Think of three family- based sitcoms. It can be animated, live action like pic related, whatever.
Got it?
[Spoiler] Those three families are now the principle noble houses of your next campaign setting. How quickly does the land succumb to total bullshit? [/spoiler]
remember kids: ctrl + s after highlighting your text for properspoilers
>>55183460
....This is fucking genius.
>>55183460
Let's see:
House Barone
House Harper
House Trotter
Well other than the ostensible patriarchs (and I use it in the loosest possible terms, given who they are) of the last two not having wives most of the time, that's going to be an interesting setup
House Addams
House Munster
House Bundy
Could be interesting...
>>55183507
Seconded. I'm definitely going to use this next time I have to flesh out competing families.
Now, let's see...
House Keaton: Wise and benevolent patriarch, if a little soft; ambitious but loyal heir-apparent who advocates a tougher policy. Very workable. Probably the good guys, and a solid bet for PC allies.
House Heffernin: Senile mad king is gently moved out of power; the realm is run by the bitchy princess and her husband the regent, who is mildly incompetent and mostly just wants to watch gladiatorial games and chariot races and eat sumptuous feasts.
House Bundy: Oh shit. The bad guys for sure. Bitter, amoral, degenerate; there's no act they won't stoop to. They'd be more of a threat if they didn't hate each other more than any outsider.
>Fresh Prince
>Malcolm in the Middle
>The Simpsons
22 minutes. In-universe time, not "over the course of an episode"
>>55183460
>House Sanchez
Lord Sanchez is a master arcanist, known even throughout the feyear realm for his prowess. When his only daughter elopes with a bumbling lesser nobleman, and with no other heirs, Sanchez resents his line being extinguished by the Smiths. He currently appears to be investing energy into training his grandson in the arcane arts, although as with all Sanchez's schemes, there is often more than is seen at work.
>>55185427
>House Bucket (pronounced Bouquet)
A former commoner raised to nobility, Lord Bucket is constantly harassed by his wife to continue to better his position and maintain what she believes to be an air of nobility. Unfortunately, her interpretation of what is proper of the gentry often leaves them open to ridicule. She is particularly keen to distance herself from her still-common siblings.
>>55185466
>House Griffin
Through sheer luck, the bumbling, obese Lord Griffin managed to seduce the daughter of Duke Pewterschmidt. With a moronic heir, an undesirable daughter and ambitious younger son, House Griffind undoubtedly balances on the edge of catastrophe.