DM Factions and You

[Secutor]

As a general disclaimer, this post is of my own opinion and observations, and doesn't necessarily reflect those of the rest of the DM team.

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You have successfully applied for a DM faction and are now inducted. Congratulations. Your first step is to look over the aims, prerogatives, goals, and possibly motives of your faction. The next step is to do your best to carry them out in the setting as a member of the faction.

There are more steps - but sadly so many stop there.

As a Player Character in a DM faction, you are not reduced to being a drone for DM-contrived conflicts or aims. The point of such factions and perks is to furbish you the player with an interesting angle to do what you want. Your PCs goals and the factions goals do not need to perfectly coincide. In fact, it is better if they do not. Inter-faction conflict is just as interesting as intra-faction conflict, keep that in mind.

Applying for these factions is not an excuse to have a cool character with unoriginal goals. It's just like a subrace with stat boosts: you get perks, like NPC support, free rest, equipment, and prestige to further your aims. Be that as it may, you can't get away with being totally off-kilter within the faction and ignore completely its founding principles, but it is your responsibility to bring the faction to life, to flavor it as you see fit, and to actively further its aims and yours instead of languishing about, waiting for directives from HQ.

So, think about it this way, you are not in a "DM Faction", you are in a "DM-supported Faction". You are not free from the responsibility of taking initiative to have fun, include others, and plot.

Now, the next steps: Find something that interests you about the faction to exploit. Invent interesting ways to do day-to-day faction stuff without a DM looking over your shoulder. Press your goals on other PC and NPC groups to spark conflict. Press your personal goals on the faction's to spark internal conflict. If you can and if you want, get powerful enough to change the very nature of the faction or even the server, at least to some degree - leave your footprint.

You guys are all capable of this. There has been some really cool intrigue going on recently, and it needs to proliferate the server's nooks and crannies. So go to.

[Random_White_Guy]

Don't be afraid to kick shit around either.

Some of the best conflict occurs at the PC vs. PC level.

A lot of times PCs don't seem to want to get into tussles with other DM factions. In some ways this makes sense. NPC bosses are there to be bosses. They like stability and things to run smoothly.

I personally however love nothing more than seeing PCs who play by their own rules. As a player I tried to do this and always loved seeing other players do it. As a DM I chalk it up to watching an action movie.

Going against the wishes of your superiors has reprocussions. Yes. Mostly likely so. However there are numerous NPCs in every faction, numerous ideals, and numerous opinions on how work can be done.

As they say "A door closes and a window opens". If you're playing a House sharboneth guard who grows sick of the corruption and desides to go it alone to fight not only criminals but the shady endeavors of other Armsmen?

You can bet there will be controversy. PCs and NPCs alike who are of that sweet sweet corrupt status would no doubt begin to look down upon you. The kicker though is, there like minds in every faction. You may find a grizzled old Sergeant who everyone hates for being a "Goody two-shoes narc" shares your opinion, or even a few other PCs.

Every faction has their own way of operating, but also PCs and NPCs who seek to improve or change it. "Office Politics" if you will. Its something I love and I suggest all PCs in these factions try to get involved in it.

I'm not saying everyone should go around beating down each other, but plots are best served long, drawn out, and with plenty of controversy. DM Factions are a beautiful vessel for such and inter-faction conflict should not be shied away from, but embraced.

Much of the same above could be said of DM Faction vs. DM Faction conflict as well. Don't be scared of it. Revel in it. Even if some of your superiors don't like it, some just might.