This article breaks down the process of getting married and starting a family in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. Forget aimless wandering; we’ll cover the practical steps, from boosting your character’s appeal to securing a profitable match. Prepare for a deep dive into the intricacies of Calradia’s social scene!
The cornerstone of marriage in Bannerlord 2 lies in diplomacy and social standing. Before even considering starting a family, you must first catch the eye of a potential spouse. This entails focusing on your character’s skills and attributes to make them an attractive candidate.
Leveling Up Social Skills
Skills like Charm, Leadership, and Trade will directly impact your relationships and negotiation abilities. Charm is essential for successful dialogue and persuasion, vital for wooing a potential spouse. Leadership allows you to command larger armies, increasing your power and prestige, while Trade contributes to your overall wealth, making you a more desirable match. Invest attribute points in Intelligence and Social to bolster these skills.
Building Your Reputation
Your reputation influences how other characters perceive you. Engage in honorable activities like defeating bandits, completing quests for lords, and upholding your alliances. Avoiding dishonorable actions, such as looting villages or breaking treaties, will ensure that potential spouses and their families view you favorably.
Finding the Right Candidate
Explore the world and visit different clans’ keeps to meet eligible bachelors or bachelorettes. Pay attention to their stats, personality traits, and clan power. Look for someone whose skills complement your own and whose clan aligns with your political ambitions. Use the encyclopedia to research characters and their clans before committing to a courtship.
Once you have identified a suitable spouse, the next step is initiating courtship. This involves a series of dialogues and interactions designed to win their affection.
The Art of Conversation
When speaking with your chosen candidate, select dialogue options that are flattering and respectful. Focus on their accomplishments, skills, and virtues. Avoid being overly aggressive or demanding, as this can damage your chances. Passing speech checks by having a high Charm skill is crucial here.
The Persuasion Minigame
Successfully navigating the persuasion minigame is critical. Each conversation presents a series of choices that can either increase or decrease their affection for you. Pay close attention to their responses and adapt your approach accordingly. Failing a speech check can significantly damage your chances, so save frequently before initiating these conversations.
Gaining Family Approval
Marriage in Bannerlord 2 is not solely about the couple; it also involves the families. Gaining the approval of the potential spouse’s family, particularly the clan leader, is often necessary. This might involve completing quests for them, offering gifts, or demonstrating your loyalty through military support.
Once you have secured the affections of your chosen spouse and gained the approval of their family, the final step is negotiating the marriage terms. This often involves a dowry, which is a sum of money or goods paid by one family to the other.
Understanding Dowries
Dowries can vary significantly depending on the power and wealth of the clans involved. Be prepared to offer a substantial dowry, particularly if you are marrying into a powerful clan. Haggle carefully to secure the best possible terms, but avoid being too stingy, as this could jeopardize the marriage.
Making the Final Offer
Once you have agreed on the dowry, you can formally propose marriage. This usually involves another persuasion check with the clan leader. If successful, the marriage will be arranged, and you and your spouse will officially become husband and wife.
The Post-Marriage World
Marriage in Bannerlord 2 brings both benefits and responsibilities. Your spouse can serve as a companion, governor, or even a military leader. They can also provide you with children, who can eventually inherit your lands and titles.
After marriage, the focus shifts to starting a family. The chance of pregnancy is influenced by several factors, including the age of your character and their spouse, as well as their overall health. You can increase your chances by spending time with your spouse in a settlement or castle.
Waiting for the Good News
Pregnancy is not guaranteed, so be patient and persistent. It may take several in-game months or even years for your spouse to become pregnant. Once they are pregnant, they will be unable to participate in battles or travel long distances.
Raising Your Heirs
When your child is born, they will begin to develop their skills and attributes. You can influence their development by assigning them to specific tasks or tutoring them yourself. Ensuring that your children are well-educated and skilled is crucial for securing the future of your clan. This is where the long-term strategy of Bannerlord truly shines.
Unique Insights on Child Development: My Experience
Based on my experience, the game engine seems to prioritize the mother’s skills when determining the child’s initial skill distribution. Therefore, marrying a spouse with high skills relevant to your clan’s needs can provide a significant advantage to your children’s development. For instance, marrying a spouse with high stewardship will improve your child’s governance abilities, which in turn makes them a more effective governor.
Additionally, the game doesn’t explicitly state this, but I’ve noticed that the personality traits of the parents seem to subtly influence the child’s personality. If both parents have honorable traits, their child is more likely to be honorable as well. This can impact their decision-making later in the game, influencing their relationships with other lords and clans.
One mistake I made early on was neglecting to assign a guardian to my children once they reached a certain age. Without a guardian, their skills develop at a much slower pace. It’s crucial to assign either yourself or a skilled companion as their guardian to maximize their potential. This small detail can significantly impact their future contributions to your clan.
Table: Factors Affecting Marriage and Childbearing
| Factor | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Charm Skill | Influences dialogue success and relationship building. | Higher success rate in courtship and negotiations. |
| Clan Power | The strength and influence of the clan. | Affects dowry amounts and the willingness of other clans to engage in marriage. |
| Character Age | Age of the character and potential spouse. | Affects the likelihood of pregnancy and overall health. |
| Health | Overall health of the character and spouse. | Higher health increases the chances of pregnancy and reduces the risk of complications. |
| Clan Relations | Relationship with the potential spouse’s clan. | Positive relations increase the chances of a successful marriage proposal. |
| Spouse’s Skills | Skills of the spouse. | Influences the skills of the children. |
| Guardian | The guardian of the children when they grow up. | Influences the children’s development. |
Starting a family in Bannerlord 2 can be challenging, and there are several common pitfalls to avoid.
The Impatient Player
Rushing into marriage without properly assessing a candidate can lead to problems down the line. Take the time to evaluate their skills, personality, and clan affiliations before committing to a courtship. A hasty marriage can result in a weak heir or a strained relationship with a powerful clan.
The Neglectful Parent
Failing to invest time and resources in your children’s development can have serious consequences. Ensure that they are well-educated, skilled, and loyal to your clan. Neglecting their upbringing can result in them becoming ineffective leaders or even turning against you.
The Greedy Negotiator
Being too aggressive or stingy during marriage negotiations can damage your reputation and jeopardize the marriage. Strike a balance between securing favorable terms and maintaining good relations with the other clan. A reputation for greed can make it difficult to form alliances and recruit followers.
By following these steps and avoiding these common pitfalls, you can successfully navigate the complexities of marriage and family life in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. Remember that building a strong clan and securing your legacy requires careful planning, strategic decision-making, and a healthy dose of luck.