Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is the best medieval simulator to date, well it is missing all of the really horrible things that occurred back then, but it’s got the armies, the fiefs, and politics that make you want to strangle every lord in sight. Beyond that, it also has a pretty fleshed-out system for continuing your legacy after your main character dies. That’s right; there’s a way to have kids in Bannerlord and play the game as them long after your first character has died.
Mount & Blade has always had a system for finding a spouse and having a fief to call home, but Bannerlord really stepped it up by allowing the character you play to be one of your children after your character passes away. The game has a time system in place, and your character noticeably ages the longer you play.
Eventually, they will meet their demise, and if you don’t have an heir, your game ends. That’s why it’s so important to find a spouse and have children in Bannerlord if you plan on staying in for the long haul. Here’s how to have kids in Bannerlord and continue your goal of dominating the campaign map.
Finding a Spouse in Bannerlord
The first thing you need to do is find a spouse. There are a ton of different characters in-game that you can marry—so long as they’re not married. Once you’ve found your intended, you need to, well, tell them of your intentions. After you’ve professed your love, you need to have a successful conversation where you charm them.
After that, wait a few days before talking to them again. Then find them on the map and pop the question. You’ll have to charm them again through one of the dialogue options, but if you’re successful, there’s only one step left—get permission from their mom and dad. Yes, it’s weird, but hey, this is the medieval ages.
After convincing their mom and dad by offering lots of money, you’ll now be married. Congratulations! Now get to work on that baby.
Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord currently only support heterosexual relationships, but there are modders out there that have added support for other relationships and sexualities. If that interests you, you can check some of those out at NexusMods.
How to Have Kids in Bannerlord
When mommy and daddy love each other very much… no? Okay, anyways, having a kid in Bannerlord is pretty simple. You just need to find where they are and spend a few nights with them. If your wife or husband is at a castle, stay there for a week with them. If they’re in your party, make camp somewhere on the map and wait a week. Either way, you just need to spend time with them so that the process can begin.
After doing that, you’ll eventually get a message that your wife (or you) is now pregnant. A few seasons later, a baby will pop out, and you’ll now have a kid. Congratulations a second time! Your baby will soon become a toddler, then a teen, and finally, an adult. While a teen, you can begin bringing them along and training them for their eventual position within your clan. This is strongly advised since the whole point of having children was to declare them your heir upon your death.
You should know that, just like in real life, women are no longer able to get pregnant after a certain age. This age varies in both real life and Bannerlord, but in-game, it seems to stop after 45 years of age. Women are also unable to get pregnant until they’re 18 years old in Bannerlord, which was definitely a good idea on the dev’s part. While teen pregnancy rates were probably sky-high back then, there’s no reason players should be able to roleplay and impregnate 16-year-olds in a video game. *Shudders*
You should also know that there is no way to have kids with someone you aren’t married to. Bastard sons and daughters were definitely a thing back then (see Jon Snow), but Bannerlord has decided to hold fathers and mothers to a standard and force them to marry anyone they wish to co-parent with.
How to Increase the Chances of Getting Pregnant
There isn’t too much you can do to increase the chances of getting pregnant in Bannerlord besides taking the perk Virile in the Charm skill. This perk doesn’t stack, so only you or your significant other need to have it. Ideally, your NPC spouse will take this trait so that you can take something else. Virile will increase the chance of having kids by a flat 30%, meaning that you should only have to spend 2-3 nights with your spouse before someone gets pregnant.
This next tip doesn’t necessarily increase the chances of getting pregnant in Bannerlord, but it’s good to know—the more kids you have, the lower your chances of getting pregnant. This is especially true for mothers that have already given birth to four kids, as it becomes very hard after this to have kids in Bannerlord. Likewise, the mother’s age also affects her ability to get pregnant. The older she is, the lower the chances. This negative effect maxes out at age 45, after which it becomes impossible for her to get pregnant.
How Long Does Pregnancy Last
Pregnancy lasts one month and fifteen days, after which you should be greeted with a son or daughter. If you were hoping for a certain gender, you can save the game and reload it if you didn’t get the kid you wanted. Okay, outside of the context of Bannerlord, that sentence sounds so bad.
Declaring an Heir in Bannerlord
After dying, a screen will pop up with any possible heirs you might have. These include your spouse and children. If your heir isn’t as strong politically as you were, you might encounter problems with inheritance. If your character is nearing the end of their run, it might be wise to pass Feudal Inheritance in your faction so that other lords and the leader can’t refuse your heir your hard-earned fiefs.
We hope this quick guide on how to have kids in Bannerlord was useful to you. The hardest part is having a good enough Charm skill to woo your intended. Once you’ve done that and paid the dowry, you’re pretty much set. Just spend a few nights together on the road or in a castle, and you should eventually get the message that your baby is on the way.
