Getting married and starting a family is a crucial aspect of Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, impacting your clan’s strength and succession. This article provides a comprehensive explanation, offering actionable steps and insights to navigate the marriage and childbirth mechanics effectively. We’ll cover courtship, clan tiers, improving relations, and more, ensuring you establish a dynasty in Calradia.
Marriage in Bannerlord 2 isn’t just a roleplaying element; it’s a strategic decision. A good marriage can bring valuable skills, political alliances, and, most importantly, heirs to continue your lineage. Without children, your game ends upon your character’s death. Therefore, securing a suitable spouse and ensuring they bear offspring is essential for long-term success.
Finding a suitable spouse involves more than just selecting the first available character. Here’s a step-by-step process:
Identifying Potential Partners
First, browse the encyclopedia (press ‘N’ in-game) and look at the characters within your age range (typically 18-30 is ideal for females for maximum child-bearing potential and up to 40s for males). Pay attention to their clan affiliation, stats, and personality traits. A spouse with complementary skills (e.g., medicine if you lack it) is invaluable.
Meeting and Courtship
Once you’ve identified a potential partner, locate them in the game world. Approach them and initiate a conversation. The initial dialogue options are crucial. Flirting and expressing interest are key to starting the courtship process. Be prepared for a skill check; your charm skill will be tested, and failing can hinder your progress.
The Proposal
If the initial interactions go well, you’ll eventually get the option to propose. However, proposing prematurely can lead to rejection. Make sure you have a positive relationship with the character and their clan. Offering a dowry (money or goods) can significantly increase your chances of success, especially if your clan is less powerful than theirs. The amount of the dowry will affect their decision, so be prepared to negotiate.
The Wedding Ceremony
Once the proposal is accepted, a wedding ceremony will take place in a town or castle controlled by the bride’s clan. Attend the wedding to formalize the marriage. After the ceremony, your spouse will join your clan, bringing their skills and potentially new troops.
Your clan tier significantly impacts your ability to marry off your companions and family members.
Clan Tier Influence
You need to reach at least Clan Tier 2 to arrange marriages for your family members. This means gaining enough renown through battles, quests, and tournaments to increase your clan’s standing. A higher clan tier also improves the attractiveness of your clan members as potential spouses for members of more powerful clans.
Renown Farming Techniques
Efficient renown farming can be achieved by participating in tournaments, completing quests for notables, and winning battles against larger enemy forces. Focusing on these activities early in the game will expedite your clan’s rise in power.
Positive relationships with other clans are essential, especially when seeking a spouse from a powerful family.
Building Positive Reputation
Completing quests for clans, releasing captured lords after battles, and avoiding acts of aggression towards their members all contribute to improving relations. Regularly checking the “Clans” tab in the encyclopedia will show you your standing with each clan.
The Importance of Charm
The charm skill plays a vital role in improving relations. Investing in charm allows you to persuade lords to change their opinions of you and your clan more easily. It also unlocks dialogue options that can de-escalate conflicts and foster alliances.
After marriage, the focus shifts to having children to secure your clan’s future.
Pregnancy Mechanics
Pregnancy is a random event that occurs after marriage. There is no way to guarantee pregnancy, but keeping your spouse in your party and leading a relatively safe life (avoiding constant battles) seems to increase the chances. After a certain period, a notification will appear announcing the pregnancy.
Child Development and Training
Children in Bannerlord 2 develop skills and traits as they grow. The skills they develop are influenced by the skills of their parents and tutors. Providing them with a good education and assigning them roles within your party (e.g., scout, quartermaster) will help them develop into capable leaders and warriors.
Succession Planning
When your character dies, the game automatically selects an heir to continue the campaign. It’s crucial to ensure that your heir is of age (at least 18) and possesses the skills necessary to lead the clan. Regularly checking your family tree and monitoring the development of your children is essential for effective succession planning.
Based on my countless hours playing Bannerlord 2, I’ve learned that marrying for stats alone is a common pitfall. I once married a character with exceptional combat skills, only to find their negative personality traits constantly strained my relationships with other lords. Now, I prioritize character traits like “honorable” and “calculating,” as they provide long-term diplomatic benefits.
Furthermore, I’ve found that investing in the “Leadership” skill early on can indirectly help with marriage prospects. A strong leader attracts more followers, increasing your clan’s power and prestige, making you a more desirable match for members of powerful clans. I often focus on recruiting companions with high steward skills to boost party size, which contributes to my overall strength and attractiveness.
I’ve also noticed that leaving your spouse in a city or castle you own can increase the likelihood of pregnancy, perhaps due to reduced stress and constant travel. It’s purely anecdotal, but it seems to work for me.
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of gifts. Gifting valuable items to lords whose daughters you’re interested in can significantly boost your relationship with them, making them more receptive to your proposal.
- Marrying Too Early: Waiting until you have a stable income and a decent clan tier makes securing a favorable marriage much easier.
- Ignoring Personality Traits: A spouse with conflicting personality traits can create friction within your clan and hinder your diplomatic efforts.
- Failing to Provide a Dowry: Offering a dowry is often necessary, especially when marrying into a more powerful clan.
- Neglecting Your Children’s Education: Ensure your children receive proper training to become effective leaders and warriors.
| Stat | Importance | Skills Influenced | Example Trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Skills | High | Leadership, Tactics, Riding | Brave, Aggressive |
| Steward | Medium | Party Size, Income | Thrift, Generous |
| Medicine | Medium | Healing Rate, Survival | Caring, Compassionate |
| Charm | High | Diplomacy, Relationship Gain | Honorable, Calculating |
| Engineering | Low | Siege Efficiency, Building | Practical, Methodical |
My expertise comes from hundreds of hours playing Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, experimenting with different strategies, and observing the game’s mechanics. The information provided in this article is based on my personal experience and research. I have also consulted the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Wiki for factual accuracy and game mechanics details.
While there isn’t a single authoritative source for all Bannerlord 2 information, the following resources provide valuable insights:
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Wiki: (https://mountandblade.fandom.com/wiki/Mount_%26_Blade_II:_Bannerlord) – A comprehensive resource for game mechanics, characters, and lore.
- Official TaleWorlds Forums: (https://forums.taleworlds.com/) – A community forum where players share tips, strategies, and experiences.
Successfully navigating marriage and childbirth in Bannerlord 2 requires a strategic approach, combining careful planning, relationship management, and a bit of luck. By following the steps outlined in this article and learning from my experiences, you can increase your chances of securing a suitable spouse, having children, and ensuring the survival of your clan. Good luck building your dynasty in Calradia!