I have been thinking about factions in Blades in the Dark.

I have been thinking about factions in Blades in the Dark.

When I do pantheons in fantasy games, I make some gods, sure. BUT, I put a lot more focus on churches that worship those gods. There is not a single monolithic religion honoring one god; instead, there are multiple churches, and they often fight more intensely with other churches of the same god than with churches of other gods. They each have their own regional and cultural take on interpreting that god in their setting.

I feel the same way about factions. I think it is fine that there are now  big umbrellas like “Criminal Underworld” and “City Institutions” and so on. I feel like the listed factions are also umbrellas, though; “Bluecoats” is too general a faction to engage, I think.

Especially in a city divided up in neighborhoods, you’ll have turf wars between bluecoats for jurisdiction. Bluecoats that serve on the night shift, or work certain areas, or units assigned to guard houses, or followers of a charismatic leader in the force.

I wouldn’t want to change the faction selection at crew generation. No, what I’m suggesting is that the faction allegiances that are chosen then should inspire a “crew” of appropriate stature to the relationship to get lined out more clearly in subsequent play or between sessions. You are not assigning faction relationship to ALL of a group, but indicating there is a group OF THIS TYPE that you have a relationship with.

Just as angering the Unrecommendables crew is not angering all smugglers, and angering the Dimmer Sisters is not angering all whispers, having a bad faction relationship with the bluecoats is not angering all the bluecoats of Duskwall. There’s a group of bluecoats you’ve crossed, and they are out for you. The higher you put that animosity, the more you want that to be part of the story.

Now collaborate on how big a group of bluecoats; the bigger they are, the more mild but far reaching their anger. The smaller the group, the more likely to directly act against you.

Just some musing.