120 Factions for Your Fantasy World

What are the factions in your campaign, and what do they want? As I’ve written before, each faction should have a goal, an asset, and a weakness. And keep in mind that a faction can be three people in a nobleman’s household angling for a popular outlaw to be cleared.

I’ve written previously about how to work factions into your campaign. What follows is specifics on the types of factions you can use as inspiration for your own. These are gathered from other posts on this site, with some wholly new.

1. Secret Societies

The Corsairs of Thrum are cutthroat pirates harrying the honest people of the Vester Coast.
The Corsairs of Thrum are privateers harrying the ruthless merchants and smugglers who hold the Vester Coast in thrall.
The Qualiquat is a secret society of mages, priests, and rogues that has infiltrated the nobility as advisors.
The Children of Imbrus are a human-sacrificing cult searching for the cauldron of Calixo make them unstoppable.
The Children of Imbrus are a secret society of rogues searching for the Cauldron of Calixo to stop an evil sorcerer.
The Gossium League is a devious cabal of thieves and smugglers.
The Gossium League is a covert brotherhood of rogues who rob the rich and help commoners avoid harsh taxes.
The Friends of Scurish are a loose association of smugglers and users of “dream smoke”.
The Purket Slavers are kidnappers who sell Incarish captives in this realm as slaves… and sell this realms’ people as slaves to the Incarish.
The Dwallian Syndicate are smugglers, thieves, and fences who hate noblemen.
The Horsemen of Welf work quietly against the church to stop the inquisition.
The Shadowmasters Guild is a syndicate of spies, sorcerers, trickster clerics, and ruffians who seek to rob and harass nobles who rule as tyrants.
The Shadowmasters Guild is a syndicate of spies, sorcerers, trickster clerics, and ruffians who rob, pillage, and pirate.
The Brothers of the Great Salver is an association of clerics and faithful rogues pledged to protect the Great Salver (an enchanted silver tray used by a great hero to serve their god a morsel of food) from falling into unworthy hands.
The Syndicat Gouvernei is a syndicate of spies, many of whom are clerics, who monitor and work against nobles and merchants disloyal to the church.
The Syndicat Gouvernei is a syndicate of spies, many of whom are sorcerers and witches, who work to undermine the church’s power.
Pit of Vipers, who are a gang of kidnappers, smugglers, and ruthless thieves
Band of Curaie, who pillage and plunder when not cutting each others’ throats
The outlawed Cavaliers Palatine, often called the Black Brotherhood, continue to terrorize the countryside after assassinating the good and true Prince of Traice.
The outlawed Knaves of Aquifar, often called the Bastard Monks, in their red armor which mocks red-robed holy monks, terrorize good folk, much to the chagrin of the Duke of Aquifar.

2. Nobles & Royals

Lady Balmorin, Baron Trafay, is marshaling an army to take over the realm, because the king has fallen under the sway of the evil sorcerer Hengul the Red.
Lady Balmorin, Baron Trafay, is marshaling an army to take over the realm, because she has fallen under the sway of the evil sorcerer Vertizal Cowl.
Lord Guester, Baron Ides, selfishly wants land taken from the adjacent wild lands to be added to his county rather than creating a new county.
Lord Guester, Baron Ides, wants land taken from the adjacent wild lands to be added to his county, because he can protect and administrate them better than a new baron.
Lady Inka, Baron Smail, wants land seized by the king returned to her family, because it was wrongfully seized by the previous king.
Lady Inka, Baron Smail, wants land seized by the king returned to her family, despite it being long the cause of bloody dispute between her family and another.
Lord Tenoralan wants a relative pardoned for outlawry, because he is innocent.
Lord Tenoralan wants a relative pardoned for outlawry so they can continue their greedy schemes.
Lady Zia wants the king to end his vindictive war against the neighboring realm.
Lady Zia wants the king to start a vindictive war against the neighboring realm.
Lord Basc, Earl of Throvinshire, wants Calissa the Justiciar, a particular favorite of the queen, removed for being a poor advisor or bad influence.
Lord Basc, Earl of Throvinshire, wants Calissa the Justiciar, a particular favorite of the queen, removed for interfering in his plans to consolidate his power.
Lord Basc, Earl of Throvinshire wants a family heirloom/powerful magic item returned or recovered and has men-at-arms and sages quietly scouring the land.
The Earl of Bestifal heads a syndicate of spies, wicked sorcerers, evil men-at-arms, and depraved sailors who rob and pillage and pirate as the “Lackary Knaves”.
The royals want land seized by the foreign realm of Yffar to be returned.
The royals want backing from the nobility for a vindictive war against the neighboring realm of Soine.
The royals want the rebellious Baron Thurquine thwarted or destroyed, but they are frightened of his network of spies and cuthroats.
The royals want problematic elves removed from Holgry Forest so it can be turned into farmland.
The royals want a rebellion of the common folk in Muntleboro put down.
The royals want the saddle of Prince Eclus, a family heirloom, recovered.

3. Public Societies

The Goodfellows of County Soale want the king to end his vindictive war against the neighboring realm.
The Huggites, followers of a mysterious Hugh Bomarn, want lower milling fees.
The town of Bowlin wants protection from monsters and/or bandits and pirates.
People of the county of Felsh wants the king to pardon heroic outlaw Tonus the Wildranger.
The Merchants Guild wants Calissa the Justiciar, a particular favorite of the queen, removed for being a poor advisor or bad influence.
The Frith Guild is a brotherhood of men-at-arms and adventurers who keep to keep the land safe from monsters and invaders.
The Society of Justice wants Lady Thelsa, Baron Viyal, to stop interfering in the court of law to let justice prevail.
The Society of Justice wants Lady Thelsa, Baron Viyal, to interfere in the court of law to right an injustice.
The haughty Beragul Riders are proud defenders of the realm.
The haughty Beragul Riders are evil mercenaries of the Blood Priest.
The Vandimar Sodality, who are said to hunt undead across the land, are servants of evil and kill the living and merely claim they were undead.
The Order of the Cavaliers Paladin root out evil and undead wherever they may be.
The Paladins of the Infirmary, often known now as the Broken Brotherhood, dedicated to relief of the common people, decimated by King Manx to seize their treasure and lands after they dared execute the wicked Earl of Gluston.
Knightly Order of the Sword (LG), who help others and right wrongs.
Brotherhood of the Wild (NG), who destroy monsters and protect nature.
Selvin Ring (CG), who smash evil wherever they find it, even in the halls of power.
Arcane Order of Mistularum (LN), who uphold the law and help the weak.
Sun-and-Moon Brotherhood (N), who help the weak and protect nature.
Wisemen Society (CN), who work as spies and envoys to enrich themselves.
Knightly Order of the Eagle (LE), who seek glory in battle and triumph in intrigue.

4. Faiths

The Helevriat wants the king to accept their leader, High Priest Novias, as a senior advisor or to turn over day-to-day affairs of the realm to church officials.
The Followers of Quus want to expand their religion from its current pocket to the full breadth of the realm.
The Children of Apis want the king to go to war against the neighboring realm, which follows the god Dawma.
The Altar of Nokin want the king to give their religion a favored status or declare it to be the only legal religion in the realm.
The Churvians want the king to break off the betrothal of his daughter, Aliet, to the foreign prince who follows a different religion.
The cult of Fenitia the Promiser want Calissa the Justiciar, a particular favorite of the queen, removed for being a poor advisor and bad influence.
Rumors continue to brew about the Vorgat cult’s desire to open a portal to a strange plane.
The Church of Orcul want the king to offer anyone who clears a wilderness of monsters to be gifted the land, because they believe they can convince their followers to band together claim land and donate to the church.
It is thought that the exclusionary Circle of Nowm is actually a high sect of nobles that run the Temple of Restilius.
Some believe the high officials of the Great Tent of Prolza are sorcerers and not clerics.
The Orzan Council is thought to have no followers, only 25 council members, and yet it wields exerts great influence.
The Followers of Jania are collecting frogs again for their mysterious annual frog ceremony.
The Curvis High Church controls the Throvis, Haelis, and Lamarkis churches, because those gods are said to be subservient to Curva.
The followers of Fael have announced that Fael has killed his brother Yavik, and all followers of Yavik must convert to Fael or be slaughtered.
The Celebrants of Nicor want a new holiday to celebrate a saint/hero, Nicor Longview.
The mysterious Hand of Falma is an evil cult that has harnessed an elemental to ruin the weather and starve the populace into submission.
The Temple of Blaut is demanding a law that no vessel that carries fish may also carry bread, because mixing them is prohibited in their faith.
The Society of Vazul wants Initic ceremonial nudity outlawed because it is immodest.
Forlan Candelabra is preaching the coming of the Great Dragon Turtle, which will devour cities for their wicked ways.
Reachers of Lentmar are celebrating the birth of a two-headed child whom they hail as the coming of Lentmar in human form.

5. Foreigners

The Chu’lik are foreign traders who systematically trade their goods specifically for copper to send home, which is distorting the market.
The Zonisians keep funding pirates on the coast to disrupt trade that is not their own.
The Forguans make excellent cooks and serve noble masters all over the realm… who might all poison their masters at once if there is war against Forgua.
Every Dimlar is a spy–merchants, sailors, clerks, bought brides, and servants all report to a Dimlar envoy and envoys directly to the spy-master of Dimla.
Menkish merchants’ weights and measures can’t be trusted.
Lovilian fortune tellers have some concerted scheme to influence the realm by telling people that their weapons or tools are unlucky and should be destroyed.
The Semujin are assassin priests who murder wizards, as their god commands.
Halflings of Smallvale are reminting coins of the realm with lesser alloys.
The neighboring Duvians are negotiating free passage to the grassland centaurs, provided they invade and raid our lands.
The spies of neighboring Merus are causing trouble in Port Enborly with many tricks: rumors of infidelity among the nobles, false reports of ships sinking, etc.
The foreign traders of the Nomad Lands keep trying to buy and sell slaves in this free realm.
The Budj-al-bi are foreign assassin and spies hired by nobles to assassinate one another or sow unrest in each other’s lands.
The King of Feltz demands tribute of King Ecmar because Ecmar is also Earl of Goxony in Feltz, and the Feltz wants an excuse to seize Goxony.
Silver- and goldsmiths, many of whom are foreigners of Whan, want certain laws repealed so they may freely trade precious metals with merchants of Whan.
It is said that the bookbinders are full of Folgian spies sending their knowledge back to Folgia.
The barbarians of Kholmander, formerly merely disorganized clans, now have a king: the Baron Guonilar, whom the king of our fair realm exiled two years ago.
The Vitz mercenary companies certainly have become commonplace these days.
Hagdridan merchants are still trying to get their hands on our silk trade.
The elves of Frenn have made repeated envoys to the elves of our fair realm to ally with them for some secret purpose.
The Calfling Hordes have taken the whole of the Barony of Crention and claimed it for Calf.

6. Monsters

The Ancient Order of Stonemasons are a secret society of mummy lords.
The Honorable Order of Alchemists is a secret society of liches.
The Order of the Silver Sun is an association of werewolves.
The red-handed orcs are trying to expand their territory into human lands.
The short-tailed goblins are at war with the red-eared goblins.
A family of ogres has taken over an old, abandoned manor and uses orcs to raid neighboring human settlements.
The Consociatio Vampira is a centuries-old conspiracy of vampires who want to take over noble lands to prey on the populace but who employ vampire hunters to destroy unaffiliated vampires.
Aboleths of the Watery Pits control large parts of the Great Caverns.
Mind flayers of the Deep City control large parts of the Great Caverns.
The dark elves of the Kingdom of Drow control large parts of the Great Caverns.
The Council of Elements is an organization of air, fire, water, and earth elementals.
The Kingdom of Gray Dwarves is a loose tribe that tries to capture old, forgotten dwarven strongholds in the Goldstone Mountains.
The red-flag gnolls of the plains have quietly conquered more barbarian tribes than anyone realizes.
The Vank Castle Garrison are wights who, having been corrupted knights, defend their decrepit castle and use it to raid human settlements.
The Kobold Kingdom is an extensive series of tunnels and chambers in the Margan Hills.
The Islands of Trita are the surface lands held by the extensive watery kingdom of tritons.
The Table of Dianni is a chivalric order of knights corrupted by serpentfolk to varying degrees who serve their serpent mistress, the Witch-queen Dianni.
The Council of Dragons is an association of dragons who divide up the realm into territories for themselves and fight unaffiliated dragons.
The Shadowlanders are shades and other shadow creatures, dwellers in the Shadowlands, ruled by Archduke Ivanko Osseus from Shadowfall Castle.
The Fairy Realm is a kingdom of fairies, sprites, dryads, and other fae creatures who defend their strange land jealously but also sometimes venture into human lands.