Factions can be an important part of the D&D experience, but characters don’t have to become a member of a faction right away, or at all. Belonging to a faction sometimes means having responsibilities, but it also carries with it support and rewards for service. You can become a faction member by meeting with a faction agent.
If you ever switch factions or leave a faction, you lose all ranks and renown with the old faction, and must start at rank 1 with zero renown with your new faction.
Faction Advancement and Benefits
As a character allied with one of the factions goes on adventures, he or she earns renown for accomplishing tasks that align with the faction’s goals. This is expressed in the awarding of renown points at the end of an episode or adventure. Completion usually earns 0 renown (no interest to the faction), 1 renown (some interest to the faction), or 2 renown (great interest to the faction). Each faction can award different renown points to adventurers.
As characters earn renown, they progress in the ranks of their factions, granting them greater authority and
additional benefits.
Faction Advancement
| Rank |
Renown |
Other Requirements |
| 1 |
0 |
- |
| 2 |
3 |
- |
| 3 |
10 |
5th level, 1 secret mission |
| 4 |
25 |
11th level, 3 secret missions |
| 5 |
50 |
17th level, 10 secret missions |
Rank 1: Initiate
This is the rank a character receives when first joining a faction. It is available at character creation or anytime the character wishes to join.
Participate in Faction Activities. You can participate in any activities that are considered faction-specific for your faction.
Earn Renown. You can earn renown points in your faction and advance in rank.
Receive Your Faction’s Insignia. All new faction members receive an insignia of their faction, fashioned into a wearable or held item.
Rank 2: Agent
Rank 2 characters have shown that they’re aligned with the faction’s goals, and are able to take on more responsibility.
Secret Missions. During certain adventures, you might be given the opportunity to undergo a secret mission on behalf of your faction. Completion of these missions might earn you additional benefits.
Apprenticeship to an Adventurer Mentor. Your character can be apprenticed to another higher-ranking adventurer from your faction.
Faction Training
Your character can take advantage of accelerated training programs for tool kits most often used by your faction. This training comes at a lesser cost than usual tool training, taking half as long (125 downtime days), but you must pay an additional 125 gp as a training expense for each proficiency.
Faction Training
| |
Training |
| 1 |
Musical instrument, Calligrapher’s supplies, or Disguise kit |
| 2 |
Smith’s tools, Leatherworker’s tools, Carpenter’s tools, Mason’s tools, Vehicles |
| 3 |
Herbalism Kit, Woodcarver’s tools, Cartographer’s tools |
| 4 |
Jewelers tools, Mason’s tools, Navigator’s tools, Painters supplies, Gaming Set, Any standard language |
| 5 |
Disguise Kit, Forgery kit, Poisoner’s Kit, Thieves’ Tools |
Rank 3: Stalwart
Rank 3 characters are reliable faction members, entrusted with many secrets and deserving of additional support during adventures.
Faction Downtime Activity
You gain access to a faction-specific downtime activity that gives you additional benefits when you use it. The specific downtime activities for this season are listed in each faction’s page.
Item Procurement
With an expenditure of resources, you can acquire a magic item from your faction. To procure the item, you must go on minor adventures for your faction (represented by downtime days), and perform bribes, charitable acts, and provide provisions (represented by the expenditure of gold) in service of your faction. Some items are only available to certain factions as indicated in the Item Procurement Options table. A character may purchase any number of items so long as they pay the associated downtime day and gold costs for each item. Additionally, you must be at least 5th level to acquire a rare item.
Rank 4: Mentor
Rank 4 characters are trusted voices within the faction’s leadership. They are looked upon as champions of the faction’s beliefs, and as mentors by those of lower rank.
Become a Mentor
You can be assigned faction level 2 or 3 characters as your charge. You may be able to have multiple charges if you wish. These would follow the rules of Unearthed Arcana’s rules for Sidekicks – https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/UA_Sidekicks.pdf
Mentorship Renown
When a mentor takes on a new apprentice they immediately gain the benefit of a successful Secret Mission for their faction (i.e. as if they had just completed a successful secret mission). This can only be done once per character.
Mentor’s Pride
As your apprentice grows in power their deeds reflect on you. Each time your apprentice gains a level that would put them into a higher tier (levels 5, 11, or 17), you gain 1 renown.
Rank 5: Exemplar
Exemplars are deeply ensconced within the leadership of their faction and have a great degree of influence, guiding faction decisions.
Become a Faction Exemplar
When you play this character along with other members of your faction, you can choose one lower ranked member of your faction (Agent, at a minimum) to begin the game with Inspiration. This must be used by the end of the game session, or it is lost.
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