Faction Sparkbook

The Faction Sparkbook is a concise guide and set of resources for creating and running factions in TTRPGs. It is system and genre agnostic.

It is currently in its alpha version. The core faction generation mechanics are drafted, and have undergone some playtesting. However there is much I plan to add in the near future, and I am hoping to playtest the core faction generation mechanics more. 

The current alpha version (v0.2) can be freely found here: [LINK to Faction Sparkbook Public Alpha Folder with PDF and Doc versions]

Playtesting and Feedback

If you are willing to provide feedback on your experience using the Faction Sparkbook, I would be incredibly grateful. You can send any thoughts to lostwatchergames@gmail.com, or post on the Lostwatcher Games Discord [Link on About Page], which is public to join. Direct messages to Lostwatcher Games’ on social media are also welcomed (I use BlueSky mostly). You can also provide inline comments and suggested changes in the live Google docs version [Link]. Check to make sure the version number there matches the version you see in this PDF.

Who Your Feedback Benefits

Obviously, I (Jeff) benefit greatly from your feedback. But I am committed to making part of this book freely available for adaptation. At this moment, I plan to release a system reference document (SRD), under a CC-BY-4.0 license, with the final release of the book. My goal is to include everything TTRPG designers need to freely use the systems herein (e.g., the forces, faultlines, and goals frameworks) in their own works. It’s hard to know what this eventual open license will look like, but regardless, your feedback will help craft a TTRPG system that will be freely available for other designers to use and adapt.

What is My Ultimate Goal

My goal is for the Faction Sparkbook to be the definite guide for building and running compelling factions across TTRPG systems and genres. This is the project I will complete first, in digital format. At the moment, I see the ideal outcome being that I release it, develop a small but growing base of supporters who like the product, and then gain enough support to either crowdfund art and a small print run, or find a publisher willing to publish a print version. That’s the ideal, it may never get beyond being a digital-only release (which is perfectly fine).