No Faction War? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

No Faction War?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Mar 23, 2004 1:00:34 Just out of curiousity, how many people run games that assume the Faction War never happened, or simply just mentally disliked the idea?

If you're in the former, what new faction plots have you thought of? Same could go if you don't play currently--what adventure seeds did you think of for a Sigil w/ factions.

Finally, I'll just say I didn't see the point of a metaplot like Faction War. It removed the most interesting aspect of Sigil. Curious what those who liked have to say...

thanks!

sci2
#2
zombiegleemax
Mar 23, 2004 2:26:40 Faction War is something that I have positioned perpetually in the future of my campaign. I might get bored eventually and introduce the Faction War, but I doubt it.

I love the story though, as a conclusion to the setting.
#3
sildatorak
Mar 23, 2004 2:51:32 The worst part about the faction war is the merging of the Godsmen and the Signers. I guess it is better than having a faction called the Godspersons, though.
#4
Shemeska_the_Marauder
Mar 23, 2004 8:57:53 *grin* It needn't be a conclusion to anything, nor was it intended to be as such for Planescape. Sadly it was the last Sigil based release for the PS line before the line got folded back into mainstream AD&D.

I loved FW and the beautiful irony it had laced within its plot.

However, you asked for ideas for running plots w/ the factions still in power and not my ramblings of love for FW, so I should probably answer your question. :D

There's metaplots left over from various books that Faction War somewhat made inconsequential, or at least placed on the backburner:

Shemeska the Marauder's spy network within the factions had more of a role pre-FW. Her conflict w/ Qaida of the Dustmen was building and so was Quaida's own conflict w/ Factol Skall. Were Qaida to come to power it would push that faction into more action rather than under Skall (though Skall did eventually break that mold and nearly invade Sigil w/ an army of undead in FW before he got pre-emptively mazed). Perhaps you could run a subplot of conflict between Qaida and Oridi Malefin (which I've been doing post FW in my own campaign now that Oridi is Factol following Skall's mazing).

Another plot goodies for no FW taking place is what would the Harmonium be doing differently in the case of the Formian refugees from Arcadia going expansionist within Mechanus. Another blunder on the watch of Factol Sarin.

*chuckle* Eventually I'll run a pre-FW game, but I'm having far too much fun running the planes towards ruin (or perhaps not) as it is post FW. But I'm biased here.
#5
Shemeska_the_Marauder
Mar 23, 2004 8:59:30 I did think the merging of the Godsmen and the Signers was a tad odd. I treat it post FW as 'some' of both factions merged, probably the largest chunk of both factions did so among those splinter groups still extant. However you have purist splinter groups of both old factions still hanging around.
#6
zombiegleemax
Mar 23, 2004 11:44:00 I've also never been fond of the post-Faction War setting. The faction politics were a big part of what made Sigil so interesting, and the unimaginatively-named post-FW "Advisory Council" is a poor replacement. Oh, well. It'll never happen in a campaign I run.
#7
primemover003
Mar 23, 2004 15:56:49 I do protest Sildatorak!!! The Mind's Eye is a fine example of mutual cooperation of two distinct groups in the face of extreme change! With the losses of both Factol Ambar Vergove and Darius my faction brothers and I took great initiative and merged our Philosophies into a revolutionary ideal.

Since the Tempest of Doors we have spread ourselves and our fledgling philosophy across the Great Ring. So far we are not only surviving, but Thriving! The Tests of the Multiverse are the Forge of a Seeker's resolve and inner strength. Only determination mixed with imagination can stand the rigors of the Planes... But you should agree with that somewhat. Weren't you once a Bleaker?
#8
sildatorak
Mar 23, 2004 16:42:36
Originally posted by primemover003
The Tests of the Multiverse are the Forge of a Seeker's resolve and inner strength. Only determination mixed with imagination can stand the rigors of the Planes... But you should agree with that somewhat. Weren't you once a Bleaker?

Once was/will be after faction war in my personal timeline, what's the difference? I willen have had been one, let's put it that way I don't mind the Mind's Eye's philosophy, except for the parts they took from the Signers. Let's see, all they took was…oh, egocentrism!

I don't mind the Mind's Eye at all, I just hate the frickin' Signers. Next time I see one I'll hit him so hard that it will give him a 3rd degree solipsism ;)
#9
zombiegleemax
Mar 23, 2004 22:59:44 Never having had FW, it's never entered into my plots for PS games. From what i've heard of it, i just don't like what it did. I loved the factions, and that, in 2e, belonging to one gave certain benefits and restrictions, some mechanical, some social. That, and in one of the books, either in the original boxed set, or planeswalker's handbook (god i wish i could find mine...) it had the stuff about belief points, and all that. It just blew me away how big a role belief played in the game, with the factions and all that. To cut that part out of PS (or at least, Sigil) always seemed kinda... not good to me.

I always liked that, with the factions, you could easily intrigue and politic like mad, and people could never be sure if the Mercykiller who hired them wasn't really an anarchist, and so on. Yeah, you can do that post-FW, too, but it just doesn't feel right to me. Besides, PS will always be linked with Tony D's fantastic art.
#10
zombiegleemax
Mar 24, 2004 1:42:29 ^^^go to svgames, on my sig, you can get almost all the PS books for $5 as pdfs.
#11
primemover003
Mar 24, 2004 14:10:25 Ah... You aren't still mad that we nixed your official plea to have your soup kitchens publicly funded, did you???

Just pulling your leg! I was a Believer before the War!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Mar 23, 2004 1:00:34	Just out of curiousity, how many people run games that assume the Faction War never happened, or simply just mentally disliked the idea? If you're in the former, what new faction plots have you thought of? Same could go if you don't play currently--what adventure seeds did you think of for a Sigil w/ factions. Finally, I'll just say I didn't see the point of a metaplot like Faction War. It removed the most interesting aspect of Sigil. Curious what those who liked have to say... thanks! sci2
#2 zombiegleemax Mar 23, 2004 2:26:40	Faction War is something that I have positioned perpetually in the future of my campaign. I might get bored eventually and introduce the Faction War, but I doubt it. I love the story though, as a conclusion to the setting.
#3 sildatorak Mar 23, 2004 2:51:32	The worst part about the faction war is the merging of the Godsmen and the Signers. I guess it is better than having a faction called the Godspersons, though.
#4 Shemeska_the_Marauder Mar 23, 2004 8:57:53	grin It needn't be a conclusion to anything, nor was it intended to be as such for Planescape. Sadly it was the last Sigil based release for the PS line before the line got folded back into mainstream AD&D. I loved FW and the beautiful irony it had laced within its plot. However, you asked for ideas for running plots w/ the factions still in power and not my ramblings of love for FW, so I should probably answer your question. :D There's metaplots left over from various books that Faction War somewhat made inconsequential, or at least placed on the backburner: Shemeska the Marauder's spy network within the factions had more of a role pre-FW. Her conflict w/ Qaida of the Dustmen was building and so was Quaida's own conflict w/ Factol Skall. Were Qaida to come to power it would push that faction into more action rather than under Skall (though Skall did eventually break that mold and nearly invade Sigil w/ an army of undead in FW before he got pre-emptively mazed). Perhaps you could run a subplot of conflict between Qaida and Oridi Malefin (which I've been doing post FW in my own campaign now that Oridi is Factol following Skall's mazing). Another plot goodies for no FW taking place is what would the Harmonium be doing differently in the case of the Formian refugees from Arcadia going expansionist within Mechanus. Another blunder on the watch of Factol Sarin. chuckle Eventually I'll run a pre-FW game, but I'm having far too much fun running the planes towards ruin (or perhaps not) as it is post FW. But I'm biased here.
#5 Shemeska_the_Marauder Mar 23, 2004 8:59:30	I did think the merging of the Godsmen and the Signers was a tad odd. I treat it post FW as 'some' of both factions merged, probably the largest chunk of both factions did so among those splinter groups still extant. However you have purist splinter groups of both old factions still hanging around.
#6 zombiegleemax Mar 23, 2004 11:44:00	I've also never been fond of the post-Faction War setting. The faction politics were a big part of what made Sigil so interesting, and the unimaginatively-named post-FW "Advisory Council" is a poor replacement. Oh, well. It'll never happen in a campaign I run.
#7 primemover003 Mar 23, 2004 15:56:49	I do protest Sildatorak!!! The Mind's Eye is a fine example of mutual cooperation of two distinct groups in the face of extreme change! With the losses of both Factol Ambar Vergove and Darius my faction brothers and I took great initiative and merged our Philosophies into a revolutionary ideal. Since the Tempest of Doors we have spread ourselves and our fledgling philosophy across the Great Ring. So far we are not only surviving, but Thriving! The Tests of the Multiverse are the Forge of a Seeker's resolve and inner strength. Only determination mixed with imagination can stand the rigors of the Planes... But you should agree with that somewhat. Weren't you once a Bleaker?
#8 sildatorak Mar 23, 2004 16:42:36	Originally posted by primemover003 The Tests of the Multiverse are the Forge of a Seeker's resolve and inner strength. Only determination mixed with imagination can stand the rigors of the Planes... But you should agree with that somewhat. Weren't you once a Bleaker? Once was/will be after faction war in my personal timeline, what's the difference? I willen have had been one, let's put it that way I don't mind the Mind's Eye's philosophy, except for the parts they took from the Signers. Let's see, all they took was…oh, egocentrism! I don't mind the Mind's Eye at all, I just hate the frickin' Signers. Next time I see one I'll hit him so hard that it will give him a 3rd degree solipsism ;)
#9 zombiegleemax Mar 23, 2004 22:59:44	Never having had FW, it's never entered into my plots for PS games. From what i've heard of it, i just don't like what it did. I loved the factions, and that, in 2e, belonging to one gave certain benefits and restrictions, some mechanical, some social. That, and in one of the books, either in the original boxed set, or planeswalker's handbook (god i wish i could find mine...) it had the stuff about belief points, and all that. It just blew me away how big a role belief played in the game, with the factions and all that. To cut that part out of PS (or at least, Sigil) always seemed kinda... not good to me. I always liked that, with the factions, you could easily intrigue and politic like mad, and people could never be sure if the Mercykiller who hired them wasn't really an anarchist, and so on. Yeah, you can do that post-FW, too, but it just doesn't feel right to me. Besides, PS will always be linked with Tony D's fantastic art.
#10 zombiegleemax Mar 24, 2004 1:42:29	^^^go to svgames, on my sig, you can get almost all the PS books for $5 as pdfs.
#11 primemover003 Mar 24, 2004 14:10:25	Ah... You aren't still mad that we nixed your official plea to have your soup kitchens publicly funded, did you??? Just pulling your leg! I was a Believer before the War!