Populate Your Dungeons - How to Make Factions for D&D (Dungeons & Dragons, OSR)

[@SillySyrup]

This channel is a youtube hidden gem. It doesn't have a lot of videos, but they are priceless! Why doesn't this channel have hundreds of thousands of subscribers? Thanks for really helping me and the D&D community. It means a lot to me in terms of making a great dungeon. I'll share this channel with my friends. Also I have a cool dungeon idea that I'm about to build that I've already brainstormed. The theme is a crumbling ravine that has caves on the sides that used to be an ogre camp, but it's been raided by orogs. The twist is that buried deep in the caves is a pool of necrotic energy that has wild magical effects on the whole place. This video helps me with the orog and ogre factions (i might even add more)!

[@gfcsdnd205]

Sounds great! I'm really glad that it could be helpful, and I love your idea for the dungeon.

[@nephilimrephaim3949]

Ty for jumping straight in with no dumb intro

[@gfcsdnd205]

I'm an intro-hater myself

[@jacoblindberg8915]

Love this, great video and insight. Long time dm bud just getting into the osr and more dungeon focused play. This video really helped me!

[@gfcsdnd205]

I'm glad! Faction play is essential to old-school play!

[@dylanenriguehuntington2908]

I really enjoy these videos! I don't even play OSR, I play D&D 5e with my friends but these videos are still immensely useful to me, I'm currently making a crypt were ancient ghosts, a necromancer and his zombies and myconids are all vying for power, so this video was super helpful to me!

[@gfcsdnd205]

Thank you! I try to make the videos as "universal" as possible. Glad to hear it was useful, that sounds like a really fun dungeon! Let us know how it goes!

[@dylanenriguehuntington2908]

@@gfcsdnd205 I will! Right now scheduling is complicated so I'm not sure if we'll be able to play soon, but hey I can dream.

[@lungfungus2734]

This is the Best RPG youtuber. Going on my appendix N.

[@gfcsdnd205]

You're too kind; thank you!

[@sinmaan7568]

Very good! Just sad you stopped doing videos!

[@maxmusterspace6037]

I love it. Helps a lot Can you do a Video on how you create your campaign world? I suspect you don't need hours on end to do so to get to a proper playable state.

[@gfcsdnd205]

Correct, it shouldn't take too long! I'll write down the video idea, thank you.

[@konatelassina5301]

So say the PC’s want to side with the goblins in this. What kind of assistance should a faction provide the PC’s? My players would want the faction to provide bodies to help in combat. Running additional “NPC’s” is something I don’t like to keep track of as a DM. Is this a common request of a faction?

[@gfcsdnd205]

Providing henchmen is a common reward, yes. In old school D&D henchmen are pretty easy to run, they're usually treated as 0-level men-at-arms, little more than porters, torchbearers, and meat shields. Going BTB would probably require characters to be Chaotic in order to use monsters as henchmen, though. But other rewards could be money, information, or letting the PCs use their lair as a base. Sometimes factions will provide PCs with crude maps or warnings about dangerous parts of the dungeon including traps, or point them towards treasure caches or hidden doors.

[@stevemanart]

I'm watching it at 1.5 speed, friendo.

[@gfcsdnd205]

thank you based booba merchant

[@megamonstercookies]

This is now my favorite OSR channel. You’re a legend

[@gfcsdnd205]

Thanks man!

[@megamonstercookies]

@@gfcsdnd205 of course. I’d be interested in a video on dungeon generation

[@gfcsdnd205]

@@megamonstercookies TBH I usually just do my "brainstorming method" -> place special lairs and treasure -> Appendix A and stocking procedures for the rest

[@megamonstercookies]

@@gfcsdnd205 ah I see. Thanks!

[@RemedialHappyMan]

Like the video Like factions Like information Like delivery Simple as. For what I actually used this for I took your advice and started added 1d4+2 factions every dungeon with just a few simple sentences like that and its not only helped make my areas feel more alive it also is helping me fill out rooms as I give them obstacles to overcome and methods to do so. For a far more detailed faction I knew would be important I went through and gave them a command structure of the leader + groups of 10 and 5. Since the faction has roughly 40 members I went through and gave the leader, 4 group leaders, and then 8 squad leaders each their own "faction" description like you've outlined along with two additional minor goals. For each method of resolution I assign a suit of cards, hearts for social, clubs for combat, spades for espionage, and diamonds for wealth. I put each all the info on a 3x5 index card and then also track minor details in pencil as well for each one. Since my game I DM for is a westmarches game that uses real time for world progression each week on Friday I advance their goals. For each one I draw a 5 card hand of poker cards and then write them down on the back of the card. Whenever they have a poker combination they can use that to try and advance the clock on their goal. Depending on the card combination you can pick a card in that combo and use it to advance a method of the same suit. I've found this to be extremely quick and interactive. Something I do for extra fun is I assign each NPC a card value and then they can act as a matching pair for that. I think it's a neat addition.

[@gfcsdnd205]

THIS, in my opinion, is the essence of trve cvlt old school DND. Excellent job! I bet your players are having a blast! Thank you

[@lbur7119]

Great stuff. I'd love to see a video detailing more about the skirmish system you mentioned in the hex crawling video.

[@gfcsdnd205]

Thanks! I'd recommend using Delta's OED Book of War.

[@vido2744]

Truly helpful and extremely well crafted presentation. Thank you for this! Will continue to watch every video you upload.

[@gfcsdnd205]

Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful.

[@tamatoFiend]

Loving the Nethack and DCSS references

[@gfcsdnd205]

I steal judiciously from them and Dwarf Fortress as well!

[@midshipman8654]

thanks for this new technique. Had problems creating faction play that was too complicated and not distinct enough. just now I made a dungeon filled with a group of bandits and a group of goblins. The goblins have a scepter of charisma their leader uses. The bandit leader, a silver tonged outlaw wants this staff to increase his already powerful abilities of persuasion. he's Planning an attack by capturing and persuading goblins to tell him about their section of the dungeon. The bandits are mostly human and are much stronger than the goblins, so the goblins are collecting magical scrolls from an abandon collage, killing its few remaining survivors, in order to defend themselves from the more physically imposing bandits. Each of the factions trying to be become the dominate gang in the region. Its a lot more concrete with the conceptualization of [FACTION] wants [GOAL], but [OBSTICAL].

[@gfcsdnd205]

Thank you! Sounds like fun, hope it goes well in your game!

[@Motavian]

It blows my mind that so many DMs frontload their campaign with complexity when it is far easier to use broad strokes and "zoom in" as the campaign develops. Even my hex features are single lines until we have a need to develop them further.

[@gfcsdnd205]

That's how I like to do it!

[@Sageofthedustypage]

A good module to try this out on would be keep of the border lands.

[@gfcsdnd205]

Definitely!

[@naptime_riot]

You know what's up, watching at 2x speed is the jam! Great vid once again.

[@gfcsdnd205]

It's gotten to the point where I hate hearing myself at normal speed lol

[@naptime_riot]

@@gfcsdnd205 ADHD is a superpower. Don't let them tell you different. That's what I tell myself, anyway. 😝

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

Your videos are invaluable. Thank you for your contribution!!

[@gfcsdnd205]

Thank YOU for saying so!

[@PanSemSousa]

Man, i need more of your videos!! You´re awesome, i mean it!!

[@gfcsdnd205]

Thank you!

[@andrewhaldenby4949]

Excellent ty!

[@gfcsdnd205]

np!

[@midshipman8654]

I think this might also be a good method of coming up with puzzles/situations as well. at least to spark a bare idea of one from next to nothing. you could maybe abstract it a bit and go (subject) wants (object) but (obstacles). so adventurers want into the castle but the portcullis is close and it seems abandon. and the solution or method is essentially whatever the PC’s decide to do to get to their goal. and the GM decides how well the proposed plan is likely to work/ if it works or fails outright/ its repercussions.

[@gfcsdnd205]

For sure, give it a shot and let me know how it goes!

[@bigbiggoblin2873]

Noice.

[@Motavian]

Also, "MILIEU". If you don't like high Gygaxian, you best find a different M I L I E U for your FOEGYGposting.

[@gfcsdnd205]

My favorite crutch word

[@vinimagus]

Thank you! Your content and delivery are excellent! 😀 💯👏👍

[@gfcsdnd205]

Thanks! I really appreciate it!

[@JohannesB-ij9eo]

Inspiring!

[@gfcsdnd205]

Thanks!