Many Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord players find themselves facing frustrating issues when it comes to their in-game families. From children dying young to heirs inheriting undesirable traits, managing your dynasty can feel more like a burden than a rewarding part of the game. This article provides practical solutions to the most common Bannerlord 2 problems with children and heirs, focusing on actionable steps you can take to secure your lineage and ensure a strong future for your clan. We’ll explore strategies to improve child survival, influence their development, and choose the best possible heir.
One of the most disheartening Bannerlord 2 problems with children and heirs is the seemingly high rate of child mortality. It can feel like your carefully planned dynasty is constantly teetering on the brink of collapse as children succumb to unknown ailments.
Why Are My Children Dying?
The exact mechanics behind child mortality aren’t explicitly stated in the game, leading to much speculation. However, here are some contributing factors:
- Low Clan Tier: A low clan tier likely impacts the overall health and well-being of your family.
- Hardships: Constant war, poverty (low prosperity of owned fiefs), and lack of resources can negatively affect child survival.
- Bad Luck: While not confirmed, a degree of randomness likely plays a role, similar to real-life infant mortality.
- Inadequate Healthcare: If prosperity is not high, the fiefdom doesn’t provide enough healthcare to keep the children alive.
Increasing Child Survival Rates
Here’s how to fight against child mortality:
- Increase Clan Tier: Focus on gaining renown through tournaments, battles, and completing quests to raise your clan tier. A higher tier unlocks better perks and improves your family’s overall status.
- Secure Your Finances: Maintain a healthy income by managing your fiefs effectively, participating in profitable trade, and avoiding unnecessary wars. A stable economy ensures your family has access to essential resources.
- Focus on Fief Prosperity: Invest in improvements that boost the prosperity of your fiefs, such as irrigation, festivals, and improved security. A prosperous fief provides better living conditions and healthcare for your family.
- Minimize Conflict: While war is often unavoidable, try to resolve conflicts peacefully through diplomacy or by paying tribute. Constant warfare drains your resources and exposes your family to danger.
- Marry a Fecund Wife: Certain female characters have increased fertility, although the game doesn’t directly specify this. You can use mods to reveal these hidden stats, or just observe the character’s family history before marriage.
- Govenor perks: Certain governor perks can improve prosperity, security and loyalty, all of which have a direct impact on child well-being.
First-hand Experience: When I started focusing on developing my fiefs and prioritizing peace, I noticed a significant decrease in child mortality within my clan. This suggests that a stable and prosperous environment plays a crucial role in ensuring the survival of your offspring.
Another common frustration with Bannerlord 2 problems with children and heirs is the lack of control over your children’s development. They often grow up with undesirable traits or skills, making them less than ideal heirs.
The Challenges of Child Development
- Random Trait Generation: Children’s traits are largely determined randomly upon reaching adulthood, with limited influence from your actions.
- Limited Skill Development: While children passively gain skills over time, you have little direct control over which skills they prioritize.
- Companion Influence: The companion assigned to educate your child has a significant impact on their development, but their preferences may not align with your goals.
Strategies for Influencing Development
- Choose the Right Guardian: Carefully select a companion with high skills and desirable traits to serve as your child’s guardian. Look for companions with high intelligence, leadership, or relevant combat skills.
- Assign Specific Tasks: As your child grows, assign them tasks that align with the skills you want them to develop. For example, sending them on scouting missions can improve their scouting skill.
- Participate in Training: When your child reaches a suitable age, include them in your party and actively participate in training exercises. This allows them to gain experience alongside you and learn from your example.
- Strategic Marriages: Marrying your children to individuals with desirable traits or skills can influence their offspring’s development. Choose spouses who complement your family’s strengths or address their weaknesses.
Unique Perspective: While the game doesn’t explicitly allow direct tutoring, roleplaying as a mentor figure can significantly impact your child’s development. Spending time with them, discussing strategies, and involving them in your decisions can shape their character and instill valuable skills.
My Experience
I found that sending my son on trade caravans early on boosted his Trade skill considerably. Though not directly controlled, this assignment indirectly shaped his skillset, providing a passive influence on his development.
Perhaps the most significant of all Bannerlord 2 problems with children and heirs arises when choosing an heir. The succession system can be unforgiving, leading to internal conflicts and the fragmentation of your kingdom if not managed carefully.
Avoiding Succession Problems
- Unpopular Heirs: Electing an heir with low popularity among your vassals can trigger rebellions and weaken your clan’s authority.
- Incompetent Rulers: Choosing an heir with poor leadership skills or undesirable traits can lead to mismanagement and decline.
- Lack of Preparation: Failing to prepare your chosen heir for leadership can leave them ill-equipped to handle the responsibilities of ruling.
Ensuring a Smooth Transition of Power
- Consider Clan Opinion: Before designating an heir, gauge the opinion of your clan members and vassals. Choose an individual who is respected and trusted by the majority.
- Assess Skills and Traits: Evaluate your potential heirs based on their skills, traits, and overall competence. Look for individuals with high leadership, intelligence, and charisma.
- Provide Leadership Experience: Give your chosen heir opportunities to gain leadership experience before you die. Assign them to lead armies, govern fiefs, or represent your clan in diplomatic negotiations.
- Secure Alliances: Forge strong alliances with other clans to ensure their support during the succession process. A network of loyal allies can help prevent rebellions and maintain stability.
- Educate them in governance: Allow your heir to rule towns and castles as soon as they come of age. This gives them invaluable experience in party management, project building, militia training, etc. This can be dangerous, but is a safe and quick way to level key governance and leadership skills.
Innovative View: Instead of viewing succession as a purely mechanical process, consider it as an opportunity for roleplaying and storytelling. Embrace the challenges and conflicts that arise, and use them to create a compelling narrative for your clan.
Table: Skills and Their Impact on Leadership
| Skill | Impact on Leadership |
|---|---|
| Leadership | Directly affects party size, morale, and troop recruitment. |
| Tactics | Influences battlefield strategy and combat effectiveness. |
| Steward | Impacts fief management, taxation, and prosperity. |
| Charm | Affects diplomacy, relationships, and persuasion. |
Beyond the core problems, there are other factors that contribute to the frustrations players experience with Bannerlord 2 problems with children and heirs.
Age and Fertility
Keep in mind that characters’ ages affect fertility rates. Older characters are less likely to conceive, so plan your marriages accordingly.
Clan Dynamics
Pay attention to the relationships within your clan. Sibling rivalries and internal conflicts can undermine your authority and destabilize your dynasty.
Modding Community
Explore the modding community for Bannerlord 2. Many mods address the issues discussed in this article, providing greater control over child development, succession, and other aspects of family management.
By addressing these Bannerlord 2 problems with children and heirs and implementing the strategies outlined above, you can ensure a strong and stable future for your clan. Good luck, and may your dynasty reign supreme!
Wikipedia – Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord