Faction Membership

Joining a Faction

Upon joining, a character gains 1 renown and receives a few items, typically a welcome letter, a faction insignia, and a potion of healing. The character also gains the background feature Safe Haven.

As a faction agent, you have access to a secret network of supporters and operatives who can provide assistance on your adventures. You  know a set of secret signs and passwords you can use to identify such operatives, who can provide you with access to a hidden safe  house, free room and board, or assistance in finding information. These agents never risk their lives for you or risk revealing their true  identities.

Faction Suspension

A Dungeon Master can suspend faction benefits, immediately removing access to renown and items.

Short-term suspension can occur if a character is witnessed committing a crime, found guilty of committing a crime, significant disrespect of persons of authority, and other acts that go against the goals and beliefs of a faction.

Long-term suspension can occur for disruptive acts such as hostile behavior against other faction members, overtly evil acts, etc.

Leaving a Faction

A character leaves a faction if its renown is reduced to 0, or by choice at any other time. If a character chooses to leave a faction on good terms, it retains its renown; however, it stops receiving benefits.

Faction Renown

Renown is used to track an adventurer's standing within a particular faction or organization. Renown is a numerical value that starts at 0, then increases as a character earns favor and reputation within a particular organization. You can tie benefits to a character's renown, including ranks and titles within the organization and access to resources. A character can also have renown within a faction to which they do not belong, though this does not confer any ranks, titles, or benefits.

A player tracks renown separately for each organization his or her character is a member of. For example, an adventurer might have 5 renown within one faction and 20 renown within another, based on the character's interaction with each organization over the course of the campaign.

Rewarding Renown

Advancing an organization's interests increases a character's renown within that organization by 1. Completing a mission specifically assigned by that organization, or which directly benefits the organization, increases the character's renown by 2 instead.

Losing Renown

Serious offenses committed against the organization or its members can result in a loss of renown and rank within the organization. The extent of the loss depends on the infraction and is left to your discretion. Members of the Lords’ Alliance who turn down a mission might lose one renown, while members of other factions can turn down a mission without consequence.

A character's renown within an organization can never drop below 0.

Factions of Waterdeep

There are a variety of factions that are based or have agents present in Waterdeep. Though not a comprehensive list, here are some.

Bregan D'aerthe

Originally made up of the much-derided and dishonorable castaways of destroyed drow houses, Bregan D'aerthe is a company of mercenaries.

Emerald Enclave

The Emerald Enclave is a widespread group of wilderness survivalists who preserve the natural order while rooting out unnatural threats. The organization is decentralized, hardy, and reclusive.

Gray Hands

The Gray Hands are an official arm of the City of Waterdeep and instrument of law enforcement. Waterdeep’s armed forces are split into four main branches: the City Watch, the City Guard, the City Navy, and the Griffon Cavalry. The Gray Hands represent the fifth branch, an elite force designed to meet threats when a more powerful response is required.

Harpers

The Harpers is a scattered network who advocate equality and covertly oppose the abuse of power. The organization is benevolent, knowledgeable, and secretive.

Lords' Alliance

The Lords’ Alliance is a loose coalition of established political powers concerned with mutual security and prosperity. The organization is aggressive, militant, and political, and draws upon a variety of skilled agents to pursue larger threats to civilizations.

Order of the Gauntlet

The Order of the Gauntlet is composed of faithful and vigilant seekers of justice who protect others from the depredations of evildoers. The organization is honorable, vigilant, and zealous.

Xanathar Guild

The Xanathar Guild is among the most powerful factions on the Sword Coast. The guild seeks to spread its control over Waterdeep and the surrounding areas through ruthless dominance. With no allies, it often acts as a buffer against other evil organizations unintentionally.

Zhentarim

The Zhentarim is an unscrupulous shadow network that seeks to expand its influence and power throughout Faerûn. The organization is ambitious, opportunistic, and meritocratic.