Samloyal23
Adventurer
The factions are actual organizations, like guilds, with training programs and indoctrination. Agreeing with them does not make you a member any more than like King Arthur makes you a knight.
Planescape Planescape: Fantasy Taken to the Edge (5e conversion)
Tonbo Karasu
First Post
I realise the nature of the factions. My longest-played character ever was a Cipher. What I am suggesting is to roll membership into an existing mechanic, rather than create a new one for it. Maybe I need to explain myself better.
Let's take the Mercykillers. From a basic point of view, they see Justice as the most important thing in the multiverse. This is not something that is uniquely their belief. Many people may hold 'Justice' as their Ideal. However, to truly be one of the Red Death, you must believe strongly in the aspect of justice as portrayed and carried out by that faction. Their Ideal is not merely 'Justice', but 'Mercykiller'. No one who cannot make that change can be a member of the faction. Conversely, without interaction with philosophical peers, it isn't possible to maintain a Faction's ideal. Only members can have 'Mercykiller' as an Ideal.
To be a member of a Faction, you must have the unique ideal that matches the Faction. Understanding and espousing that ideal is only possible within the organisation of the Faction.
So, that's my idea. What did you think of the other suggestions?
Let's take the Mercykillers. From a basic point of view, they see Justice as the most important thing in the multiverse. This is not something that is uniquely their belief. Many people may hold 'Justice' as their Ideal. However, to truly be one of the Red Death, you must believe strongly in the aspect of justice as portrayed and carried out by that faction. Their Ideal is not merely 'Justice', but 'Mercykiller'. No one who cannot make that change can be a member of the faction. Conversely, without interaction with philosophical peers, it isn't possible to maintain a Faction's ideal. Only members can have 'Mercykiller' as an Ideal.
To be a member of a Faction, you must have the unique ideal that matches the Faction. Understanding and espousing that ideal is only possible within the organisation of the Faction.
So, that's my idea. What did you think of the other suggestions?
I am a bit hung up on priest level loss right now im keeping the arcane version of planar alterations but what to do about priests. Ive seen people just say ignore them so should i treat divine casters like wizards for purposes of spell alterations doing away with it?
I did think it was kind of nice for priests to have the advantage of ignoring planar pathways able to use spells that would otherwise be ineffective. Someone did suggest to have it be a maximum spell level penalty instead. There has to be a better way other than ignoring them
I did think it was kind of nice for priests to have the advantage of ignoring planar pathways able to use spells that would otherwise be ineffective. Someone did suggest to have it be a maximum spell level penalty instead. There has to be a better way other than ignoring them
Quickleaf
Legend
[MENTION=6683611]Ocule[/MENTION] I covered my thoughts on this in Post 17 (how to convert spell alterations by plane) and Post 20 (astral/ethereal/extradimensional connection spells in 5e).
I would ignore priest level loss by plane, in large part because the planar spell alteration rules also would apply to clerical magic, not just arcane magic. If you did want to introduce "reduction of priestly power" for story reasons, I would do it on a rare case-by-case basis. For example, a cleric of Sehanine Moonbow about to venture into the Demonweb Pits would need to go on a quest to secure a power key first, or else she would find her Spellcasting greatly reduced (or even negated completely) in Lolth's realm.
So I would make it more about the specifics of the power worshipped & the realm being visited, than the traditional (and onerous) method presented in the Planescape books.
I would ignore priest level loss by plane, in large part because the planar spell alteration rules also would apply to clerical magic, not just arcane magic. If you did want to introduce "reduction of priestly power" for story reasons, I would do it on a rare case-by-case basis. For example, a cleric of Sehanine Moonbow about to venture into the Demonweb Pits would need to go on a quest to secure a power key first, or else she would find her Spellcasting greatly reduced (or even negated completely) in Lolth's realm.
So I would make it more about the specifics of the power worshipped & the realm being visited, than the traditional (and onerous) method presented in the Planescape books.
Samloyal23
Adventurer
Meh, stick to the rules. It may not be easy, but it is not meant to be, now is it? Do your homework, get that spell key, make it work!
It was just even with power keys the level loss is crippling i think -6 or -7 and best you can get is +3 to level loss. So wasnt sure if it should stay or go.
I do agree with using renown from backgrounds, im going to mix it with piety so you can get actual boons from having it high enough
I do agree with using renown from backgrounds, im going to mix it with piety so you can get actual boons from having it high enough
Tonbo Karasu
First Post
Yes, now we have that mechanic, it really does make the most sense for the factions, although I'm tempted to keep the ideals as a prerequisite for being approved.
Quickleaf
Legend
I began doing this, and I should be ready to start sharing stuff soon. Basically I made a Renown 1-10-25-50 chart for each faction which corresponds to namer-factotum-factor-factol ranks, and the special abilities the faction member gains at each rank. I'm using the Factol's Manifesto from 2e.
What has made it tricky are some factions which didn't get much love special ability-wise (e.g. Fated & Free League).
The other tricky part is that there's usually enough in Factol's Manifesto to cover the first three ranks' worth of special abilities, but with factol abilities I need to get more creative.
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