Factions

Nine political factions vie for control of the city of Absalom, using the Pathfinder Society to support their various causes and missions. Every time you through an adventure, the leader of your faction will give you a special side mission that furthers the goals of the faction. Successfully completing these missions increases your character’s prestige and overall fame within the Society, unlocking special boons and abilities. Choose your faction carefully— you’ll frequently be risking your life for it! 

• Andoran - Freedom and democracy for all.
• Cheliax - Establish order, no matter the costs.
• Grand Lodge - Loyalty to the Decemvirate above all else.
• Lantern Lodge - Spread the wisdom of Tian Xia within the Inner Sea.
• Osirion - In the secrets of the past, we shall find today's triumphs.
• Qadira - Dominance through trade.
• Sczarni - Use Pathfinder missions as a front for personal gain.
• Silver Crusade - Use the Pathfinder Society's resources to do good in the world.
• Taldor - Gain control of Absalom through political manipulation and intrugue. 
  

Faction Relations

The leaders of the Pathfinder Society generally frown on their members participating in the shadow war for Absalom, though so long as Pathfinders complete their missions and follow orders, the leadership turns a blind eye to the existence of factions within the Society. As such, the various faction leaders have made it quite clear to their members that open warfare between factions is intolerable and only jeopardizes the ability of each faction to manipulate Absalom to its will. While players are encouraged to use creativity to successfully complete faction missions, open hostility against characters of other factions is absolutely forbidden, and most loyal faction members keep their alliances to themselves, sharing faction-related missions and information only with other members of their faction.

Choosing Your Faction

Choosing your faction is as important as choosing your character’s class or race—it defines your character in the campaign, and ties her to the destiny of one particular nation or cause. Before you choose your character’s faction, consider each carefully and pick the faction that best matches the character you are trying to create. If your chosen faction is affiliated with a specific country (such as Andoran or Cheliax), your character does not need to have come from that country. Ulfen barbarians in service to Taldor, Thuvian wizards in service to Cheliax, Mwangi rangers in service to Qadira—these are all viable options. 

Some classes are harder to play in some factions than others. If you have a great idea for a paladin of the Cheliax faction, then play that character. Just know that you might have a harder time than most achieving the faction’s notoriously diabolical missions.  

Additionally, it is not necessary to select you faction right away. The first modules will introduce you to the various factions and who leads them. As those are encountered, I will update them on the blog here so you can peruse at you leisure. Once all the factions are revealed you will be required to pick on that you wish to belong to. Of course, not telling the rest of the party who you work for is perfectly acceptable.