Random RPG Faction Generator

This is a set of tables to help you generate the various aspects of a faction for your world or to add to culture you've previously created with the Sundaland Culture Generator. You might already have some of the big picture ideas figured out in which case you can use the appropriate tables to flesh out some of the details.

My tip is to find ways to link the factions in some way. Perhaps one faction possesses a secret or MacGuffin that another aspires to own, or maybe two factions are working against each other to achieve contradictory goals. This will make the setting dynamic and give players ways to engage with it.

It's tempting to create a fully detailed world in every sense but this can inhibit creativity and emergent content. It's better to detail the minimum you need before playing since you don't have to account for every single faction in your setting. Two or three per culture will be enough to start with and some details may not be discovered until later. See my article for more on this topic: Constructing fictional worlds while leaving room for other people's imagination and creativity.

As with the culture generator I advise you to embrace results that seem strange or contradictory, this will help you avoid tropes and cliches and will force you to create an interesting narrative to thread everything together. See also: Creating Culture Shock In Sword & Sorcery Settings.

There are twelve tables, each with six results so you can roll a d6 for each one. I encourage you to vary the order of the tables you use otherwise you'll find yourself thinking along familiar cliches. You could use a d12 to determine the order that you roll in.

1. Caste or Faction Type

Does the faction originate in or from a particular caste?

1. Warrior Caste
2. Priest Caste
3. Scholar Caste
4. Bureaucratic Caste
5. Merchant Caste
6. Casteless, Secret Organisation or Cult

2. Origin 

The age, location or circumstances of the faction's origin

1. Ancient
2. New or Recent
3. Local
4. Foreign
5. Alliance
6. Splinter Group

3. Leadership

The leadership structure of this faction as perceived by it's members or outsiders.

1. A perceived or real otherworldly or higher power.
2. Authoritarian: One person.
3. Elite: A small group of people.
4. Council: Elected, self-appointed or appointed on merit.
5. By Vote: By popular vote or voted in by particular members.
6. Unknown: Not even the members know or understand who leads.

4. Motivation

The faction might have several overlapping motivations but one of them is the most important.

1. Power
2. Wealth
3. Influence
4. Maintain balance or the status quo
5. Revolution
6. Destruction

5. Method

How does this faction achieve their goals?

1. Legal or By The Book: Within the legal framework of the current culture or society.
2. Overt Violence: War, raids, ceremonial or gladiatorial combat.
3. Hidden Violence: Assassinations, secret raids.
4. Bribery and Corruption: With resources or favours.
5. Sow Distrust and Discord: Pit different people or factions against each other.
6. Manipulate or Leverage: Using secret knowledge.

6. Strength

What is this faction's strength?

1. Act Decisively: No hesitation when an opportunity presents itself.
2. Meticulous Planning: Account for all possibilities and outcomes.
3. Decentralised: A network of associations, hard to shut down.
4. Allies: Have supportive and powerful allies.
5. Resources: Own or have access to valuable resources.
6. Fanatical: Will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

7. Weakness

What is this faction's weakness?

1. They have a debt or someone has leverage over them.
2. Overly greedy or ambitious.
3. Corrupt
4. Immoral
5. Disorganised or incompetent.
6. Impulsive 

8. Secret or MacGuffin

This faction possesses or has access to a secret or MacGuffin. This might be the thing the faction needs to achieve their goal or a thing they must keep from another faction. Roll on the extra tables for more details about this secret or MacGuffin. 

1. Artefact
2. Location
3. Person
4. Knowledge
5. Event
6. Resource

8.1 Artefact

1. Idol or Statue
2. Tablet or Scroll
3. Tool or Instrument
4. Treasure, Jewels or Jewellery
5. Urn, Bones or Remains.
6. Weapon, Armour or Shield.

8.2 Location

1. Building
2. Cave System or Underground Complex
3. Island
4. Ruin
5. Settlement
6. Valley

8.3 Person

1. Close Relation
2. Friend or Ally
3. Heir or Claimant
4. Prophet or Guru
5. Reincarnation or Avatar (perceived or real)
6. Traitor, Spy or Informant

8.4 Knowledge

1. Astronomy
2. Biology
3. Geography
4. Politics
5. Crafting
6. Religion

8.5 Event

1. Alliance: Impending or secret alliance
2. Assassination: The target and/or the assassin
3. Astronomical: Foreknowledge of an astronomical event like a comet or conjunction.
4. Attack: Knowledge about the timing, strategy or resources involved.
5. Betrayal: The traitor, spy or informant and who they are working for.
6. Embargo or Resource Restriction: The resources that are restricted and why.

8.6 Resource

1. Animal
2. Human
3. Mineral
4. Plant
5. Tool
6. Weapon

9. Complication

Something is getting in the way of the faction being able to achieve their goal.

1. Running out of time.
2. Need more or specific people.
3. Need more or a specific resource.
4. A spanner in the works.
5. Arousing suspicion.
6. Something is wrong with the secret or MacGuffin.

10. Inner Conflict

There is a conflict within the faction.

1. Disputed Leadership
2. Competing What's: What should they be doing?
3. Competing How's: How should they go about achieving what they want?
4. Competing Why's: Why are they doing what they do?
5. Inherent Contradiction: There is a contradiction between what the faction wants to achieve and how they're going about achieving it.
6. Traitor, Spy, Informant: One of the members is working against the faction.

11. Outer Conflict

There is an outside force that is working against the intentions of the faction.

1. Direct Competition: Another person or faction wants the same thing.
2. Direct Opposition: Another person or faction is trying to stop them.
3. Accidental Interference: Another person or faction in accidentally working against them.
4. Environmental Disruption: Something in the environment, perhaps a natural disaster, is inhibiting them from achieving their goals.
5. Political Disruption: An unintended shift in the political environment is preventing the faction from achieving their goals.
6. Secret or Weakness Discovered: Another person or faction has discovered the secret or weakness and is exploiting it.

12. Moral Compass

How do they make decisions within the faction?

1. Might makes right
2. Discern the will of the gods
3. Let fate decide
4. Strict rule of law
5. Collective will of the members
6. The leaders decide