What is the difference now with the factions banned. After the Faction War they have no power in sigil. Have they downgraded to Sects?
Factions vs. Sects?
Mon, 2008-01-21 19:52
#1
Factions vs. Sects?
Mon, 2008-01-21 22:09
#3
Factions vs. Sects?
Aye. It's also worthwhile to note that Factions tend to have a larger belief base. Just because the Lady threw their political structure out, doesn't mean overnight everyone stopped believing what they believed.
Mon, 2008-01-21 23:13
#4
Factions vs. Sects?
On a more meta note, Factions tend to get a lot of space in books and have iconic and well established identities, whereas sects will often be made up on the spot to fill the needs of a given adventure and then disappear again once they've done their job. It's implied that there are hundreds of sects out there in little corners of the multiverse, but there are only fifteen factions and those fifteen factions are everywhere.
Mon, 2008-01-21 23:25
#5
Factions vs. Sects?
In my PS game, I've also come to calling groups within factions that have a slight variation on the Faction's dogma, Sects as well. For instance, there is a 'Sect' within the Doomguard that works to combat the mutiverse's decay being quickened by groups or individuals.
Tue, 2008-01-22 06:02
#6
Factions vs. Sects?
Ok. The difference did get slimmer but now there are no more only fifteen factions(with ring givers the factions are sixteen).
Now I think of some factions ceases to exist in a short time (maybe the doomguards?) and some sects have upgraded as the ring givers.
Then I would like to see some new factions.
Tue, 2008-01-22 07:51
#7
Factions vs. Sects?
What I'm about to write might seem bit outrageous, but here goes:
I think that there is no diference between factions and sects at all except title calling.
You see, Sigil is one of most prestigious cities in the multiverse (and one of the snobiest), so title "faction" is resreved to those "bloods" organisations who have HQs in Sigil (and thus they can atract more follovers from all over the planes). While all other philosophical organisations outside Sigil are called (degrtory) "sects".
I mean before Lady edict of 15 factions per Sigil, there were literary hundreds of "factions" in city. Then edict came and suddenly we have 15 factions and all other's are sects.
To sumise "factions" are sects that have HQ in Sigil, while "sects" are factions that operate outside sigil and have little influence on city (there are certanly powerfull sects out there like Merchants that they have more monetary power than Fated, for example).
Tue, 2008-01-22 11:37
#8
Factions vs. Sects?
What I'm about to write might seem bit outrageous, but here goes:
That's how I interpreted it too, so it can't be THAT outrageous. 
Tue, 2008-01-22 14:28
#9
Factions vs. Sects?
What I'm about to write might seem bit outrageous, but here goes:
I think that there is no diference between factions and sects at all except title calling.
You see, Sigil is one of most prestigious cities in the multiverse (and one of the snobiest), so title "faction" is resreved to those "bloods" organisations who have HQs in Sigil (and thus they can atract more follovers from all over the planes). While all other philosophical organisations outside Sigil are called (degrtory) "sects".
I mean before Lady edict of 15 factions per Sigil, there were literary hundreds of "factions" in city. Then edict came and suddenly we have 15 factions and all other's are sects.
To sumise "factions" are sects that have HQ in Sigil, while "sects" are factions that operate outside sigil and have little influence on city (there are certanly powerfull sects out there like Merchants that they have more monetary power than Fated, for example).
To my knowledge, that is the official distinction between the two.
Edit: The encyclopedia agrees with this:
Sects are groups of like-minded individuals who share a common goal or resources. A sect is usually located on a single plane (As opposed to the factions, who reside in Sigil or have members all over the planes). Sects are typically headed by a sectol, who is the best representative of the sect's ideals.
Wed, 2008-01-23 08:25
#10
Factions vs. Sects?
Then I have dicowered warm water. :oops:
I would say no, for two reasons.
First, although they lost their official power, the Factions still have a lot of influence in Sigil, where Sects do not. Some Factions are even still based in Sigil.
Second, Factions still have influence across many Planes, while Sects tend to have a much more limited reach.
On the whole though, I'd say the difference did get slimmer.