Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 phenom_sbbt_1985 Apr 25, 2009 13:51:48	Has anyone ever tried creating a faction points system for their games? I'm thinking about including one in my first campaign as the first adventure deals with 2 oppossing factions with the possibility of a 3rd neutral faction joining in. The way I was planning to do it is each action that the party does for each faction earns them reputation with that faction, if they move against the faction but are not caught they do not lose any faction points but if they are caught they will lose as many faction points from them as they would gain from their adversaries. There will be other penalties for being caught such as penalties to non-combat skills like diplomacy. If the party falls below a certain number of points with a faction they become outlaws to that faction. If any faction becomes an enemy to the players they will either join the enemy faction or become an enemy to both factions and join the neutral party. The adventures climax will see the two oppossing factions clash over a dam, the neutral faction will either attempt to reason with the players if they are still friendly with them, join the faction on the other side of the players, or assist the players in resolving the conflict either peacefully or by destroying both factions depending on player choice. This is something that I could spread throughout my campaign with the players earning reputation with individual factions which could be bandit camps or cities, what do you think?
#2 apshai Apr 27, 2009 10:07:10	If you were to use this I would recommend using it only as a DM aid...I wouldn't let the players know there is a set in stone faction system...let roleplaying decide and keep track of it behind the screen. The way it works in online games is just too unrealistic...not the type of suspension of disbelief realism you need in a fantasy game but the kind that just doesn't make sense from an interactive point of view. In an online game you can slaughter 2000 foes of one faction...become a superstar in the opposing faction...and then turn the tables and slaughter 2000 of your buddies to have the original opposed faction embrace you with open arms. I would opt for a system that slides in one direction with great effort required to ever slide it back. Forgiveness but do they truly ever forget?
#3 phenom_sbbt_1985 Apr 27, 2009 16:38:11	Of course I wouldn't be letting the players know what was going on, just using it as a DM aid to see visually which side the PC's seem to favour and then basing the quests on that.