Party/Faction #

Sometimes we care as much about the group of player characters as a whole as we do each individual player character, or how they fit into something else. I’m going to call this a Party (as in adventuring party, not the other kind) or a Faction.

Do I need this in my game? #

There’s a nonzero chance you already have this as an assumption in a game concept and you just weren’t thinking about it as such. This is a good opportunity for you to think about making it a little more intentional, if you want.

A good litmus test is: if you’re thinking about making a separate (ship, crew, faction, etc) sheet, then this probably applies.

What Kind of Party is This, Anyway? #

When considering the party/faction as a proper construct, one thing comes to mind: if it’s going to matter as an entity, there should probably be something that unites them.

Organization #

They’re an actual organization, like an adventuring guild; or are grouped together by one, like a squad in a military. (This can nest with itself too - there might be a faction we care about on these terms that wraps a party that we also care about on these terms.)

If this is the case, decide if there’s some kind of hierarchy. Is one character a squad leader or manager or something? Do people have specific responsibilities?

Machinations of Court and Frame #
Groups of player characters are part of a House, which is essentially a faction.

Material Center #

They’re centered around a thing or a place: a village, a house, a vehicle, a spaceship, a planet, a magical being, etc. Maybe they all own it, maybe they all need it, maybe they’ve agreed to protect it, maybe something else.

Usually this means whatever they’re centered on has a sheet of its own.

NULL_SPACE #
Player characters own a ship together, for better (because it lets them get to work) and worse (because it can cause them problems).

Circumstance #

They got cursed. They got blessed. They all happened to be in the wrong (or right) place at the wrong (or right) time and now their fates are entangled.

This is the kind that needs the most justification, usually.

Valiant Horizon #
Player characters have all been chosen by heroes of old as successors. As such, they’re entangled by association, if nothing else.

Using a Party #

Communal Abilities #

The easiest way is to treat it as a kind-of member of the party: give it traits similar to a character that anyone can use.

Valiant Horizon #
The group as a whole gains Reputations, not just individual characters. Anyone can leverage one once/session.

NULL_SPACE #
The ship has Features which can be used similarly to Tool or Weapon Features to get past certain problems.

Shared Problems #

The easiest way is to treat it as a kind-of member of the party: give it traits similar to a character that anyone can use.

Valiant Horizon #
The group as a whole gains Reputations, not just individual characters. Anyone can leverage one once/session.

NULL_SPACE #
The ship has Features which can be used similarly to Tool or Weapon Features to get past certain problems.

Orthogonal Abilities and Resources #

You can also have it essentially act in a way that player characters typically don’t: either on a different scale or in a different manner.

Machinations of Court and Frame #
A House has various resources at its disposal which can be leveraged by its members to do high-level things: marshal forces, build things, and so on.