6.7.0 Creating Factions
A given campaign should generally not have more than six active factions at any one time, and three or four are generally more manageable. If there are more extant factions than this, then simply run turns for the three or four most active or relevant ones.
To create a faction, first decide whether it is a small, medium, or large faction. A small one might be a petty cult or small free city or minor magical academy. A medium one might be a local baron’s government or province-wide faith. A large one would be an entire kingdom or a major province of a vast empire.
It’s perfectly acceptable to break a large institution down into a smaller faction, modeling only the branch of government or part of the organization that’s actually relevant to the campaign.
All factions have a Base of Influence at their primary headquarters with a hit point total equal to the faction’s maximum. The faction’s Magic rating is whatever the GM thinks suitable.
For a small faction, give them a 3 or 4 in their best attribute, a 2 or 3 in their second-best, and a 1 or 2 in their worst quality.
Medium factions should assign 5 or 6 to their best attribute, 4 or 5 to their second-best, and 2 or 3 to their worst. They should have two Assets in their primary attribute and two others among the other two.
Large factions should assign 7 or 8 to their strongest attribute, 6 or 7 to their second-best attribute, and 3 or 4 to their worst quality. They should have four Assets in their primary attribute, and four others spread among the other two. Their Magic rating will depend on whatever you think is appropriate for their scale, but remember that it’s harder to concentrate effective magical resources when dealing with a whole province or nation than it is to enchant a single city-state or magical institution.
To determine a faction’s maximum hit points, use the adjacent table. Thus, one with a Force of 3, a Wealth of 5, and a Cunning of 2 would have hit points equal to 4 plus 9 plus 2, or 15 total. The Base of Influence at their primary headquarters will always have a maximum hit points equal to the faction’s maximum hit points, even if it later rises or falls due to attribute score changes.
| Attribute Rating | Faction XP Cost to Purchase | Hit Point Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | 9 | 9 |
| 6 | 12 | 12 |
| 7 | 16 | 16 |
| 8 | 20 | 20 |
Lastly, give a faction a goal, either one from the foregoing list or one chosen by the GM. When this goal is achieved, the faction earns experience points which it can later spend to increase its attributes. The cost for such increases is given on the table adjacent. Earlier levels must be purchased before later, so to raise Force from 5 to 7 will cost 9 XP to raise it to 6, then 12 more to raise it to 7.
Example Faction Goals
The difficulty of a faction goal is the number of experience points earned on a successful completion of it.
Blood the Enemy: Inflict a number of hit points of damage on enemy faction assets or bases equal to your faction’s total Force, Cunning, and Wealth ratings. Difficulty 2.
Destroy the Foe: Destroy a rival faction. Difficulty equal to 2 plus the average of the faction’s Force, Cunning, and Wealth ratings.
Eliminate Target: Choose an undamaged rival Asset. If you destroy it within three turns, succeed at a Difficulty 1 goal. If you fail, pick a new goal without suffering the usual turn of paralysis.
Expand Influence: Plant a Base of Influence at a new location. Difficulty 1, +1 if a rival contests it.
Inside Enemy Territory: Have a number of Stealthed assets in locations where there is a rival Base of Influence equal to your Cunning score. Units that are already Stealthed in locations when this goal is adopted don’t count. Difficulty 2.
Invincible Valor: Destroy a Force asset with a minimum purchase rating higher than your faction’s Force rating. Difficulty 2.
Peaceable Kingdom: Don’t take an Attack action for four turns. Difficulty 1.
Root Out the Enemy: Destroy a Base of Influence of a rival faction in a specific location. Difficulty equal to half the average of the current ruling faction’s Force, Cunning, and Wealth ratings, rounded up.
Sphere Dominance: Choose Wealth, Force, or Cunning. Destroy a number of rival assets of that kind equal to your score in that attribute. Difficulty of 1 per 2 destroyed, rounded up.
Wealth of Kingdoms: Spend Treasure equal to four times your faction’s Wealth rating on bribes and influence. This money is effectively lost, but the goal is then considered accomplished. The faction’s Wealth rating must increase before this goal can be selected again. Difficulty 2.