Sean Gomes Hey Sean — Question regarding factions… if I wanted a faction to have a high level of knowledge about a single planet (let’s call them The Librarians) but not a lot of Might, would you see that as reach, or is there perhaps one more category of faction creation called ‘Information’ or some such?
Sean Gomes Hey Sean — Question regarding factions.
Sean Gomes Hey Sean — Question regarding factions.
Heya! So. The faction’s might, reach, etc, are all questions to ask to be sure that the faction is
A) useful enough to be a patron
B) powerful/present enough to be a threat
C) narratviely consistent
Ideology asks “What does this faction want? What doesn’t it want?”
Might asks “What tools does the faction have, to get what it wants? How does it prevent other factions from just wiping it out?”
Reach asks “Where am I most likely to encounter the faction?”
Organisation asks “How does the faction make decisions? How do they deploy their Might?”
With that in mind, the Librarians you described may not be a full-fledged faction. Or, at least, they might not last very long if they don’t have at least some Might to back them up. How do they stop the other factions from running roughshod over their followers? How do they protect their own?
As to the question of the high level of Knowledge, it would either be their Might, their Ideology, or possibly both:
– Is that Knowledge desirable? Do people seek it out? Are people willing to exchange goods, services, and/or secrets in exchange for it? Is it so valuable that people can’t risk losing the Librarians? If so, then the Knowledge is Might.
– Is that Knowledge a purpose, calling, or sacred duty? Would the agents of the Librarians employ the characters to gain more? Would they wreak terrible vengeance on anyone who destroyed or erased that Knowledge? If so, then the Knowledge is an Ideology.
As always, remember to paint in bold, bright colors. Resist the urge to water factions down. They should be epitomes of their respective tropes/ideas. Big, powerful, legendary. If the Librarians don’t have Cathedrals of Insight or secret Pools of Knowledge or Orbital Repositories or whatever the appropriate theme, then they won’t inspire the appropriate levels of fear/respect/desire in the characters.
Hope that helps!