I wasn't sure whether to put this in DMs only or homebrew/house rules but I put it here, because all the homebrew in the homebrew thread seems to be talking mainly about homebrewing on dndbeyond. dndbeyond doesn't have a faction homebrew option so obviously I would write it without a template, which is how I mainly do homebrew... Anyway my main idea was to do something like this for a homebrew faction:
Faction Name
(Description or something, faction ideals, purpose)
And then maybe some sort of short portrayal of all the roles and their responsibilities.
I usually just love to completely overthink things when it comes to worldbuilding (I once made 15 full pages worth of info for 2 minutes of actual d&d), so is my format too much? What I was really hoping for advice on was, if you have homebrewed factions before, how you would usually go about doing it. I've only been DMing for about 2 years so it would be great to hear from other DMs about this.
Don’t know if you really need the roles portrayals - realistically you mostly have 3 roles and 2 are for NPCs - role 1 (NPC) the bosses - they decide who is in and who is out and what to take part in. Role 2 (NPC) the managers - they select the teams and jobs and send their teams out to do their best. Role 3 ( the PCs) the field team trying to accomplish the goals set. Perhaps more interesting is trying to come up with good names and areas of interest/activity. The FR sword coast is pretty well saturated with factions but what about other worlds or even other areas of FR? I’m tan the middle of building some factions set in and around a reborn Luiren with a displaced mines of phandalin and saltmarsh mashup. So groups like the lords alliance don’t work here even if the Zhentarim, harpers and emerald enclave are extended that far south. I’m putting in groups being run by returned Luiren, by the Beast lords and by the Sarrukh if the campaign goes to max level. I’ve also got a pair of sponsors for the PCs that are their own faction tho the players haven’t figured that out yet and I’m hoping they don’t till after we finish lost mines.
The Dungeons & Dragons' section of Wizards of the Coast's site has the foundations of what your factions could look like. Their idea is much akin to yours: faction overview, beliefs, and goals. You can also look at player character design, with bonds, ideals and flaws: the hows, the whys, and the problems that arise from their structure. That's all the players need to know, assuming these are factions that make their presence known. Some might well excuse lore-dumping with propaganda campaigns, recruiting drives, or the characters having extensive knowledge of the faction (or speaking to those who do), but it's important the characters choose to get the means to this rather than having it thrust upon them.
Consider what information is really necessary. Let's take the Dark Brotherhood from The Elder Scrolls series (bearing in mind that, much like a lot of established D&D factions, they've had years of development over a number of games). When talking ranks, characters don't need to know all ten ranks; only who their current contract handler is, and that the organisation is led by a cabal called the Black Hand, consisting of four Speakers and a single Listener. When talking rules, have basic tenets and try to keep the common sense ones to a minimum (the Dark Brotherhood reminds people not to break the rules lest they invoke the Wrath of Sithis). The Brotherhood do not reveal all of their outposts, allies, or general secrets such as the Count of Cheydinhal being bribed (or threatened) to keep the occupiers of the Abandoned House's identity anonymous. The longer the player remains in the organisation, rises through the ranks, and earns the trust of its members, the greater the knowledge they'll be privvy to (and in greater detail). You can have this happen with your factions also, except now the story can adapt to the players' actions and preferences, an overwhelming advantage over video games.
I can't stress this point enough: your faction isn't complete when there's nothing left to add; your faction is complete when there's nothing left to take away. Your example of making 15 pages for a 2 whole minutes of actual gameplay is an example of why this is necessary. Make several drafts and be more liberal with the eraser than the pen, and both you and your players will have a much easier time taking in all the information.
I hope that helps. Good luck with whatever factions you decide to come up with in future!
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Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
I wasn't sure whether to put this in DMs only or homebrew/house rules but I put it here, because all the homebrew in the homebrew thread seems to be talking mainly about homebrewing on dndbeyond. dndbeyond doesn't have a faction homebrew option so obviously I would write it without a template, which is how I mainly do homebrew... Anyway my main idea was to do something like this for a homebrew faction:
Faction Name
(Description or something, faction ideals, purpose)
And then maybe some sort of short portrayal of all the roles and their responsibilities.
I usually just love to completely overthink things when it comes to worldbuilding (I once made 15 full pages worth of info for 2 minutes of actual d&d), so is my format too much? What I was really hoping for advice on was, if you have homebrewed factions before, how you would usually go about doing it. I've only been DMing for about 2 years so it would be great to hear from other DMs about this.
she/her
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Don’t know if you really need the roles portrayals - realistically you mostly have 3 roles and 2 are for NPCs - role 1 (NPC) the bosses - they decide who is in and who is out and what to take part in. Role 2 (NPC) the managers - they select the teams and jobs and send their teams out to do their best. Role 3 ( the PCs) the field team trying to accomplish the goals set.
Perhaps more interesting is trying to come up with good names and areas of interest/activity. The FR sword coast is pretty well saturated with factions but what about other worlds or even other areas of FR? I’m tan the middle of building some factions set in and around a reborn Luiren with a displaced mines of phandalin and saltmarsh mashup. So groups like the lords alliance don’t work here even if the Zhentarim, harpers and emerald enclave are extended that far south. I’m putting in groups being run by returned Luiren, by the Beast lords and by the Sarrukh if the campaign goes to max level. I’ve also got a pair of sponsors for the PCs that are their own faction tho the players haven’t figured that out yet and I’m hoping they don’t till after we finish lost mines.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
The Dungeons & Dragons' section of Wizards of the Coast's site has the foundations of what your factions could look like. Their idea is much akin to yours: faction overview, beliefs, and goals. You can also look at player character design, with bonds, ideals and flaws: the hows, the whys, and the problems that arise from their structure. That's all the players need to know, assuming these are factions that make their presence known. Some might well excuse lore-dumping with propaganda campaigns, recruiting drives, or the characters having extensive knowledge of the faction (or speaking to those who do), but it's important the characters choose to get the means to this rather than having it thrust upon them.
Consider what information is really necessary. Let's take the Dark Brotherhood from The Elder Scrolls series (bearing in mind that, much like a lot of established D&D factions, they've had years of development over a number of games). When talking ranks, characters don't need to know all ten ranks; only who their current contract handler is, and that the organisation is led by a cabal called the Black Hand, consisting of four Speakers and a single Listener. When talking rules, have basic tenets and try to keep the common sense ones to a minimum (the Dark Brotherhood reminds people not to break the rules lest they invoke the Wrath of Sithis). The Brotherhood do not reveal all of their outposts, allies, or general secrets such as the Count of Cheydinhal being bribed (or threatened) to keep the occupiers of the Abandoned House's identity anonymous. The longer the player remains in the organisation, rises through the ranks, and earns the trust of its members, the greater the knowledge they'll be privvy to (and in greater detail). You can have this happen with your factions also, except now the story can adapt to the players' actions and preferences, an overwhelming advantage over video games.
I can't stress this point enough: your faction isn't complete when there's nothing left to add; your faction is complete when there's nothing left to take away. Your example of making 15 pages for a 2 whole minutes of actual gameplay is an example of why this is necessary. Make several drafts and be more liberal with the eraser than the pen, and both you and your players will have a much easier time taking in all the information.
I hope that helps. Good luck with whatever factions you decide to come up with in future!
Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
- The Assemblage of Houses, World of Warcraft
Thanks so much to both of you! That really helped. Especially the thing about making several drafts, I will take your advice!
she/her
___________
| Hello There |
|__________|
(\_/) ‖
(•ᆺ•) ‖
/ ‛づ
| ) )
.. ‾⁾ ‾⁾