(Spoilers) Replacing the Urvis family with one related to a PC

[Warlock8]

I'm about to start Book 5 in my Hell's Rebels campaign, and this is a question I've been meaning to ask for the better part of a year now. One of my PC's is the last living scion of a Chelish family that held land in the Archduchy of Ravounel, and a private subplot of that character's has been trying to figure out what happened to family after her father eloped with her Tiefling mother. I know that the Urvises are extinct by the events of Hell's Rebels, which means that the players would have to find the individual the last of the Urvis family bequeathed their lands and titles to in order to establish a full Board of Governors. Therefore, I was thinking of replacing the Urvises with the PC's family for the purpose of the quest. Could I get some feedback on that idea, please?

[Razcar]

We haven't gotten that far yet, but why not. The more you tie the adventure around the PCs the better, in my opinion. The only problem I can see is that the NPCs that are supposed to be in the board (so Laria in the case of the Urvises) can be given plot armour by the DM, a PC not so much. Then again rezzes are easy to come by at that level, and you can always keep Laria as a backup unknown inheritor if the PC somehow becomes unavailable.

[Warped Savant]

PC death/PC being an important McGuffin is a bit of a concern, but other than that I think it's a great idea.

[Warlock8]

Warped Savant wrote:

PC death/PC being an important McGuffin is a bit of a concern, but other than that I think it's a great idea.

Thanks, though couldn't she just name an heir and go back to securing Ravounel after being appointed to the Board of Governors?

[Kasoh]

Warlock8 wrote:

Warped Savant wrote:

PC death/PC being an important McGuffin is a bit of a concern, but other than that I think it's a great idea.

Thanks, though couldn't she just name an heir and go back to securing Ravounel after being appointed to the Board of Governors?

Technically, yes. And since you're the GM, if you want to enable that, then it can happen. On the other hand, the drama potential of having to make sure that PC stays alive now could be interesting. Whatever is best for the group.

The Urvis problem is interesting on a few levels. First is that whomever ends up being the heir, their family has an important political function, but is otherwise destitute. No lands, no fortune, no recent ties and contacts with the other members of the Kintargo political scene. Its a hard position to be in and other ambitious families are going to be trying to scoop up the Urvis heir to boost their own family. Marriage proposals galore. Whoever the Urvis heir is, they are now a piece of political capital.

Of course, this also depends on how you as the GM interpret the Kintargo Contract itself. You have to determine if the Board of Governors needs to reconvene every time a new mayor is elected to reaffirm the refusal of Chelaxian soldiers or if by affirming the current mayor the toggle is set to off until a board is convened to affirm it back. In which case, assassination attempts abound from interested parties until the vote. It can't be kept secret because you have to talk to the people who will sit on that board.

In my game, some of this came up, but Rexus gave up some of his family's holdings to the Urvis heir to help them establish themselves.

[Tangent101]

The other thing you could do is have Laria be an adopted member of the family through a cadet line. Thus both your PC and Laria can both be heirs to the "Urvis" family.

[Warped Savant]

Warlock8 wrote:

Warped Savant wrote:

PC death/PC being an important McGuffin is a bit of a concern, but other than that I think it's a great idea.

Thanks, though couldn't she just name an heir and go back to securing Ravounel after being appointed to the Board of Governors?

Yes, but only if the PC is aware of what they are, why it's important, and why they should name an heir.