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Why you should make a newspaper (Factions System)

A newspaper, or broadsheet can act as a fantastic way to hand deliver news about the world and plot hooks directly to your players. Between news articles, advertisements and "help wanted" posts you can provide wealth of information to your player relaively easily.

One of the main tricks to get intresting news for your paper is a faction system. This system is based off of the games by Sine Nominee Publishing and Blades in the Dark. The use of dice rolls can give you unexpected results, which can pump up your creativity and make your world feel more alive to both you and the players.

Faction System

Each faction is made up of a few elements, you can include your faction in the Faction Sheet:

Name: The name of the faction

Teir: Ranging from I-V (or I-III for smaller groups) these are the sizes and powers of your factions. Generally start with your largest scale and smallest scale (eg. town, region, principality ect), and figure out the steps between them. When factions fight they will roll with these numbers as a bonus.

Strength: There are 3 strengths a group can have Might, Wit or Wealth. Mighty factions have martial superiority, Wit factions have secrets and politics, Wealth factions leverage resources and money. 

Characters: Come up with 3 characters that will be relevant to a party meeting the faction, the first should be the leader generally. These are the characters the party will meet so they don't need to be the biggest or most powerful characters just approachable or iconic ones.

Relationships: The Enemies and Allies of the faction.

Base of Operations: The home turf of the faction, this could be a city, kingdom or building depending on the scale of your campaign.

Goal: Each faction should have a current short term goal they are working towards, this will likely be achieved during the course of the game. This should have a clock with 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 segments depending how hard it will be to achieve.

Extra Components (can be ignored for a simpler game):

Bases: Factions can have additional bases, of a number equal to their Teir. This base makes a location their Turf, giving them a +1d for their turns. Building a base must be completed as a goal.

The Faction Turn

A faction turn occurs between sessions or adventures, it is a non-specific amount of time where the factions act in the background. The GM should select which factions are Active, meaning currently involved in the story or of intrest to the story, factions can become active or inactive as their role waxes and wanes. Each faction should then take a turn, from smallest teir to largest, they will try to achive their goal by rolling a check, first however:

• If the goal is on Enemy Turf the factions make contested rolls of 2d6+teir, if the defender wins the attacker does not get to take an action.
• If the goal is on an Allies or their own turf they can add half of the allies tier (rounded up) extra dice to the roll.
• If the goal is in line with the factions strength they may add +1d to the roll.
• If the players have influenced a goal or action, just change it in accordance with their effects, or grant bonus' if the outcome is unclear.

Check: to roll a check for the faction roll 2d6+tier+bonus dice, filling in their clock as below:

12+: Critial! 4 segements

11-9: 3 segments

8-6: 2 segments

5 or less: 1 segment

If factions goals bring them into direct conflict they may enter a War, factions at War have the goal "War with <faction>", with segments equal to 2+2×[Teir of enemy], they will make a contested roll to fill their clock whomever fills their clock first wins. The losing faction must either lose 1 teir or change their base of operation/lose a base. 

Finally a faction can increase their tier as a result of a large enough goal or set of goals. If the setting is constrained then a faction might have to win a war in order to increase in teir.

The Newspaper

With this we arrive at the newspaper, I have written a few of these for my games. They add flavor and hooks into the world. Each faction turn look for remarkable, fun or flavorful events that have occurred and write them an article, embellishing as much as you wish. You can then add fluff articles, additonal plot hooks or even retellings of the player characters deeds.

You can also include the writers of these articles, either having one writer for a broadsheet, or a handful of writers giving you a varity of tones. 

1d6 Writing Styles:

1. Robotic. Writes like wikipedia and avoid biased language

2. Impassioned. Writes emotionally and with a clear objective or side

3. Informal. Writes in a casual and personal manner

4. Pretentious. Uses large words and dramatic metafore, usally incorrectly.

5. Neutral. Writes similar to Impassioned but tries to be neutral.

6. Dramatic. Wrties like an epic or story, embelleshing every detail.

Now at the next session you can hand your players a broadsheet, which they are able to look through, find hooks, local politics and fun flavor for the world. Here's an example of one I wrote, canon spelling mistakes included.

But remember the first rule of Prep: If you aren't enjoying it, and it's not vital for the next session: Don't do it. Hopefullly this tool can help add something to your game but if it isn't find a tool that will. 

Ancient Spells of the Gods (GLOG: Spells)

These spells are not like regular spells, they cannot be cast with magic dice, but instead cast as long as one has reached the requirements to cast them. They must be challenged and found, you cannot transcribe these spells or teach them to another. 

Song of Orpheus 

Orpheus lost his love, Erydice, while entrapped in the curse of his muse. Without his love he delved into the depths of the world, he sung a song or morning so powerful it split the earth and opened a way into the underworld where he negotiated with Desponia, the Queen of the Dead. However he could not master himself, he failed the deal and was entrapped forever distant from his love.

To learn the song of Orpheus one must have lost a love, a person who has lost a love of their life can hear the song emanating from beneath the earth. By digging into the earth, the lover can find a cave, at the height of which lies a salt statue of Orpheus himself. Stepping into the cave the lover will find their lover's apparition, ready to dance with them. At the conclusion of the dance they must make a choice, to take their lovers hand and descend into the underworld together or to let them go, allowing them to fully pass beyond. One who lets them pass beyond, may take the lyre from the statue, holding the spell of Orpheus.

Orpheus' Lament

Slow spell, Concentration

While you sing the song of mourning the ground opens in front of you and you, and any companions, can walk through stone, as a passage opens in the solid ground. The First Verse lets the group travel through natural stone and earth, the Second let one walk through worked stone and magical spells, the Third lets one walk to the lower planes, the staircase leading to the domains beneath the earth.

Each verse becomes more difficult than the last, the caster loses 1 stamina for each hour singing the first verse, 2 for each singing the second and 3 for each hour of the third. If the caster runs out of stamina they take a wound Sore Throat when the caster stops singing they must save and on a failure they begin to become petrified, turning into a statue of salt. This can be prevented or undone with rare magical materials, such as a Basilisks stomach bile.

This spell is sentient, but can only communicate in emotional chords, it is kind, loving and always falls in love with the caster. It never wants to go back to Desponia and will do whatever it can to avoid being reclaimed by her. However it fears loss and wishes to petrify it's caster to forever keep them together. 

The Lost Storm 

The god Talos was the warrior of the gods, he fought and felled the titans of the sky and storm. His power grew until, in arrogance, he challenged the sea. There he found his match, and Oceanus stole his storm leaving it as a mark of his failure.

In the heard of the Pirates Sea, then called the Sea of Gods, one can find The Storm sailors pray to talos to guide them away from this storm, for the gods wrath spells doom for them.

However if one were to find the heart of the storm they could learn a spell of the gods and call upon his storm. Through the storm harsh winds and rough seas will require the crew of a ship to work hard to prevent capsizing or sinking.

The First Mile of the storm rains in burning acidic rain, dealing 1d6 damage for each minute a creature spends under it. Furthermore it begins to dissolve metal or organic materials. Some materials are not dissolved by this rain, they must be found to keep sailing.

The Second Mile lightning seeks the souls who pass into the domain. Each creature that is struck must save or take 10d6 damage as the lightning hits them (half on p, none on s).

The Third Mile the rain freezes into dagger like shards, this will tear apart anything softer than steel and deal 2d6 damage against characters hit.

The Fourth Mile causes frost to climb over solid surfaces, attempts to move require special equipment or risk slipping and falling. Fog rises preventing one from seeing beyond their arms reach, and howling winds swallow words spoken.

The Eye of the Storm is a mile wide calm area, the winds are completely still and sunlight streams from a gap in the clouds at all times. Here a Isle can found formed from a towering sword, atop the sword a carving can be transcribed to learn the spell, this must be transcribed in steel for all other materials will be destroyed by the spell's power.

Storm of Talos

Ritual (5), Concentration

Over the 5 rounds of the ritual the storm begins to gather above the caster, any beings with magical talent can feel the power emanating from the spell. Once it is cast the Storm described above begins, each mile forms above the caster, effecting them and anything in a mile for a round, before moving an out as the next mile begins until the caster is safe within the eye. The Storm moves with the caster while the maintain concentration, multiple characters can carry the concentration together, the storm remaining while at least half of them hold onto the spell. When the spell ends, by the concentration ending or the casters choosing to end it, the storm fades over minutes.

The spell is sentient and is a spirit of war, it seeks battle and war and advocates for violence when it can solve a problem. It does however understand peace and when it must be used, it cannot stand to see betrayal or injustice. It struggles to understand the limitations of mortals, seeing any enemy as worthy of it's use.

Chains of Tartarus

Deep beneath the earth lies the prison of the Titans, digging even deeper Tartarus binds the titans so they will never escape. To find the chains one first must make it to The Grey Waste where they must avoid the agents of Hades and Desponia, there in the deepest part of the land they can find massive chains made of disgil descending into the depths of Carseri. This chain is bound to various alcoves and cells where other creatures have been imprisoned by the powerful magic.

To learn the spell you must claim one of these cells each holds a bound creature, the deeper one descends the stronger the cells become. You must defeat the guardians, copies of the caster and any other's who guard their prisoner, shatter the chains holding closed the alcove and survive whatever it held being set free. Then you may find the vows Tartarus uttered to bind the titans as he dug, which you may utter again to cast the spell.

Vow of Tartarus

Ritual (10)

With the true name of a creature you can see you can begin to bind them, they are slowed and stunned while you cast the ritual. At the end of the ritual chains and burst from the ground and drag them into the depths, where they are bound into the alcove you claimed. However if the ritual is interrupted your magic will backfire and you must save or become bound in your own cell.

You may choose the appearance of the cell and how the passage of time is perceived inside. You cannot bind a creature with more HD than the creature that was already contained within the cell. Once you've cast this spell your alcove is filled, and you cannot cast the spell unless you were to free the creature inside or claim another alcove.

If somebody else defeats your guardian, a copy of yourself and any allies you bind alongside you, they can free the bound creature and claim the alcove for themselves. 

The Name of Death

By defeating an avatar of death you may earn it's name. 

Die
Fast

A creature you can see dies, however Death now knows your name.

Nameless God

The void is a layer in the plane of Dreams, it is where the forgotten things lies. Lost dreams, forgotten moments, and even dead secrets can be found in this place. Deep in this plane a quiet shrine can be found, it's stonework worn away, by taking a rubbing of the worn stone a few worn letters can be found. With this fragment of a name the spell worms it's way into your brain.

The Ancestor
Slow
You summon a shadowy creature that resembles you, it acts as you command. You can pass through the Ancestor and vice versa. The ancestor may only remain for the scene before fading away out of view. The Ancestor cannot be summoned more than once per day.
When it is first called the Ancestor has no details and has the statistics of a 1 HD commoner, you may make one skill that the ancestor has. When you have summoned the ancestor a number of times equal to it's HD it increases it's HD by 1.
When the Ancestor Reaches 3 HD, you may choose a feat for the Ancestor to gain, you must also choose a gender & ancestry for your ancestor. When the Ancestor reaches 5 HD you may choose a class for the Ancestor to take one level in, you must now choose a voice for your ancestor. Your ancestor no longer increases in HD at this level.
When you reach your final level or die the Ancestor may claim a name, they become a player character at 1st level with the Feat and Class you chose for them. When they reach their final level they will ascend, becoming a minor god, of a domain appropriate to their nature. You, or your party, may then ask one Wish of them, which the nameless god will grant you if it is within their power.

The Ancestor is sentient, their personality develops as you discover them, they cannot talk until their final level, before then they can only whisper in your ear. 

Each time this spell is completed, and a minor god ascends the nameless god gains one letter of their name when the god has regained it's name in full it will rise again, a full god, shaped by those who discovered it.

He was just one day from retirement (NKOG Class: Guards)

I've recently had trouble in one of my games with a busy player, dropping the party from 3 to 2 characters. To solve this I used The Crew class as a support class to represent the parties hirelings (which were, in fact, a pirate crew). This worked fantastically and so I've decided to make my own version, it is designed to be played collectively by the party or by guest players and so has some simplifications compared to other classes in my system.

The Guards

"STOP You've violated the law, pay the court a fine or serve your sentence." Source Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages & Bethesda's ESIV: Oblivion

Starting Equipment: Fancy Armor (Medium), Long weapons, mementoes of their families

Background Question: Who or what did they first protect?

XP Trigger: Special. Guards level is always the average of the parties level.

Starting Stamina: 1d12+6 rolled each time they recover

A:	Guards! Guards! Guards!, Look Out Sir!
B:	Captain of the Guard
C:	Charge! one at a time, +1 Lieutenant
D:	We'll Handle it, +1 Lieutenant

A: Guards! Guard! Guards!

The entire squad of bodyguards are represented by one HP pool which becomes equal to 1d12+6 each time they recover. When they take damage they act as one target. Any effect that would kill or Wound a character instead cause 1hp to be lost as a single guard dramatically dies. Other effects either affect them all or fail completely.

If reduced below 0 HP, the Guards all die in tragic-comic fashion except for the Named Characters. If these all survive to recruit a new crew within 1 session, they can become The Guards again. Otherwise, they disband except for one Named Character who can start to gain classes.

The Guards have encumbrance as a normal character and can only carry the same coin as a regulars character. They will inevitably lose, forget or have stolen from them anything beyond that. Weapons, clothes, ammunition and armor do not occupy inventory slots. Guards need 10 copies of a weapon or item to benefit from it. They consume rations and ammunition as if there were only one of them.

At any one time the guards have as many people as is needed for the scene, if needed the rest can pour from a side room where they were standing guard or gambling.

A: Look out Sir!

The bodyguards can leap in front of an attack that would wound an ally they can see. They take the damage instead as the guard tragically dies.

B: Captain of the Guard

The Guard squad gains ranking members for each template they gain past B, these members have a name, skill and family. They can each act with this skill once per session before fading into the background. The First named character is the Captain, each other character is a Sargent. When a ranked character dies other are promoted to fill the spaces.

C: Charge! one at a time

The Guards can one at a time charge at an opponent and die pointlessly to them. However the opponent will be unable to move until the guards are all dead or they chose to retreat on their turn.

D: We'll Handle it

The bodyguards can sacrifice 1d6+3 stamina, and one ranking character to split off a group to scout, guard or escort something. They will inevitably die but they will be mostly successful in their mission and leave the ranking guard behind to die dramatically after giving the party the information they need.

For example, the guards sent to escort the prince are all found dead but Graham, who was one day from retirement, is bleeding out on the side of the road. He lets the party know that the prince escaped with a ranger they found in a nearby town and is heading towards the capital. He then lets out his last breath, still clutching a photo of his husband.

Godly feats (GLOGtober 2 #6)

GLOGtober Challenge #: Rolled a 6, Notes about a family of gods.

Feat: Divine Favor

You have the favor of one of the gods, choose one below and gain the power listed. You can use that power once per session. You can take this feat multiple times to dedicate to multiple gods.

The First Gods

The Shinning One

Father of the gods, the shining one is the flame handed to humanity by Prometheus, the first god born of a titan to face the other titans. 

Power: Turn Undead. You raise your holy symbol as an action and pray as a holy light bursts forth. Any undead lit by it must save or become Fearful (f) and take Half-Level d6 damage (p)

Zin, The Lawbringer

When the His light reflected of the first piece of steel wielded by men the Lawbringer was born. He forged humanity into an army to fell titans.

Power: Truthful Concecration. You alight some holy oil, while someone has their hands held within the flame will not be burnt, unless they lie.

Hestia, The Hearthkeeper

The youngest god, a spark from The Shining One landed upon the fires of those who could not fight and the goddess of the hearth was born.

Power: Comforting Flame. You pray over a Wound and touch a coal from a hearth (a fire that had been used to cook food) to it. That wound becomes completely healed

The Second Generation:

Talos, The Stormbringer

Born of desperation, the titans of storms had called upon clouds to obscure the battlefield from His light. Alone and cut off from his father Zin ordered every archer to fire up, they pierced the clouds and a single beam of his light flew down. The first lightning bolt was Talos, who led the fight and felled the first titan, claiming the storm as his own.

Power: As lightning moves. As an action you instantly fly your full movement, becoming surrounded in winds and lightning. Any characters you pass over or though take Half-Level d6 damage.

Zois, The Gravekeeper

Zin came back from the field of battle to find Hestia covered in mud from digging graves. Despite his exhaustion he dug alongside her. The shovel they held, stained in the tears of two gods became Zois, who mourned for the fallen.

Power: Still the Dead. You can speak the rites over a corpse and place silver coins on the eyes. The body cannot be animated as undead or otherwise possessed unless the body is desecrated and 1d6 years pass. This works on undead.

Dama, The Weeping

The people starved and Hestia could do nothing. She cared for them as best she could but they could barely stand. The Shining One saw their plight and with Hestia helped them learn to grow fields. The seeds sown by the gods grew Dama, who wept for her starving people.

Power: Reap and Sow. By praying over a crop or fruit tree you can conjure rations equal to your level. These rations never spoil, even after they've been processed.

The Chthonic Ones

Only spoken of in hushed tones, the Chthonic deities live beneath the ground where dead souls pass by. They are taboo to talk of and have very few worshipers.

Tartarus

When the gods had beat each titan they found that the people could not live while they still remained in the mortal realm. So they forged chains, to imprison the Titans elsewhere. Those chains are Tartarus who digs forever deeper to bury the titans away from the gods people.

Power: Chains Below. With a dark prayer to the lord of chains you call upon his power, a character you can see is dragged by chains beneath the earth for a turn, before being ejected at the end of your next turn.

Hypnos

An offspring forbidden by the gods, when Tartarus dug into the realm he found a companion who was not his prisoner. The titan Hecate had hidden where the gods could not find her, and from this union of god and magic was born Hypnos, a god of magic. 

Power: Lost among Dream. When you sleep you can travel, and bring allies with you, into someone you knows dreams. The dream acts as dreams would be expected, when they wake up they will think it was just a normal dream, and not suspect magic unless they have significant reason too. 

Hades

When they found the River where mortal souls flowed in an endless cycle between life and death, the gods knew they could not leave such a place unguarded, so it was that Hades was born, climbing from the river to protect their souls.

Power: Lord of Jewels. You may call forth rare minerals, however they yearn to return beneath the ground and so cannot be sold and must immediately be worked into something new to prevent them from sinking back into the earth.

Weapons of less destruction (GLOGtober Challenge 1 #4)

GLOGtober Challenge #1: Rolled a 4, Magic items that are unintentionally also magic weapons.

Cleansing Rod.

A failed mage was known for washing not as often as they should. They had a distaste for the sense of water flowing over them and therefore decided to solve this problem as their graduate project. The rod cleansed them quite effectively, however as their graduation approached they began to lose weight, they got pale and started to grow sickly despite eating well. When they passed away the chirurgeon concluded that he had cleansed his humor's and thus doomed himself to a slow death.

The Cleansing Rod can be used, over 1 minute, to cleanse a person of all filth. Thus rendering them clean and even smelling pleasantly of  lavender (giving a +1 to social checks). However the cleansed person can no longer benefit from Recovery or rations and will begin to starve. 

A highly skilled medical practitioner may be able to come up with a cure: drinking a healthy persons bile or other digestive fluids.

Cursed Tome

The librarian had noticed a distinct trend, the romance novels were disappearing at a staggering rate, however none were being booked out. So he decided to make a trap to catch the horny thief.

This tome appears to be a cheaply bound romance novel attached to a length of rope. Whoever touches the tome will find whatever parts of them touched it covered in a in invisible in that glows in the dark. This ink transfers on touch to other objects or places allowing one to follow the trail.

The tome acts as a flail, however on a hit the target is marked and they can be followed by their trail as long as it is dark enough to see the glowing ink.

Telekinetic Sewing Kit

They became quite common nearby the magic school, many students would make them for a quick profit. A simple telekinesis spell on a sewing kit, the tailors would pay top dollar to be able to sew with two free hands. It all ended however with the Seamstress Murder's where an assassin earned fame by using poisoned needles from the kits to fulfil their contacts. Now they are black market items, purchased by both assassins' and tailors wherever they can find them.

This sewing kit contains 2d6 needles inside that can be guided by a user with mental commands (Sewing kit gives +1 to all related checks). These needles can be flung as if by a magic missile spell at enemies, dealing 1d4 damage each. Unlike magic missile these needles can be poisoned.

Hedge Mages Spells*

The hedge mages are known for being a practical folk, some are known for their incredible skill with a wide range of spells. Most however are just simple craftspeople, using utility spells to support people. Some people, with less sense than muscles, attempt to take from them like they were simple craftsmen, they are quick to learn that simple utility magic can have other effects.

Cantrip: Mending

With 10 minutes of time any minor damage, like tears or cracks,  no larger than your hand can be seamlessly repaired. Skilled users can use it to weld two identical materials together (skill check to do successfully)

1: Light

Slow, visible point, instant 

When cast creates an incredibly bright light, if fired into the air lights up everything in 100ft. If fired close to the ground all creatures within 30ft. must save or be blinded for 1 minute (f) or 3 turns (p). This also creates long shadows that give a +1 bonus to any attempts to hide on the battlefield.

2: Cooktop

Slow, [dice] Nearby pieces of metal, Concentration

You cause [dice] pieces of metal you can see to glow cherry red allowing you to cook atop it like a camp-fire. If cast on weapons the opponent must drop it or take [sum] damage each turn you maintain the spell. Casting on armor generally is ineffective due to it's size and padding worn beneath it.

3: Green Thumb

Slow, Nearby plants, Instant

You gently nurture plants, sustaining them with magical energy, you can grow plants up to [dice] times their initial volume over 10 minutes, shaping them however you want. You can also release it in a burst to grow plants quickly and entangle anyone in them, entangling up to [dice] opponents standing among plant life. These plants have [sum] HP and take double damage from fire.

4: Condensation

Slow, A nearby point or character, Instant

By pulling the air together you can condense the air around into fog and then into liquid. You can fill [dice] waterskins with water over 10 minutes. You can instead conjure this fog about a person, they must save or lose their turn (f) and be blinded (p) as they choke on the fog.

5: Longsight

Slow, Self, [dice] rounds

You bend the air around a ring, such as one made by your circled fingers, that ring now acts as a telescope letting you see incredible distances or observe the stars. This removes penalties from ranged attacks past your weapons range and grants a +1 bonus on checks to see distant details.

6: Birdcall

Fast, Nearby point, Instant

You can create illusionary sounds of any animal or voice you have heard. The sounds lack resonance however and intelligent beings will not be fooled unless the sound is disguised somehow (such as being muffled). Beasts however can be easily startled and scared by the sounds of their predators.

If cast directly into a characters ears they must save or be deafened for [sum] rounds.

7:Unseen Servant

Ritual (2), Nearby Location, [sum] hours
You summon an invisible, intangible servant. It will do your bidding and can perform any and all unskilled mundane tasks at the speed a human could perform them. It  cannot go further than the range of the spell away from the location where the spell was cast and can only take a single harmful action, dealing [sum] damage maximum and being dispelled.

*Spellcasting rules

I know a guy (Downtime rule & contacts)

Relationship Rules

Relationships of NPC’s with the party can be characterized by the relationship level system. The system defines how a character will help or hinder the party. When attempting to persuade, barter or otherwise negotiate with the NPC the characters roll a number of dice modified by their relationship level with them.

These relationships also apply to Factions the larger groups that interact with characters.

Level	Name	Effect
-3	Rival	Will actively seek out the party to obstruct them
-2	Enemy	Will obstruct the party if they come across them, even it it inconveniences them
-1	Opponent	Will deny the party help unless they have a strong motivation, will obstruct the party if it requires little effort.
0	Neutral	Will not help or hinder the party without reason
+1	Acquaintance	Will help the party in easy ways unless they have a reason not to
+2	Friend	Will help the party unless it heavily disadvantages them
+3	Ally	Will actively help the party in whatever way they reasonably can

Downtime: Carouse

When you Carouse, you spend your money making friends and earning favors. You may get drunk at the bar, buying everyone drinks, getting into trouble and helping others get out of trouble, or you may find invite the local librarians out for a nice dinner for some enlightening conversation. Maybe you even go and do some gardening with the local druids. Either way you meet new people and earn Favors.

To Carouse you:

- Describe how you're getting to know new people

- Decide on what skill is most relevant for what you are doing

- Roll your skill check, adding a +1 bonus for each coin you spend

If your result is a:

• Full Success, you earn 2 Favors from the people you met.
• Partial Success, you earn 1 Favor 
• Failure, you earn 1 Favor but a Complication Arises.

Using Favors

Favor's earned by carousing can be spend in two ways:

I know a guy. When the party needs a contact for some service like selling rare goods, purchasing ingredients, or discreet information, you Know a Guy who can help, gaining a +1 to your relationship with them for your first meeting.

Call in a Favor. When the party needs a help quickly or without being able to pay the normal price they can call in a favor from a character they already know. Characters being called on for a favor will help as if they are 1 relationship level higher than they are. This can be pushed to 2 higher at the cost of a -1 to the relationship after as they feel the party has forced their hand.

Complications: 

1. Your Favor is in trouble, such as debt or imprisonment, and needs some help before they are able to help with anything.
2. You manage to make an enemy with a character, a faction or character you have a neutral relationship with will become an opponent until you appease them.
3. You attract attention from the law, you must either pay a coin in fines or hide until they forget your face.
4. You are blacklisted from your venue, you'll have to find a new location before you can carouse in that manner again.
5. You owe someone else a favor, which they will call in before you can use the favor you earnt.
6. You've managed to catch a disease, curse or ailment that while benign now, will get worse each downtime until you find a cure.