The Faction

Machine

A Random Event Generator for

Dynamic Sandbox Campaigns
Foreword Warm Thanks
• Taylor Lane, for his baffling, inexplicable
wisdom, and for the inspiration that drove
This module is a causal random event
me to create this. (https://taylor-lane.itch.io/)
generator. It generates campaign events that
have a cause-effect chain behind them. It does • Craig, for unknowingly sending me
this through rules that emulate the behavior of spiraling down this eternal rabbit hole.
NPCs who are pursuing real, tangible goals, (https://deadsimplerpg.wordpress.com/)
and provides clear & concise guidelines to the • Isaac Williams, for creating Mausritter,
GM for how to handle the activities of NPCs which is perhaps the most delightful OSR
who are not “on-screen”. game I’ve ever ran or played.
This tool is not ideal when compared to (https://losing.games/)
having a faction system native to your game. I • And you, but only if you try the system &
encourage you to tailor the concepts in this send me hate mail ([email protected]).
module to your campaign’s genre & system.

Credit & Copyright

For example, if your game is about small
cabals having an out-sized impact on the
world, it does no good to have group Size
strongly impact outcomes. And if you want a This work was made by Saki & is published
more grounded, realistic outcome, I may by Cyclopean LLC (https://cyclopean.net/), released
recommend doubling the Size values (i.e. under CC-BY-SA 4.0
adding +1 Size per doubling of the population (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en). The
rather than for every quadrupling). Carefully book’s cover art is a modified photograph of
examine the components & figure out if their La Morte di Cesare by Vincenzo Camuccini,
assumptions work for you. public domain within the USA.

Various Links
Since this module is system-agnostic, some
details like action duration that I would have
otherwise liked to include are omitted. You
may have to use your best judgment in places.
We make precisely two references to saves, • Cyclopean (https://cyclopean.net)
which should be easily convertible to your
• The Blog (https://blog.cyclopean.net)
system’s preferred resolution method.
• Email the author ([email protected])
If you have any questions at all, please do
contact me (see right). I may compile any
clarifications or feedback into a future 2nd
Edition, and feedback is a vital tool.
The Faction
Agendas may be the Leader’s alone, not shared WRITE IT DOWN
by their Faction. If they’re misaligned with the Write everything down concisely in a list.
Faction or become so later, it’s a fracture You’ll run down this list every Event Check.
waiting to happen. Here’s an example:

Machine
DETERMINE ASPECTS • Markov Town (Size 3) Riotous Population;
Aspects are what Mausritter would call assets, Sewer Tunnel Connections (Mayor Mary:
or what Godbound would call features. If your Don’t bring trouble upon my office; I must
Faction has any notable outstanding resources, get rid of frog magics)
summarize it with a short phrase to describe Place, Aspects, Agenda, Size, Capital, Leader.
the benefit: That little blurb covers everything you need. It
• Fanatical religious zealots only has to be interpretable by you, the GM, so
Factions are one or more characters that
• Prosperous ocean trade port don’t worry about making it pretty.
compose a group of Members working under
a notable or charismatic Leader who has one • Father-king’s gentle guidance
or more Agendas to accomplish a common SAMPLE FACTIONS
Goal. • Worm-riders’ alliance
• The Great Goblin Horde (Size 4):
There are 2 types of Members: Soldiers Aspects are guidance for when you should Organized Chaos; Bribery-Based
(manpower, labor, “true believers” with high give a Faction a bonus/penalty to any action Diplomacy (Warlord Sput: Steal all the
buy-in), and Supporters (enablers, suppliers, they take. Put simply, if it’s a large enough gold; eat all the food; more goblin lands)
cheerleaders, family, donors, patrons). feature of the Faction to have a noticeable
impact on their actions, it should be an Aspect. • The Knights Peach (Size 2): Honor
A single character may be part of any number Culture; Vast Agricultural Holdings (Sir
of Factions. Through their Leader, Factions DETERMINE CAPITAL Wonshire: Plant peach groves; obtain more
can take most actions that ordinary characters Factions have a Capital, the area out of which lovers; prove oneself better than father)
can. The vast majority of a Faction’s actions they rule. It is not larger than a 6-Mile Hex. • Devilland (Size 5): Hellish, Twisted Land;
are delegated to Subfactions (subordinate Factions cannot control other regions by Slave Legions; Demon Lords’ Magic
Factions); each Subfaction being in turn led by themselves. Every other region under their (Visigohl: Lead mortals to temptation &
a Leader who is a Retainer of their Liege (the control is governed by a separate Capital ruin; spread Hell-terrain across the Earth;
overlord Faction’s Leader). under the control of a Subfaction who sits create more Hellmouths)
Groups who lack a Goal or an interesting somewhere under their chain of command.
These Subfactions are only detailed as • Invisible, Inc (Size 7): Spies For Days;
Leader with Agendas are not Factions. Corporate Contracts; Private Army
Factions if they are possessed of an Agenda of
sufficient significance & if they have a Leader (Incognita: Destroy all other megacorps;
BUILDING A FACTION of sufficient charisma to justify their destroy all other superintelligences;
importance to the campaign. consolidate all pre-superintelligence cults
DETERMINE CONCEPT
& religion under my own cult)
Draw from your random tables, your existing DETERMINE SIZE
• Silverclaw Kobolds (Size 3): Mountain of
settings, your dungeons. Factions are guilds, Factions have a Size score that indicates their Treasure; Army of Kobolds; Dragon Leader
churches, business magnates, troublesome area, reach, population, & relative power. (Silverclaw: Find another dragon as a
journalists, the local kobolds, a clever family Compare to the table at the bottom of this page mate; drive out Men from my forests)
of bears, the local nobility writ large, or a to determine Size by total membership.
perhaps a specific noble family. • The Bloodson Vaulters (Size 4) - Winter
The benefits of Size are simple: when attacked Survivalists; Fierce Code of Honor
DETERMINE LEADER & AGENDA or opposed by a Faction or other character of (Grimnar Bloodson: Defend the homeland
A Faction’s Leader is a notable individual smaller Size, each point of Size the defender from southern invaders; preserve the
with charisma, gumption, force of presence, has over their assailant grants them 1 stacking ancient traditions; slay great beasts; unlock
machinations, wealth, or cultural momentum advantage on an opposed roll — that is, re-roll our ancient technology’s secrets)
that keeps him in power & steering the ship. If the d20 once for each point of Size the Faction
a Faction finds itself needing to make a roll has over the assailant, Table of Faction Sizes
within the game to interact with the world, and take the single
their Leader’s characteristics are used to do it. highest rolled result as Soldier Supporter Army Typical
the outcome. If your Size Population Population Comparison Capitol
An Agenda is a simple guiding phrase or set system doesn’t feature
of words that can instruct you on what this opposed rolls, treat each 0 1+ 1+ Single person Cottage & garden
Leader cares about and will do in the future. Size point as a 1 4+ 32+ Party of 4 PCs Extended family
Some examples may include: disadvantage for the 2 16+ 128+ Local gang Rural hamlet
• Extort; live large; learn magic assailant.
3 64+ 500+ Platoon Typical village
• Kill for High Tanto; provide him ever- Size does not benefit a
greater entertainment larger Faction assaulting 4 250+ 2,000+ Company Small town
• Eat rodents; exercise lordly conduct; put the or impeding a smaller 5 1,000+ 8,000+ Battalion Large town
lesser creatures in their place; play with one in any way. A
6 4,000+ 32,000+ Brigade Typical city
your prey. Faction beset upon by
many smaller Factions is 7 16,000+ 128,000+ Division Metropolis
encouraged to redirect its 8 64,000+ 500,000+ Corps Megalopolis
Subfactions’ attentions to
9 250,000+ 2,000,000+ Imperial Army World capitol
their smaller foes.
 GOALS 1d6 Result MINOR RULES
A Goal is a tangible feat that the Faction can The Faction chooses a Goal in pursuit of SABOTAGE
1-3
obtain within 1 season or less. Goals have a some part of their Leader’s Agenda.
Minor damage to a Goal reduces its Score by
Score from 1 to 5. The initial Score is based on The Faction attempts to expand, with a 1. Severe damage halves its Score, rounded
the expected time until the Goal can be new Goal of creating a Subfaction down. If a Goal’s Score hits 0, the Goal fails.
achieved, as per the table just below. 4 whose delegated role relates to the
expansion (i.e. a new government LIQUID FUNDS
The most common Expected Initial
purposes for a Goal are: department, a new outpost & garrison). Factions normally have half an unskilled
Duration Score
The Faction tries to vassalize, laborer’s wages per Member on-hand in goods
• Conquer: Make a 1 week 5 & coin at a time in its treasury, unless
target Faction overthrow/supplant, investigate,
2 weeks 4 5 obliterate, or ally with another Faction plundered. A Faction’s Treasury takes 1 year to
subordinate, or gut its recover to full if stripped bare (recovering 8⅓
leadership & replace 1 month 3 whose interests relate to or harm their
interests. % per month).
them with a new & 2 months 2
compliant Subfaction. The Faction determines its next most For example, if a kingdom of 2 million has an
1 season 1 immediate self-interest & pursues a Goal average unskilled income of 1sp, it will have
• Delegate: Create a new 6 1,000,000sp in liquid cash or cash-equivalent
Subfaction. The Leader may make one of that provides them a material advantage
towards it. commodities such as furs, silk, lumber, or the
their Retainers its Leader; otherwise, he like if the average day laborer’s wage is 1sp.
may gain a new Retainer by recruiting If the Faction failed at their last Goal, however,
someone from the Subfaction's constituency they will make their new Goal revenge upon or WARS
as its Leader. removal of the cause, if the cause is known. If Goals to damage or destroy another Group
• Destroy: Completely annihilate a target it isn’t known, identification of the cause will through any means requires that each time the
Faction — usually as a matter of revenge. be the next Goal. (Either task may be attacker’s Goal ticks, the attacking &
delegated to a Subfaction, of course.) defending Groups’ Leaders make an opposed
• Improvement: Create a positive Trait to check, save, or roll against each other
gain an advantage, or eliminate a In addition, following a failed Goal, if the GM
(whichever your system uses for opposed
penalty/obstacle that's preventing higher thinks the failure is abhorrent to the interests of
actions). Apply any Aspects, Group Size
aims from being achieved. any particular Subfaction, those Subfactions’
differences, or other characteristics as
Leaders must save for loyalty or immediately
• Independence: Break away from an modifiers to the opposed action as normal.
change focus to supplanting or overthrowing
unsatisfactory Liege. • If the attacker wins, he may increase his
their current Liege. They may or may not
• Reconnaissance: Identify another Faction's cooperate with each other in this matter. Goal by 1 as normal.
true Goal(s), or a Leader's hidden agenda(s). • If the defender wins, the attacker must
LOYALTY & GOAL COMPLETION
• Supplant: Replace a target Faction as the decrease his Goal by 1.
If a completed Goal obviously benefits a
controller of whatever Supporters or other In either case, an event is generated reflecting
Subfaction, its Leader gains a permanent
assets the target has. the outcome. If repeated battle outcomes result
Morale boost (+1 in 2d6 morale systems, I.e.
the OSR). If the Goal harms any Subfaction, in the assailant’s Goal being rendered too
EVENT STEP that Subfaction’s Leader must save for loyalty; unlikely to tick (i.e. dropping to 2 or less), the
assailant will abandon that Goal and choose a
Every week, the GM runs an Event Step. The on a failure, the GM must pick one:
different target.
GM rolls 1d6 against the Score of every Goal. • The Subfaction switches its Goal to a
If the result is greater than the Score, nothing punitive or defensive measure to DEMORALIZED FACTIONS
happens. If the result is equal or less than the counterbalance what their Liege just did. A Faction that has all of its desires fulfilled or
Score, the Goal ticks; the Faction takes • The Subfaction Leader’s Agenda is that is disrupted beyond the point of being able
newsworthy action over the next week to work permanently altered in a way that represents to form Agendas & pursue Goals is no longer
towards achieving their Goal & increases their a rivalry or opposition to their Liege. handled as a Faction. Contented people do not
Goal’s Score by 1. change the world.
NEWS & EVENTS
DETERMINING NEW GOALS GROWING & SHRINKING FACTIONS
Every time any Goal ticks, the PCs hear
Factions immediately develop a new Goal after about it somehow. It might be as rumors, an Faction Size changes to match its Soldier
achieving a Goal. The new Goal is based on event, an encounter, or something else. Just count. Supporters are required, but do not
their Leader’s Agendas or other interests. ensure the players hear about it. If the Goal determine Size. (An army on the march is
The following are only guidelines. The GM was secret, the events it causes may be hard to separated from most of its Supporters, but can
has both the right & obligation to invent new decipher, but they can still theoretically be still function!) On average, 16 years of peace
behaviors as required, especially if these deciphered. & prosperity is required for a Faction to add
guidelines would suggest an absurd result. +1 Size due to population growth.
NEW FACTIONS
If the Faction succeeded at their last Goal & If a smaller Faction is recruited into a Faction,
If an Event Step passes with no Goals ticking,
there’s a clear ‘next’ Goal that follows the it either becomes a Subfaction or is totally
a new Faction is created, either as a new band
previous one, the Faction starts working on it. absorbed, increasing the Size of the parent
of NPCs or by a competent agenda-pursuing
Faction, based on the GM’s judgment
If there’s no ‘next’ Goal to pursue, the GM Leader seizing control of an existing Group &
regarding their independence, temperament, &
rolls 1d6: transforming it into a Faction.
scale.
Notes on Usage
CAMPAIGN COMPATIBILITY
These rules work best with reasonably open-
ended sandbox campaigns with no planned
“storyline” or sequence of events. The
HANDLING FACTIONS intended outcome is that factional activities
The mathematics of the new faction logic will be sufficiently disruptive & interesting so
works out to creating around 20 Factions at a as to drive players’ attentions.
time, which is around as many as you should
be worrying about in an average game. As a MOTIVATIONS & CALCULATIONS
GM, when you set up your Factions, you It is my belief that computers handle the social
should look at two specific categories as the calculus poorly. We need only look at the
most important to include: myriad poor implementations of diplomacy
• The largest Factions in the campaign region across video games, particularly the 4X genre.
(the Emperor and the Great Houses, the Relatedly, I have always found systems that
Spacing Guild, the Regional Church, the include things like rigid social reaction rules
Big Bad Evil Lich) should always be to be somewhere between “tedious” and
Factions. They provide constant background “useless”, depending on how closely they
noise & potential plot hooks. Big events far conformed to the situations within play.
outside the players’ control. Wars, balls & Because of this, this system is preoccupied
galas, intrigue. with time taken to fulfill Goals & whether
• The closest Factions to the player (the local those Goals succeed, and not behavioral
lord, the goblins in the hills) should also reactions, social rituals, etc. It’s scaffolding to
always be included. These groups are of hang your internal social calculus over. You
pressing concern, directly adjacent or inside can probably compute yourself that the local
the players’ focus. This includes loved ones, tribes would Not Like the players showing up,
good friends, and former/part-time beheading their king, and proclaiming their
companions, who can be managed as a leadership even if that is technically the route
Faction doing their own thing even if to power in the tribes. You don’t need an
they’re on their own. explicit rule saying that this causes them to
start plotting against the players, do you?
For every other Faction, you should
consider whether tracking their activity is Nonetheless, a handful of components are
worthwhile. There are a functionally included to that effect, such as the notes on
unlimited number of barons in England. How loyalty & morale. These are more-so intended
many of them matter to King Arthur? How to spark your imagination regarding what can
many of them matter to the Count of Sussex? be integrated with the system rather than be
Probably only those who directly answer to taken perfectly literally at all times. You can
him, and maybe his most rowdy neighbors. ignore the rules if they don’t conform to how
Don’t waste your time tracking people who you think your Leaders would behave. They’re
don’t matter. only there to remind you of the nuances you
can introduce on top of this framework.