Is there a mechanic used to detect relative Bloodranks between Vals? Is there an Insight Roll? Can you tell Bloodrank, or just relative Bloodrank (ie: higher than me, lower than me).

No, should there be? Is there canon of vals being able to "scan" one another?

Vals get bonus' against those who have a lower bloodrank.

In the d20 days val could know each others blood rank just by spending a round and thinking about it. I don't think that transferred to the new system. I would assume a Val who has a background that grants a flintlock has a leg up on val who are vagabonds (or whatever). Val who are noble born or patricians probably have a leg up on a val who get a flintlock. Paths like knighthoods and legate probably help. If its close enough to be unclear call it a push.

My 2 cents.

eric, why, the Talents specifically grant a bloodrank bump



so there is a bloodrank, just no way to detect it

Pedro hinted that blood rank and potent blood will eventually be important for at least some talents.

it already matters for some talents, like the val abebi knowledege one

I am giving away a big secret here to those of you who have not figured out how Bad Ass the new Val'Delenov are but blood rank plays a major roll in their bloodline powers. For Hands of the Mother they get to cast Claws of the Beast with a Casting Bonus equal to twice their bloodrank.

So at Tier 1.8 I tap D8 speed 3 Claws. BR4*2=8+Passive Chr mod of 4 +12= 24 which equals the CTN of adapting Claws of the Beast twice. Every 2 Bloodline Talents I take I will get a die bump so you can bet I will be taking all but maybe 1.

I have always thought it was an instinctive that you know the BR of another Val and an unconscious deference to those of higher bloodrank. At the same time it would be easy to cognitively overcome the that unconscious deference in the case of the Noble Knight with a BR of 2 looking down on the Savage Barbarian shaman with the BR of 4 due to the difference in social status.

Certainly the val'Dellenov have one of the "better" (subjective, to be sure) sets of bloodline Talents. But unless I'm missing something, one cannot have a bloodrank of 4 at tier 1.8 since there are only 2 bloodline Talents available at each tier.

Scott

Potent Blood.