Anarea > Story > 1-offs > Forty Factions

Forty Factions

Introduction

Forty Factions is a game set in the world of Anarea which is played partly as a board and card game and partly by means of Role-Playing.  It is not a 1-Off (in that it is capable of being played more than just once), but is a way of generating multiple 1-off games.  It requires an umpire (“DM”) and from 2 to 8 Players (4 to 6 is preferable).  Playing time will depend on the DM and Players.  Familiarity with the world of Anarea is essential for the DM and advantageous for Players.

Forty Factions is set in the Southern City of Tehmor, in the Overworld of Anarea.  The City is famed for its unstable politics, and for the legendary “Forty Factions” which vie for political, economic and religious control of the City.  Each Player controls a shifting alliance of such Factions and has the opportunity to initiate a number of events (“Plots”).  Factions and Plots are represented by a deck of Tarot Cards, each of which has a corresponding Information Sheet.

Victory Points (“VPs”) are earned by:

• controlling Areas of the City

• political control of the Council of Tehmor (“Council”) and holding the office of Overlord

• control of the Secret Conclave of the Thieves’ Guilds of Tehmor (“Conclave”)

• awards by the DM for successfully roleplaying one’s Factions as Plots are resolved.

The winner is the Player with the most VPs at the end of the game.

There are also four Expansions to the base game of Forty Factions and two Promo Cards, which add more Factions and Plots, take play out beyond the City and its immediate Environs, and add Spies and Conspiracies.

Materials

The following materials are presented for the benefit of Players.  The Information Sheets for each Faction and Plot are not all being made publicly available at first, in order to avoid spoilers for the first games, but listings of the Cards are given below.  The Locations for each Faction are listed in the Key to the Board.

Base Game

Resources:

• Rules of Play (v2.8/26 January 2025)

• Board for the Base Game

• Key to Board

• The Council of Tehmor & The Secret Conclave (side Board)

Fifty Factions Expansion ("50F")

There are already more than Forty Factions in Tehmor, but Tehmorians do like alliteration.  This Expansion adds 14 additional Factions to the 56 in the base game, together with 8 additional Plots.

Sacred Circles Expansion ("SC")

This Expansion expands the game to the surrounding Grasslands and Desert, with:

·         an extra map side Board adding Locations representing the Sacred Circles of the Grasslands and Desert and an extra side Board depicting the Grasslander Gathering;

·         14 additional Factions representing their associated Mist Warrior and Desert Nomad Cults; and

·         8 additional relevant Plots.

Players can attempt to gain Control of the Forests of the Grasslands and Desert through their Sacred Circles and to gain Control of the Grasslander Gathering through influencing the Totem Animals.

Resources:

• Rules of Sacred Circles Expansion (v2.8/26 January 2025)

• Board for Sacred Circles Expansion

• The Grasslander Gathering (side Board for Sacred Circles Expansion)

• Grasslander Gathering Influence Table

• Spirit Guide Chits

Doorways to Dreams Expansion ("DD")

It is said that, for those who have the power, doors can be opened from the streets of Tehmor to anywhere in the Otherworlds.  This Expansion expands the game into Chaos, Dreams, Madness and the Dream Kingdoms of Nature, with:

·         an extra Hall of Mirrors side Board adding Locations representing Gateways to key Otherworlds which have the strongest connections with Tehmor and/or the Sacred Circles Board and an extra side Board depicting the Congress of Dreams ;

·         a new Strange Suit of 14 additional Factions connected with those Locations;

·         a Madness Indicator to indicate the Level of Madness for each Area in the City; and

·         6 additional relevant Plots.

Players can attempt to gain Control of the Domains of Dreams and of Madness and Chaos through the Otherworlds reflected in the Hall of Mirrors and to gain Control of the Congress of Dreams, which sits Once in a Blue Moon.  Factions may seek to tip the City into, or save it from, Madness.

Resources:

• Rules of Doorways to Dreams Expansion (v2.8/26 January 2025)

• Hall of Mirrors (side Board for Doorways to Dream Expansion)

• Congress of Dreams (side Board for Doorways to Dream Expansion)

• Madness Indicator (side Board for Doorways to Dream Expansion)

Forgotten Factions Expansion ("FgF")

This Expansion adds various overlooked or secretive Factions, which may be added to the Game as the DM sees fit (without necessarily informing the Players).  Some may only be appropriate if Sacred Circles and/or Doorways to Dreams are being played.  Some Faction Information Sheets (including ones from the Base Game or other Expansions) have rules for Spies and Conspiracies.  There are also some additional Plots.  Bonus Cards may be added as Factions are remembered.

Misc. Resources

• A Possible and Partial History of The Free City of Tehmor

The Factions

The Plots

(c) P.R. Wild, 2025