If you are playing in a high-magic campaign, it may be difficult to envision how wide spread this magic is, if it is used by the normal populace, and what effect this has on the world. What I aspire to accomplish with this post is to make it both easy to implement a number of factions into your game, and give an idea how many spellcasting people are running around in your cities.
Settlements
VILLAGE
Population up to about 1,000
- At least one street-level faction.
This faction could be the local ‘police force’ being payed their wages by the mayor, a local church or some warlord that has the village in his grasp.
TOWN
Population up to about 6,000
- One to three street-level factions.
- At least one region-level faction.
At least one of these factions is responsible for the safekeeping of its citizens, but it does not necessarily have to be the strongest faction. The strongest faction can just as easily be a guild of merchants or a magic school. As long as they do not plan to overthrow they lower ‘police force’ faction, because if that is the case they would already have done that.
CITY
Population up to about 25,000
- Five or more street-level factions.
- One to three region-level factions.
- The possibility of a continent-level faction.
The biggest difference between a city and a town is what happens if a faction or two is exterminated. When a town or village loses a faction, that can be the end for this settlement, especially when the faction in question is the one that keeps the settlement safe. But even when, for example, the merchant’s guild is taken down, the town might have no reason to exist anymore. In cities this concept does not exist per se, but instead if a faction perishes it creates a power vacuum. A street-level faction might even climb up to a region-level faction during these power vacuums.
METROPOLIS
Population of more than 25,000
- Five or more street-level factions.
- One to three region-level factions.
- At least one continent-level faction.
- The possibility of a world-level faction.
Cities and metropolises function on the streets mostly the same as a bunch of towns or villages combined, this results in a lot more factions being in each other’s back garden, and the power struggle is therefore more complex to keep active track of.
Factions
There is an endless variety of different factions, from local churches and the law to the various legal and illegal guilds, dragon cultists, and ancient royal families.
If factions of the same level exist in the same settlement it can be expected that they have an active relationship, which can be either friendly or antagonistic. Higher level factions can be aware of the existence of lower level factions, and might even use them for their own goals, in exchange for a variety of boons, but they do not see them as a threat.
STREET-LEVEL FACTIONS
- A faction leader (around CR 3).
CR 3 creatures are usually capable of casting 2nd-level spells, either through innate magic or a magic item.
- A number of lieutenants or bodyguards (around CR 1).
CR 1 creatures are usually capable of casting 1st-level spells either through innate magic or a magic item.
- Simple guard-level minions (around CR 1/8).
CR 1/8 creatures are usually capable of casting a cantrip or two, either through innate magic or a magic item.
This could be, for example, a Werewolf that runs a group of moon-worshipping Cultists. They have some Bugbears that keep track of running the cult.
REGION-LEVEL FACTIONS
- A faction leader (around CR 6).
CR 6 creatures are usually capable of casting 3rd-level spells, either through innate magic or a magic item. - A number of lieutenants or bodyguards (around CR 3).
- Stronger minions (around CR 1).
This could be a Mage that is in search of unorthodox magic, paying Veterans and Spies to sneak into places they are not welcome, stealing stuff for the mage.
CONTINENT-LEVEL FACTIONS
- A faction leader (around CR 9), capable of casting 6th-level spells.
CR 9 creatures are usually capable of casting 6th-level spells, either through innate magic or a magic item. - A number of captains (around CR 6).
- A number of lieutenants or bodyguards (around CR 3).
- Stronger minions (around CR 1).
This could be Cloud Giant and some Cyclopes that secretly run all the Assassin’s Guilds in the various cities on the continent. People that are magically transformed into the shapeshifting Doppelgangers and Imps are their faithful followers, executing the tasks handed down by the giants.
WORLD-LEVEL FACTIONS
- A faction leader (around CR 12).
CR 12 creatures are usually capable of casting 9th-level spells, either through innate magic or a magic item. - A number of captains (around CR 9).
- A number of lieutenants or bodyguards (around CR 6).
- Very strong minions (around CR 3).
This could be an Erinyes, brought to the material plane by Asmodeus to destroy all the tieflings that do not acknowledge their lineage. She is accompanied by a number of Bone, Barbed, and Bearded Devils to help her accomplish this task.
Tables
If you, reader, are even a little bit like me, than you love some tables on which to roll. So specifically for you I made these tables which can help you fill your world with a variety of factions.
| Settlement | Amount of Factions |
|---|---|
| Village | 1d2 street-level |
| Town | 1d4 street-level, 1d2 region-level |
| City | 1d4+2 street-level, 1d4 region-level, 1d2-1 continent-level |
| Metropolis | 1d4+4 street-level, 1d4+2 region-level, 1d2 continent-level, 1d2-1 world-level |
| 1d4 | Faction Alignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lawful: Rules matter more to us than individuals. |
| 2 | Chaotic: Individuals matter more to us than rules. |
| 3 | Good: The well being of other people is more important than ours. |
| 4 | Evil: Our well being is more important than that of other people. |
| 1d6 | Faction Type | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Religion | Churches, cults, and temples |
| 2 | Control | Guards, bandits, and private armies |
| 3 | Trade | Merchants, thieves, and assassins |
| 4 | Teach & Study | Magic schools, libraries, and secret organizations |
| 5 | Collect | Mining clans, adventurers’ guilds, and detectives |
| 6 | Roll again twice |