Athar
("Defiers", "The Lost"), who deny not only the gods' right to pass judgment over mortals, but their very divinity. They claim that the gods (whom they call "powers") are powerful but have limits and do not deserve worship. Instead, Athar priests channel divine power from what they call the "Great Unknown", or what they believe to be the true divine force behind everything. Their headquarters in Sigil is the Shattered Temple, the former temple of the dead god Aoskar. The Athar are broadly derived from real-world atheists, agnostics, and Deists.
Benefits:
Divine Defiance (Su): Followers of the Athar faction are immune to these spells: bestow curse, blasphemy, dictum, doom, geas/quest, holy word, and word of chaos.
Believers of the Source
("Godsmen"), who believe that each life is a test, and that every person has the potential to become a god. Their headquarters is the Great Foundry, symbolizing their belief that the multiverse constantly forges and refines all beings. Shares many parallels with Hindu and Buddhism. However, the ultimate goal is not Nirvana but apotheosis.
Benefits:
Lack of Faith (Ex): Members of classes, including prestige classes, who receive their powers directly from specific deities suffer a -1 penalty to all saving throws, for lack of utmost faith in their high-up man.
Seeing the Best (Ex): Because they believe that all things have potential, Godsmen are generally well-received throughout the planes. They gain a +2 bonus to all Diplomacy checks (or Charisma checks) made to influence the attitude of planar natives (nonplayer characters only).
Try Again (Su): In addition to the restrictions on worshippers of specific deities as described in the lack of faith ability, Godsmen can’t be raised or resurrected by any means, including wishes, limited wishes, and miracles. However, they can be reincarnated as a player character race (of the GM’s choice).
Bleak Cabal
("Bleakers", "Madmen"), who deny that any belief system has any merit; as they see it, the universe has physical rules, but no metaphysical or philosophical ones, therefore any meaning in life must come from within. Their headquarters is the insane asylum of Sigil, called the Gatehouse. They are derived from real-life existentialists and nihilists.
Benefits:
Already Mad (Su): Considered mad by most, devotees of the Bleak Cabal are immune to spells causing madness or insanity, including confusion, crushing despair, feeblemind, hideous laughter, insanity, irresistible dance, rage, and touch of idiocy.
Fit of Melancholia (Ex): Bleakers are subject to fits of deep melancholia as they reflect on the pointlessness of life. At the start of each game day, the player rolls 1d20. On a roll of 20, the character is overcome by the futility of his or her own beliefs. The basher won’t do anything unless philosophically convinced by another that it’s worthwhile. Note that a monster eating another party member is not sufficient justification. (To the Bleaker, the poor sod’s life or death is pointless anyway.)
Doomguard
("Sinkers"), who believe in the sanctity and inevitability of entropy. They see the decay and destruction of the universe as necessary; for once it is destroyed all imperfections will be gone with it, paving the way for a perfect new world. Their headquarters is Sigil's Armory, where they forge weapons as tools of destruction.
Benefits:
Sword Focus (Ex): All Sinkers gain a +1 bonus to hit with any sword. This stacks with any other bonuses to hit, such as Weapon Focus.
Sword Training (Ex): The Doomguard is very military in organization and outlook. All members are trained to fight with a sword, and are proficient with all light and one-handed non-exotic swords (including longswords, rapiers, scimitars, and short swords). Members already proficient with these weapons do not gain any replacement abilities.
Dustmen
("The Dead") believe that both life and death are false states of existence, that there is a state of True Death which can only be accomplished by denying one's emotions and physical wants and needs (a conception similar to oblivion, but also conceivably to Nirvana). Their headquarters is the Mortuary, where Sigil's dead are interred or cremated. Their philosophy is closely related to acosmism, with a more death geared ideal. The faction shares similarities with Buddhism and with the Stoics as well.
Benefits:
Dead Truce (Su): The Dustmen have one of the most unique abilities of the factions, embodied in the Dead Truce. This truce is a pact, reached in times more ancient than memory, between the Dustmen and the beings of the undead realm. The effect of the truce is that the undead’ll ignore a Dustman, so long as the Dustman does nothing to harm the undead creature. If the Dustman breaks the pact, the undead and its companions will treat the sod as they would any other living being. This pact applies only to Dustmen. If one of this faction is with other bashers, the undead will react to the rest of the group normally (attacking, for example) while ignoring the Dustman. Should the Dustman aid his companions, those undead are released from the pact. Because of this possibility, it’s more common to find Dustmen working side by side with zombies and such.
True Death (Su): The concept of raising and resurrection is counter to the philosophy of the faction, and so it’s not something willingly accepted by most Dustmen. Even if the Dustman is willing, for any such spell or effect (including including limited wish, miracle, or wish) to have effect, a Dustman must first fail a Will saving throw (DC 10 + spell level + caster’s ability modifier). If the save is successful, the magic is negated, and no further attempts can be made to bring the Dustman back from the dead. The Dustman cannot choose to willingly fail this saving throw.
Fated
("Takers", "The Heartless") believe that those with power and ability have the right to own what they control and to take what they can from those who are unable to keep it, and that it is their right to exploit any situation to their advantage, regardless of how it affects anyone else. Their headquarters is the Hall of Records, where they serve as the tax collectors of Sigil. They are derived from real-life Social Darwinists and the philosophies of Max Stirner.
Benefits:
Charity Is for the Weak: Adherents to this philosophy can’t accept or perform charity in any capacity. Everything they receive must be earned in one fashion or another, and the service must be provided before the payment is given
Self-Sufficient (Ex): The Fated are great believers in self-sufficiency. They receive two bonus skill points per level, and choose 2 additional skills to be considered class skills.
Fraternity of Order
("Guvners"), who believe that knowledge is power; they learn and exploit both the natural laws of the universe and the laws of society. Their headquarters is the City Court, where they serve as judges and legal advocates. They recall the Sophists of Classical Athens.
Benefits:
Adherent of Law: Guvners believe in laws, though the rightness or wrongness of them often makes little difference. A Guvner won’t knowingly break a law, unless he or she can find a legalistic loophole to avoid the penalty.
Comprehend Languages (Sp): With their incessant search for order in all things, the Guvners have a highly attuned sense of patterns. They can cast comprehend languages once per day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability is equal to half the Guvner’s character level.
Shrink Item (Sp): Upon reaching 7th character level, Guvners gain enough knowledge of the multiverse to use shrink item once per day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability is equal to half the Guvner’s character level. Unlike the spell, the effect has a maximum duration of 24 hours.
Free League
("Indeps"), who reject the other factions and their bureaucratic, hierarchical dogmatism; in fact, they don't consider themselves a faction at all. For this reason, they don't have a factol or an official headquarters, though Sigil's Great Bazaar serves as an unofficial one. They believe in individual freedom as the highest good and could be considered similar to libertarianism.
Benefits:
Free Will (Ex): Being bodies of their own minds, Indeps are a stubborn lot, hard to persuade. This gives them a natural resistance to all charms, whether by spell, creature, or magical item. Indeps gain a +2 bonus to their Will saves against enchantment (charm) spells and effects. Against charms that wouldn’t normally allow a saving throw, Indeps make a normal saving throw (without the bonus).
No Representation: Being independent, the Free League has no factol and therefore is not represented in any city business. Indeps have no judge in the courts, nor any seat on the council. Not surprisingly, in Sigil Indeps have few protected rights.
Harmonium
("Hardheads"), who believe that peace and stability can only be established under one rule — theirs. The planar faction known as the Harmonium is actually just a small part of a much larger political entity which rules over the entirety of the Prime Material world of Ortho. In Sigil, they serve as the city's police force, and their headquarters is the City Barracks. They are related to present day authoritarianism, particularly religious evangelicalism and fundamentalism. It is strongly advised that visitors to Sigil never, under any circumstances, use the term 'Hardhead' in front of Harmonium members.
Benefits:
Charm Person (Sp): Members of the Harmonium gain benefits from their firm beliefs and fierce dedication to them. All members of the Harmonium are able to use charm person once per day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability is equal to half the Hardhead’s character level.
Orders: Their rigid beliefs also expose several weaknesses in Harmonium philosophy. Any variance from the orders of a Harmonium superior requires an atonement on the part of the character before he or she can rejoin the ranks of the faction. Members who “turn stag” – betray the faction – are automatically sentenced to death by the factol. Even refusing to return to the faction’s ranks is considered treasonous.
Mercykillers
("The Red Death"), who believe in justice and retribution at the expense of all else. Their name does not come from "killing out of mercy," but rather "killing mercy." Their credo that mercy is for the weak, and the merciful should be punished. Appropriately, their headquarters is Sigil's Prison, where they carry out the sentences of convicted criminals.
Benefits:
Discern Lies (Sp): Because of their passion for punishment, every Mercykiller can cast discern lies once per day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability is equal to half the Mercykiller’s character level. Unlike the spell, the effect only lasts for the time it takes for a single question to be answered.
Justice is Served: Mercykillers consider themselves innocent of crimes when these are committed in the course of punishing a known criminal. Should a Mercykiller commit a crime for any other reason, he or she would be subject to full punishment under the law. Furthermore, although a Mercykiller can accept the surrender of an individual (so that person can be properly punished), he can never release a lawbreaker until the proper sentence has been carried out.
Revolutionary League
("Anarchists"), who believe that social order and man-made laws are inherently corrupt and must be destroyed—though none of their members can agree on what, if anything, should replace them. Like the Indeps, they don't have a factol or a headquarters, though they have many safe houses and secret meeting places.
Benefits:
Faction Chameleon (Ex): The Anarchists’ power is limited but cunning. They can automatically pose as a member of any other faction without being detected, even through magical means. They don’t gain special abilities that are magic or training related (such as a Xaositect’s babble or a Cipher’s initiative bonus), but they can benefit from abilities related to position or title, including access to the faction’s headquarters.
Power to the People: Anarchists can never hold any public office or noble title, own a business, or take part in anything that would tie them into the power structure of the planes.
Sign of One
("Signers"), who believe that everyone is the center of their own reality and that reality can be reshaped by the power of imagination. Their headquarters is the Hall of Speakers, which houses Sigil's legislature. Some of them are solipsists, though most are not so extreme.
Benefits:
Detached (Ex): Perhaps because of their often immense egos, Signers have difficulty understanding the motives and feelings of others. Hence, they suffer a -2 penalty to all Diplomacy checks (or Charisma checks) made to influence nonplayer characters. If the Signer has taken the Leadership feat, they suffer a -2 penalty to their Leadership score
Figment of My Imagination (Su): Because they believe all the world is created from within, Signers are hard to fool with illusions of any type. A Signer automatically gets a Will save when confronted by illusionary magic. They are not required to interact with the illusion or study it in order to disbelieve it.
Society of Sensation
("Sensates"), who believe that accumulating experiential knowledge through the senses is the only way to achieve enlightenment. Their headquarters is the Civic Festhall, which features an endless series of entertainments and a library of magically stored experiences. They are reminiscent of ancient Epicurianism, as well as the more modern empiricism.
Benefits:
Darkvision (Ex): Sensates gain darkvision with a 60-foot range, regardless of their race. If their race already has darkvision, it is extended to 60 feet if it is normally less.
Hearty (Ex): Sensates gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against poison.
Heightened Senses (Ex): Sensates gain a +1 insight bonus to Perception checks.
New Experiences: While not to the point of foolhardiness, Sensates are fascinated by new tastes, smells, and so forth. Whenever possible, they’ll seek out new experiences. In practice, they can’t refuse offers that could lead to these – a new wine, an exotic flower, or whatever. Only when faced with obvious deadly peril will they shun such temptations.
Transcendent Order
("Ciphers"), who believe that by tapping in to the 'cadence' of the planes and acting through pure instinct they can achieve a higher state of being. Their headquarters is the Great Gymnasium, where members can train to improve their bodies and minds. Their philosophy could be considered similar to Taoism, and its offshoots, such as Zen Buddhism.
Benefits:
Action Without Thought: Because Ciphers act unhesitatingly, they suffer a unique restriction: In play, as soon as an action is stated for a Cipher player character, that cutter is committed to. The player can’t say, “Oh, wait, I changed my mind!” Bashers who pause to consider or debate pending actions are failing to adhere to the philosophy.
Unhesitating (Ex): The training of a Cipher stresses quick and unhesitating action. Thus, all Ciphers gain a +2 insight bonus to their initiative rolls, and they always can act on a surprise round.
Xaositects
("Chaosmen"), who believe that the only truth is revealed in chaos. The Xaositects have been quite accurately described as being "totally off their rockers, every one of 'em." Their headquarters is the Hive, which is the most disorganized part of the Sigil ward of the same name. Some may consider their philosophy a slight twist to accidentalism, but a far more relevant parallel is the Cynics (Greek κῠνικός "dogs") of antiquity. There is even a gang of Xaositects called the "Starved Dogs Barking" featured in Planescape: Torment. Compare with real life discordianism.
Benefits:
Babble (Su): Believers in the ultimate power of Chaos, once per week a Xaositect can generate a 10-foot-radius emanation that causes all sounds in the area to turn into garbled, cacophonous, and unintelligible noise. Sounds that issue from, enter, or pass through the area are altered and made unrecognizable as a natural sound. Within this area, verbal communication is impossible. Even something as simple as a shout of surprise is turned into a warped and alien sound. Spells with verbal components cannot be cast. Scrolls and other magic items that require a verbal component to be activated do not function. Spells and items that rely on sound do not function. Sonic damage has no effect.
Beautiful is Chaos: The Chaosmen are committed to the power of Chaos. As such, they can never found businesses, build strongholds, raise armies, or undertake any other action that requires long-term organization and discipline. Indeed, they just barely hold their faction together as it is.
