RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
|
A general question:
In character, how many of your characters reveal their secret faction alegiance to the other player characters? How many have revealed it to their Venture Captain superiors?
If the answer to the first question is "no", then do other members of the same faction know of your character's secret allegiance?
If you're secretly a member of the Scarzi faction, how do you reveal your allegiance to Cheliax faction characters, when the two of you are on the same secret mission?
|
*Gabrielle gasps*
What possible reason would you have to imply that any of us reveal state secrets at all? What sort of horrible experience would have you think so little of your fellow Pathfinders?
There, there, now. I can see you've simply become misguided. It's quite all right; it's not like you could have prevented it.
-Gabrielle d'Apcher
|
If you're secretly a member of the Scarzi faction, how do you reveal your allegiance to Cheliax faction characters, when the two of you are on the same secret mission?
Something my first PFS GM did that I though was pretty cool was everyone closed their eyes and then he said "If you are Andoran, please open your eyes," etc. That way you knew who your brothers in arms were.
It's a shame that faction secrecy has deteriorated to near extinction.
|
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
|
In character, how many of your characters reveal their secret faction alegiance to the other player characters?
.....
If the answer to the first question is "no"...
"How many of your characters reveal their factions?"
"No."
;)
*cough*
Anyway, folks I've played with locally generally seem to have kind of a "don't ask, don't tell" sort of approach to factions. If a couple of players are in the same faction, any knowledge of that will generally come up via an epiphany as they realize they're trying to do the same thing:
"I search the area for the book I'm trying to find."
"Oh! Me too! I assist!"
GM: You found the book!
|
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
|
"How many of your characters reveal their factions?"
"No."
;)
Yeah, that's called "changing text and then not reading all the way through..."
I changed it because I realized my personal answer depends on the PC. My paladin, working for Cheliax, isn't trying to keep anything secret. And my inquisitor is well known as a Osirionologist. But my dhampyr cleric is keeping his ties to the local crime families quiet. Certainly to the Venture-Captains, and mostly to his comrades, as well.
One of the reasons I ask is the way one module has a Venture-Captain stop the PCs and recoomend that they go check in with their secret factions in order to gather information.
|
Only one of my characters has revealed their faction, and that faction is shortly to change. He was an andoran for quite some time, but grew disgusted with the lack of true progress towards a world of self determination. Now, he seeks a different path....one that does not involve the constant freeing of legally owned slaves.
|
I always figured that members of the same faction would know each other, whether:
1) They were told by their contact
2) It's an unwritten part of the note
3) Through affiliation (get togethers, etc)
It makes sense that whoever is organizing the faction mission would tell both operatives, there's no benefit in not telling them.
As for multiple factions going after the same item, for example Andoran and Silver Crusade, the rules are only one faction has to bring the item back, but I'm not sure how that works with regards to roleplay (it doesn't make sense). But I'm sure PCs can just roll with it.
In practice (at Gen Con), I've seen the PCs of different factions share the faction mission and they know about each other obviously. And they were ok with one faction bringing the item back. So it depends really on whether your players want to make a big deal out of nothing or not. Easy going people won't have any problems. :)
|
|
Locally we aren't very secretive about it. Besides it would become near impossible to keep the characters' faction allegiances secret as nearly everyone knows each other.
And to be blunt, there aren't and never have been any guide lines how faction missions should be properly handled. Around here (Finland) the factions have deteriorated into caricatyres, mainly depicting the dominant aspect of character. Andoren are naïve freedom-fighters, Chelish are arrogant and dominant, Osirionites are dry and boring explorers, Qadirans are mercenaries with a temper, taldans are nationalists with a temper and so forth.
So, I know each and every character's faction. We even have the characters listed in groups divided by factions!
|
|
"Oh, hey! I remember you from the Sczarni potluck! How ya been, man?"
Spoken like a Grand Lodge member! I bet you enjoy your (boring) pot lucks! :)
The Sczarni have better parties than the Silver Crusade or Grande Lodge, this much is certain. It's debatable whether their parties are better than the Chelaxians. :)
|
|
Take this for what it's worth (about a $2.7 million if you ask me...), when I GM I usually wait until the tracking sheet has been filled out before handing out faction missions. That way I don't have to ask their factions, I just hand them the faction handout appropriate with how they filled out the tracking sheet. I find this allows players to be secretive if they want w/o any attached stigmas.
|
No one has better parties than the Chelaxians ;)Meh. Chelaxian parties are over-planned, invitations sent weeks in advance, seating charts.
I prefer the free-form impromptu Andoran get-togethers at the local pub.
Ah, but you also have to take into account how...hedonistic...Chelaxian parties can be as well ;)
|
|
Kyle,
How do your players fill out the tracking sheet without revealing their faction to everybody who gets the sheet after them?
I don't. Truth be told, most people don't examine the sheet much past the information that they have to provide. If someone wants to know everyone else's factions, they'll figure it out anyway.
Developer
|
Kyle,
How do your players fill out the tracking sheet without revealing their faction to everybody who gets the sheet after them?
Honestly, players knowing is not that much of an issue, so long as their characters don't magically suddenly know that the character I'm playing is doing things for the Shadow Lodge, or Sczarni... most of my other characters don't care if it's known where their allegiances lie. they don't advertise, nor do they hide.
Well that's not entirely true. My Taldan actually advertises.
I try and assume that players won't let their knowledge of factions impact character decisions.
Venture-Agent, Virginia—Hampton Roads
|
I have one PC who straight out lies about what faction he is in. GM knows the truth of the matter but it is a easy safe guard if your worried about letting people know. Misleading PC's with your PC is easy just try it :-)
Granted he is about to change factions but I have yet to decide which one it is going to be. I am not good enough for Silver Crusade but something will come to mind.
A general question:
In character, how many of your characters reveal their secret faction alegiance to the other player characters? How many have revealed it to their Venture Captain superiors?
If the answer to the first question is "no", then do other members of the same faction know of your character's secret allegiance?
If you're secretly a member of the Scarzi faction, how do you reveal your allegiance to Cheliax faction characters, when the two of you are on the same secret mission?
I have my main gaming table in one room. Two rooms away, I have two couches arranged for conversation around a small table. In situations like this, I take players to what we call the "Private situation couches" to discuss things. This ensures that no one at the table can metagame, and keeps players really curious about each other. While it sounds like calling a time-out for the majority of the group would break up gameplay, I find after returning that 90% of the time, the group members have been roleplaying their own conversations while I've been gone. So, this both maintains secrecy of characters, and pushes the rest of the group to get more into their own characters. Once we all come back, they are free to ask the private situation couch characters where they went, because the players literally do not know, and are not metagaming.
While it sounds like calling a time-out for the majority of the group would break up gameplay, I find after returning that 90% of the time, the group members have been roleplaying their own conversations while I've been gone.
While this may be a scary thought to some GMs, this also teaches my players to be a little less dependent on me to lead their RP sessions. They pick up RP at random times, when I least expect it, because they've been given time on their own to initiate it.
|
Developer
|
It's an interesting idea, and works great in a home setting. It's a great way to interject RP and allow for some missions completion where a character needs to hang back and "deal with something"
On the other hand, it's not really feasible in a FLGS or convention. Where possible, go for it, though.
Sometimes, though, you just have to trust players not to metagame. The risk is always there, no matter what we do.
If you do notice someone abusing player knowledge... call them on it. Don't embarrass them, but let them know it's a no go with that sort of thing.
It's an interesting idea, and works great in a home setting. It's a great way to interject RP and allow for some missions completion where a character needs to hang back and "deal with something"
On the other hand, it's not really feasible in a FLGS or convention. Where possible, go for it, though.
Sometimes, though, you just have to trust players not to metagame. The risk is always there, no matter what we do.
If you do notice someone abusing player knowledge... call them on it. Don't embarrass them, but let them know it's a no go with that sort of thing.
In FLGS situations, and sometimes in convenient convention settings, it can be useful to call a "smoke break" (many of my players smoke tobacco), and deal with the situation outside the doors with the players involved. Some conventions don't allow you to leave, that's true.... but you are also extremely unlikely to see those players again, and probably won't be playing with them beyond that one game, so even if they do metagame... no big deal. Slap a sign that says, "I prefer 4e" on their back after the game, and enjoy the rest of your day.
If you do notice someone abusing player knowledge... call them on it. Don't embarrass them, but let them know it's a no go with that sort of thing.
That is an excellent point. Part of being a GM means putting your foot down on unacceptable behavior. Many people metagame without realizing it, and just need to have it pointed out. I am always grateful when stuff like that is pointed out, it helps me readjust my thinking and be more aware of my character.
For the rare few who use metagaming to try to get an edge (in a game where no one wins, and it's a team effort, how pathetic can you be), you do have to be careful. These are often the same people who fudge their rolls or check out the character sheet of their "opponent" so they know what to do in the event of a "necessary" party kill. Knowing when to gently guide, and when to stomp into paste, is an acquired skill. For anyone with difficult table mates, I recommend purchasing a riding crop.
|
On the other hand, it's not really feasible in a FLGS or convention. Where possible, go for it, though.
its actually easier at conventions, as you don't have to leave the room. My GM for The Flesh Collector @ gencon did it by putting one table between them and the other players
Edit: if you're in a home game, I've used AOL instant messenger's ability to send text messages as another way to distribute information to specific people - I'll have perception results typed up, and copy paste them to someone's phone
Sometimes I have a Taldan PC who outright states that Taldor is awesome.
The most secret I play it is at a "Joe and I will take this book for safe keeping -- wink wink, nudge nudge" sort of level.
At any rate, even if the other players don't know which faction you're in, having three players pipe up in unison "Are there any jeweled daggers in this room?" is a dead giveaway that some people are in a different faction.
Sometimes I have a Taldan PC who outright states that Taldor is awesome.
The most secret I play it is at a "Joe and I will take this book for safe keeping -- wink wink, nudge nudge" sort of level.
At any rate, even if the other players don't know which faction you're in, having three players pipe up in unison "Are there any jeweled daggers in this room?" is a dead giveaway that some people are in a different faction.
I myself have never, ever resorted to: "Hey everyone, I need to harvest to undead parts in order to research a poison, er Antidote to a Poison (yeah, that's the ticket). If anyone happens to want to help me harvest some undead parts, I in turn will be quite happy to not watch what you are doing when you need to pass a note. I will also be quite happy to help look for boks, jewelery, pottery, or the like. I'm not saying I work for any particular faction, but if such a task were somehow to accomplish itself, I would not be adverse to such an occurrence."
Nope, never done that. Never. Ever.
|
|
Whether I reveal or not is entirely at the behest of the player I'm playing. My Andoran Eagle Knight in full Eagle Knight regalia would be one such character that openly reveals his faction. While not explicitly stated, my Qadiran should be obvious as she is designed to help others with their faction missions while demanding favors in return.
Did that last adventure. I helped out a Scarni of the group and demanded he sign my chronicle afterwards indicating that he owed me one favor.
I helped out a Scarni of the group and demanded he sign my chronicle afterwards indicating that he owed me one favor.
That's an awesome idea. I'll have use that in the future!
|
Developer
|
Whether I reveal or not is entirely at the behest of the player I'm playing. My Andoran Eagle Knight in full Eagle Knight regalia would be one such character that openly reveals his faction. While not explicitly stated, my Qadiran should be obvious as she is designed to help others with their faction missions while demanding favors in return.
Did that last adventure. I helped out a Scarni of the group and demanded he sign my chronicle afterwards indicating that he owed me one favor.
My Szcarni did something similar. Another player needed his help, and this involved him doing some risky things that he'd otherwise never have done.
He asked that she break secrecy and tell him who gave her the missions and why that individual wanted the McGuffin. He felt this was a fair trade. Information has value, after all.
|
|
Whether I reveal or not is entirely at the behest of the player I'm playing. My Andoran Eagle Knight in full Eagle Knight regalia would be one such character that openly reveals his faction. While not explicitly stated, my Qadiran should be obvious as she is designed to help others with their faction missions while demanding favors in return.
Did that last adventure. I helped out a Scarni of the group and demanded he sign my chronicle afterwards indicating that he owed me one favor.
I'll admit, my main character, Karriden, is kind of the same way. Hard to mistake the allegiance of a Hellknight in full spiky armor, after all.
I'll admit, my main character, Karriden, is kind of the same way. Hard to mistake the allegiance of a Hellknight in full spiky armor, after all.Whether I reveal or not is entirely at the behest of the player I'm playing. My Andoran Eagle Knight in full Eagle Knight regalia would be one such character that openly reveals his faction. While not explicitly stated, my Qadiran should be obvious as she is designed to help others with their faction missions while demanding favors in return.
Did that last adventure. I helped out a Scarni of the group and demanded he sign my chronicle afterwards indicating that he owed me one favor.
Just picturing him wearing a badge:
"H4A - Hellknights For Andoran - GO EAGLES!"
"Uh, I only support their soccer team. It's a family thing." (shuffles feet abashedly)
Fozzy - this image is great! lol!
hay, you could start a character which was one background (faction trait) and but be in another faction. Kind of like "the best Anti-Andorian Andorian around" kind of thing.
Of course he would have to have big foam eagle wings, and blue face paint.