system are not
significantly different from the pre-T5 system. The primary difference is in the fief/world-assignments (i.e. "Sees") of particular Landed (="High") Nobles based on Trade Codes (which we already know about from the T5 Core Rules and the Noble Extensions detailed on TravellerMap). The reasons for this are detailed per Noble Title in the document.
Knighthoods are granted within Orders (which have internal rank-levels), usually as Honor and in some cases Ceremonial Titles (see below), but are distinct from the Landed Knights who represent the Imperium to individual worlds (which is the Knight designated in the UWP Nobles Extension for a world). Knighthoods may be granted by the Emperor (Imperial Orders), the Archdukes (Domain Orders), or by Dukes (as local non-Imperial Knights-Retainer within their respective Subsector/Sector only). Archdukes may also appoint Ceremonial or Honor Baronets and Barons, both of which are of junior precedence to their Imperially-appointed counterparts.
Nobility is still divided into 3 groups, each of which may scale the full range of Noble Titles:
Honor Nobles: [Formerly also called
Honor Nobles, but now also including what were formerly called
Rank/Local Nobles * ] - Granted for Achievement or otherwise for people the Emperor (or Archduke in some cases) wishes to honor. It also includes Nobles who have inherited a title whose family no longer has a governmental function or noble see, but who still have the titles and whatever properties and assets are owned by the family. Honor Nobles do not have proxy-votes or seats & voting rights in the Moot, nor do they normally have Terrain-Hex land-grants (but may certainly own much land or property on their own).
* - Not to be confused with Planetary Nobles
Ceremonial Nobles: [Formerly called
Rank/Administrator Nobles] - Ceremonial Nobles include people ennobled (or further ennobled) in order to grant them the right to hold certain specific Imperial Government Offices at various levels within a Sector. Ceremonial Nobles normally do not have proxy-votes or seats & voting rights in the Moot, nor are they normally granted Terrain-Hex Land-Grants (but may certainly own much land or property on their own). The extent of a Ceremonial Noble's official authority is normally comparable to the extent of a Landed Noble's Fief allotments: i.e. Ceremonial Dukes & Counts oversee Imperial-government organizations at the Sector-Level, Ceremonial Viscounts & Marquises oversee Imperial-government organizations at the Subsector-Level, and Ceremonial Barons, Baronets, and Knights oversee Imperial-government organizations at the System-Level.
Landed Nobles: [Formerly called
High Nobles] - These are the Nobles that go through the Nobles Career in CharGen, who are granted Terrain-Hex Land-Grants as part of their Fiefs, and Seats (and Voting Rights & Proxy Votes) in the Moot. They are the political Nobles who directly oversee Imperial Territories and Worlds and represent them to the Emperor, and are the Nobles noted in the Noble Extensions for a world in its UWP (i.e. there could be any number of Ceremonial or Honor Nobles residing on a given world, of any and all different ranks, but the Noble Extension of the UWP explicitly lists the Landed (=High) Nobles for the world).
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