The Old Planescape and the New Planescape: The effects of Her Serenity's edict on the philosophical background in and around the city of doors.
When writing for a Planescape game, story, character or other article I now find that there is almost always a single question that often crops up when that article comes upon the subject of setting: Is this pre- or post- faction war? Now on the surface this is a simple question to answer and it has simple results. If no then it means that events surrounding the article happened before faction war, that the major factions are in power and operating almost exclusively out of Sigil, and that power struggles are more or less at an equilibrium point. Post faction war of coarse would seem to mean just the opposite. But really it doesn't mean that at all. Post faction war means that things are different now.
In the short run it would seem that the factions have fallen out of power, been robbed of their home in the city of doors and had their beliefs shaken at their core. In the long run none of this is true, except possibly the second. The power of the factions has been challenged and their direct power in Sigil itself has been dissolved but the Lady's edict does not extend throughout the planes. They are no longer bound in the old system of running the city and are now free to work solely to pursue their own goals. It also allows for new factions to take root and mature inside the city of doors and the outlands. Their separation also means that tensions between factions can cool off. But old grudges die hard and quarrels of belief can take life of their own. The war in the cage may have ended, but out on the planes, has it really begun?
In short. I would like to discuss, compare and contrast the factions of current day (cannon day) with those of pre faction war. Most of my knowledge comes from my experience in a post faction war campaign.
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I'm a pre-Faction War man myself, since FW was supposed to be part of a trilogy of adventures. The authors never intended this to be the status quo and like all good stories, they followed a certain procedure. The campaign setting was Act 1, which establishes the scene. Act 2 is chaos, where things get shaken up and a crisis develops. This is Faction War. Act 3 is the resolution of the crisis, and Act 4 is the return to normality. Since we didn't get Acts 3 or 4, we're sort of stuck in the middle of the stage, as it where, and that's not a good place to be.
I feel that since the vast body of material on Planescape describes the pre-FW setting, while only a tiny bit describes it post-FW, it's best to play and support the pre-FW world. However, the official position of Planewalker is that FW is canon and we go from there. Too bad, really, because the kriegstanz is one of the most interesting parts of Sigil. Without the factions we're back to rather bland medieval guilds, which have been done in every fantasy setting and are nothing exceptional.
How did your DM handle the post-FW factions? Did he wing it or use the new PSCS?