[Open] Faction War! Planescape D&D 5e

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Jun 20, 2023 1:09 pm
Dropped you an invite @bubbles if you’re still up for it :)
Jul 17, 2023 10:21 am
Attrition happens, especially in a massively chaotic game with 15 players representing conflicting factions in the Planescape world! I have one spot available now, to insert you into the thick of the impending faction war in Sigil. Have a look at the intro blurb at the start of this thread to see what this game is all about.

Anyone? It's a potentially long haul game.
Jul 25, 2023 11:13 am
I am shocked and disappointed at myself for only now discovering this. Planescape AND BedzoneII? A recipe for success!

I've read the entirety of Faction War and DM'd up to its first half (spoiler: the bit where the streams really cross with the Blood War) so coupled with my busy schedule, might be wisest to pass for now.
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Jul 25, 2023 12:25 pm
DarK_RaideR says:
I am shocked and disappointed at myself for only now discovering this. Planescape AND BedzoneII? A recipe for success!

I've read the entirety of Faction War and DM'd up to its first half (spoiler: the bit where the streams really cross with the Blood War) so coupled with my busy schedule, might be wisest to pass for now.
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@dark_raider Darn, I thought you were the first person I directly messaged about this, I figured you'd be wanting in! There are significant tweaks to the Faction War plot so that even if you've read it it won't play out the same way, at best you'd be familiar with the cast of characters. There's always a place for you in this game when you're ready. We can play it slow as well, we started with individual faction threads just so people can ease into the rhythm of things.
Aug 25, 2023 2:21 pm
The usual player movements means a handful have come and gone. We are at a crazy healthy ten players (!) but still have five factions unrepresented in this chaotic game where no one has figured out what's wrong in Sigil yet. We're past the prologue and are firmly in Act 1.

The new Planescape launch is just round the corner and I can't wait to implement some of what will be published into this game. Anyone wants in?
Aug 25, 2023 6:00 pm
I have recently watched some videos on Planescape and was not convinced that setting would allow for a type of RPG game I enjoy. However Faction War idea intrigued me and I would like to try it. If I can find a faction among the 5 free ones that speak to my hart I would be happy to join.
Warning though - I will be asking lot of questions if you invite me and even asking for suggestions on my choices at least at the beginning of the game until I feel comfortable with settings and game implementation.
Aug 25, 2023 6:04 pm
Hey there, I’m definitely interested.

I used to play 2e Planescape way back in the day, so I’d be fun to get back into it. However, it’s been over a decade since I’ve even touched any of the books, so like GreyWord, I’ll probably have my share of setting questions. I’m experienced with 5e, system-wise.
Last edited August 25, 2023 6:05 pm
Aug 26, 2023 2:30 am
GreyWord says:
I have recently watched some videos on Planescape and was not convinced that setting would allow for a type of RPG game I enjoy.
May I ask what kind of setting you enjoy?
Aug 26, 2023 2:52 pm
Ask away @GreyWord and @Tequila_Mockingbird! Happy to keep a conversation running here to help you figure out one way or another. And thanks Bookrat for starting us off.

My intro post at the start of this thread is indicative of where I imagine this game will go. It's entirely city-centred, so no plane-hopping (even though that's one of the more common features of a Planescape game). The conflicts are entirely situation-based, vs NPCs and PCs, so there's a ton of social interaction. There's a fair bit of investigation involved because you're trying to figure out how to gain advantage from the faction conflict, or how to bring it to an end. The larger plot will continue to happen, whether or not the PCs are there to join in or stop it. With a maximum of 15 players there's a fair bit of jumping around different threads, so that can create a fair bit of disjointedness until you get used to it.
Aug 26, 2023 3:01 pm
Which factions are still available?
Aug 26, 2023 3:03 pm
Harmonium, Mercykillers, Society of Sensation, Xaositects for sure, and probably the Bleak Cabal. All juicy options!
Aug 26, 2023 3:18 pm
Hmm, I think the Harmonium would be right up my alley.
Aug 26, 2023 6:17 pm
If you're still taking applications I'd be up for joining as a Xaositect.

Fair warning - I used to play AD&D 2e a lot back in the day (Planescape was one of my favorite settings) but haven't done any TTRPGs in over a decade. I'm looking to get back into it now.
Aug 26, 2023 7:18 pm
Always feel free to ask questions. I recommend the Discord too for quick responses!
Aug 27, 2023 1:16 pm
Thanks for the interest, sending some invites your way!
Aug 28, 2023 9:21 am
@Bookrat I'm scared reading "Unlike other D&D game settings, Planescape focuses on philosophical musings about the nature of belief and existence" and heavy reference to alignment most DMs I've played with are ignoring.

@BedzoneII from what I read about Mercykillers trigger association with Cleric of Nature Domain. Worshiping Tyr a LG cleric. I'm reading on sigil fandom suggestion that a truly exciting role-playing can take place when a character tries to play the distracting factor of good alignment that may cloud their judgment and search for justice.

If you see that a feasible opportunity in your game and a Mercykillers is still open, I would like to take it.
Aug 28, 2023 3:41 pm
That's a good point about alignment GreyWord, 5e has moved very far from needing to bother about alignment, and all the other games I play or run have never needed to use it. That said, Planescape originates from 2e, and its very setting is based on alignment differences, and its cosmology is based on the Great Wheel, ie all the Outer Planes represent an alignment. So the setting is very much law vs chaos, good vs evil, but expressed through the various factions, and the choices a character often has to make might depend on their philosophical inclinations.

So even a faction such as the Mercykillers could comprise of both good and evil members, the good ones striving for merciful justice, the evil ones preferring retributive justice. That's the kind of dilemma this game will demand of its characters. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy or want to try, then I've got an open spot!
Aug 28, 2023 5:20 pm
I've only playing RPGs since 5e and want to try role-playing some alignment dilemma indeed.

I have but one last problem - I may be reading wrong materials because what I my source contradict your statement about "merciful justice". I read faction "search to kill mercy itself" and does not implement justice. They implement the punishment.

This article insiste
Quote:
...a player must realize that Mercykillers don’t arrest or try a berk, no matter what he’s accused of. It falls to the Harmonium to arrest lawbreakers, and to the Fraternity of Order to conduct trials for the accused. Only when a sod’s been found guilty of a crime under the law may a Mercykiller carry out punishment
Aug 30, 2023 7:38 am
The link you mentioned is a decently reliable source for how to understand Planescape. I don't see any contradiction, since I was trying to get further into the difference between good Mercykillers vs evil Mercykillers.

I'll drop you an invite to the game, you can read around and see if what you see reconciles with your understanding from other sources. :)
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