How to successfully play a noble.

[SylvreEchoes]

I was wondering if there could be hints or tips or tricks to playing a noble character.
Is there a specific role-play style or styles one should adopt when role-playing with others, if so what?
Are there specific ways one should interact with other classes, gentry or freeman?
What is a good time limit in rp to expect the rules of courtesy ie bowing, curtseying, addressing one as my Lord or my lady?
There are hints about lashing. When is it rp acceptable to do so? Why would someone lash someone? Are there steps before and after one should know about?
Is there body language tics, quirks, or ways one carries themselves that are good to use when playing a noble? If so what are they?
There are hints about entering property of others, does this mean guilds as well, if so how acceptable and when should you do so if at all?
Regarding sumptuary, certain nobles can wear certain types of furs, cloths, jewels. What is enough of dressing the character to show they are following those as a noble and not being too austentatious? Is there such a thing, ie wearing an entire outfit of tubori purple and cloth of silver and being studded with jewels everywhere?
Are there things other nobles do as forms of courtesy to each other ie bowing the head, removing one's hat?
Are there other things one should know about role-playing a noble not listed here? If so what?
Thanks

[Puciek]

"help noble" is a category that has quite a few helpfiles, those are a great starting point and I think will answer most of the stuff you've mentioned here, though in a bit generic/broad way so check those out, otherwise I feel like I would be repeating a lot of what is told there. For example regarding whipping you have "help noble noble power" which explains the complexity of how they can excercise their power, and how it's both absolute, and fragile at the very same time.

[Dreams]

I'll address a few things, as there have been miscommunications or confusions about them with nobles in the past. Which, a noble has the right to push anything they want, but these were misinterpretations of the helpfiles:

1) in help noble rights, it says you can enter any properties ON YOUR OWN LAND, and any freeman. As far as I am aware, we have never had a noble of Lithmore proper in recent times. You can try to force it, but may meet resistance, as Lithmore (the city, not the duchy) may not be your land.

2) People only need to ask a noble's leave to go if they are IN DIRECT CONVERSATION WITH THEM. (Help courtesy) Not if twenty people happen to be in the same room, the noble is having their own conversation off in the corner and not paying attention to the person about to leave. Doing it then, you're interrupting a noble's convo - results can be mixed.

3) People should, typically, wait to be addressed by a noble before barging into their conversations - wait politely aside, etc. Some people don't. Results can be mixed.

4) There is no ONE RIGHT WAY to play a noble. Culture differences, family differences, faith differences... all of them make rich differences. The people that went overboard on the things above? They can. They are noble. But, didn't necessarily make them pleasant to interact with.

[mystry]

I would add to all of this that there is a careful balance with the relationship of Nobles and the Gentry. Gentry are essentially Freemen who are wealthy enough to live like a noble, but they themselves don't have titles or land (or at least not as much land as a noble. A gentry owning something like a vineyard is perfectly fine).

Coupled with this is understanding that a big portion of any Noble's goal is to advance their own house... which requires good relations with other nobles, AND usually the gentry.

Essentially, while you do have the power to do unpleasant things like lash people for 'offending' you (read: offending can be basically anything), a Noble who was born one and raised one would be very cautious about doing so without a good reason. Especially if the individual whom they want take action against is a powerful gentry or freeman. Guildleaders spring to mind rather quickly. Most of them happen to be gentry. But if a freeman is well liked by other powerful people, you should incorporate that.

[SylvreEchoes]

All of what has been said above is very helpful. I was specifically thinking of the Lithmorran nobility. Thanks everyone.

[galaxgal]

This is probably more abstract than the initial questions, as others have said, there's truly no one 'right' way to roleplay a noble. They have powerful rights, and are as entitled to be as cruel or as kind as fits their character. But there are a few mechanics and other points I want to call out:

Nobles were the original party that Prestige was designed around, and have the most opportunities and mechanics around them, such as the ability to create projects and decent natural Influence generation. Almost all of the ways to gain prestige revolve around interacting with and often giving other PC's things to do.

Due to their social standing Nobles have an advantage in pretty much all of the game's 'political' mechanics: Their support (or distaste) out of chargen is going to be stronger than a Freeman or even Gentry's due to their natural IP levels.

Nobles can generally join some but not all Guilds. Reeves and Knights come to mind. But conversely, other Guilds are controversial, at least in their 'traditional' roles: It's assumed unbecoming for a Noble to be a crafting Merchant, for example, or an entertainer.

Your off-screen Domain can often be thought of as a 'character' in its own right, but keep in mind that for actual resolutions by Staff and such that results can vary. However, it can be great for creating hooks for Projects or political contributions.

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Finally, I don't think nobles have to be 'nice', although a lot of people choose to play them that way, which is fine. But it's a rare and rich opportunity to play a character who, unlike every other character who can grab it in TI, isn't held to task by public approval to hold power. Even Council GL's and Great Lords have approval ratings to maintain, but you? You were born with it, baby, and you'll die with it too.