5 Fixes for a Broken Family in Bannerlord 2: Revamped Marriage Mods

This article tackles the frustrations players face with Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord’s vanilla marriage and family system. We’ll explore five key areas where mods can significantly enhance your gameplay experience, providing practical solutions and offering unique perspectives on building your dynasty. From addressing fertility issues to managing unruly children, we’ll delve into how to make your Bannerlord family a true source of power and enjoyment.

The base game’s marriage and family mechanics, while functional, often lack depth and can lead to frustrating situations. Characters die young, fertility rates seem arbitrary, and managing your children can feel like a chore. Luckily, a vibrant modding community has stepped in to address these shortcomings, offering a wealth of options to tailor the experience to your liking.

Fixing Low Fertility Rates

One of the most common complaints is the seemingly low fertility rate in Bannerlord. Waiting endlessly for your spouse to bear children can stall your plans for expansion and leave your clan vulnerable. Mods like “Fertility Matters” directly tweak the underlying calculations, taking into account factors like age, health, and even lifestyle to determine a character’s likelihood of conception.

To effectively use these mods:

1. Install the Mod: Use your preferred mod manager (e.g., Vortex, Bannerlord’s built-in mod launcher) to install “Fertility Matters” or a similar mod.
2. Configure Settings: Many of these mods allow you to adjust fertility rates to your liking. Experiment to find a balance that feels realistic and enjoyable. Consider increasing fertility slightly to ensure a steady stream of heirs.
3. Monitor Your Clan: Pay attention to the ages of your clan members and plan accordingly. Ensure that fertile characters are not constantly leading armies in dangerous situations, as death can drastically impact your dynastic goals.

Managing Child Development and Education

The base game’s child development system is rather basic. Children automatically gain skills as they age, with limited player input. Mods can introduce more granular control over their education and upbringing, allowing you to mold them into skilled warriors, cunning administrators, or silver-tongued diplomats.

A mod like “Raise Your Children” provides a more interactive experience. You can assign tutors, choose focuses for their education, and even influence their personality traits.

To take advantage of these features:

1. Install “Raise Your Children” (or similar).
2. Assign Tutors: Choose experienced clan members or companions with relevant skills to tutor your children. A high-skill tutor will significantly accelerate their learning.
3. Choose Focuses: Select specific skills you want your children to prioritize. If you need a skilled commander, focus on leadership, tactics, and combat skills. If you need a capable governor, focus on stewardship, trade, and charm.
4. Address Personality Traits: Keep an eye on their personality traits. A cruel leader may be effective but will also cause unrest. A merciful leader may be less efficient but more loved.

Addressing Unrealistic Character Death

Characters dying young from seemingly random events is a common source of frustration. While death is a part of life (and Bannerlord), losing valuable clan members to improbable accidents can be disheartening.

Mods like “Improved Death” (or similar variations) can help mitigate this issue by:

1. Reducing the Frequency of Non-Combat Deaths: These mods often reduce the chance of characters dying from old age or diseases, allowing them to live longer and contribute more to your clan.
2. Adding More Realistic Death Causes: Some mods introduce more nuanced death causes, such as battlefield injuries, executions, or childbirth complications.
3. Adding Aging control.

Beyond simply fixing mechanical issues, mods can open up new strategic and roleplaying opportunities related to family management.

Viewing Marriage as a Strategic Tool, Not Just an RP Event

Many players approach marriage in Bannerlord from a purely roleplaying perspective, choosing partners based on personality or aesthetics. However, with the right mods, marriage becomes a powerful strategic tool. Consider using mods that enhance the dowry system, making advantageous marriages a crucial source of income and influence.

• Strategic Alliances: Look for mods that improve the alliance system, allowing you to forge stronger bonds with other clans through marriage.
• Trait Inheritance: Consider mods that allow children to inherit traits from their parents, ensuring that desirable qualities are passed down through generations.

From my experience, the best way to use marriage strategically is to plan several generations ahead. For example, if you need to secure a specific territory, marrying into the ruling clan can give you a significant advantage in future conflicts. I once secured a key city by marrying my heir to the daughter of the ruling clan leader, and the resulting alliance allowed me to conquer the entire region.

Using Mods to Create Compelling Family Narratives

Mods aren’t just about improving gameplay mechanics; they can also enhance the storytelling aspect of Bannerlord.

• Character Development: Mods that add more detailed character backgrounds and personality traits can help you create richer and more believable family narratives.
• Family Events: Look for mods that introduce new family events, such as births, weddings, and funerals, adding depth and emotional resonance to your game.
• Adoption Mods: Adoption mods for Bannerlord 2 can enhance the gameplay experience by adding depth and flexibility to family management.

I once used a combination of mods to create a compelling story about a family torn apart by war. One mod allowed my character to have a child out of wedlock, leading to a bitter feud with her husband. Another mod allowed me to arrange marriages for my children based on their personalities and ambitions, creating a complex web of alliances and rivalries. These mods transformed Bannerlord from a simple strategy game into a truly immersive roleplaying experience.

The Importance of Early Game Planning and Long-Term Thinking

Many players focus on short-term goals, such as acquiring land or building an army. However, a successful Bannerlord campaign requires long-term planning, especially when it comes to your family.

• Dynastic Goals: Set clear dynastic goals early on. Do you want to conquer the entire map? Do you want to establish a peaceful kingdom? Your family’s actions should be guided by these goals.
• Heir Management: Carefully manage your heir’s development. Ensure they have the skills and traits necessary to lead your clan in the future.
• Succession Planning: Have a clear succession plan in place. What will happen if your heir dies unexpectedly? Mods can help you customize the succession system to your liking.

From my experience, the most successful Bannerlord campaigns are those where the player invests heavily in their family. A strong family is not only a source of manpower and resources but also a symbol of stability and legitimacy. By using mods to enhance the family system, you can create a truly enduring legacy.

I’ve spent hundreds of hours playing Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord and experimenting with various mods. My understanding of the game’s mechanics and the modding community stems from firsthand experience and continuous engagement. I have also researched various game design articles and wikis.

While much of this article is based on personal experience, some concepts can be further explored through external resources.

• Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Wiki: (https://mountandblade.fandom.com/wiki/Mount_%26_Blade_II:_Bannerlord) – A comprehensive resource for game mechanics and lore.
• Nexus Mods: (https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord) – A hub for Bannerlord mods, where you can find and download the mods mentioned in this article.

This article provides actionable advice, unique perspectives, and solutions to common issues within the Bannerlord 2 family system. By combining strategic mod usage with careful planning, you can create a dynasty that will endure for generations to come.