Faction Reputation
Reputation within a faction determines a character’s standing, influence, and access to resources. It is earned through loyalty, competence, and advancing the faction’s interests. Alternatively, reputation is lost through failure, disobedience, or betrayal. Most characters begin with neutral reputation unless prior ties or deeds dictate otherwise.
Reputation is a currency as much as a measure of standing. A trusted agent may leverage their reputation for favors, protection, or privileged information, but reputation spent is not easily regained. Covert actions can build standing in secret, while public victories or humiliations shape perception.
Reputation is not static. It shifts based on success, discretion, and the faction’s changing priorities. Falling out of favor can mean demotion, exile, or death, while rising too quickly may earn the envy of rivals.
Reputation Increases
A character’s reputation rises when their actions strengthen the faction. Success can be public, earning immediate rewards but drawing envy and scrutiny, or covert, accumulating favor in secret until it proves valuable.
Faction-specific contributions provide the most direct gains. A Zaharmak rebel who cripples a Poke factory earns admiration among compatriots, but also attention from enemies. A Navtog merchant securing an exclusive trade deal demonstrates their worth, but success breeds rivals.
Not all contributions are obvious. Even seemingly mundane efforts can improve standing if they align with faction priorities. A Celtumpra mage frequently donating reagents strengthens research efforts, while a Navrow smuggler running the same minor route provides consistent support and income. Leaders often take note of those who quietly reinforce the faction’s foundation.
| Faction Reputation | ||
| Reputation Score | Reception | Benefits |
| <0 | Hated | Barred entry or negative treatment. Possibly avoided, hated, or hunted. |
| 0 | Unknown | Indifferent; no benefits. |
| 5 | Recognized | Warm treatment; occasional discounts or courtesies. |
| 10 | Familiar | Comfortable treatment with discounts, small perks, and people are glad to see you. |
| 20 | Well-Known | Frequent gifts and services. People go out of their way to make you feel welcome or may offer services, tokens, or other flattery to gain your approval. |
| 40 | Influential | Lavish treatment with obsequiousness; frequent gifts and invitation, even from your peers. |
| 60 | Famous | Celebrated and public adoration. You are a hero to your faction and are often swarmed by lackeys. |
Spending Reputation
Reputation within a faction is a valuable resource that can be spent to request goods, services, or assistance beyond what is normally available. Spending reputation represents calling in a favor or leveraging one’s standing within the faction, but it comes at a cost. The act of spending reputation reduces the character’s influence and standing unless the favor directly benefits the faction.
For example, a Celtumpra druid might request rare alchemical ingredients from another faction member. If they have the coin to pay outright, their reputation remains unaffected. However, if they lack the funds, they can expend reputation to secure the boon, effectively saying, “Do me this favor.” This represents a direct loss of standing within the faction, as they are seen as drawing on its resources without immediate repayment. Alternatively, the druid might frame the request as, “Do me this favor, and I’ll owe you one,” deferring the cost. In this case, their reputation remains intact, but they take on a debt that must be repaid, either by returning the value of the boon or performing a service of equal importance within a given timeframe. Failure to repay could result in more significant reputation loss later, reflecting the faction’s disappointment or frustration.
Balancing the expenditure of reputation requires careful decision-making. Players must consider whether the benefits of calling in a favor outweigh the potential loss of influence within the faction for their characters. Excessive or poorly justified requests may result in diminished trust and reduced access to future resources.
Separation of Reputation and Role
Reputation and role within a faction are distinct concepts that do not always align. Reputation is how a character is perceived within the faction, based on their deeds, reliability, and alignment with faction goals. Role, however, is the character’s formal or informal position, defining their responsibilities and authority. A Colderyn overseer might enjoy a high reputation for their exceptional work ethic but remain a low-level industrial manager with minimal influence over broader operations. Conversely, a reclusive Celtumpra Luminary might command their own enclave but suffer from a poor reputation due to unorthodox practices or personal grudges.
This mismatch between reputation and role creates unique dynamics within factions. Characters with high reputation but low authority can leverage their influence to gain the trust of peers and leadership, potentially advancing their standing over time. However, they may face frustration when their reputation exceeds their formal power, limiting their access to resources or decision-making. On the other hand, those with significant roles but poor reputations, such as a Zaharmak Plotter resented by their Beaters, Boomers, and Bangers, must contend with internal resistance, undermining, or outright defiance, despite their positional power.
Players in Different Factions
When your players belong to different factions, while you may be setting your game up for great roleplaying and intricate narratives, you are also laying the groundwork for incredible dysfunction. Before you begin, ensure your group is prepared for character conflict without player animosity. Regular out-of-game communication is essential to maintaining this boundary.
Espionage and Intrigue
Spies create compelling narrative tools in faction-based campaigns. Place NPC spies within your players' own faction to generate internal threats that can't be solved through direct confrontation. These agents should have specific goals, such as sabotaging operations, leaking information to rivals, or manipulating leadership decisions to benefit their true masters.
For players who wish to act as spies, provide clear objectives through private communications. These missions should force difficult choices between faction loyalty and party cohesion. The most effective spy missions aren't simple intelligence gathering but operations that force players to decide what to do with sensitive information. When a player uncovers evidence of Colderyn's slave labor practices, they must choose between exposing these atrocities or maintaining their cover to serve their faction's larger goals.
Structure espionage in three distinct phases: infiltration, operation, and extraction. Each phase should present unique challenges with clear consequences for failure. Use physical props like coded messages or recognition phrases to immerse players in the espionage experience. Track what information each faction possesses and how it spreads when security is compromised.
The consequences of spy activities should directly impact faction relationships and resources. When players steal Poke manufacturing secrets, the faction might increase security at all facilities, making future infiltration more difficult. If they assassinate a Navtog informant, rival networks might unite against the perceived threat. These cascading effects create a dynamic world where espionage drives meaningful change rather than existing in isolation.
Practical Implementation
Provide a binding reason why these characters remain united despite their differences. This might be mutual debt, shared blackmail, or an alliance of necessity against a greater threat. The consequence of separation should be worse than the discomfort of cooperation.
Don't shy away from messy situations. Let characters argue and compromise, as this tension creates memorable roleplay. Expect and plan for factional loyalty to eventually break a mission and use that failure as a narrative turning point rather than a game-ending hurdle.
Create safety valves where tensions can be aired without destroying the group. Neutral ground, respected mediators, or downtime activities can provide these necessary release mechanisms. Meanwhile, ensure every player's faction receives spotlight time by rotating the focus to prevent any single faction from dominating the story.
Remember, these conflicts reflect the moral ambiguity and transactional nature of loyalty itself. Use private objectives, staged revelations, and natural consequences to add variability and interest to your campaign. The most compelling stories emerge when players must weigh their factional duties against the bonds they've formed with their companions.