Affiliations and Metaorgs [Archive] - Wizards Community

Affiliations and Metaorgs [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
cetiken
11-07-07, 02:15 PM So Lets assume that WotC keeps the basic affiliation system introduced in PH2 basically intact.

In Castle Greyhawk LG finally introduced 'core region' meta orgs which I like. I'd like to see LFR take initiative and implement this more rapidly. These aren't powerful - and shouldn't be. What they do is allow PCs to have a better motivation for going to the 'Free City' than a desire to sell the last adventures loot.

The Harpers spring to mind as a meta org that many PCs would want to join. And I'm sure theres others - the Wizards Guild of Watterdeep, The Church of Bahamut, etc.
TempleLion
11-12-07, 10:53 PM Agreed. So far, I like the core meta-orgs introduced in the CGR series and hope to see them in LFR as well.
Madfox11
11-14-07, 08:27 AM Bahamut hardly had any role at all in FR ;)

In any event, one of the requirements for the Event Organizer is being in charge of MOs (see the application form for that position) which does suggest MOs are going to take a central place in the campaign from the start...
Butterface
11-17-07, 07:34 PM Harpers 4 LIFE.
Keith53
11-18-07, 07:16 AM While I think metaorgs should be and will be present, it may be difficult to develop or finalize until the 4E version of the FRCS book is available--what changes have occurred in the Forgotten Realms. The campaign staff admins will also need to find out how much latitude we have from the WotC Brand team for creating new stuff.

As I recall, people in the realms tend to organize around religion or a cause (the Harpers being the most well-known). I think most of the professional organizations (guilds, brotherhoods) tend to be local, i.e. regional, rather than universal, but the monastic orders were a blend of profession, faith and cause. Of course there are city and state based organizations, but they should be local, not open across Toril.

Keith Hoffman
LFR NC USA Co-Writing Director
(former LC meta-org director)
tombollis
11-18-07, 09:11 AM While I think metaorgs should be and will be present, it may be difficult to develop or finalize until the 4E version of the FRCS book is available--what changes have occurred in the Forgotten Realms. The campaign staff admins will also need to find out how much latitude we have from the WotC Brand team for creating new stuff.

As I recall, people in the realms tend to organize around religion or a cause (the Harpers being the most well-known). I think most of the professional organizations (guilds, brotherhoods) tend to be local, i.e. regional, rather than universal, but the monastic orders were a blend of profession, faith and cause. Of course there are city and state based organizations, but they should be local, not open across Toril.

Keith Hoffman
LFR NC USA Co-Writing Director
(former LC meta-org director)

Some organizations should be more extended, such as those involving international trade, traveling bards, mercinaries who work out of region, etc.

There should be local organizations, but significant travel between regions should imply some organizations that span the regions. This is a world with magical travel and communications, with extended orgsnizations potentially more cohesive than in Mideaval Europe. Regional organizations could be affiliated, with some common properties,
giving some of their benefits to affilate members from other lands.

Tom Bollis
smerwin29
11-18-07, 10:04 AM This is a world with magical travel and communications, with extended orgsnizations potentially more cohesive than in Mideaval Europe.

This presumes that 4e will contain such magicks.
lflogan
11-19-07, 03:30 PM Some organizations should be more extended, such as those involving international trade, traveling bards, mercinaries who work out of region, etc.

There should be local organizations, but significant travel between regions should imply some organizations that span the regions. This is a world with magical travel and communications, with extended orgsnizations potentially more cohesive than in Mideaval Europe. Regional organizations could be affiliated, with some common properties,
giving some of their benefits to affilate members from other lands.

Tom Bollis

I agree that MOs could be extended across regions with certain commonalities being considered Core. The specific deeds in various regions may help to better define how the character achieved the goals. For instance, a bard performs successfully in a crowded inn, a memorial to a fallen hero, a court gathering or to calm a riotous crowd, and this event influences the outcome of the scenario then he could be rewarded with a Hero Point to be applied to his specific organizational advancement. While this may open a can of worms when trying to decide which deeds are worthy of Hero Points, and which may require some additional writer planning or GM training, I am certain that we can think of something different that will work to accomplish this. I am not saying my I idea is the best idea but I believe if we keep thinking without borders in our minds then the regional borders will be easy to adapt to when they are revealed.

Of course, Regional Only type of MOs would still exist and my goal as Western US Events Manager is to help make them interesting and well earned.

Leonard Logan
"Another guy trying to put ideas into other peoples heads"
bitznarf
11-22-07, 04:43 PM I've always disliked the way many regions restricted access to their metaorgs through *real life* restrictions, such as requiring people to play one of their mods before joining, regardless of whether or not the metaorg was even involved in that mod. I'm hoping that this sort of thing does not make it into LFR from LG. From what i have seen of the affiliation system from PHB2 (I haven't read it in detail) there is room to apply *in game* restrictions to PCs who don't normally adventure in the area that that particular metaorg is concerned with. If it makes sense that a particular metaorg only wants locals joining up with them, great! Easy enough to accomplish without applying *real life* restrictions on *in game* PCs. And vice versa of course, if a college of some sort is trying to gather information from across the Realms for whatever reason, visitors should be welcomed (in my opinion). What I am aiming at here is that metaorgs should have *in game* reasons for out of game rules about who can join.

That's my two cents :twocents: on the topic of affiliations and metaorgs anyway.
[/rant]
KarmaInferno
11-25-07, 06:17 PM I'd like to see some sort of trackable favor point system for factions, perhaps making joining this or that group easier, or unlocking benefits or the like.

You already have this happening in LG on some adventures, but it's done on a case by case basis initiated by the various authors on their own. A standardized system would be nice.

-karma

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
cetiken 11-07-07, 02:15 PM	So Lets assume that WotC keeps the basic affiliation system introduced in PH2 basically intact. In Castle Greyhawk LG finally introduced 'core region' meta orgs which I like. I'd like to see LFR take initiative and implement this more rapidly. These aren't powerful - and shouldn't be. What they do is allow PCs to have a better motivation for going to the 'Free City' than a desire to sell the last adventures loot. The Harpers spring to mind as a meta org that many PCs would want to join. And I'm sure theres others - the Wizards Guild of Watterdeep, The Church of Bahamut, etc.
TempleLion 11-12-07, 10:53 PM	Agreed. So far, I like the core meta-orgs introduced in the CGR series and hope to see them in LFR as well.
Madfox11 11-14-07, 08:27 AM	Bahamut hardly had any role at all in FR ;) In any event, one of the requirements for the Event Organizer is being in charge of MOs (see the application form for that position) which does suggest MOs are going to take a central place in the campaign from the start...
Butterface 11-17-07, 07:34 PM	Harpers 4 LIFE.
Keith53 11-18-07, 07:16 AM	While I think metaorgs should be and will be present, it may be difficult to develop or finalize until the 4E version of the FRCS book is available--what changes have occurred in the Forgotten Realms. The campaign staff admins will also need to find out how much latitude we have from the WotC Brand team for creating new stuff. As I recall, people in the realms tend to organize around religion or a cause (the Harpers being the most well-known). I think most of the professional organizations (guilds, brotherhoods) tend to be local, i.e. regional, rather than universal, but the monastic orders were a blend of profession, faith and cause. Of course there are city and state based organizations, but they should be local, not open across Toril. Keith Hoffman LFR NC USA Co-Writing Director (former LC meta-org director)
tombollis 11-18-07, 09:11 AM	While I think metaorgs should be and will be present, it may be difficult to develop or finalize until the 4E version of the FRCS book is available--what changes have occurred in the Forgotten Realms. The campaign staff admins will also need to find out how much latitude we have from the WotC Brand team for creating new stuff. As I recall, people in the realms tend to organize around religion or a cause (the Harpers being the most well-known). I think most of the professional organizations (guilds, brotherhoods) tend to be local, i.e. regional, rather than universal, but the monastic orders were a blend of profession, faith and cause. Of course there are city and state based organizations, but they should be local, not open across Toril. Keith Hoffman LFR NC USA Co-Writing Director (former LC meta-org director) Some organizations should be more extended, such as those involving international trade, traveling bards, mercinaries who work out of region, etc. There should be local organizations, but significant travel between regions should imply some organizations that span the regions. This is a world with magical travel and communications, with extended orgsnizations potentially more cohesive than in Mideaval Europe. Regional organizations could be affiliated, with some common properties, giving some of their benefits to affilate members from other lands. Tom Bollis
smerwin29 11-18-07, 10:04 AM	This is a world with magical travel and communications, with extended orgsnizations potentially more cohesive than in Mideaval Europe. This presumes that 4e will contain such magicks.
lflogan 11-19-07, 03:30 PM	Some organizations should be more extended, such as those involving international trade, traveling bards, mercinaries who work out of region, etc. There should be local organizations, but significant travel between regions should imply some organizations that span the regions. This is a world with magical travel and communications, with extended orgsnizations potentially more cohesive than in Mideaval Europe. Regional organizations could be affiliated, with some common properties, giving some of their benefits to affilate members from other lands. Tom Bollis I agree that MOs could be extended across regions with certain commonalities being considered Core. The specific deeds in various regions may help to better define how the character achieved the goals. For instance, a bard performs successfully in a crowded inn, a memorial to a fallen hero, a court gathering or to calm a riotous crowd, and this event influences the outcome of the scenario then he could be rewarded with a Hero Point to be applied to his specific organizational advancement. While this may open a can of worms when trying to decide which deeds are worthy of Hero Points, and which may require some additional writer planning or GM training, I am certain that we can think of something different that will work to accomplish this. I am not saying my I idea is the best idea but I believe if we keep thinking without borders in our minds then the regional borders will be easy to adapt to when they are revealed. Of course, Regional Only type of MOs would still exist and my goal as Western US Events Manager is to help make them interesting and well earned. Leonard Logan "Another guy trying to put ideas into other peoples heads"
bitznarf 11-22-07, 04:43 PM	I've always disliked the way many regions restricted access to their metaorgs through real life restrictions, such as requiring people to play one of their mods before joining, regardless of whether or not the metaorg was even involved in that mod. I'm hoping that this sort of thing does not make it into LFR from LG. From what i have seen of the affiliation system from PHB2 (I haven't read it in detail) there is room to apply in game restrictions to PCs who don't normally adventure in the area that that particular metaorg is concerned with. If it makes sense that a particular metaorg only wants locals joining up with them, great! Easy enough to accomplish without applying real life restrictions on in game PCs. And vice versa of course, if a college of some sort is trying to gather information from across the Realms for whatever reason, visitors should be welcomed (in my opinion). What I am aiming at here is that metaorgs should have in game reasons for out of game rules about who can join. That's my two cents :twocents: on the topic of affiliations and metaorgs anyway. [/rant]
KarmaInferno 11-25-07, 06:17 PM	I'd like to see some sort of trackable favor point system for factions, perhaps making joining this or that group easier, or unlocking benefits or the like. You already have this happening in LG on some adventures, but it's done on a case by case basis initiated by the various authors on their own. A standardized system would be nice. -karma