Mythras - TDM - Factions [TDM116]

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Factions
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Mythras Factions
W elcome to Mythras Factions. These rules spice up 
adventuring with mystery and intrigue. The 
characters can further the goals of a faction to 
which they belong, confound another faction's schemes, or 
pursue their own agenda amidst social turmoil. The Games 
Master can manage the plots of conspirators in a campaign, 
track the different factions' schemes, and give the adventurers 
insights into the bigger picture, while providing them tools to 
help them shape that picture their own way.
A faction is any group that dedicates itself to pursuing a 
common cause, by fair means or foul. As such, a political 
party that lobbies on behalf of its cause is a faction, as are a 
terrorist cell, a messianic cult, and a benevolent charity. 
While there is some overlap between factions and the cults 
and brotherhoods of the Mythras rules, each describes differ-
ent operations and effects. These faction rules are “external,” 
measuring a faction’s role in the larger milieu, whereas the 
cult/brotherhood rules are “internal,” reflecting the per-
spective of its members. Thus, not all cults are factions, and 
only some factions are cults; however, they are compatible 
and complementary rulesets.
Factions rarely exist in isolation. They are usually compet-
ing with other factions for the same resources or striving 
towards opposing goals. Furthermore, a faction might be 
beholden to another — a splinter group of radicals within the 
larger political party, a warrior cult in service to a religion, or 
a secret cabal of necromancers within a college of magic. 
These overlapping layers of factions may face entirely differ-
ent and quite possibly contradictory goals, providing rich 
areas of conflict where adventures flourish.
Defining a Faction
First determine the faction’s type. What position does the 
faction occupy in society? Factions may be political parties, 
tribes, ruling governments, mercenary companies, trading 
confederations, terrorist groups, lobby organisations, spy 
rings, crime syndicates, religious cults, or sorcerous cabals. 
Consider the typical members in terms of social class, 
profession, race, or other signifiers. Are they miners, nobles, 
space cadets, or alien infiltrators? Factions may be publicly 
known or their very existence might be a matter of rumour 
and hearsay. Consider also how members might join the 
faction. Is it open to all, or is there some qualifying test or 
quality? Is there an oath of loyalty? A magical induction? A 
signifying brand?
Factions normally have a single Leader, or more rarely, 
a coalition of leaders. The leader sets the agenda for the fac-
tion and determines its goal and practices. In large factions, 
the leader may delegate responsibilities for goals to subordin-
ate leaders.
Factions form around a Cause, an overarching principle 
that brings the members together under the banner of a single 
leader. Example causes include “Elect a new King of 
Tharsus,” “Convert the neighbouring pagans,” or “Control 
all crime in the galactic sector.” Factions should not have 
more than one cause: if its attention is divided, then it cannot 
manage to achieve anything. However, nothing stops indi-
viduals from being members of more than one faction, each 
with its own cause. 
Each cause comprises one or more Goals, which are steps 
on the way to achieving the cause. Unlike the aspirational — 
and sometimes nebulous — cause, goals are concrete object-
ives that set the agenda of the faction. Dependent Goals 
require the completion of other goals before they themselves 
can be completed and the Deciding Goal is a Dependent 
Goal that achieves the faction’s cause.
The Resources of a faction are often synonymous with 
wealth, not just cold hard cash but also the capacity to gener-
ate wealth, whether through hard labour in the fields or 
mines, or via blackmail and larceny. A faction without wealth 
is not necessarily poor in resources, however, if it has 
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Defining 
Factions
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Defining Factions
property, trade opportunities, treaties, and information, all of 
which can be exchanged to achieve the faction’s goals. There 
are five levels of Resources: Destitute, Poor, Average, Pros-
perous, and Bounteous. These levels should scale according 
to the setting; the Destitute level typically represents the pit-
tance available to the lowest social class such as exiles and the 
homeless, whereas Bounteous represents the level of affluence 
and influence of the ruling caste. 
The Membership Size counts only the active members 
of the faction, including the principal intriguers as well as the 
foot-soldiers and informants, but not those who do not take 
an active role, even if they are sympathetic to the cause. Like 
Resources, there are five levels to Membership Size (Tiny, 
Small, Medium, Large, and Huge) and they should scale 
according to the campaign world. Each level is approximately 
10 times bigger than the previous. In a Mythic Britain cam-
paign, a Tiny faction might have fewer than 20 members (a 
family), a Small one at least 20 members (a clan), a Medium 
one at least 200 members (a settlement), a Large faction at 
least 2000 members (a tribe), and a Huge one 20,000 mem-
bers or more (a nation). 
The Dedication of a faction represents the average com-
mitment of its members to the cause. There are five ranks of 
Dedication: Casual, Moderate, Devoted, Zealous, and Fanatic. 
Most followers of a Casual faction are members in name only, 
prepared to attend monthly meetings but little else; very few 
have a Passion related to the cause. In a Moderate faction, 
most members are prepared to devote some of their free time 
once per week to advancing the cause but fewer than half of 
the members have a relevant Passion. In a Devoted faction, 
at least half the membership has a relevant Passion and will 
give up half their working life to the cause. A Zealous faction 
consists of mostly individuals with a relevant Passion, at least 
half of them with a score of over 75%. Zealous members will 
give most of their time to the faction. Finally, a Fanatic fac-
tion is made up of the truly devoted; over half of the members 
devote all of their waking life to the cause and most members 
have a Passion score of 75% or more.
A faction’s Scope is the influence it has over society as a 
whole and the magnitude of its cause. Minor factions have 
narrow causes that interest only a small portion of society, 
typically themselves. Major factions deal with bigger issues 
that can affect the fate of many more people than are in the 
faction — at least one Membership Size category larger, and 
often more. Major factions typically have leaders with a high 
social status.
The Skills of a faction are its capacity to turn its 
resources into deeds. These skills come from its Membership 
Size and Resources: either people who have the requisite 
abilities or the means to acquire them from others. Faction 
skills are Allies, Following, Information, Intrigue, and Subterfuge. 
More detail on each is presented in the next chapter.
Factions 
Without a Cause
A faction forms around a central principle that unites its 
members to a common purpose. However, these rules canalso reflect social collectives that are not striving for a cause, 
When is a Faction Not a Faction?
An adventuring party could conceivably be a faction, as could a multi-national company, but such entities should only be 
given faction statistics if the Games Master finds it is useful to do so. These rules serve as a tool to chart the progress of key 
political and social groups in pursuit of a cause. If a faction’s cause has no effect on the campaign, then the Games Master 
does not need to track it in such detail.
Equally, the Games Master may want to divide particularly large social groups or organisations into several factions. 
These may have complementary or competing causes, and there may be an executive faction attempting to control the 
others. For example, the medieval church was rife with internal schisms, secret cabals, reformers, and splinter groups, yet 
shared a common leadership and creed.
Membership 
Size
Sample 
Membership Resources Dedication Skill Points 
(Minor)
Skill Points 
(Major) Goal Points
Tiny Up to 20 Destitute Casual 5 10 1d4+4%
Small At least 20 Poor Moderate 15 25 1d6+6%
Medium At least 200 Average Devoted 30 50 1d8+8%
Large At least 2,000 Prosperous Zealous 45 75 1d10+10%
Huge >20,000 Bounteous Fanatic 60 100 1d12+12%
Faction Attributes Table
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Mythras Factions
but whose purpose is more inward-looking. It may be a cult 
who wants to worship its god, a tribe struggling to survive, or 
a business trying to get rich. These mechanics can still codify 
a progression of events for these organisations that 
adds depth to the characters’ world: the Games 
Master can create a series of goals for the cause-
less faction and add more as they are 
completed or as the story dictates.
Example Faction: The Cult of Nessus
Size: Small, Resources: Poor, Dedication: Zealous 
High Priest Phlegraios is the leader of a deviant religion worshipping Nessus, the bloodthirsty god of centaurs. Phlegraios 
was once the advisor to Queen Nephele of Tharsus, but once his fanaticism was uncovered, he was exiled to the Peleon 
Wastes. Nessus forbids the shedding of female blood, so Phlegraios has been unable to take simple revenge on Nephele. 
Instead, he has devoted the Cult of Nessus to his own vengeful cause: Rule the Kingdom of Tharsus.
Goals:
1. Destroy the elite Minotaur Guard who protect the queen.
2. Depose the royal family of Tharsus.
3. Win the loyalty of the Peleonite Horde.
4. Oppress the rebellious Emurites.
5. Outlaw all faiths other than Nessus.
6. Make all cities of the Thar Valley pay tribute in sacrifices, food, and coin.
Goal 2 is dependent on Goal 1 (deposing the queen and her family is very difficult while the Minotaur Guard is still 
around), and Goal 4 is dependent on Goal 3 (Phlegraios must ally with the Peleonite Hordes before he can use them against 
the Emurites). Goal 3 is directed at increasing the faction Membership Size. Goal 6 is the Deciding Goal of the faction — 
once complete, the Cult of Nessus will rule Tharsus.
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F action skills, namely, Allies, Following, Information, 
Intrigue, and Subterfuge, represent a faction’s capacity 
to achieve its goals. These skills indicate the faction’s 
strengths, which they use to complete missions. Each of these 
skills has a percentage score just like a character’s skills, and 
represents the competence of the faction’s members with a 
range of applicable careers and skills. This is an average score 
for the faction as a whole, and half the members should have 
applicable character skill scores similar to that of the faction 
skill scores.
All faction skills begin at 20%. Membership Size, 
Resources, and Dedication provide points to increase faction 
skills, as indicated on the Faction Attributes Table. For 
example, the Cult of Nessus is Small, Poor, and Zealous. It is 
a Major faction, so it has 125 points to spend on faction skills. 
Each point spent grants 1% to the faction skill. Minor fac-
tions can begin the game with a maximum of 50% in any fac-
tion skill; Major factions can begin with a maximum skill of 
75%.
Whenever a mission (see page 8) succeeds, choose one fac-
tion skill used during the mission and roll 1d100. If the roll 
exceeds the score in the skill, then the skill increases by 
1d4+1%; otherwise, it increases by 1%.
If the Membership Size, Resources, or Dedication of the 
faction should change — possible through significant story 
events that lead to the completion of a goal — the faction 
gains a bonus number of skill points equal to the difference 
between their former and their new level (as per the Faction 
Attributes Table), which can be spent on any faction skill. For 
example, after converting the Peleonite Horde to the Cult of 
Nessus, Phlegraios’ faction goes from Small to Medium 
Membership Size and gains a bonus of 25 faction skill points.
Allies
Each Ally of a Faction has its own Ally skill. An Ally skill 
represents the strength of the bond between the faction and 
that ally. Factions can form alliances even if they have 
competing goals, but it is rare that an alliance forms between 
factions with competing causes, unless it is to defeat a 
common enemy. Alliances may have a limited life — for 
example, until a certain Dependent Goal is completed — or 
they might be permanent expressions of support 
strengthened by treaties, oaths, and/or marriages. If one of 
the factions is more powerful than the other, then their bond 
might not be symmetrical, represented by different scores in 
the Ally skill.
The Ally skill allows the faction to use one of the faction 
skills of their Ally rather than their own to complete a mis-
sion. However, each Ally can only assist once on each mis-
sion, and the skill is always capped by the faction’s Ally skill. 
For example, The Cult of Nessus has a poor Information skill, 
so it might call upon the Information skill of its Ally (Harpies 
of Mesagros) instead, “borrowing” their capacity for aerial 
scouting to find out the location of the heroes.
Following
The Following skill represents the human resources of a 
faction. This skill covers warriors and soldiers, but also 
influencers, ambassadors, supporters, workers, campaigners, 
rioters, and other “feet on the street.” Following indicates the 
capacity of the faction to coerce its members into mass 
action, whether that is mustering for a battle, taking part in a 
protest march, conducting a raid, or raising a barn. Use 
Following to represent a Combat Style, but also all manner of 
physical skills such as Brawn, Endurance, Craft, and so forth.
A faction can muster a proportion of its membership equal 
to its Following skill for a major event such as a rally or battle. 
For skills over 100%, this represents the capacity to sweep 
others along with the fervour of the action. A faction with low 
Following can only muster a handful of its members at any 
one time. A moderate level of expertise can congregate a 
decent force. Note: If a faction suffers a major military defeat, 
Faction Skills
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Mythras Factions
it does not necessarily lose Following, since not all of those 
mustering are faction members: their forces may feature 
hired mercenaries, household troops, or commoners 
whipped into a frenzy by powerful rhetoric. 
Information
The Information skill represents the faction’s spies, scholars, 
and gossip network. A good Information skill allows a faction 
to be aware of schemes operating against it and can also 
identify weaknesses in an opponent’s schemes. Information 
need not only be hearsay and tittle-tattle: knowledge of local 
history, laws, and genealogies can be invaluable tools to 
advance one’s agenda. How well the faction uses this 
information relies on the Intrigue skill. Use Information to 
represent Customs, Insight, Perception, Locale, and Lore.
A low Information skill usuallysuggests disorganised intel-
ligence, with no systematic gathering or recording of know-
ledge. At higher levels of expertise, a faction usually has a 
dedicated intelligence service (even if it is not formally recog-
nised as such) comprising agents who gather the information, 
messengers to convey it, and collators or analysts who process 
it. At the highest level, a faction has sophisticated methods of 
information gathering and conveyance, and is aware of every 
action that their rivals take almost as soon as it happens.
Intrigue
The Intrigue skill represents the faction’s 
capacity for politics, negotiation, and 
blackmail. Intrigue covers above-board 
discussions as well as backroom dealings, 
encapsulating all manner of manipulating 
people to achieve the faction’s aims. Use 
Intrigue to represent Influence, Insight, 
Seduction, and other social skills.
At low levels of expertise, the 
faction is still a novice at political 
intrigue and has a lot still to learn. 
At a moderate Intrigue skill, the fac-
tion may have one or more professional 
intriguers manipulating the strings of local 
politics, to include having both public 
ambassadors and hidden agents in strategic 
locations. When Intrigue reaches a high 
score, the faction is capable of orchestrating a 
whisper-war singlehandedly and can topple 
governments without shedding a single 
drop of blood. 
Subterfuge
The Subterfuge skill covers all manner of 
covert activities and dirty tricks. A faction 
with high Subterfuge is adept at using 
forgery, spying, assassination, and other 
forms of skulduggery to achieve its 
aims. Use Subterfuge to represent all 
manner of clandestine skills such as 
Conceal, Forgery, Stealth, and so forth.
At low levels of expertise, Subterfuge represents a few 
amateur ne’er-do-wells at the faction’s beck and call. At 
higher skill ratings, there is likely to be a small cadre of agents 
whose primary role is covert missions. Factions with high 
Subterfuge might have a dedicated secret service, particularly 
if their Information skill is also high.
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Faction Skills
F actions use their resources and skills to complete goals. 
Each goal is represented as a percentage score, 
indicating how complete the goal is. A goal at 10% has 
only just been started, a goal at 95% is almost complete. 
When the faction achieves all goals — and in particular, its 
Deciding Goal (see later) — then the faction has fulfilled its 
cause. Goals increase in score when the faction completes 
missions (see below for details). A Minor faction should have 
2–4 goals, whereas a Major faction has 4–8 goals. Not all 
goals are necessarily apparent at the beginning, and new ones 
can be added through the actions of other factions.
Goals are a tool for the Games Master to determine pro-
gress, and a faction does not necessarily consider its cause 
neatly broken up into clear objectives. A faction might pursue 
other schemes that do not advance the faction’s cause; 
indeed, it is assumed that all factions to a greater or lesser 
extent conduct business that does not contribute directly to 
the cause, either through incomplete knowledge, poor plan-
ning, or deliberate misdirection. Such schemes are not goals, 
but neither do they interfere with the faction’s overall cause. 
Choosing Goals
Goals should be discrete and have an impact on the 
campaign once achieved, but not be something that can be 
easily completed. A goal must be large enough to encompass 
multiple adventures, tasks, or battles (collectively called 
“missions”) that contribute towards their completion. 
Some of the goals within a cause may have a natural pro-
gression, such that one goal needs to be completed before 
another can be started; these are called Dependent Goals. 
One of the goals should be the Deciding Goal, the comple-
tion of which achieves the overall cause. If this Deciding Goal 
succeeds, then the other goals become irrelevant, although 
the Deciding Goal is usually dependent on the successful 
completion of many or all of the other goals attached to the 
cause.
Goals can also be directed at increasing the Membership 
Size, Resources, or Dedication of the faction. When such 
goals are completed, the relevant attribute improves by one 
category and the faction gains points to increase its faction 
skills. These goals are additional to those of the cause itself.
Missions
A mission has a clear objective that contributes to the 
completion of a specific goal. Each goal typically requires 5 
to 12 successful missions to complete. For example, 
Phlegraios’ goal of “Depose the royal family of Tharsus” 
could include the following missions:
h Create an alliance with the Harpies of Mesagros.
h Have the harpies snatch away the infant children of 
Queen Nephele.
h Sacrifice the infant prince to the greater glory of 
Nessus.
h Raise the infant princess in ignorance of her heritage 
and train her as a slayer of Minotaurs.
h Enslave the queen’s niece and sell her to a foreign 
nation.
h Imprison Queen Nephele.
In addition to supporting a faction’s own goals, missions 
can be directed against the goals of another faction, setting 
back the rival faction’s plans and reducing the overall level of 
completion of that goal.
Missions generally require violence, negotiation, and/or 
espionage, in varying amounts. When planning a mission, 
determine whether it relies on the faction’s Membership Size, 
Resources, or Dedication. Although most missions require an 
element of all three attributes, having one as the lead helps to 
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Goals & 
Missions
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Mythras Factions
determine the mission’s description and details. The chosen 
attribute affects the outcome of a successful mission, and 
picking the highest-rated attribute usually earns the biggest 
rewards. The lead attribute may sometimes be constrained 
by the nature of the mission and/or the goal. For example, 
battles usually require Membership Size as the key attribute, 
whereas trade negotiations usually require Resources. 
When Membership Size drives the mission, the faction 
relies on sheer numbers or the use of many operatives with 
different skills from amongst their members. When 
Resources drive the mission, the faction completes the mis-
sion mostly through expenditure or manipulation of 
resources; money might not actually change hands but 
favours are spent, key figures bribed, or information bought 
in back-alley deals. When Dedication drives a mission, the 
faction relies on the zeal of its members to get the job done; 
they might use their own funds or skip days at work to com-
plete their assignments. 
A faction usually fulfils a mission in one of three ways. 
Firstly, it can be the objective of an adventure for the charac-
ters, which takes place in the usual way. A mission can also 
be a battle. Rules for Mass Combat can be found in Mythic 
Britain or the Ships & Shield Walls supplement.
The third method for conducting a mission is as a Conflict 
(using rules starting on page 11), using the faction skills 
described earlier. This mechanic can be used to represent 
character efforts where the mission does not fall under the 
traditional description of an adventure. For example, trade 
negotiations do not always present the most interesting role-
playing opportunities; similarly, researching the baronial 
family secret is vital to the cause but pedestrian. However, 
representing missions as tasks also allows factions to advance 
their goals without the characters being the focus of every 
one, representing adventures for Non-Player Characters 
instead. Factions usually have more agents who are not the 
characters, and this mechanic allows the Games Master to 
update goal progress while the adventurers are off complet-
ing a different story. 
First decide on the length of each Round. Negotiations 
might take a day per Round,but a siege might take a week 
per Round, and a whisper campaign could take months. In 
each Round, a roll is made using one of the faction’s skills. It 
is not necessary to use the same skill each time; in fact, it is 
better if a mission relies on several different skills, depending 
on the shifting nature of events. Each Success adds 25% to 
the mission’s Objective Points. Once a mission reaches the 
target number of Objective Points then it is successful. The 
simplest missions have no defender, meaning that the conflict 
rolls are simple skill tests rather than Differential rolls and no 
Conflict Special Effects are generated. Mission success is vir-
tually guaranteed given enough time, resources, and lack of 
opposition. However, many missions have constraints. Typ-
ical constraints include the following:
h The mission must be completed within a certain 
number of Rounds.
h After a certain number of Rounds, an opponent 
becomes aware of the mission and interferes, becoming 
a defender in the conflict.
h The group must abort the mission after a Fumble or 
three Failures in a row.
The Games Master should make these constraints clear 
before the mission commences. Luck Points generally cannot 
be used to affect the outcome of Task Rounds, as they are an 
abstraction of the concerted effort of a group of people rather 
than the actions of a single individual.
Missions as Conflicts
Contested Missions
Contested missions involve two factions at odds, for example, 
competing over the same resource or directly fighting against 
each another. Missions directed at reducing the goals of 
another faction are nearly always contested. A mission might 
start normally but becomes contested once the rival faction 
becomes aware of the enemy action (either at a certain point 
in the mission or due to a Failure or Fumble by the character’s 
faction). Alternatively, a rival faction that succeeds in an 
Information roll might learn about a mission directed against 
them and prepare a mission of their own to counter it.
For more on resolving contested missions and other types 
of inter-factional conflict, see the Conflict chapter, starting on 
page 11.
Dependent & Deciding Goals
Sometimes a faction might try to complete a Dependent Goal 
before the goals upon which it depends have been completed. 
This might be down to impatience, time constraints, 
misinformation, or sheer inexperience. For example, High 
Priest Phlegraios might try to depose the royal family before 
first destroying the Minotaur Guards who protects them or 
oppress the Emurites before fully winning over the Peleonite 
Horde.
Missions to complete Dependent Goals are made at one 
Difficulty Grade harder if one or more of the goals upon 
which it depends is less than 75% complete. This penalty 
increases to two Difficulty Grades if the goals are less than 
50% complete. 
The Deciding Goal is dependent on all other goals, and 
the Difficulty Grade penalty for attempting this goal before 
the others is cumulative. For example, Phlegraios suffers a penalty 
of three Difficulty Grades if he starts on the Deciding Goal when three of 
his goals are at 100%, but “Depose Royal Family” is still at 70% and 
“Oppress the Emurites” is only 45%.
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Goals & Missions
Unrealistic Missions & Goals
Faction leaders are not always the most logical individuals 
due to arrogance, stubbornness, or insanity, and they may 
make demands of their membership that are beyond their 
capacity to complete. The Games Master should penalise 
unrealistic missions or those completing unrealistic goals with 
one or more Difficulty Grades.
Specialist Missions
The faction skills are very general in scope and encompass a 
wide range of character-level skills. If a faction’s membership 
can be reasonably assumed to have a Professional skill that is 
particularly relevant to a mission, at a similar level to the 
faction skill, then the Games Master might grant a reduction 
in the Difficulty Grade to one or more mission rolls. Standard 
skills and Combat Styles are too generic to offer up this 
bonus. For example, The Cult of Nessus comprises mostly 
priests. When Phlegraios sets them to proselytise the Word of 
Nessus, they can make Easy Intrigue rolls for this mission, 
since they all have the Oratory skill. However, these priests 
are not trained in Courtesy and so could not claim a similar 
bonus on an ambassadorial mission to a chieftain’s court.
Consequences of Success
If the mission is successful (whether by adventure, battle, or 
achieving the required Objective Points in a conflict), its goal 
advances by the Goal Points indicated on the Factions 
Attribute Table based on the mission’s leading attribute. For 
example, a mission based on a faction’s Large Membership 
Size advances its goal by 1d10+10%. If the instigator in a 
Conflict earns at least twice as many Objective Points as the 
defender, then the mission was an Exceptional Success and 
the targeted goal advances (or decreases an enemy’s goal) by 
the maximum amount. For missions completed by 
adventures or battles, the Games Master must adjudicate 
whether the mission was a Failure, an ordinary Success, or an 
Exceptional Success, and adjust the goal score respectively. 
Note these categories can be independent of the outcome of 
the mission — a battle does not necessarily need to be won if 
the mission’s objective was achieved, for example.
Successful missions directed at another faction’s goals 
reduce the goal score by the indicated Goal Points. However, 
if the rating in the mission’s attribute (Membership Size, 
Resources, or Dedication) is equal or lower than the defend-
ing faction’s attribute, then the Goal Points earned are 
reduced by half (if the same rank or one step lower) or else 
reduced to 2% (if two or more steps lower). 
For example, The Cult of Nessus is planning a mission against the 
Minotaur Guards. The cult’s best attribute is Dedication, but since the 
Minotaur Guards are also a Zealous faction, Phlegraios would earn only 
half of the 1d10+10 Goal Points against his enemy’s goal. Phlegraios 
might instead choose to base the mission on Resources: even though the 
Cult of Nessus is at the Poor rank, this is still better than the Destitute 
rank of the Minotaur Guard, and as such, is worth 1d6+6% Goal 
Points on a Success.
Faction Upkeep
At regular intervals — perhaps after each adventure — the 
Games Master should review the factions not controlled by a 
character and consider which goals could have advanced 
since the last update. They can use the task mechanic to 
determine the success of missions towards those goals or else 
simply decide whether the mission was a Failure, Success, or 
Exceptional Success; in any case, the goal score should be 
modified accordingly. Similarly, the Games Master should 
resolve missions directed at reducing enemy goals. It is useful 
(but not necessary) to describe the specific missions that 
produce these changes because these help build the campaign 
backdrop for the characters.
Where appropriate, the characters learn about missions 
conducted by Non-Player Characters. Those that advance 
the goals of the characters’ faction(s) are probably known to 
all the faction’s members, unless there is a reason for secrecy 
from the faction’s leaders. Similarly, they should hear about 
missions (successful or not) directed against the goals of their 
own faction. 
Missions conducted by allied and rival factions might also 
be public knowledge, or they might require a successful roll 
on the faction’s Information skill. Some factions have public 
goals that are widely known to all. Factions with no public 
goals are a mystery to outsiders; indeed, their very existence 
may not be common knowledge.
Unless a character is part of a faction’s leadership struc-
ture, the Games Master should not tell the adventurers the 
actual goal scores of that faction; indeed, the characters may 
not even know the goals of a rival faction. However, by keep-ing track of missions, the adventurers may be able to intuit the 
goals and get an idea about their rivals’ progress.
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11
Mythras Factions
S ometimes, two or more factions come into direct 
conflict with one another. Individual characters might 
be swept up in machinations which only make sense at 
the faction level — one faction making a move to gain 
territory, or to demonstrate superiority over a rival, or even a 
skirmish between two feuding factions who've been at each 
other's throats for years, decades, even centuries. This section 
allows the players to assume the role of an entire faction, and 
pit their faction in conflict with another run by the Games 
Master or even another player.
These rules expand upon the Social Conflict rules (page 
287 of Mythras), and focus on conflict between factions and 
add Special Effects to introduce variety to the possible out-
comes. For resolving social conflict between individuals (i.e., at 
a character level, rather than a faction level), the Social Con-
flict rules presented in the Mythras Companion can be used 
if desired.
Objectives
Every party in a conflict must have an objective. Some 
objectives are simple, such as "defend our reputation," 
"acquire another faction's prized resource", while others are 
more involved, such as "apply a barrage of rhetoric and 
propaganda to sway rank and file members of the rival cult 
to join ours." The objective is what frames and drives the 
conflict, but the wider effects of the conflict can be varied and 
much more far-reaching than a simple victory. Sometimes the 
objective is a convenient reason for engaging in a conflict, a 
stratagem where the true goal is to harm the rival faction.
When a conflict begins the games master determines the 
length of time each task round of scheming will take, repres-
enting how quickly the scheming will develop and at what 
units of time events occur. In addition, the games master 
decides how difficult the objective is to attain, measured in 
Objective Points. Use the Task Length and Objectives Points 
table as a guideline:
Some conflicts may have a fixed deadline, rather than an 
Objective Point target, as a goal: an election in two weeks, for 
example. When the deadline arrives, the participant with the 
highest number of Objective Points wins. 
Resolving Conflicts
When conflict begins, one faction is called the instigator, and 
its objective is declared. The other faction, the defender, 
declares its own objective, which could be to attain a 
conflicting objective, or to stop the instigator from achieving 
theirs. The conflict is handled over a number of rounds of the 
given task length, and continues until either party reaches the 
Conflicts
Example Task Length OP Needed
Receiving rights to a coveted 
property
1-3 days 5
Prevail in a delicate negotiation 1-6 days 5-10
Add a nearby street to the turf of a 
gang
1 Week 8-12
Winning a high-priority court case 1 week 8-15
Lobbying to pass legislation 1-2 weeks 10-30
Be appointed to the council 1 month 30
Convince a rival to become an Ally 1-12 months 50
Task Length and Objective Points Examples
12
Conflicts
needed Objective Points, or until a party withdraws from the 
contest. When a conflict is resolved, the winner attains the 
designated objective.
If one or more parties of the conflict attain the required 
Objective Points during the same round, the one with the 
higher number of Objective Points wins the objective. If the 
number of Objective Points are equal, the conflict continues 
until one side has an advantage.
Before the conflict begins in earnest, each side decides 
which of its skills to use to achieve its objectives. To an extent, 
the chosen skill determines how the faction conducts itself. A 
faction would choose Intrigue or Subterfuge if it doesn't want to 
reveal its motives, or wants to act subtly; a faction that wants 
to make a point openly and perhaps destructively, might use 
Following. Using Allies indicates the faction works through 
others to achieve victory. The skill chosen remains in play 
throughout the conflict (with the exception of the Hamper 
Special Effect, which can temporarily alter the skill being 
used).
Each round all participants in the conflict make a differen-
tial skill check against the chosen skill. If the roll is successful, 
Objective Pointss are gained according to the following table. 
As with normal combat, if one side scores a higher success (a 
Critical vs a Success, for example), then that side also attains 
one or more Special Effects (see Differential Rolls, Mythras 
page 51). Choose Special Effects before rolling for Objective 
Points gain, from the Objective Points Gained table.
For example, a faction with Following 75% would therefore gain 
1d6 Objective Points on a successful skill roll, whereas if it used its Allies 
30%, it would only gain 1d3.
External Factors
External factors can also influence the conflict, perhaps 
through making skill use harder or easier. Such factors can be 
unrelated events or intended actions taken by the conflicting 
parties to influence the game of schemes and intrigue — 
though such actions should always come at a cost in funds, 
personnel, and materials. Factors are varied and difficult to 
enumerate, but inspiration for the Games Master is provided 
in the examples below:
Example 1: Ditwin is the lawyer representing a merchant family in a 
legal dispute against a guild. He realises his opponent has too strong a 
case and will soon win the dispute. Ditwin spends a task round 
distributing costly bribes to key officials, and forging documents backing 
his charge's cause. The Games Master rules that the merchant family’s 
skill roll in this task round will be one grade easier (i.e., Easy rather than 
Standard) as a result of the bribes.
Example 2: Still facing defeat in the legal dispute and having placed his 
reputation on the line, Ditwin goes to drastic measures: he pays a group 
of thugs to beat up a key member of the opposing guild. The assault 
breaks several of his limbs and leaves him bedridden for days. The 
Games Master rules that the skill checks of the guild are at Formidable 
difficulty this task round. 
Example 3: Famine strikes the region, resulting in an unruly populace. 
The Games Master determines that all skill rolls for Faction Conflicts 
are at Formidable difficulty while the towns and cities isolate, and most 
sensible residents remain in their homes, fearful of infection.
Withdrawing from 
Conflicts
Conflicts can be abandoned or joined at the beginning of any 
task round without any penalties. 
Multiple Sides
It is possible for conflicts to have more than two participants, 
e.g. it might be a conflict between three or four separate 
factions. In such cases, Objective Points gain is as normal, but 
Special Effects are gained based on the highest levels of 
success from opposing sides. If the Special Effect enables 
targeting another faction, they can choose whatever faction 
they wish.
Example: The Alderman of the Merchant Guild is dead and the guild 
has announced an election for his successor. Rather than assigning an 
Objective Points goal, the games master decides the election will be in two 
weeks and have three task rounds of 5 days each. Three merchant houses 
(Adler,Baum and Chastell) throw their lot into the election, trying to gain 
the coveted leadership post.
The first task round is resolved as normal, the various parties using 
their influence skill to gain voter support, host dinners and make campaign 
promises. House Adler and Baum succeed on their Ally checks and gain 
Skill Rating OP Gained
1-20 1d2
11-40 1d3
41-60 1d4
61-80 1d6
81-100 1d8
101-120 1d10
121+ 1d12
Objective Points Gained
13
Mythras Factions
Objective Points, while house Chastell fails. Since both Adler and Baum 
succeeded,no Special Effects are gained.
In the second task round, house Chastell decides to start using bribes 
and gifts to secure votes. Adler succeeds on the Ally check, Baum fails 
and Chastell rolls a critical. House Adler and Chastell both gain Object-
ive Points, and Chastell can choose a single critical Special Effect. House 
Chastell decides to use ‘Gain Asset’ on house Baum – one of Baum’s 
supporters abruptly switches sides and pledges support to Chastell. The 
bribes are clearly working...
In the third task round, Houses Adler and Chastell succeed on their 
skill checks and gain Objective Points, while Baum fails, gaining noth-
ing. In total Adler has gained 6 Objective Points, Baum has 4 and 
Chastell has 3. The games master announces that Adler has won the 
coveted position, but has only secured less than half of the votes. House 
Adler may have won the election, but will have to tread carefully in the 
coming months. Meanwhile, House Chastell has turned one of Baum’s 
major supporters, incurring House Baum’s ire, and the promise of reper-
cussions further down the line.
Multiple Conflicts
A faction can be a part of any number of conflicts at the 
same time; indeed large factions are always engaged in some 
scheme or legal conflict at any given time. However, being 
embroiled in multiple conflicts takes However, fighting a 
battle on multiple fronts takes a toll: for every third 
simultaneous conflict a faction gets embroiled in, all of that 
faction's skills become one grade harder Thus, if a 
protagonist faction is fighting two other factions, its skills are 
unaffected, but if a third antagonist faction joins in, the 
protagonist faction's skills become one grade harder. 
This enables smaller organisations to bog down larger 
organisations by coordinating their conflicts to offset their 
power level penalty.
Special Effects
Select Special Effects from the following selection. Note that 
some may only be applicable under certain results.
Acquire Resources
Boon from a benefactor, selling your possessions, seizing property of rivals 
or vassals, committing a robbery...
The faction acquires some temporary funds. The next 1d3+1 
uses of the Conflict skill are one grade easier. These bonuses 
can is applicable in other conflicts as well.
This Special Effect can be selected multiple times.
Change Tactics
Recruit allies to the cause, create wellspring of popular opinion, smear a 
winning opponent's reputation...
In order to make best use of a new asset, or to capitalise on 
changing fortunes, the faction changes which skill it uses to 
make Conflict skill checks. This change remains in force until 
changed again, and can negate the Hamper Special Effect.
14
Conflicts
Damage Relations
Public humiliation, graffiti on the streets, spreading vile rumours...
The opposing side (or its Ally, if the opposing side has help 
from a faction during the conflict) loses 1d3+1 Objective 
Points as it suffers humiliating defeats undermining its 
successes or credibility.
This Special Effect can be selected multiple times.
Delay
Impeding the legal process, accepting a ceasefire, restructuring after a 
setback...
Factions gain some respite: no skill rolls for either side are 
made during the next task round.
This Special Effect can be selected multiple times.
Deny (Critical Only)
An asset is exposed, a rally disrupted by heckling, lands and properties 
are seized, a valuable resource is hijacked ...
This Special Effect nullifies an acquired asset or resource 
(from the Gain Asset or Acquire Resources Special Effects). 
The opponent may not continue to use this instance of the 
Special Effect, and must reapply the Gain Asset or Acquire 
Resources Special Effects in future rounds of this conflict, 
assuming they earn Special Effects in future rounds.
Gain Asset (Critical Only)
A servant to your rival approaches you, an important document surfaces, 
a young boy has an interesting story to tell...
The faction gains a new asset related to the opposing faction. 
The asset is chosen by the games master, but the Gain Asset 
Examples table below can be used for inspiration:
It is up to the Games Master to decide what these assets 
are useful for, but at the very least, they should make a future 
important skill check up to two grades easier. Ideally, assets 
gained like this should further the story and seed future events 
and conflicts.
Gain Momentum (Opponent Fumble)
Making common cause against a brutal enemy, convincing others your 
cause is just, family coming to your aid...
Through the inept actions of the opponent, the faction gains 
some form of momentum in the conflict. For their next 
Conflict points roll, gain the maximum Objective Points 
allowable (for example 3 points rather than 1d3).
Additionally, the opponent’s next Conflict skill check is 
one grade more difficult. This can be applied to an opposing 
faction’s Ally instead, if any are present.
Hamper
Something urgent requires your attention, a curfew is imposed, bad 
weather halts operations, angry commoners hinder your agents...
For its next skill roll, the opposing faction must use its lowest 
scoring skill. This Special Effect can be selected multiple 
times, with additional instances being used over consecutive 
rounds.
Increase Effect (Critical only)
A particularly clever deception, a pinch of luck secures your victory...
Roll the Objective Points twice and choose the best result.
1d10 Asset Gained
1 Undercover agent
2 Incriminating documents
3 Insider knowledge about a locality
4 Knowledge of another conflict the opponent is embroiled in
5 A layout of goals for the near future
6 A witness to a crime
7 The plan for an operation
8 Insider knowledge of a rival's routines, customs etc.
9 An otherwise well-kept secret
10 Plant false information with the rival
Gain Asset Examples
15
Mythras Factions
T hese sample factions show how the faction rules can 
be applied to many different kinds of organisation, 
large and small, from a variety of different settings 
and backgrounds — most of which are drawn from various 
Mythras supplements. Details can be easily adjusted to reflect 
different circumstances.
Generic Factions
Warband/Mercenary Unit
Leader: Warlord or Chieftain
Cause: Gain glory through battle
Size: Small
Resources: Average
Dedication: Devoted
Goals
• Find opportunities to fight
• Gain Favour with the Lord
• Gain Wealth and Reputation
• Retake Lost Territory/Establish New Territory
Skill Points: 75
Allies 30% (typically the lord served)
Following: 60%
Information: 30%
Intrigue: 35%
Subterfuge: 20%
This is a typical small warband of 20-50 warriors fighting 
for a common cause and supporting a central figurehead, 
such as a Lord, Lady, King, Queen, or even another faction 
such as a clan, tribe or corporation. Engaging in battle suc-
cessfully helps advance their goals, as warbands can stand to 
gain significant favour, and so be selected foremost for future 
missions, gaining greater wealth or spoils in the process 
(which may or may not be distributed equally across the 
membership. Eventually, by retaking territories lost to the 
enemy, or gaining new territory, the warband may grow con-
siderably in strength, reputation and power, so that it evolves 
into a very different kind of organisation.
Minor Religious Cult
Leader: Charismatic Prophet or Priest
Cause: Promote the cult’s tenets
Size: Small
Resources: Poor
Dedication: Zealous
Goals
• Spread the Word
• Create Converts
• Subvert Enemies and Rivals
• Establish Local Dominance
Skill Points: 75
Allies 25% (typically related cults or patrons)
Following: 20%
Information: 50%
Intrigue: 25%
Subterfuge: 50%
A small but fierce group of believers in some deity, or reli-
gious philosophy. The cult may even be a small faction within 
a larger religion, sharing an overall central belief, but having 
developed separate views that put it at odds with the main 
community. A charismatic leader or figurehead is common, 
and throughcunning use of information and subterfuge, this 
leader is able to gain converts, keep them, and have them 
recruit others in turn. The strength of the faith is of para-
mount importance, rather than size or resources. Those who 
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Sample 
Factions
16
Sample Factions
waver in their belief are punished: either physically or psy-
chologically. The making and setting of examples helps keep 
the faithful on the right path.
Criminal Guild (Major City)
Leader: Shadowy Council of Elders
Cause: Protect the Group’s Interests. Consolidate power.
Size: Medium
Resources: Prosperous
Dedication: Devoted
Goals
• Protect Members’ Interests
• Gather influential information
• Control important criminal activity
• Covertly influence local politics
Skill Points: 175
Allies: 45% (typically certain criminal bosses)
Following: 50%
Information: 65%
Intrigue: 65%
Subterfuge: 50%
Working through clandestine cells and a complex hier-
archy that protects the upper echelons, this guild aims to con-
trol all illicit activity within the city, and through that power, 
direct — and even control — political decision making at 
higher and higher levels. Low level crime is only one part of 
its operation, and provides financing for the more important 
work and influential work: bribery, manipulation of com-
munity finances, and control over labour rates and tariffs. 
The guild is ruthless in pursuing its aims, with torture, assas-
sination and murder all considered legitimate means to an 
end.
Sorcery Order
Leader: Cabal of Powerful Magicians
Cause: Master the Secrets of Reality
Size: Small
Resources: Prosperous
Dedication: Zealous
Goals
• Identify and train those adept in sorcery
• Collect all artefacts pertaining to the order’s teachings
• Create and protect new artefacts for the order
• Achieve mastery over the nature of reality related 
 to the order
Skill Points: 105
Allies: 25% (typically related sorcery orders)
Following: 25%
Information: 70%
Intrigue: 45%
Subterfuge: 40%
Working quietly and diligently, this dedicated band of sor-
cerers .is unrelenting in its pursuit of knowledge and expert-
ise. It has spent decades or even centuries identifying the lost 
fragments that, when brought together, will unlock the 
immense powers that control the very fabric of the universe. 
They play a long game; locating and retrieving what they 
need may take decades or centuries more, but they are 
patient and will not stop until their aim is complete, renewing 
and refreshing the order’s ranks constantly.
Major Cult
Leader: High Priest/Priestess
Cause: Lead and promote the worship of the God(s).
Size: Large
Resources: Prosperous
Dedication: Devoted
Goals
• Worship the God(s)
• Root out and destroy heretics
• Ensure the Temple is influential in all matters
• Discredit and destroy False Gods
Skill Points: 225
Allies: 65% (typically rulers and major influencers)
Following: 65%
Information: 65%
Intrigue: 65%
Subterfuge: 65%
The cult has thousands of loyal followers, ranging from 
casual worshippers through to a faith militant, and under-
pinned by a wealthy, devout, well-organised priesthood. The 
cult is prominently positioned in political affairs, and it is fre-
quently consulted on all matters of state, such is its influence 
and reach.
Major Ducal House
Leader: Duke or Duchess
Cause: Gain influence for the family
Size: Medium
Resources: Bounteous
Dedication: Devoted
Goals
• Secure leverage over rival houses
• Gain Favour with the Ruling Power
• Gain control over key national assets
• Obtain international influence
Skill Points: 200
Allies: 55% (typically other ducal houses)
Following: 55%
Information: 70%
Intrigue: 60%
Subterfuge: 60%
17
Mythras Factions
A wealthy and powerful noble house with substantial fin-
ancial assets and holdings. It has likely spent decades man-
oeuvring itself into its current position, and has done so 
through careful intermarriage with rival houses, cultivating 
useful allies, and using Intrigue and Subterfuge to gain lever-
age over both its rivals and the powers it supposedly serves. 
Indeed, the power it serves — the Crown — may owe its 
position to the ducal house, and so a curious symbiosis is 
formed. The house may not seek supreme executive power 
for itself, but remain content to control that power from 
behind the scenes: safer that way.
Mythras Campaign 
Factions
These factions are all related to various campaign settings 
and source books produced for Mythras. Fioracitta, a setting 
with many factions, has four, alongside samples from After 
the Vampire Wars, Luther Arkwright, Worlds United, and 
Mythic Constantinople. They offer examples for direct use, 
and to act as templates for Games Masters’ own creations.
After the 
Vampire Wars
The Vrykolak Society
Leader: Dr Justine LeMarche, PhD
Cause: To obtain rights for vampires in the community
Size: Medium
Resources: Average
Dedication: Zealous
Goals
• To gain recognition for vampires in the EU and UK as 
legal citizens, with all the rights granted to living citizens
• To create, and obtain support from, sympathetic human 
and other legal groups
• To obtain funding for the cause
• To provide legal protections for vampires from 
persecution by states
• To provide assistance to mortal allies
Skill Points: 90
Allies: 50%
Following: 50%
Information: 30%
Intrigue: 30%
Subterfuge: 30%
Founded a mere six months after the end of The War, Dr 
Justine LeMarche – who had been converted to a vampire as 
a casualty of The War – found herself feeling appalled at the 
lack of basic rights of vampires. Keenly aware of what she'd 
lost, and what she had taken for granted as a breathing 
woman and activist for a mortal feminist pressure group, 
Justine now finds herself fighting for non-breathing EU 
citizens' rights. The Vrykolak Society has allies across the EU 
and in the UK, and uses its resources to campaign for greater 
freedoms for vampires and other supernatural species.
Fioracitta
The Repairers of Reputations
Leader: Laurelia Mattia, holder of the Mattia Stone
Cause: Reverse injustice by punishing the unjust
Size: Small
Resources: Prosperous
Dedication: Zealous
Goals
• Bring justice to those who have been wronged (and who 
can afford them)
• Eliminate specific people who drive injustice
• Protect and Strengthen Reputation and Mystique
• Recruit new members
• Aid members who get into trouble
• Protect the anonymity of the Repairers
Skill Points: 100
Allies 30%
Following: 50%
Information: 50%
Intrigue: 40%
Subterfuge: 30%
The Repairers of Reputations' greatest secret is that they are 
the direct descendants of the original Dragons of Shadow, 
who were formed to oust the Bragoni conquerors. The leader 
of the Dragons was Darro Mattia, whose best friend, Tolan 
Gianni, coveted Darro's fiancee Tiria Canna. Tolan betrayed 
Darro. The Dragons were caught by the Bragoni in Vindia, 
and executed. Tiria took on the mantle — and the Mattia 
name – after poisoning Tolan out of vengeance. Tiria and her 
friends continued the Dragons' work, infiltrating and 
undermining the Bragoni, and arranging "accidents." After 
the Bragoni left, they became the Repairers of Reputations. 
As long as the Mattia line exists, so will the Repairers of 
Reputations.
The Puppet Masters
Leader: Tamarina Catolli
Cause: Cultivate Covert Power
Size: Small
Resources: Prosperous
Dedication: Devoted
18
Sample Factions
Goals
• Seek out and recruit like-minded illusionists, and help 
them “part the curtain” (awaken)
• Collect vital intelligence on the comings and goings of 
the city's most influential people and factions
• Cultivate alliances among the most unlikely 
factions; everybody has something useful
• Achieve self-mastery before mastery of others
• Keep the faction's own secrets away from prying 
eyes
Skill Points: 140
Allies: 45%
Following: 25%
Information: 70%
Intrigue: 50%Subterfuge: 50%
Working quietly, industriously, but most of all secretly, 
the Puppet Masters are unrelenting in their pursuit of 
knowledge and application of leverage. They have spent 
centuries identifying and covertly guiding the most 
influential people and factions in Fioracitta and Fiorese 
society. They specialise in the long game, planning their 
strategies well in advance, grooming their pawns and 
helping them rise to power. They hoard operational 
intelligence on their pawns, collecting everything they 
need to keep their pawns on their side, including 
blackmail evidence, and even knowledge of their pawns' 
worst nightmares. Their leader, Tamarina Catolli, is a 
direct descendant of the legendary Duke Catolli — the 
last of the Bragoni.
The Massi Family
Leader: Elders of The Massi Family, originating from 
Santadelimano
Cause: Protect the Family's interests. Maintain a Code 
of Silence.
Size: Medium
Resources: Prosperous
Dedication: Devoted
Goals
• Above all, protect the Family's name and reputation
• Gather influential information to hold over clients
• Control important criminal activities
• Acquire important civic contracts
• Covertly control the Arti, Senate, and Parliament
Skill Points: 175
Allies: 45%
Following: 50%
Information: 65%
Intrigue: 65%
Subterfuge: 50%
Working clandestinely, the Massi Family aims to maintain a 
façade of respectability and legitimacy, using city contracts as 
cover for its illicit activities. Bribery, blackmail, control over 
labour rates and tariffs, legbreaking, literal rabble rousing, 
and running businesses as fronts for illegal rackets are its 
bread and butter. They already have direct influence over a 
number of Arti – Guilds – and at least one Senator. Massi 
mobsters maintain control over influential citizens through 
those individuals' vices, holding gambling markers and 
evidence of indiscretions over people's heads. The Massi can 
claim direct descent from the island of Santadelimano and 
the time of The Wars of Faith preceding the downfall of the 
Rhonan Empire. They have been doing this for a long, long 
time.
19
Mythras Factions
The Ophidian Nest in Fioracitta
Leader: The Ophidian High Priests of Isaaa and Shai-
Hebul in Fioracitta
Cause: Gain influence for The Nest; keep it safe from 
plunderers
Size: Medium
Resources: Average
Dedication: Devoted
Goals
• Secure leverage over the humans
• Gain favour within the Arti, Senate, and Parliament
• Gain control over key civic assets, and final say over 
zoning and construction contracts
• Obtain support, resources, and aid from The Council of 
Fifteen and First Nest in Turapha
• Keep the existence, and location, of the Nest a secret 
from the humans
Skill Points: 200
Allies: 50%
Following: 40%
Information: 70%
Intrigue: 70%
Subterfuge: 70%
The Ophidian Nest in Fioracitta lies in an undisclosed 
location somewhere within the city or its condato. It is 
relatively new — it was founded in the year 1200, during the 
Great Aeste Eclipse. The Nest has spent 220 years building its 
power, using Subterfuge and Intrigue to safeguard its 
existence from becoming public knowledge. The Nest 
maintains connections with The First Nest in Turapha, but it 
operates autonomously. The Ophidians have a particular 
interest in controlling zoning laws, and seek to vet planning 
applications, to prevent construction work from threatening 
the Nest.
Luther Arkwright
ANGRBODA Squad Delta
Leader: Vladimir Kurtz, former Texas Cossack, Soviet 
Parallel 22-06-74
Cause: Get rich; live the high life
Size: Small
Resources: Prosperous
Dedication: Casual
Goals
• Chase down rumours of advanced technology
• Grab whatever tech they can, and don't take no for 
an answer
• Find someone who would pay big money for their 
liberated technology
• Live like monarchs on the proceeds
Skill Points: 110
Allies: 30%
Following: 30%
Information: 30%
Intrigue: 40%
Subterfuge: 80%
Only one thing is worse than Disruptors, and that is a rogue 
VALHALLA unit. Task Force ANGRBODA had a specific 
mission: to seek out and obtain through legal means, or 
reverse engineer, technology which can be used by 
VALHALLA against Disruptors and other threats to the 
multiverse. Vladimir Kurtz, former Cossack from The United 
Soviet State of Texas, betrayed his colleagues and 
VALHALLA by opting for theft and robbery to obtain 
technology. The squad is now considered rogue, and is 
officially being hunted across the parallels by various Valhalla 
agents and operattions teams.
The Unity
Leader: Danielle Sin
Cause: Every member is a cell. All cells form a Unity. We are 
Unity. We are One.
Size: Large
Resources: Bounteous
Dedication: Fanatical
Goals
• Actively recruit new members
• Break up and absorb rival organisations
• Condition rivals and enemies to serve The Unity
• Be on the lookout for potential threats to The Unity
Skill Points: 200
Allies: 40%
Following: 60%
Information: 60%
Intrigue: 70%
Subterfuge: 70%
The Unity is a front for a Disruptor organisation that has 
representation on numerous parallels, and led by variations 
of Danielle Sin. The Unity was initially created as a 
consultancy service to the business community, which has 
spread across the UK with bases in every major British city. 
The Unity initially sold itself through a series of slick, 
corporate self-help seminars, but now it promotes solutions to 
students and business people alike to overcome conditions 
from examination anxiety to imposter syndrome. The 
solution proposed by The Unity, however, is always the same: 
psychological assimilation, and subsumption of the 
individual's needs and even individuality in favour of serving 
the greater needs of The Unity and, unwittingly, the 
Disruptors. Intelligence agencies find it difficult to penetrate 
The Unity; the faction tends to convert infiltrators by 
unknown means, most probably some form of advanced cult-
20
Sample Factions
like indoctrination technology. VALHALLA however, has 
been studying The Unity for some time, and is preparing its 
agents in various parallels to begin moves to neutralise The 
Unity’s effectiveness.
Mythic 
Constantinople
The Sons of Pera
Leader: The Triumvirate of Pera
Cause: Promote the Genoans' interests in Constantinople; 
protect Genoans; influence Constantinople's politics from the 
community of Pera
Size: Large
Resources: Prosperous
Dedication: Devoted
Goals
• Ensure the safety of Genoans arriving in the city
• Provide safe transport to the island of Galata
• Protect Genoans living in, the city proper
• Influence politics within Constantinople
Skill Points: 100
Allies: 40%
Following: 30%
Information: 40%
Intrigue: 50%
Subterfuge: 40%
When the Genoans moved to Galata on the other side of The 
Golden Horn in 1267, the secretive Sons of Pera formed to 
maintain the interests of Genoans still living within 
Constantinople, as well as those living on the island, in the 
community of Pera. The Triumvirate operates 
independently of the rulers of Pera, and all records of their 
existence are kept off the written record. The Sons of Pera 
operate stealthily, infiltrating the other Frankish communities 
as well as the city proper, using every means necessary to 
promote Genoan interests at home and abroad, to stifle 
voices who would act against them, and to protect Genoans 
who must still work within the city of Constantinople.
Worlds United
The Omnilingual Society
Leader: Dr Martha Piper
Cause: Understand the Octopoid Martians from whatever 
archaeological records they can find, and however much of 
their language they can learn, to prevent a Third Worlds War
Size: Medium
Resources: Average
Dedication: Devoted
Goals
• Examine the archaeological artefacts, sites, and 
languages of the ancient Martians
• Locate and examine any written records the Octopoids 
had attempted to keep from their human slaves
• Learn the Martians' languages, cultures, and 
psychologies
• Learn the underlying cause behind the Octopoids' 
supremacist attitudeSkill Points: 150
Allies: 60%
Following: 60%
Information: 50%
Intrigue: 40%
Subterfuge: 40%
Martha Spader Piper has been fascinated by the Octopoid 
Martians since she was a child. Her father, Colonel Carter 
O'Neill Piper, fought and died on Mars during the Second 
Worlds War. Dr Piper has sought to try and end the strife 
between the Octopoids and the humans. To do this, she is 
seeking out any kind of Rosetta Stone which will help her to 
understand their cultural and psychological attitudes, in order 
to find a way to ensure a permanent peace: or, at the very 
least, find a way of preventing the Octopoids from ever 
becoming a threat again.
	Defining Factions
	Factions Without a Cause
	Example Faction: The Cult of Nessus
	Faction Skills
	Allies
	Following
	Information
	Intrigue
	Subterfuge
	Goals & Missions
	Choosing Goals
	Missions
	Missions as Conflicts
	Faction Upkeep
	Conflicts
	Objectives
	Resolving Conflicts
	External Factors
	Withdrawing from Conflicts
	Multiple Sides
	Special Effects
	Sample Factions
	Warband/Mercenary Unit
	Minor Religious Cult
	Criminal Guild
	Sorcery Order
	Major Cult
	Major Ducal House
	The Vrykolak Society
	The Repairers of Reputations
	The Puppet Masters
	The Massi Family
	The Ophidian Nest in Fioracitta
	ANGRBODA Squad Delta
	The Unity
	The Sons of Pera
	The Omnilingual Society