Class Conflict as Faction Play

Module B4 The Lost City contains a distinctive version of faction play. Here, the idea of “class conflict” takes on a peculiarly RPG connotation. Faction membership in this adventure is primarily related to your character class. The Magi of Usamigaras for example, are magic users, who look down their noses at fighters.

Talk of class conflict in any other context, you’re probably thinking more of workers vs the bourgeoisie. This dimension of conflict tends to poorly represented in Old School games, which are more concerned with conflict between small groups than between broad sweeps of society.

Despite this, I do think the B4 module offers important lessons for dealing with social classes in an RPG context. This is by providing an objective basis for grouping characters that cuts through factional allegiances. I’ll expand on this idea in what follows, first looking at alternative ways social classes can be treated in RPGs.