NTC stands for Non Traditional Character. Basically a new character will start out at a young age but for example someone with enough story points, or someone with a title starting in Expo could start out as a 40+ year old instead of a child. Doesn't really have anything to do with Wards. Exact quote from down the rabbit hole.

Non-Traditional Characters (NTCs)

The answer to the child not-yet-ready for inheritance lies in Non-Traditional Characters. For those new to this concept, NTCs are NPCs which have been 'inhabited' by a player. Put differently, imagine there's a 35-year-old NPC in the world. He has an established career, and he's got a family, land, some wealth, etc. Now imagine someone goes to the character creation screen and instead of selecting a family to join, they choose an NPC to inhabit. They become that 35-year-old NPC. That's an NTC.

As for what happens to your stuff land, titles and property (homes and such) need an heir to pass between generations. If you have a home and a plot of land but die without a chosen heir it reverts back to the Counts LMT as an abandoned plot. (Last I've heard anyway could change)

Your personal affects however like a sword and armor could be hidden in an out of the way place and picked up after you start over.

The game is more about what happens to your bloodline than just what happens to you. So heirs are pretty much needed to pass any real wealth from generation to generation. You can make it work only playing wards but it will be difficult to pass more than just what you can carry (or hide) to your next life.

I know what NTC stands for... Why do you think a NTC ward would not suit the definition you gave? The NTC can be young too, it's not always a 40+ years old NPC. You're just telling me what the actual system is, I'm giving a suggestion in order to have a spare wheel when you don't have any heir, to make one artificially by adoption. I know it's not possible currently, if you want to stay in your family it's either you make a child or you take a NPC in your family.

You can't just take a random NPC without any family (basically a ward) and make him your heir by law. That's my suggestion. To make it possible.

Because adopting random NPCs (no need to call them NTCs as any NPC over age 15 would be a NTC) defeats the purpose of the system?

It is a vital game mechanic to remove a player's children to leave them with no heirs to create a power vacuum. If a monarch can randomly add any NPC of any age to their family he/she would theoretically never run out of heirs and thus never be forced from power as they would always have someone with a claim to the throne.

Destroying a bloodline is a valid tactic for change. Forcing players to create a child in order to continue the bloodline gives assassins a way to impact the game. Kill off heirs then target the monarch.

Giving everyone (not just monarchs) a get out of jail free card like random adoptions doesn't solve a problem it creates them.

Oh I see your point. Don't forget that a nobody will never be accepted as a king, even if the king himself adopt him before dying. The King's ring tests its new owner before agreeing to make him the King. Its owner needs to have support and loyalty from the people in order to be recognised by the ring. This is the reason why a thief stealing the King's ring will not be anything if he tries to wear it. And a ward from nowhere neither will.

However, I don't see why anyone would try to end the bloodline of someone who isn't a noble. I mean, killing the heirs of a farmer will not change anything. Neither where the heir comes from. And there are people who don't necessarily want to make a child and prefer to reduce the rate of parentless children by adopting one. I mean, an orphanage is made in order to take care of ward children, until they're adopted by someone or they're too old to stay.

Posted By Rinkuji at 5:17 PM - Thu Sep 07 2017

Oh I see your point. Don't forget that a nobody will never be accepted as a king, even if the king himself adopt him before dying. The King's ring tests its new owner before agreeing to make him the King. Its owner needs to have support and loyalty from the people in order to be recognised by the ring. This is the reason why a thief stealing the King's ring will not be anything if he tries to wear it. And a ward from nowhere neither will.

However, I don't see why anyone would try to end the bloodline of someone who isn't a noble. I mean, killing the heirs of a farmer will not change anything. Neither where the heir comes from. And there are people who don't necessarily want to make a child and prefer to reduce the rate of parentless children by adopting one. I mean, an orphanage is made in order to take care of ward children, until they're adopted by someone or they're too old to stay.

Farmer owns a huge tract of land with some impressive and lucrative crops. His heirs would inherit his farm and such. If he has no heirs his land is considered abandoned and can be claimed by someone else. (Or it reverts to the Land Management Table as being available)

A merchant owns a diamond mine. Kill him and his heirs and once more his holdings are now open for someone else to claim.

Or someone simply owns a home in a prime spot in a town. A merchant wants the land to open a shop. Person refuses to sell it. Hire assassins kill his family and him land is available.

There are MANY reasons to want to remove a bloodline.

Is it at all possible for players to establish something like a boarding school? It would be nice if I could have an heir and then send it off to a boarding school so that my enemies aren't aware of its existence. I would gladly pay other players to keep it alive until its time to take it over with a spark!

Posted By DeadSexy at 5:52 PM - Sat Sep 30 2017

Is it at all possible for players to establish something like a boarding school? It would be nice if I could have an heir and then send it off to a boarding school so that my enemies aren't aware of its existence. I would gladly pay other players to keep it alive until its time to take it over with a spark!

There is specific lore already established (see Anara Starsong) that points to the existence of boarding schools. Two schools are also mentioned in the Kypiq tribe writeup also, so further evidence/confirmation that schools as magnets for students.

Posted By DeadSexy at 7:52 PM - Sat Sep 30 2017

Is it at all possible for players to establish something like a boarding school? It would be nice if I could have an heir and then send it off to a boarding school so that my enemies aren't aware of its existence. I would gladly pay other players to keep it alive until its time to take it over with a spark!

The great thing about capitalism is it let's anyone with a good idea fill an economic roll. I'm sure that nobles from every country, duchy, and county will want to keep their heirs safe and I'm sure there will be players who open up these schools, depending on how we can train our heirs for their future rolls.

Posted By DeadSexy at 02:52 AM - Sun Oct 01 2017

Is it at all possible for players to establish something like a boarding school? It would be nice if I could have an heir and then send it off to a boarding school so that my enemies aren't aware of its existence. I would gladly pay other players to keep it alive until its time to take it over with a spark!

You can send him/her incognito to an other country, if your own country can't offer protection. I think the russians do that too.

I've read somewhere that children under the age of 15 can't be killed, only knocked unconscious, so killing off someones heirs might be a bit harder.