Developing Factions

This post outlines how factions can serve player characters.

Characters gain different benefits depending upon their relationship with the faction in question, referred to as their Faction Status.

Unknown characters have little or no prior history with the organization. The faction is not likely to seek the characters out for work, and the character is not likely to get much out of the faction.

Known characters are recognized by local faction members. Characters gain this status after completing a significant favor for the faction or interfering in their affairs. If viewed positively, the faction is likely to seek the party out when they have need of outside help, and those viewed negatively are likely to the be the targets of harassment.

Regional Member characters are basic, run-of-the-mill members of the faction. They know and are known to all local faction members, may access faction resources and spaces (like training discounts, medical care, etc.), may hire other regional members as hirelings, and may amass faction favors. Characters who join a faction at character creation start at this status, and characters may earn this status if they are Known, in good standing with the faction, and spend 6 months being initiated (free of charge). These benefits come with some additional responsibilities: in addition to a 10% tithe of all wealth due in the month of Judgement, Regional Members are also always on-call if the faction higher-ups need a task accomplished.

Intraregional Member characters are senior members, active in two distinct areas. They have all the benefits of a Regional Member, but can access them both in their home region and one additional area of their choice. Depending on the size, organization, and goals of the faction, these regions may be defined differently. Characters are promoted to Intraregional Member status if they are a Regional Member in good standing, are Professional-tier in at least one faction skill, and spend 6 months ingratiating themselves in their new region (free of charge). While their responsibilities are the same (10% tithe and being on-call), they are able to ask for more with their favors.

Chapter Head characters dedicate considerable in-game time to the service of their faction. They gain considerable benefits but lose some character autonomy. Characters can become Chapter Heads if they are Intraregional Members in good standing, are Professional-tier in at least three faction skills, and spend 6 months at the chosen location. Chapters are usually located within cities, and the character gains a leadership position at one of the chosen city’s chapters. Characters must spend at least two months each year in residence at their chapter and pay the 10% tithe, but they are no longer on-call. In addition to being able to use their favors to greater effect, Chapter Heads may also dispatch 2d6 faction members to perform any task within the faction’s purview.

Regional Head characters are almost full-time faction employees, trading 6 months per year of faction service for authority over a large swathe of the game world. They have full authority over all faction members within their jurisdiction and can assign them at-will, as long as they keep within the mission of their faction. Regional Heads must still pay the 10% tithe. Unlike the other Faction Statuses, Regional Head positions are finite and rarely vacant. Ascending to the position will take sly political maneuvering, calling in favors at the right time, and a quest or two. This is the highest status possible for a player character.

Leaders take charge of the entire faction. This is a full-time commitment – player characters who reach this rank become NPCs.

Faction Favors

Factions operate on a quid pro quo basis – every time the characters accomplish a job for the faction, in addition to their payment they also gain a favor. Depending on the faction status of the characters, they can spend this favor in a variety of ways.

Regional Members can request up to 50gp of goods or the assistance of 1d6+1 members for 24 hours.

Intraregional Members can request up to 100gp of goods or the assistance of 2d6+2 members for 24 hours.

Chapter Heads can request up to 500gp of goods or the assistance of their entire chapter, 1d6*10 members.

Regional Heads already have full access to the faction’s coffers and may direct regional members as they wish, and thus no longer need to amass and expend favors to receive those benefits.

Additional Faction Perks

Regional Members and above may access skill training in the faction’s skills. Available instructors are typically Professional in the desired skill (3-5 ranks) and Professional Teachers. Regional centers will have Expert-tier instructors available. Because they are the faction’s teachers, students may pay the reduced rate.

Regional Members and above may also seek out faction members when looking for hirelings. Whenever a skill would be randomly determined, the player may choose a skill of the same type (Mental, Physical, or Social) from the list of faction skills, although a single skill can only be chosen once.

Getting Some Help

One of the downsides I did not foresee in allowing each skill to develop individually is that there is now a great deal less incentive for squishier party members to support their comrades-in-arms. In most games, combat is one of the few ways to gain that precious experience commodity (and usually leads to treasure), but combat in Prodigy does not directly offer players rewards. Because of this, the player playing the party's soldier expressed an interest in hiring a pirate goon squad as support.

When I started playing in Alexis's online game, I was surprised that so many of our characters came into the game with people who would fight with us but were not player-characters. I had never seen followers in any other game, period. Our game would be almost impossible without Willa, Valda, Fjall, and Bergthora (RIP, Petar), and acquiring three porters has helped the party quite recently out of a sticky situation. It's inspired a lot of how I think about the role(s) and challenges that player characters can take on, and I'm glad to now have a player prompting me to formulate the rules describing how my players can seek help.


Two skills impact finding and retaining hirelings and followers: Caravanner and Leadership. The Caravanner skill allows the character to find and employ hirelings more effectively, while the Leader skill attracts followers.

Hirelings are people following a character initially because the character is paying them. More highly-skilled individuals command higher rates. Followers, on the other hand, follow a character initially because they feel the leader is worth following. They do not require a monthly stipend, but they also have a lower morale.

Characters seeking to find a hireling will spend at least one day in a city or town looking for candidates. They spend the day(s) talking to their friends, contacts, and others who might know someone looking for a job. At the beginning of this period, the player will need to specify the kind of person(s) they seek. Followers cannot be discovered through this process.

Any character may search for a candidate in the following ways:
Each 1 day spent searching yields 1 person with 3 notches in randomly-determined skills.
Each pair of days spent searching yields 1 person with 3 notches, one of which is guaranteed to be in a specified type of skill (Mental, Physical, or Social)
Every 3 days spent searching yields 1 person with 3 notches, one of whom is guaranteed to have at least 1 notch in a selected skill and 1 notch in another skill of the same type.
A character who is at least an Apprentice Caravanner finds more success: instead of finding a single applicant, they will find an additional number of applicants per 2 notches, rounding down.

Additionally, Apprentice Caravanners may also search for Professionally-skilled people. These will have 2 notches in 2 skills of the same type or different type, determined randomly.
Each week spent searching yields 1 person who is a Professional in a skill of the specified type.
Every two weeks spent searching yields 1 person who is a Professional in the specified skill.
For every 3 notches the character possesses of Caravanner, an additional applicant appears at the end of the search period.

Caravanners with a higher rank will have more options when it comes to selecting applicants and will be able to mitigate hiring limitations (such as looking for folks while not in a major city), but I'll work on those rules later.


Leaders have the opportunity to gain followers whenever they gain a notch. When a character has gained a notch, the next time they spend at least a week in a city or other densely-populated area, they roll 1d3 per notch possessed. If that total is greater than the number of followers they currently possess, they gain followers equal to that difference.


Follower and hirelings expect that their employers will provide for food and lodging. Usually, they will act under the control of the hiring character's player, but they will refuse orders that appear nonsensical or suicidal. I use Alexis' morale rules because they are really good, with the slight alteration that 'combat training' refers to a notch in the Combatant skill.