D&D 5E Faction memberships in Lost Mine of Phandelver

[doctorhook]

In the 5E Starter Set adventure, "The Lost Mine of Phandelver", several quest-giver NPCs offer membership in factions to individual PCs. For example, one NPC can give virtuous heroic characters the rank of "Chevall" in the Order of the Gauntlet; another NPC can induct characters as "Fangs" of the Zhentarim. Other similar opportunities exist for the Harpers and the Lords' Alliance. (It's possible I've forgotten one or two as well.) The requirements seem to all be based on demonstrated conduct while questing for the NPC.

These faction memberships seem to be mainly potential plot-hooks for DMs to generate future adventures for the characters, because as far I can tell they have no effect whatsoever on the adventure as-written. (That might not be true in Organized Play, but I have no idea.) As far as I can tell, there's nothing in the adventure preventing the party from earning all of these memberships, nor is there any restrictions on one PC earning several memberships, as long as the PC meets certain non-exclusive conduct requirements. Some of these factions are mutually exclusive: for example, it's difficult to imagine Zhents and Harpers in the same party together.

How should these be handled?

 

[fba827]

Not being familiar with the adventure, I would just say it's probably just hooks for future gaming.

As far as membership, sure if they aren't exclusive then I guess you could belong to more than one. Some of them might be secret ( do people go around announcing that they are a zhent or Harper?) so maybe conflicting factions could be in the same party and not know it at first. Though plot hooks and motives will surely start to conflict at some point.

 

[GX.Sigma]

I think we'll find out when Tyranny of Dragons starts.

 

[PinkRose]

With no inside information, I seem to remember hearing, maybe from Adventurers League Blog, something about only gaining Renown points for 1 faction at a time, or something similar.
So you could choose to start all of them, but if you want to gain any benefits from one, you have to drop the others.
The point of the factions is to have cohesion with others during the EPICS, EXPEDITIONS, & ENCOUNTERS.
And plot hooks or secret missions for only you during a game.

More info here, I think.
http://dndadventurersleague.org/2014/06/dd-organized-play-panel-from-origins/