In the world of Pathways, there are organizations with large amounts of power. These organizations, both public and discreet, are known as factions. These organizations can influence the actions of the players directly. Some will attempt to hire players as mercenaries, some will attempt to oppose the player’s actions, and some may even recruit players at some point. Getting into a faction is difficult, however, and once you get in, it is difficult getting out. Factions are the holders of power in the Pathways universe. They influence government, commerce, and all manner of legal and illegal business. Betrayal is a major wrong inside of a faction, leading to the expulsion, and possible termination, of they betrayer. Each faction can be classified as public, private, or secret.

Public factions are businesses, governments, and other organizations. They do not hide their presence from the public, and it is generally known what they are and what they do. They may perform actions that are out of the public eye, but most actions of such organizations are publicly available. If a player joins one of these organizations, they typically can do so at any level, provided that they can pass a basic test in the area in which they tend to work. They will usually start at the lower ranks, and will, by distinguishing themselves and with time, be allowed to rise in the ranks. They are unlikely to hire independent groups, such as players, to work for them unless such groups are good at what they do and will be discreet. These tend to be the easiest to get out of, unless you were involved with illegal activities inside of that faction.

Private factions can be businesses, but typically are private security forces, mercenary groups, or other such organizations. Most people do not know that these organizations exist, as they appear fairly small. Some will engage in illegal activities, and many are “for hire,” though many others are hired by a specific organization. While some private factions have specific goals, many are simply mercenary groups, going from job to job. Many public factions have private factions on the payroll. A player is unlikely to join a private faction unless they distinguish themselves in front of organization members, at which point membership will be offered. These tend to be the smallest of the three kinds of organizations, and, while they do make public appearances, it is typically while under the hire of a public faction.

Secret factions have no public image, or if they do, it is a disguise of sorts. They form militia units, secret societies, organized crime, and other discreet organizations. They typically engage in illegal activities, ranging from smuggling to assassination. Almost every secret faction has an ultimate agenda or goal, even if most of the members are unaware of it. PCs can rarely join such an organization, unless, like with private factions, they are able to distinguish themselves from others in not only their field, but in secrecy. A potential recruit into a secret faction is usually asked to perform a task to prove their loyalty.

If a character is a member of the faction, they may be given a secret notice by Plot on orders of what to do for the faction on that adventure. Failure is not often tolerated, and can be seen as betrayal. Most factions will not tolerate incompetence, and if the person is unsuccessful or is found out as a member of the faction, they may be subject to many penalties, depending on how grave their offense and the faction involved. Factions may also hire characters for a brief period, though in many cases (particularly with secret factions) the players won’t know that the organization is employing them, only that someone with power and money hired them for the job.