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Private, browser-local player worksheet

Build a precise Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord troubleshooting note

Record the variables that change the correct support route. Your entries stay in this page until you choose to copy the note; they are not uploaded or saved. Never enter passwords, recovery codes, payment details, or another player's personal data.

Suggested next step

Record stable versus beta branch, exact build, platform, campaign options and mods; beta-only unlock rules must not be applied to stable or console builds.

Game: Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
Guide: Bannerlord Beta 1.5.0: Why the Trader Start Is Locked (bannerlord-beta-trader-start-unlock-check)
Platform/storefront: Not recorded
Symptom category: Beta branch / Trader unlock
Displayed build/version: not recorded
Recent change: none recorded
Observed result (redact personal data): not recorded
Safe next check: Record stable versus beta branch, exact build, platform, campaign options and mods; beta-only unlock rules must not be applied to stable or console builds.

This is an editorial worksheet, not official support, automated diagnosis, a game-state check, or a promise of recovery. Use the guide's cited sources and current client as authority.

Confirm the branch before diagnosing an unlock

The official news index distinguishes stable and beta release tracks. A version number copied from a forum post is not enough: read the version/branch shown by the installed launcher or game client. The Trader-start condition below comes from the beta v1.5.0 notes only.

What you seeHow to interpret itNext check
Bannerlord beta v1.5.0The cited beta notes may applyOpen a new Sandbox start and check Player Starts
Stable v1.4.8 or another stable versionThis guide does not establish the option or unlock thereUse patch notes for that exact stable version
Console buildThe cited Steam beta instructions are not console instructionsUse the console's own current release notes
Branch/version unknownDo not troubleshoot the mechanic yetRecord the exact client version and branch first

References: TaleWorlds: Beta Patch Notes WS 1.3.0 / Bannerlord 1.5.0 · TaleWorlds: Bannerlord Official News and Patch Index

Check the documented Trader requirement

TaleWorlds lists Trader as a player start with a workshop and caravan in a random town. Its beta notes state that the Trader start must be unlocked by creating the player's first caravan; an existing save that already fulfills the condition can also unlock the corresponding start. That is the published condition—not a claim that workshop ownership alone qualifies.

  1. In the client, record the exact branch. If you are not on beta v1.5.0, stop and check the notes for your branch instead.
  2. On a save where the option is missing, use the normal campaign route to create your first caravan; do not delete or overwrite a valuable save just to test an unlock.
  3. Return to the beta Sandbox Player Starts menu. If it remains locked, close and relaunch the client, then check again.
  4. If you already created a caravan in an existing save, load that save as TaleWorlds describes, then reopen the Sandbox setup screen.
  5. Before confirming a new Sandbox, review the selected scenario, start and modifiers together: the beta notes say Advanced Starting Options are fixed when the Sandbox begins and cannot be changed later.

References: TaleWorlds: Beta Patch Notes WS 1.3.0 / Bannerlord 1.5.0

Use player reports as clues, not unlock rules

Community posts about caravan income or unlock timing can reflect a different branch, War Sails ownership or campaign stage. If asking for help, include the beta/stable label, platform, DLC, whether a caravan was created, and which start menu remains locked; do not post account data or private save files.

References: Bannerlord Steam Community Discussions: Workshops and Caravans · TaleWorlds: Beta Patch Notes WS 1.3.0 / Bannerlord 1.5.0

Before you play

  • Exact branch/version noted; beta v1.5.0 distinguished from stable and console builds.
  • Trader condition checked against creating the first caravan, not merely owning a workshop.
  • Valuable saves were not deleted or overwritten to test an unlock.
  • Existing qualifying save loaded before rechecking the start menu.
  • Scenario/start/modifiers reviewed before committing the new Sandbox.
  • Community income and unlock reports treated as anecdotal.

Frequently asked questions

What unlocks Trader in the cited Bannerlord notes?

The beta v1.5.0 notes say to create your first caravan; an existing save that already meets the unlock condition can also unlock the start.

Does this prove Trader is unlocked on stable or console?

No. This guide is explicitly scoped to TaleWorlds' beta v1.5.0 notes.

Can I change the start after creating the Sandbox?

TaleWorlds says Advanced Starting Options are selected when starting a Sandbox and cannot be changed later.

Sources & revision notes

Editorial revision: November 6, 2026; not a gameplay test date. The reference notes identify source limits and version differences.

  1. TaleWorlds: Beta Patch Notes WS 1.3.0 / Bannerlord 1.5.0 (Official)

    TaleWorlds beta notes, posted August 19, 2026 and checked November 6, 2026. These specific Advanced Starting Options, Trader unlock, and seed details are explicitly from the Bannerlord beta v1.5.0 branch (War Sails WS v1.3.0). Do not generalize them to the stable branch, other builds, or consoles. TaleWorlds says Advanced Starting Options are chosen when starting a Sandbox game and cannot be changed later. No campaign or beta build was played.

  2. TaleWorlds: Bannerlord Official News and Patch Index (Official)

    Official patch index checked November 6, 2026. It lists separate stable and beta tracks (including stable BL v1.4.8 and beta v1.5.0 in the current index). Use the installed version label and branch, not the newest-looking number alone, before applying version-specific advice. No game client was checked.

  3. Bannerlord Steam Community Discussions: Workshops and Caravans (Community)

    Player-generated Steam discussion posted December 25, 2025 about caravan/workshop income. Replies offer conflicting individual earnings and hypotheses; these are anecdotes, not a benchmark, current formula, or official support. Compare branch, DLC, campaign stage, location, companion and time window. Do not copy a player's denar figures as expected income.

What changed in this revision

November 6, 2026: documented the beta v1.5.0 Trader-start condition and branch boundary from TaleWorlds notes; no campaign, build or unlock was tested.

How we research and correct guides

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