Betrothal Rules

Betrothals in Dynastic society are considered an imperative. From early childhood, the matriarchs of the Great Houses work tirelessly to acquire future spouses for their children. Very frequently, it is the work of not just a mother, but of grandmothers and aunts as well, particularly if the child is particularly promising, well-bred or from a prestigious line.

Men are not necessarily barred from working to find good marriages for their children, but in the Scarlet Empire, it is seen as a foolish idea, as men are assumed to have flighty standards. It is also seen as a mark against the women of the family that they are incompetent enough to need a man's assistance in such an endeavor.

Mechanics

The roll involved is a Manipulation + (Investigation, Performance or Presence) extended roll, with a roll interval of one year. A character may make one such roll per year for every dot of Socialize she possesses, though each roll must be for a different child.

When multiple individuals contribute their efforts to such an end, they may do so in one of two ways: cooperatively or in competition. Cooperative efforts are handled using the Aid Another rules, in which one searcher is designated as the main searcher, and her assistants' successes are added as dice to her dice pool (to a maximum bonus of her Manipulation + Socialize).

When handled competitively, separate characters simply each make their own rolls, and the first one to match the successes needed finds a suitable match (as determined by the traits chosen under Successes Needed). In this fashion, multiple potential matches might be located.

Dice Pool

The dice pool for this roll is a Manipulation + (Investigation, Performance or Presence) roll, to which anything other than Instant Charms cannot be applied.

Each such roll also has the following modifiers. Use the largest bonus, +1 for every other bonus category that might apply. These bonuses can add no more than the searcher's Manipulation + (Investigation, Performance or Presence) dice to the roll.:

• Allies, Connections: Many Dragon-Blooded prefer to seek among their allies for potential spouses for their children, further cementing such alliances. In such an instance, the seeker may add their Allies or Connections Background to the dice pool. Multiple searchers may use different Connections for the same search, but no matchmaker may add more than one Connections Background to this roll.
• Backing: Those who occupy important positions in society or organizations may also leverage that position in the search for a suitable candidate. Add the seeker's Backing Background rating to the dice pool.
• Reputation: If the child's parents have the Reputation Background, add these dice to the searcher's dice pool; add only the largest Reputation rating. If the child's grandparents have the Reputation, add this rating -2 (but only if this exceeds the parent's Reputation). If the child himself has the Reputation Background, this is handled in the Difficulty calculations, below.

Difficulty

The difficulty of the roll is determined by how impressive of a spouse the prospect is. The difficulty of this roll is calculated in the following fashion:

• Prospect is a Patrician (unExalted): Difficulty 5
• Prospect is a Dynast (unExalted): Difficulty 4
• Prospect is a Lost Egg (non-Dynastic): Difficulty 4
• Prospect is a Dynastic Exalt: Difficulty 3

Apply the following modifiers to the Difficulty of the roll:

• Breeding: Reduce the Difficulty by one for Breeding 4-5.
• Gifts: Families that send around gifts to good prospects often find an interest; reduce the Difficulty by one for Resources 4 and two for Resources 5.
• Prestigious: Promising prospects are easier to find spouses for; reduce the Difficulty by one for any Reputation or Backing in an organization or ministry considered worthwhile by the Scarlet Empire's standards, and by two if that rating is 3+. If the prospect has both, reduce the Difficulty by another one.

Successes Needed

The successes required are based on the ideal mate for the prospect. How important they are, whether or not they are Exalted and the like are all important and relevant points.