Faction Evolution, Part IV: Diversifying the Portfolio

Monday, July 7, 2014

Before we get rolling into the main subject of this week's blog, we'd like to give a big thanks to everyone who came to PaizoCon—especially everyone who participated in Pathfinder Society Organized Play (understandably, we're a bit biased). We got lots of really positive and helpful feedback following the test run of Legacy of the Stonelords, one of the upcoming Specials set to run at Gen Con Indy 2014. There were also two lottery events called "Out of Retirement," in which Mark Moreland and John Compton revisited two of Season 0's retired scenarios, redid the stat blocks (and redeveloped a few other features), and ran them for credit for excited players. Rumor has it that Mark's Blood at Dralkard Manor claimed a few lives, whereas John's Hands of the Muted God proved less deadly but equally fun. You won't hear us promising to un-retire these for the public just yet, but the positive response we got this makes it likely we'll do something similar for the next PaizoCon. Thanks again!

A month ago, we briefly discussed the impact of faction PCs' decisions in the campaign and how these decisions have shaped the direction that these factions are going. The following week on the Know Direction podcast, John Compton expanded on what this evolution might entail for many factions: name changes, shifting goals, and even changes in leadership. Recently, we revealed the changes coming up for Andoran and Cheliax, and Osirion and Taldor.

As advertised over a year ago, the so-called nation-based factions have spent the past season (or longer for some like the Cheliax faction) distancing themselves from their parent countries to embrace less territorial and more broadly philosophical endeavors. When the Pathfinder Society Organized Play leaders began discussing how factions would change, we looked at the reporting numbers contributed by players worldwide and carefully considered how the faction might change to reflect this information while still appealing to a large percentage of its members. For example, members of the Silver Crusade faction tend to be good guys, so changing that faction to be neutrally aligned would discourage a lot of players.

Today's factions both love their money, though in the past they've pursued this goal in slightly different ways. Be warned that there are some light spoilers from Season 5 scenarios referenced below.


Illustration by Jon Hodgson

Sczarni: Use Pathfinder Missions as a Front for Personal Gain

Guaril Karela's takeover of the Sczarni families seemed nothing short of flawless, and within a year, he controlled most of the Sczarni operations in Varisia. In doing so, he and his agents had stepped on quite a few toes, earning them the enmity of the "survivors." For the past year these survivors have orchestrated Guaril's downfall—preferably executed with a sharp knife in a dark alley. Fortunately for Guaril, he had also worked his way into the Pathfinder Society's good graces and established himself as an indispensible spymaster, and the Society devoted some of its resources to keeping the canny Varisian out his enemies' sights.

Guaril is tired of lying low, and now that his agents have tracked down and dispatched a few of the rogue Sczarnis' ringleaders, he is ready to deliver the killing blow and be rid of this threat forever. Of course, his enemies won't go down without a fight, so Sczarni faction PCs should expect a deadly showdown. Should Guaril die, his nascent empire could crumble without his threats and arm-twisting to keep things together. Even if he should live, he has demonstrated weakness in the eyes of several key supporters, and it may prove too much for the faction to recover.

Qadira: Dominance Through Trade

Aaqir al'Hakam stepped up to guide the Qadira faction after its then leader Pasha Mualia al'Jakri disappeared under violently ominous circumstances, and for several years he has extended the faction's influence and commercial interests in distant ports. Of all of the faction leaders we've discussed thus far, al'Hakam has perhaps the least antagonistic relationship with his home country. It's not that his superiors have betrayed, disowned, or disappointed him. Rather, he has found that some of the more promising opportunities are available only to those without a national affiliation.

Two years ago, the Qadira faction undertook an ambitious project to claim markets in Varisia and establish trade relations with Janderhoff. Although agents succeeded in some regards, a wide variety of factors—including the existence of other aggressively mercantile operations like those maintained by some of the Sczarni—stymied their progress. It also seemed that the local people perceived the ambitious, foreign merchants as invaders rather than as well-intentioned entrepreneurs. After months of hard work, Aaqir al'Hakam redirected his resources elsewhere, admitting that the circumstances were not yet right for his organization to supply Varisian demands.

During the Year of the Demon, Qadira faction agents have developed trade contacts far and wide in the Inner Sea region, building upon their past successes in the years before. Markets in the Five Kings Mountains, Druma, Rahadoum, Kaer Maga, Taldor, and Andoran have all shown an interest in the faction's services, and their cooperation has only improved the more that al'Hakam portrays his operation as an independent outfit and less as a state-sanctioned business. The significance of this is not lost on the faction leader, and he has quietly laid the groundwork for a new business with the blessing and support of his late mentor, the trade princess Zarmina Bahjari.

Qadira is now aware of Aaqir al'Hakam's plans, and for the most part the satrapy has accepted his new strategy with grace—even though he is severing some of his ties to the nation. Most trade princes operate independently, yet their successes nonetheless fill Qadira's coffers by encouraging more trade to gravitate to Kelish ports; al'Hakam's venture is similar in many ways but on a larger scale, and the ruling elite believe it is a better investment to formally accept the faction's transformation, make the most of past accomplishments, and enjoy the fruits of having the faction leader as an ally rather than as a proxy.

What's more, it allows the one-time Qadira faction to merge with like-minded operations that might otherwise balk at heavy-handed Kelish affiliation. As you may have guessed by now, two of the factions are merging into one.

The Exchange: There are Two Sides to Every Coin

In many ways the new faction is going about business as usual, though it no longer operates as an extension of the Qadiran state. PCs from Qadira (including those interested in forwarding national interests) will still find the faction an attractive choice, but by stepping away from its parent country, the faction also broadens its scope and the types of stories we can tell. Flavor-wise, faction PCs will be more like business partners and less like agents, and we anticipate missions, boons, vanities, and faction traits will reflect this.

As for the Sczarni faction, Aaqir al'Hakam has an eye for talent and believes the Sczarni network is too valuable to dissolve as a result of Guaril Karela's recent troubles. Instead, the Sczarni would benefit from being a part of al'Hakam's new endeavor, and in doing so his business would expand beyond the mundane delivery of goods and into the realm of more…"challenging" commodities. When the time is right, the trade prince trusts Guaril will approve the merger.

And just in case your character is an upstanding merchant that would frown upon the underhanded tactics used by the Sczarni, we have some exciting ideas as to how to keep this combined "money" faction appealing to both you and the less virtuous entrepreneur.

Happy gaming,

John Compton and Mike Brock
Developer and Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator

More Paizo Blog.
Tags: Factions Jon Hodgson Pathfinder Society Qadira Sczarni
51 to 63 of 63 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>
4/5

Well sure, but you eventually have to get rid of that stuff to turn non-liquid assets into liquid assets like Rum.

Dark Archive 5/5

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Hey, if an air of legitimacy means I don't have to dump my cargo at the first sign of a Chelaxian frigate, I'm all for it.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Lieutenant, Florida—Melbourne

As a side note, while I am all for the pairing down of redundant factions and the removal of them being nation based, could we please have a Green Faith faction? There just seems to be such a big void in that area.

Silver Crusade 4/5

2 people marked this as a favorite.
trollbill wrote:
As a side note, while I am all for the pairing down of redundant factions and the removal of them being nation based, could we please have a Green Faith faction? There just seems to be such a big void in that area.

Yeah, I'm having a hard time deciding where to put my druid. Gozreh worshiper, not Green Faith, but a nature based faction would still suit the character.

Personally, I still want to see a return of the Shadow Lodge, but under a different name and leader. My 14th level barbarian, Venture-Captain Mash, would gladly volunteer to lead the Pathfinder Union Local Faction, which revolves around Pathfinders looking after each other above all else. Yes, I am actively asking for my PC to be turned into an NPC and removed from play. It would suit him, and at level 14, I doubt if I'll ever play him again, anyway.

The Exchange 4/5 5/55/55/55/5 ****

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Green Beard the Pirate wrote:
Trade Princess Katarina wrote:
Green Beard the Pirate wrote:
ARRR!!! Ah dunno if ah like this. Ah signed on ta this Pathfinderin' thing ta go raidin' in tombs an' such, 'stead o' raidin' ships like ah used to. Guaril un'erstan's that. Ah dunno 'bout this legit tradin' stuff. Not really ma style.
Cat leans in and whispers some advice to Green Beard. "It doesn't have to actually BE legitimate trading. You just need to convince the other guy that it's legitimate trading! I, for one, look forward to cooperating with some other entrepreneurs willing to think outside the box."
Ah don't trade! Ah take stuff! That's th' whole point o' bein' a pirate!

"Aye mate, but y'need t'be able to offload yer cargo, ye can't jus' be plunderin' without end!" Followed by a long pause, and then, "...well, ye can, but then ye be turnin' everythin' over t'the Society's vaults, and ye get less of a profit."

-----

All jokes aside, and just speaking for myself, losing the Sczarni faction is really the only faction change I'm sad about. The Grand Lodge is the perfect place for those who want to "just be Pathfinders" with little/no "extracurricular" odds and ends, but Sczarni were always for those who liked being a Pathfinder well and good, but also loved using it as a means to further their own personal gains and glories "on the side/sly".

Still, what's good for the organization as a whole is what's most important.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Green Beard the Pirate wrote:
Trade Princess Katarina wrote:
Green Beard the Pirate wrote:
ARRR!!! Ah dunno if ah like this. Ah signed on ta this Pathfinderin' thing ta go raidin' in tombs an' such, 'stead o' raidin' ships like ah used to. Guaril un'erstan's that. Ah dunno 'bout this legit tradin' stuff. Not really ma style.
Cat leans in and whispers some advice to Green Beard. "It doesn't have to actually BE legitimate trading. You just need to convince the other guy that it's legitimate trading! I, for one, look forward to cooperating with some other entrepreneurs willing to think outside the box."
Ah don't trade! Ah take stuff! That's th' whole point o' bein' a pirate!

No, no, no. The point of being a pirate is wearing an eye patchm, having a hook hand, and serving as a parrot perch.

Or...:
wielding a wooden sword, while having a friend with faery dust, and another with a magical map...

Liberty's Edge 3/5 Venture-Agent, Australia—QLD

I dunno how this change will effect my Scarni and Qadira characters.

My Rogue, has made a living through theft and getting items into or out of area's, hell his wayfinders been specifically designed for this purpose.

Now, mixing with legitamite traders might work as a good cover and make smuggling easier, but will there be a place for me, a tengu whom until the Scarni came along, was a simple criminal, but now he is part of something bigger that makes use of his skills.

I like the changes made thus far to PFS, but now the question is, when the dust settles will there be a place for my crime loving rogue or pirate swashbuckler.

The Exchange 4/5

kinevon wrote:
Green Beard the Pirate wrote:
Ah don't trade! Ah take stuff! That's th' whole point o' bein' a pirate!
No, no, no. The point of being a pirate is wearing an eye patch, having a hook hand, and serving as a parrot perch.

Are ye makin' fun o' me big, gold hoop earing, an' me silver skull an' crossbones necklace??? Jus' cause de're 'typical' fer a pirate, tha' don' make 'em any less useful!

OOC: No, I'm not kidding. The half-orc Sacred Tattoo alternate racial trait says it can be a piercing instead of a tattoo, and the necklace is his unholy symbol of Besmara.

Silver Crusade 5/5 5/55/5 ***

Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

As someone who occasionally dusts off an old scenario to run it, how should I deal with the fact that Szarni/Qadira are now The Exchange?

Hopefully this will be addressed in the Season 6 Guide...

-- S.

Silver Crusade 4/5

Steve Mulhern wrote:

As someone who occasionally dusts off an old scenario to run it, how should I deal with the fact that Szarni/Qadira are now The Exchange?

Hopefully this will be addressed in the Season 6 Guide...

-- S.

Just give them both faction missions and don't let them get any prestige unless they succeed at both.

:P

Sczarni 5/5 5/55/5 ***

Seems fair.

And Dark Archive will have to finish not only Cheliax and Shadow Lodge, but actively work against Andoran and Grand Lodge.

Shadow Lodge 4/5

My qadiran belonged to the faction due to being qadiran, not to any interest in being a merchant. She harbors nothing but hatred and contempt for varisians. There's no way she would join a joint organization with the sczarni. My sczarni character is a professional wrestler, gangster, part of the family, also disinterested in trade. I made characters with backgrounds to fit in to the factions as they were, as representative of nations and cultures. Now almost none of them fit in their newly reinvisioned factions. I guess I'll be doing a lot of faction hopping.

I liked that the old factions were golarion specific, my first reaction to these new factions is they're turning too generic. We'll see where this all goes, but so far I don't like it.

Silver Crusade 1/5

I just noticed this blogpost does not show up when searching through pathfinderSociety-tags. Can someone confirm that problem for me?

51 to 63 of 63 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>
Community / Forums / Organized Play / Pathfinder Society / Paizo Blog: Faction Evolution, Part IV: Diversifying the Portfolio All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Pathfinder Society