I think that is what is worrying people like Ituralde and me. It seems like a House has a potential breakdown every time some guy in the middle dies. for a three person House this wouldn't be a huge deal but for bigger Houses it would throw things in turmoil. I think Houses should be a little more stable than that, even if the rank of the guy on top changes from time to time.

Quote Originally Posted by Privateerkev
The current rule covering a death in the middle, is this. Say there is a Viscount, Baron, and Baronet. It is a 3 person House. If the Baron died, both surviving people would become Baronets. Then one could swear to the other if they wished and one would be a Baron and one would be the Baronet.
That one I knew. I was just explaining my poorly thought out idea of what would happen if the heir receiving the title was a neccessary part of the feudal chain, preventing his getting the rank of his father (he'd replace the second in command for top rank, unless the second was willing to fight for it).

Under the current rule, the 2nd down the chain would simply become the top of the chain. If the characters agreed to rearrange the chain so the "heir" is on top, that can be done IC but there is no current rule requiring it. Right now, you can pick an "heir" all you want but there are no rule mechanics to enforce the choice.