[MECHANICS] Things More Valuable Than Coin

The final part in a series about faction-focused campaigns

Missed the past articles in this series? Read Parts 1 and 2 below:

[MECHANICS] Making Factions Matter

[MECHANICS] Becoming Questing Beasts

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If you've been following our factions series, we've covered the 'who,' 'why,' and even started on 'how' players get involved. But players want more than just running errands—they want to be important themselves.

This final article in our series is the most crucial: it turns helpful tips into a core gameplay loop for entire campaigns. You can use it for parts in your ongoing game, but if you run a full campaign with this framework, I'd love to hear about it!

The Framework (cont.)

Here are the steps of the first phase of faction creation we used in the first article:

1. Create three factions.

2. Have the player characters choose the enemy faction.

3. Have the player characters choose their primary faction (as a group).

4. Whichever faction remains is allied with the player character’s faction.

The second article discussed the following:

1. Create a mission statement for each faction.

2. Generate three quests for the primary faction.

3. Reward completion of quests with reputation or further opportunities.

4. Once two quests are completed, the third quest disappears and all three quests are refreshed.

Now, we introduce the last few pieces of the puzzle:

1. Choose the consequences / rewards for each Reputation in each faction.
   The scale on how much reputation unlocks something is up to you, but an easy way to look at it is smaller numbers = shorter campaign, bigger numbers = longer campaign.

2. Create a Reputation Tracker for the player characters.
   Have a marker or some way of keeping track of each faction on the tracker; as reputation is gained or lost, move each marker to the next tier when applicable. It doesn’t have to be a physical marker, just some way of visualizing it is what matters.

3. Have campaign-changing events occur on entering a new reputation tier.
   In other words, when the players gain or lose enough reputation to move up or down a reputation tier, something major happens in the world that shakes things up.

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Example: Kingdoms and Rebels, Part 3

Continuing with our war-torn kingdom via the three rebel, mercenary, and noble factions, we’ll set up a Reputation Tracker to determine what the players may acquire or lose in play. Our tracker looks as follows:

Two things you’ll notice right away:

1. Positive reputation tiers are gained for every two reputation whereas negative reputation tiers are lost for every 1 (below 0).

2. Additionally, it’s harder to lose reputation once you’ve gained it with a particular faction.

Both of these things allow for your players to mess up once in a while in their chosen faction without suffering too extreme of consequences. That being said, once things get into the red they quickly spiral out of control.

Once you’ve set up a tracker, try determining other consequences or boons that might be gained at each reputation tier. Tie these to major events in the world, like a noble bequeathing their estate to one of the characters, or a group of green recruits becoming zealots in your name, or your rival faction losing an important piece of territory.

Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

• Redemption Requirements: Once you have negative reputation with a given faction, you can’t make it positive without willing self-imprisonment, unpaid labor, flogging, taking on a suicide mission, etc.

• Permanent Enmity: Once you have negative reputation with a given faction, you can never gain reputation with that faction again.

• Upgraded Quarters: You are given improved work/living spaces at each positive reputation tier.

• Retinue Rewards: You are given a retinue of hirelings, followers, or other workers at each positive reputation tier.

• Quest Penalty: If a quest is not completed and disappears during a quest refresh, you have a 50% chance of losing 1 reputation.

• Exclusive Access: Gain access to restricted areas or secret information known only to high-ranking faction members.

• Diplomatic Immunity: At certain positive reputation tiers, you are granted diplomatic immunity from minor offenses within the faction's territory.

• Resource Allocation: At higher tiers, you can allocate faction resources, such as troops or supplies, for your personal missions.

• Ceremonial Honors: Participate in ceremonial events or rituals exclusive to high-ranking faction members.

• Emergency Assistance: Call upon emergency assistance from the faction in dire situations, such as reinforcements or evacuation.

• Faction Absorption: Members of the allied faction defect to join your faction.

Q: Should you share the reputation tracker with players?

Sharing it helps players plan ahead for roleplay opportunities and set up in-world rationales for future boons. However, it can also lead to characters making decisions solely for benefits, rather than staying true to their feelings.

Your mileage may vary, but personally, I'd keep it private.

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A Factional Campaign

This system makes campaigns rewarding for players, allowing them to follow the plot while the Quests → Reputation → Rewards loop helps GMs know what to prep at each step. Encounters challenge characters' convictions and associations, making the campaign about their place in the world and the connections they form.

And that’s it! How do you feel about this method of implementing factions in a meaningful way? Do you have ways you’ve found work better? Worse? Are you interested in trying to create a campaign in this way?

Let me know what you think below.

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