Archives of Nethys


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Infinite Worlds / Accord

Low Accord

Source Galaxy Exploration Manual pg. 98
Life on a low-accord world is almost universally governed by fear. All-out war between numerous small factions grips the archetypical low-accord society, whether that war involves literal armed conflict or a constant state of competition where there are no true allies yet ample consequences for failure. Chaotic societies are most naturally inclined to collapse into such conflicts, yet even lawful factions might initiate and sustain these long-term struggles.
Few people enjoy living in a low-accord world, though occasionally small groups can establish pockets of relative stability and profit. These fledgling societies are uncertain, insecure enterprises, as whatever forces caused the world to fall into low accord remain a threat. The exceptions include worlds and societies that survive and eventually push their homes toward greater stability. It’s uncommon for a low-accord world to stay that way indefinitely; most of what the Pact Worlds recognize as sapient species gravitate toward stability and safety, even if their societies also encourage individuality, self-expression, and a degree of dissidence. Worlds that remain in a low-accord state for extended periods often do so because of external factors that prohibit a safer equilibrium, whether offworld political influence or geological instability that manifests as societal imbalance.
Adventurers from low-accord worlds often consider themselves refugees or escapees, finding solace in a galactic society that seems oddly trusting and cooperative. Life in a low-accord world tends to cultivate paranoia and self-reliance in equal measure, and for many such adventurers, learning that trust isn’t a weakness can prove a difficult yet vital step toward fitting into other societies. Adventurers who overcome this hurdle and accept trusted allies might still assume the worst of everyone else and, in turn, expect others to assume the worst of them.

Low-Accord Adventure Hook

D20Adventure Hook
1 Someone is taking advantage of the planet’s disorganization to hide a secret research facility.
2 A local warlord looks for aid in training their nebbish heir in the arts of violence.
3 A major discovery of natural resources in what was previously a wasteland sparks a land rush, and tempers are high.
4Star-crossed lovers from rival factions beg for outsiders’ help.
5 An offworld corporation looks for help in retrieving a cargo of dangerous weapons shipped to the world “by accident.”
6 A powerful and violent faction suddenly goes silent. What are they planning—or what happened to them?
7 A lawful-aligned outsider appears in an area of sacred ground that was previously the focus of a three-sided civil war.
8 A freighter full of humanitarian supplies goes missing in a wasteland thought to be inhabited by monsters.
9 Though they have ceased hostilities, two rival groups can’t agree on the terms of peace and require outside arbitration.
10 A retiring warlord bequeaths their lands and goods to a group of offworlders they’ve supposedly never met before.
11 There’s a murder at a neutral meeting between factions, but the obvious suspect is a little bit too obvious.
12 A new faction joins the chaotic political landscape when the plants and animals of a large stretch of wilderness suddenly become sapient.
13 People flock to a charismatic new demagogue. Anyone who hears them speak becomes a convert.
14 A desperate faction requires assistance to bring a holy figure to an important location behind enemy lines.
15A peacekeeping group on a world on the brink of war goes quiet.
16 A minor faction is so desperate for offworld help that it has just kidnapped a prominent offworld personality.
17 The underdog faction in a minor war looks offworld for mercenary assistance, offering higher pay than they should be able to afford.
18 A profiteering offworld corporation secretly hoards a key natural resource that the world’s factions has long fought over.
19 A key contact for offworld visitors was killed in a minor raid. What happens to visiting adventurers now?
20 An interstellar criminal cartel suborns local clans into providing them with illicit goods, such as dangerous drugs.