Factions for an RPG?

[Belac93]

So, I'm trying to come up with a list of different types of factions for an RPG I'm designing. My current ideas:

Cults
Holy Orders
Lawful Organizations (I need to think up a better name, but this is basically non-religious groups that enforce the law, like bounty hunters, or city guards)
Guilds
Criminal Organizations (cabals?)

Does anyone have any other ideas? Should monasteries be separate from holy orders? Should cults be folded into holy orders? Should criminal organizations and lawful organizations be combined into one large category?

[kitanas]

Why are you categorizing them?

[Belac93]

Why are you categorizing them?

Because I can, and I want to, and I like having distinct rules for different factions besides 'oh, you're just... part of it.'

[GentlemanVoodoo]

Defining your factions into broad categories tends to limit you into a corner resulting in the questions you are asking. For instance, a cult can certainly be classified as part of a holy order but it is also quite possible that a cult could also be considered a guild if they have mercantile operations of some sort to fund the guild. A modern day examples of this scenario (if you believe rumors) would be the Freemasons who's origins were in a guild profession but have become something cult like with their practices that are religion like to some degree. It would probably be best to decide first to define what your factions stand for as far as ideologies, then sub-divide into different branches where then you can classify these by activities or practices (criminal, guild, etc.)

[Honest Tiefling]

Defining your factions into broad categories tends to limit you into a corner resulting in the questions you are asking. For instance, a cult can certainly be classified as part of a holy order but it is also quite possible that a cult could also be considered a guild if they have mercantile operations of some sort to fund the guild. A modern day examples of this scenario (if you believe rumors) would be the Freemasons who's origins were in a guild profession but have become something cult like with their practices that are religion like to some degree. It would probably be best to decide first to define what your factions stand for as far as ideologies, then sub-divide into different branches where then you can classify these by activities or practices (criminal, guild, etc.)

I think I have to agree with this. While there are plenty of examples of monolithic religious organizations, they tend to butt heads with other religious organizations. Having groups like the Lawbringers/Lawful Types completely outside the jurisdiction of a religious order is also confusing. Is there no divine mandate backing the law, what is the basis of their law? There are plenty in the modern world, but I imagine the gods might have different opinions on the matter. Are there gods of law completely unaffiliated with these lawful groups as well? And who are these bounty hunters working for, and where do they get money if they aren't attached to a religious order or nation?

I think combining the cults (assuming you are using a modern definition of the term) with the criminals to form cabals might be interesting. Many long-lasting criminal organizations have a sense of kinship and responsibility (if often a rather twisted one), so a religion might help unify them and terrify them into obedience. A setting with undesirable races like goblins, kobolds and orcs might also appeal to those who want to be civilized but often find no way to integrate into society instead.

[Yora]

I found that factions tend to come out the most interesting when you don't create them as good guys and evil guys. Evil guys tend to be quite one dimensional and creating even small numbers of different good guy groups is really hard.

A well made faction has a goal it pursues that should make sense when taken by itself. It's the methods that the leadership choses to use that will make them appear as a benefit or a danger to society.

Everyone believes they are the good guys. Causing fear and suffering is never the ultimate goal, it's always only a means to a much more sensible end. In return, you rarely have groups with the goal of fighting evil, and they tend to not be very interesting or believable. Instead you have groups that work towards changing a specific thing that they find unacceptable. With these, it can depend very much on the specific situation whether you can expect them to help you or attempt to stop you.

For my setting I created an order of knights dedicated to protecting the people from evil magic. When you have a dark sorcerer causing chaos, these are exactly the kind of guys you want to call for backup. But at other times they might think that artifact you found poses a serious risk and will demand that it will be confiscated and sealed away safely, regardless of what you might think how dangerous it really is or how great the need to use it anyway. It's easy to make a group of witch hunter who blindly kill all wizards and anyone who doesn't go along with all of their demands, but a group that tries to be readonable and ask for potentially dangerous artifacts to be handed over will be much more interesting to interact with.

[Berenger]

Defining your factions into broad categories tends to limit you into a corner resulting in the questions you are asking. For instance, a cult can certainly be classified as part of a holy order but it is also quite possible that a cult could also be considered a guild if they have mercantile operations of some sort to fund the guild.

This. You can totally combine being a poor fellow-soldier of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon with being a mover and shaker in international banking and high finance. History is weird like that.

[sabernoir]

I found that factions tend to come out the most interesting when you don't create them as good guys and evil guys. Evil guys tend to be quite one dimensional and creating even small numbers of different good guy groups is really hard.

A well made faction has a goal it pursues that should make sense when taken by itself. It's the methods that the leadership choses to use that will make them appear as a benefit or a danger to society.

Everyone believes they are the good guys. Causing fear and suffering is never the ultimate goal, it's always only a means to a much more sensible end. In return, you rarely have groups with the goal of fighting evil, and they tend to not be very interesting or believable. Instead you have groups that work towards changing a specific thing that they find unacceptable. With these, it can depend very much on the specific situation whether you can expect them to help you or attempt to stop you.

For my setting I created an order of knights dedicated to protecting the people from evil magic. When you have a dark sorcerer causing chaos, these are exactly the kind of guys you want to call for backup. But at other times they might think that artifact you found poses a serious risk and will demand that it will be confiscated and sealed away safely, regardless of what you might think how dangerous it really is or how great the need to use it anyway. It's easy to make a group of witch hunter who blindly kill all wizards and anyone who doesn't go along with all of their demands, but a group that tries to be readonable and ask for potentially dangerous artifacts to be handed over will be much more interesting to interact with.

Yes, ALL of this. ^^^

If you are still working on your factions, I suggest you take a look at the Eclipse Phase factions. Those factions vary from definitely good to definitely bad based on their means, but the most "evil" end pursued by any faction is profit. While some are crazy, (like merging with seed AI) none of the factions believe themselves to be "evil." Well, the ultimates are basically space Nazi Spartans, but they aren't launching any genocides currently.

Make your characters "human," even if they're not.

[Belac93]

Defining your factions into broad categories tends to limit you into a corner resulting in the questions you are asking. For instance, a cult can certainly be classified as part of a holy order but it is also quite possible that a cult could also be considered a guild if they have mercantile operations of some sort to fund the guild. A modern day examples of this scenario (if you believe rumors) would be the Freemasons who's origins were in a guild profession but have become something cult like with their practices that are religion like to some degree. It would probably be best to decide first to define what your factions stand for as far as ideologies, then sub-divide into different branches where then you can classify these by activities or practices (criminal, guild, etc.)

Good point.

I think I have to agree with this. While there are plenty of examples of monolithic religious organizations, they tend to butt heads with other religious organizations. Having groups like the Lawbringers/Lawful Types completely outside the jurisdiction of a religious order is also confusing. Is there no divine mandate backing the law, what is the basis of their law? There are plenty in the modern world, but I imagine the gods might have different opinions on the matter. Are there gods of law completely unaffiliated with these lawful groups as well? And who are these bounty hunters working for, and where do they get money if they aren't attached to a religious order or nation?

I think combining the cults (assuming you are using a modern definition of the term) with the criminals to form cabals might be interesting. Many long-lasting criminal organizations have a sense of kinship and responsibility (if often a rather twisted one), so a religion might help unify them and terrify them into obedience. A setting with undesirable races like goblins, kobolds and orcs might also appeal to those who want to be civilized but often find no way to integrate into society instead.

The RPG is mostly based around my world, so, while you could have a god of law, there isn't really one yet. Gods in this world are weird, they work mostly off of belief, where the more a god is worshiped, the less direct influence they have on the world. There is certainly someone out there who has the potential to become a god of law, but at the moment they're more like a demigod; they don't have enough worshipers to even leave the mundane world. Bounty hunters would be sort of like monster hunters or assassins: they get paid by the job.

I've been thinking of having each faction have a list of traits that they can be built around. So, a holy inquisition might have Divine and Lawful, wheras bounty hunters would have Lawful and For Hire, and an assassin's guild could just have For Hire.

I found that factions tend to come out the most interesting when you don't create them as good guys and evil guys. Evil guys tend to be quite one dimensional and creating even small numbers of different good guy groups is really hard.

A well made faction has a goal it pursues that should make sense when taken by itself. It's the methods that the leadership choses to use that will make them appear as a benefit or a danger to society.

Definitely. My organizations make sense (at least, I hope so). The people who slay the cannibal-ghoul-monsters also recruit their children, and raise them to be 'moral' (and to kill other ghouls). The druids honestly believe that the world would be better off without civilization, and while many of them are violent terrorists, many are peaceful protestors.

Yes, ALL of this. ^^^

If you are still working on your factions, I suggest you take a look at the Eclipse Phase factions. Those factions vary from definitely good to definitely bad based on their means, but the most "evil" end pursued by any faction is profit. While some are crazy, (like merging with seed AI) none of the factions believe themselves to be "evil." Well, the ultimates are basically space Nazi Spartans, but they aren't launching any genocides currently.

Make your characters "human," even if they're not.

I'll check that out. Thanks!