I have been thinking about noble ranks in Traveller, and it bugs me that
- You can enter the Noble career track with a Social Status of 10, but you aren't considered actual nobility until you reach Soc 11 (Knight)
- A player character can achieve the rank of Duke (Soc 15) in character generation. Considering that, per the rules, a Duke commands an entire subsector of space, that begs the question "Why, exactly, is this person adventuring?"
So here's my proposed Corrected Nobility Chart:
Social Status 10: Knight/Dame
Anyone who is knighted can enter the Noble career, as per character generation rules, if they wish to climb the socio-political ladder.
Social Status 11: Baronet
A highly ranked hereditary knight, who may or may not have a fief -- owning land would make the Baronet a member of the peerage -- and therefore this rank is intermediate between "elevated commoners" and "actual nobility".
Social Status 12: Baron/Baroness
All Barons have fiefs and usually represent unimportant or undeveloped worlds.
Social Status 13: Marquis/Marquesa
A Marquis represents a single world that is important for some reason (rich, powerful, trade hub, etc).
Social Status 14: Viscount/Viscountess
Viscounts are in charge of, administer, or otherwise represent a cluster of semi-important worlds or a collection of unimportant ones, all within Jump-2 of each other. Barons typically report to Viscounts.
Social Status 15: Count/Countess
A Count is an extremely important personage, responsible for either a very important world within a sector (such as a subsector capital) or a cluster (2-3) of important worlds. Marquises typically report to Counts.
Player Characters cannot progress past this point in character generation without GM approval
Dukes oversee an entire subsector of Imperial space. One of these Dukes always has precedence over the others and is considered the Sector Duke. Counts report to Dukes, and Dukes report to the Sector Duke. The Sector Duke of the Spinward Marches is Duchess Delphine Adorania Muudashir of Mora.
Social Status 17: Archduke/Archduchess
An Archduke administers an Imperial Domain, which is typically 4 contiguous sectors. Sector Dukes report to Archdukes, who report to the Imperator. The Spinward Marches is part of the Domain of Deneb (created in 598) but, as of 1106, no Archduke has been appointed.
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| Excerpted from GURPS Nobles |
Social Status 18: Imperial Prince/Princess
A handy way of saying "a member of the royal family." The designated Imperial Heir is known as Grand Prince/Princess, who in this case is Grand Princess Ciencia Iphegenia Guuilbataashullibaa Alkhalikoi. Second and third in line for the throne are, respectively, Prince Varian Alkhalikoi Alkhalikoi and Prince Lucan Alkhalikoi Alkhalikoi, twins and nephews of the Emperor.
Social Status 19: Spouse of the Imperator
Currently the Empress Iolanthe Abartii Guuilbataashullibaa.
Social Status 20: Imperator
Currently the Emperor Strephon Aella Alkhalikoi.
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