Faction Mood

Summary
In this campaign, there are four major factions whose mood works in a manner similar to influencing NPC's and is meant to simulate the different standing you can have with the factions. Essentially, each faction has an attitude towards the PC’s which is influenced by the actions of the PC’s for good and bad. Faction mood affects the starting attitude of NPC’s affiliated with the faction. It can also cause attitude shifts in faction allies’ mood. Faction mood works by way of a score. Each faction starts at either 10 or 11 depending upon the nature of the faction. A certain range corresponds to a certain attitude. This attitude determines the faction’s general reaction to the PC’s, any support or hindrance they might offer, and the starting attitude of NPC’s (unless otherwise noted). Also, although the localized effects of an action take place immediately, actual shifts in faction mood as a whole take time to diffuse. Therefore, it is typically appropriate to apply faction mood shifts at the end of each adventure (i.e. any changes made do not take effect until the next adventure because of time for diffusion of communication)..

Faction Mood Ranges
The following table shows how the relation scores are correlated with a certain NPC attitude. The scores are affected by PC actions.

Faction Starting Mood
Upon their first encounter with an authority figure of a faction, the PC’s have the opportunity to influence faction mood in the same way that they can NPC’s. The PC with the highest Diplomacy modifier makes a Diplomacy check. If the check would normally indicate the faction moving up one step, award a +1 bonus to faction mood. If it would move two steps, award a +5 bonus to faction mood.

Influencing Faction Mood
Other than the Diplomacy check to influence a faction’s initial attitude, there are other ways of influencing a factions attitude. Obviously, a common sense idea of general social interaction applies to interactions with a faction. For example, doing negative things makes a faction angry and vice versa. As a general rule of thumb a minor action gives a + or –1 and a major action gives a  + or –5. A table of sample actions below gives some idea of how certain reactions react to certain actions; some are  universal, others are faction specific due to faction specific goals. Depending upon the specific nature of any given action and its impacts they may cause more or less of a relations impact. PC’s should also note that repeatedly angering a faction to hostile and gaining atonement may make it difficult or  impossible to regain a factions trust, making them permanently hostile.

* May be higher if leader is more valuable **The Mulhorandi hold gladiatorial contests as part of their culture. Back in Mulhorand, these contests often take place in titanic coliseums. In Vhara, although away from home, the Mulhorand hold regular tournaments of martial  skill with a variety of rules. Participating in these and doing well is a good way to gain respect and favor amongst the Mulhorandi. Failure among them, however, can cause a loss in respect and even result in death  depending upon the rules of the contest.

Faction Mood and Disguise
An important thing to note is that changes in faction mood towards the PC’s only matter if the faction is able to determine the actors of an action. Therefore, if PC’s take steps to conceal their identities, through the use of the Disguise skill and/or magic, then they may be able to avoid receiving relations penalties (or boosts). PC’s might also disguise themselves as another faction in order to shift the attitude of two factions towards each other. This behavior, however, is duplicitous at best, and should be handled with caution as it could have far reaching impacts. Typically, PC’s wishing to hide their identity would make an opposed Disguise-Spot check for each faction member who they are trying to avoid influencing.

Effects of Faction Mood
Aside from being friendlier or more hostile and the obvious consequences of social interaction, there are several benefits and/or penalties  that are affected by faction mood. First, some missions allow factional support (magical artillery bombardment at request  from the Arcadian Firebats, a squad of Mulhorandi Dog Soldiers, a bard’s  enchanting musical support from the Vharans, a secret passage into a high security  area by the Eyes, etc.) if a certain favor threshold is met. Second circumstantial benefits and penalties may be available. Finally, the following benefits/penalties are available depending upon factional standing: Note:  PC’s get both friendly and helpful benefits if they are helpful (unless it is a larger bonus on the same thing, in which  case it does not stack). The same holds true in the opposite direction (unfriendly and hostile). *In addition to the penalties of hostility, encountering actual soldiers of a  faction has the chance to turn into a violent encounter. This may make some of the penalties moot.