When playing games set within the world of Kelbonnar, DMs can choose to use this optional ruleset to help add some more flavour to the relationships their player characters start with and to help root their characters more organically into the setting.
Faction Scores
A character has a faction score with all of the factions in Kelbonnar that is rated between +10 to -10. Faction score are broken down into 7 different categories, each of which will result in a different faction-character relationship. The categories are:
- +10: The player character is viewed as being a valuable member of the faction and the faction will do everything in its power to help them, even if this means acting provocatively or violently towards another faction. [Player will receive highly favourable rates during trades, will receive free room, board and access to restricted faction spaces, petitions for aid will be taken very seriously and the return payment of such aid will be minimal, the player will be entrusted with highly confidential, critically important tasks]
- +6 to +9: The faction are very positively disposed to the characters and will provide them with as much help as they can provide from within their already existing means. [Player will receive favourable rates during trades, will receive heavily subsidised room and board rates and may be given access to restricted faction spaces if it is deemed necessary, petitions for aid will be actively considered and return payment of such aid will not be as severe, the player will be entrusted with important tasks]
- +1 to +5: The player character is viewed positively by the faction, who are more likely to view them favourably and provide them with some level of limited help. [Player will receive slightly favourable rates during trades, will receive slightly subsidised room, board, petitions for aid will be considered, but return payment of such aid will be high, the player can be entrusted with certain tasks, mostly those of lesser importance.]
- 0:The player and the faction in question have no shared history and the faction will not go out of its way to either help or hinder the player unless the relationship changes. . [Player will receive standard rates during trades, will pay standard room and board rates, petitions for aid may be considered, but return payment of such aid will be extremely high, the player can be entrusted with only basic, inconsequential tasks]
- -1 to -5: The player character is viewed with suspicion by the faction who will be loath to provide them with support or information, providing them only with the bare minimum if their lives depend on it, or for a hefty price. [Player will receive slightly less favourable rates during trades, will have to pay more for room and board, petitions for aid are unlikely be considered, but when they are they will come at a substantial cost, the player will only be entrusted with certain tasks, mostly those of lesser importance, if the faction is desperate for assistance.]
- -6 to -9: The faction views the player character as a threat and will not work with them. They will go out of their way to obstruct their goals should they find out about them and they will be willing to work with other factions and individuals against the player character. [Player will receive highly unfavourable rates during trades, will be barred from staying in accommodation and utilising other services owned by the faction, petitions for aid will fall on deaf ears]
- -10: The player character is viewed as being a serious threat to the faction, who will actively work to hunt the player character down and neutralise them, whether that be through diplomacy or violence. [The faction will not trade with, offer aid or other services to the Player. If the Player is discovered anywhere near faction property it is highly likely that they will be attacked on sight once identified.]
Faction Categories
All of Kelbonnar's various factions are organised into 11 separate categories which are described below along with a list of some of the organisations that come under that category. Organisations will have either (Imperial) or (Non-Imperial) next to them, denoting if they are tied to the
Empire of Turelion or not:
Arcane: These are factions concerned with magic and the arcane. They are not the only ones who specialise in the magical arts, but as organisations this is their primary focus.
Bureaucratic: These factions represent the various bureaucratic branches of the
Empire of Turelion.
Educational: These factions represent educational institutions that exist either to purely promote scholarship, or to train people for the various parts of the Imperial machine.
- Hapsburg House (Non-Imperial)
- Imperial College of Administration (Imperial)
- Imperial College of Engineering (Imperial)
- Imperial Flight College (Imperial)
- Imperial Naval College (Imperial)
- Imperial Strategic College (Imperial)
- Sugbo Peak (Non-Imperial)
Insular: These factions are settlements and city-states that exist in isolated places and that have purposefully isolated themselves from the
Empire of Turelion.
- Mount Timos (Non-Imperial)
- Sparos (Non-Imperial)
Martial: These are factions that are primarily military in organisation and origin, though some,
Nova Norgantho in particular are actually states in their own right rather than being a purely military organisation.
Mercantile: These factions are concerned with trade, commerce and the making of money.
Political: Representing both the heart and the furthest extremities of the Imperial system, the political factions wield immense power and influence.
Provincial: The Provincial Factions are the individual Provinces of the
The Empire of Turelion.
Religious: These factions represent the various faith and philosophical bodies that exist across Kelbonnar.
- Amsinism (Non-Imperial)
- Awr Mlapu (Non-Imperial)
- The Eldre Pantheon (Non-Imperial)
- Cult of Lasimar (Non-Imperial)
- Cult of Posmellion (Non-Imperial)
- Cult of Zanato (Non-Imperial)
- The Imperial Church of Canthartism (Imperial)
- The Makalites (Non-Imperial)
- Shoshan (Non-Imperial)
- Society for Philosophical Reasoning (Non-Imperial)
Tribal: These factions represent either single tribes or groups of tribal peoples who live on the fringes of civilisation, but who still engage with the rest of the world, whether that be peaceably or no, and who retain their ancestral lifestyles.
Underworld: These factions represent organisations that undertake underhand, illegal, activities within the Imperial institution.
This list is not an exhaustive collection of all of the various factions that exist within the world of Kelbonnar and there are myriad smaller or lesser known mercantile, religious, insular, tribal and underworld organisation that operate within and outside the Empire of Turelion. Players are free to create new factions in consultation with their DM.
Faction Scores & Character Creation
During character creation, a player character will receive faction scores linked to their background (see below). In addition, all players are given 5 positive faction points and 5 negative faction points that they allocate to whichever factions they wish. The only exception to this rule is that the five positive factions points cannot be allocated to the
The Imperial Court, the negative points, however can be.
Both the positive and the negative faction points can be allocated separately, all five positive or all five negative do not have to be allocated to the same faction. These additional negative and positive faction points can also be allocated to one of the organisations linked to the character through their background.
For example: a player could choose to spend 1 positive faction point to get a relationship of +1 with five separate organisation, and spend 1 negative faction point to get a relationship of -1 with five separate organisations.
Factions that do not have any points allocated to them either by background or player choice automatically start with a faction score of 0.
Faction Points by D&D5e Background
Acolyte: Pick one Religious Faction to have a faction score of +6 with, representing the faith, or ideal, that you have been trained in and adhere to. Your faction score with all other Religious Factions is -1.
Artisan (Guild Artisan rules in the Player’s Handbook): Pick one of the Mercantile, Political, Underworld, Religious or Arcane factions to have a +3 faction score with, representing the organisation whose members who patronised your services the most.
Charlatan: Pick any two factions to gain a +3 faction score with, representing the factions that you have managed to ingratiate yourself with through your underhand means. Pick any two factions to gain a -3 faction score with, representing factions who have discovered your fraudulent ways.
City Watch: Pick one of the Provincial Factions or the Imperial Colonies to have a +2 faction score with, representing the where the settlement, town or city that you once stood watch over lies. In addition pick any settlement within your chosen province, the city you guarded to have a +6 faction score with (you cannot pick the Imperial Capital Meltaro).
Cloistered Scholar: Pick a faction from either the Bureaucratic, Educational, Arcane or Religious factions to have a +6 faction score with, representing which subject area, or which organisation you have chosen to dedicate your academic life to. Whichever faction you pick your faction score with factions from the same list will be -1.
Courtier: You have a faction score of +6 with the Imperial Court. Your faction score with the Renegade Knights, the Kelrik Pirates and Nova Norgantho is -6.
Crafts Person (Clan Crafter rules from Sword Coast Adventurers Guide): Pick one of the Provincial Factions, the Imperial Colonies or Nova Norgantho to have a faction score of +3 with, representing where you primarily carried out your trade
Criminal: Pick any two from the Underworld Factions list and the Kelrik Pirates to have a faction score of +3 with, representing the primary organisations that you undertake your criminal activities in association with. Pick one of the Provincial Factions, representing the area where you undertake most of your smuggling activity, to have a faction score of -6.
Entertainer: Pick a faction from each of the Faction lists to have a +1 faction score with, representing the factions that have benefitted most from your skill as an entertainer.
Faction Agent: Pick any faction from any of the faction lists to have a +6 faction score with, representing the organisation you work for or on behalf of. Whichever faction you pick your faction score with factions from the same list will be -1.
Fisher: Pick one of the Provincial Factions, the Imperial Colonies or Nova Norgantho to have a faction score of +3 with, representing where you primarily carried out your trade.
Folk Hero: Pick one of the Provincial factions, the Imperial Colonies, Nova Norgantho or the Renegade Houses to have a +3 faction score with, representing the area where your exploits are known about the most.
Haunted One: Pick one of the Educational factions, Religious factions, the Imperial Colonies, the Imperial Inquisition, the Lodge of Imperial Hunters or Ymeris to have a +3 faction score with, representing a faction you were drawn to help you either, forget, learn about or combat what haunts your past.
Hermit: As a Hermit you chose to cut yourself off from the outside world, your background does not give you a positive or negative influence over any faction.
Inheritor: Pick any faction from any of the faction lists to have a +6 faction score with, representing an organisation with a positive outlook on your inheritance. Pick any faction from the faction list to have a -6 faction score with, representing an organisation with a negative outlook on your inheritance.
Insular Born (Far Traveller rules from Sword Coast Adventurers Guide): You have a faction score of +6 with any one of the Insular Factions, representing the place where you were born and bred far from the melting pot of the Imperial Provinces. Your faction score with the Provincial factions, the Imperial Colonies and Nova Norgantho is -1.
Knight of the Order: Pick either the Imperial Order of Knights, or a Knightly House of your choosing to have a faction score of +6 with, representing the organisation of knights that you have sworn your loyalty to and who have trained you. If you picked the Imperial Order of Knights your faction score with the other Knightly Houses is -2. If you choose a Knightly House your faction score with the Imperial Order of Knights is -2. If you choose one of the Renegade Houses your faction score with the Imperial Order of Knights is -6 and your faction score with the Knightly Houses is -2, but you can choose an additional non-Imperial organisation to have a faction score of +2 with.
Marine: Pick either the Imperial Navy or the Kelrik Pirates to have a faction score of +6, representing the major naval organisation you fought for. Whichever faction of the two you did not pick has a faction score of -6. In addition, if you chose the Imperial Navy, your faction score with all non-Imperial Martial Factions is -6, but your faction score with all Imperial Martial Factions is +2. If you chose the Kelrik Pirates, your faction score with all Imperial martial factions is -6, but your faction score with all non-Imperial Martial Factions is +2.
Meltaro Socialite (Waterdhavian Noble rules from Sword Coast Adventurers Guide): Pick one of the following to have a faction score of +4 with: The Bureau of Trade & Commerce, The Congregation of Lords, The Defence Bureau, The Imperial Court, The Imperial Estates The Imperial Inquisition or The Imperial Treasury. Your faction score with the Renegade Knights, the Kelrik Pirates and Nova Norgantho is -2.
Mercenary Veteran: Pick any faction from the Martial, Mercantile, Religious or Tribal factions to have a +6 faction score with, representing the organisation you were hired by for the longest, or where you made the greatest positive impact. Whichever faction you pick your faction score with factions from the same list will be -1.
Noble: Pick one of the Provincial Factions or one of the Bureaucratic Factions to have a faction score of +6 with. Your factions score with Nova Norgantho, the Kelrik Pirates, the Renegade Knights and all Tribal Factions is -1.
Outlander: Pick one from the Tribal Factions, Provincial Factions or the Imperial Colonies, representing the area of wilderness where you resided or were brought up, to have a +3 faction score with.
Sage: Pick a faction from either the Bureaucratic, Educational, Arcane, Religious or Tribal factions to have a +3 faction score with, representing which area of knowledge you have chosen to specialise in.
Sailor: Pick either the Imperial Navy, the Kelrik Pirates or one of the Mercantile factions to have a faction score of +3 with, representing for whom you primarily carried out your trade.
Shipwright:Pick either the Imperial Navy, the Kelrik Pirates or one of the Provincial Factions to have a faction score of +3 with, representing where or for whom you primarily carried out your trade.
Smuggler: Pick either a non-Imperial Underworld Faction or the Kelrik Pirates to have a faction score of +6 with, representing the primary organisation that you undertake your smuggling activities with. Pick one of the Provincial Factions, representing the area where you undertake most of your smuggling activity, to have a faction score of -6.
Soldier: Pick one Martial Faction, either Imperial or non-Imperial to have a faction score of +6 with, representing the military force you once fought for or still fight for. If you chose an Imperial Martial Faction, your faction score with all non-Imperial Martial Factions is -6, but your faction score with all Imperial Martial Factions is +2. If you chose a non- Imperial Martial Faction, your faction score with all Imperial martial factions is -6, but your faction score with all non-Imperial Martial Factions is +2.
Tribe Member (Uthgardt Tribe Member rules from Sword Coast Adventurers Guide): Pick a Tribal Faction to have a faction score of +6 with, representing the tribe that you were born into. Your faction score with all other Tribal Factions is -1.
Urban Bounty Hunter: Pick one of the factions from the Underworld faction list to have a +6 faction score with, representing the organisation you take the most contracts from. Your faction score for all other Underworld factions will be -1.
Urchin: Pick one of the Underworld, Religious or Educational factions, representing an organisation that offered you aid on the streets, to have a +3 faction score with.
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