• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Greetings!

Today I’d like to present a feature that is specifically tailored towards the ones among you who truly enjoy breeding potent dynasties - Legendary Bloodlines!

Legendary Bloodlines are modifiers that are passed down the generations from one specific character, the Founder - they work much like a dynasty, but with several more rules and caveats. They symbolize the widespread renown a certain character might have, and the staying power stories surrounding their feats are. Having a Legendary Bloodline in your character will convey a bonus based on who founded it, and there are many different Bloodlines to be found (and Founded). Bloodlines are accessed from the Character View:
DDBloodlines_BloodlineView.png

Unlike traits such as Genius or Strong, Bloodlines are not genetical - Bloodlines gain their power from perception and belief; if you were a superstitious medieval warrior, would you rather fight the big burly fighter who you knew were related to Charles the Hammer, or the one you knew were not?

That very same superstition, combined with the prejudices that were common in those times, causes Bloodlines to be either Agnatic or Enatic - to breed Bloodlines into your dynasty will require you to get clever, and plan ahead if you want more than one line to run within your direct line of heirs. If a Bloodline is agnatic, for example, a man will still pass it to his daughters - but they will not pass it on to their children, that will be exclusively reserved for his sons.
DDBloodlines_Patrilineal.png


Certain bloodlines, or certain effects of certain bloodlines, will only be active for characters who fulfill certain triggers - for example, Christian knights will only seek to serve a descendant of Charles the Hammer if he happens to be Christian.

It's also worth noting that Bloodlines do not give direct stat boosts like how artifacts do.

To facilitate the merging of several different Bloodlines into one direct line of characters, we’ve made it so that Matrilineal marriages transfer bloodlines that the parents wouldn’t normally be able to transfer - symbolizing that it’s less explicitly about gender, and more about who’s the dominant part in a marriage.
DDBloodlines_MatriTransfer.png


To see who’s a part of any given bloodline, you can view a list of the current holders by clicking a button next to the Founder in the Bloodlines View:
DDBloodlines_List.png


Though the easiest way by far is to enter the Bloodlines Ledger Page to see which bloodlines exist, how many members there are and, by clicking the entries, view who holds them.
DDBloodlines_Ledger.png


Bloodlines stem from many different sources, but the ones I’ll touch upon today are the Historical Bloodlines. As you might have already figured out, certain famous historical characters start with bloodlines, or found them at a certain point in their life. For example, if William succeeds in his invasion of England he’ll found a bloodline. As bloodlines come and go, you’ll have a different setup depending on what bookmark you choose to start in. Here’s a few examples of bloodlines you can expect to want to breed into your own line:
DDBloodlines_Examples.png


Note that there will be ways to get bloodlines apart from breeding them into your dynasty, but that will be the subject of a future DevDiary.
 
No-one in medieval Europe would have accepted such a thing - belief in Jesus' own virginity was essentially unquestioned.
Were there any heresies not believing in this?
 
I don't think I like these plans for the DLC, so I am not so excited to be honest.
It does not seem fair at all, that just because you have a distant relative you should be better at certain things, combat modifiers ex. And I don't really think I will care about a + 0.10 prestige gain, or stuff like that. So, while it can seem impressing enough on the package, I am just afraid that this will complex things up, and not bring any new features that I can benefit from in a random game. It is just another layer, that I might forget between all the other layers of stuff.
 
I like the idea, but am i a better horse rider and archer just because my ancestor was ghenghis khan? I don't think so. Prestige + ok. Opinion modifier for respective cultures ok. But not a combat modifier, this is seriously nonsens. But im super hyped for this whole content, being free or DLC - I want it!
Hope next DD will be about the new sainthood system as i am very curious about how they will integrate this feature into the game, and i still don't want to believe that there will not be saints for orthodoxs
 
I really like the part where certain options unlock based on heritage. If you descend from Genghis Khan you would likely practice a few traditions related to a Mongol Horde, even if you were a Feudal Christian. It gives some nuance to dynasties based on their heirtage.
 
It may have been stated previously, but what of also allowing negative traits to occur in bloodlines?

For example while Genghis Khan is looked on favourably by Mongols and Horselords, I think it would be fitting that religious groups such as Muslims and Christians, or ethnic groups such as Germans, Persians, Russians, (even Chinese?) and the like who were invaded by them have negative and unfavourable opinions of a Genghis Khan descendent. After all blood is thicker than water and racism and resentments linger.

I also picture possible feuding between families (Merchant of Venice inspiration) as a possible avenue for the DLC, which could also add to possible debuffs between characters.

Currently it just seems a little too much of buffs and bonuses, given that characters can also accrue items which always apply buffs to your character (Silk Shrouds, Heartseeker Sword, etc.).
 
Will Clovis have a bloodline? In the first bookmark one of his descendants (Theodoric de Merohingi) is alive, and I've seen plenty of games where a faction puts him on the West or Middle Francian Throne.
 
How the hell wouldn't he heard about him? The Viking Raids partially started because of what Karlings did to their Saxon brethren, and the fear that they might come after them next.

That's actually a misconception. The Norse tribes did not consider the Saxons their brethren - there's nothing to suggest they cared about Saxons one way or the other (especially since the victims of most of their raids were Anglo-Saxons in Britain). The raids were mostly economic; the vikings wanted gold, the monasteries and towns had gold.
 
For example while Genghis Khan is looked on favourably by Mongols and Horselords, I think it would be fitting that religious groups such as Muslims and Christians, or ethnic groups such as Germans, Persians, Russians, (even Chinese?) and the like who were invaded by them have negative and unfavourable opinions of a Genghis Khan descendent. After all blood is thicker than water and racism and resentments linger.
This is may be more complicated than that. This is really an over-simplification.

While the Mongols were clearly the scourge of Iran and Irak (but Timur was not much better), they were welcomed as liberators of Islam by the Muslim population after they invaded the Kara-Khitai khanate (held by Kuchlug, who persecuted the Muslim populations).
While the Mongols threatened the Christian world by invading Russia, Georgia and raiding eastern Europe, they were close to Nestorian Christians (who were minority populations within Muslim regions) and close allies with Armenia (who vassalized to them for a period) and the remains of the Crusader states and at some point, some Western Christians saw the Mongols as a good counter power against the Muslims (and the expansion of Baybars and the Mamluks).

About the nomads, on one hand, their conflicts with the Merkits and Naimans (unification of Mongolia) and with the Kipchaks and Cumans provoked migrations (in Hungary for the Cumans for instance) and even if a large proportion joined the Mongols, I don't think the ruling dynasties liked Genghis Khan and his sons a lot. On the other hand, their most loyal vassals were the Karluks (and the Uyghurs who weren't nomadic anymore at this point).

Hard to draw any conclusion about the opinion of other religions.
 
Last edited:
I do not believe in custom bloodlines since everyone, even me, gets attached to "their" dynasty. I know dynamic coding is hard, which rules out most things, so I would like it that if you form certain titles it creates a bloodline. Say if, in an early start you form the kingdom of England, it creates a bloodline with traits based on some sort of chance from the person who formed it
 
Please tell me players will be able to found custom bloodlines by fulfilling certain criteria!

Are we able to found our own bloodlines?

The very strong indication is - yes. Dynamic bloodlines will be a thing, we just don't know yet whether you can force/game one into existence or whether it will depend upon your traits and or achievements.
 
I do not believe in custom bloodlines since everyone, even me, gets attached to "their" dynasty. I know dynamic coding is hard, which rules out most things, so I would like it that if you form certain titles it creates a bloodline. Say if, in an early start you form the kingdom of England, it creates a bloodline with traits based on some sort of chance from the person who formed it

When they mention it's about legends and superstitions, I think it should be more closely related to piety, prestige or infamy than the title; as in the title should be the trigger rather than determining the effects of the bloodline.
 
"That very same superstition, combined with the prejudices that were common in those times, causes Bloodlines to be either Agnatic or Enatic..."

o_O lol typical Paradox