factions of the san saba

While the town of Bravado is the primary setting of our story, there are more survivors in the world than just live in our tiny town. The nearby region is mostly controlled by several powerful Factions, made up of common workers, soldiers, merchants, and leaders that work together to achieve their mutual goals. During an event, you might encounter various agents and representatives of the major factions, and your actions can help or harm their success in the San Saba.

In the new DR Live book “Social Creatures”, you can read more about network-level factions like the Arbiters of the Bond and the Ossuary Society, but it also outlines the basic function for how Societies function in the game.

Branch Specific Societies

While Network-Wide Societies shape the larger game world, Local Societies are designed to define the culture, power struggles, and history of an individual branch. These groups—whether they are trade guilds, outlaw gangs, family dynasties, or secretive local organizations—exist only within a specific settlement and are used to drive branch level local storytelling.

Local Societies are a narrative tool, meant to provide a deeply personal, settlement-specific role-playing experience. Unlike Network-Wide Societies, they do not come with unique mechanics, custom items, or plot kits, and they do not extend beyond a single branch. Instead, they serve as a reflection of the local game’s culture and conflicts, allowing players to become deeply involved in the settlement’s politics, traditions, and power struggles.

• Settlement-Focused Role-Play: Local Societies allow characters to form tight-knit factions within a game’s specific political, economic, or social landscape. Whether it’s a gang of smugglers controlling trade routes or a governing council managing the town’s laws, these groups define how the settlement operates.

• Localized Storytelling: Since these societies exist only within a single game, they serve as story engines for local narrative arcs. The rise and fall of these groups are driven by the choices of players and storytellers at the local level.

• No Custom Mechanics or Items: Unlike Network-Wide Societies, Local Societies do not have unique abilities, skills, or special mechanics. Their value is in role-playing and storytelling, not mechanical advantages.

• Community & Culture: Many settlements develop distinct cultures over time, and Local Societies reinforce that. These groups reflect regional themes, traditions, and ideologies, adding depth to the game’s environment and history.

Society Membership mechanics

Each character may join up to four (4) Local Societies and up to two (2) Network-Level Societies.

The groups Murder Inc. and Black Market don’t use one of these slots unless it is a smaller subgroup, like a specific Murder Inc. Family or criminal gang. Approved DR:TX player-led factions may be added to the list over time.

There are only six current blueprints that use the Society Membership mechanic:

• Codex Insignia

• Document Case

• Glitter Gulch Raider-Ride

• Go Haul Armored Trailer

• The Only List That Matters

• We All Lift Together

You can read more about how Local Societies function in the DR Live book, “Social Creatures”.

Branch-level Society Memberships

Local societies operate at the level of a single settlement, and the nature of their obligations tends to be more fluid than those of the larger, global institutions. These groups represent the political, economic, and social fabric of the settlement, ranging from family dynasties to trade unions, from criminal enterprises to ideological movements. Membership in multiple local groups may be possible, but only to the extent that a character can reasonably maintain their standing, obligations, and usefulness within each one. Eventually, alliances will create conflicts of interest, and membership in one group may come at the cost of another.

Local Societies of the San Saba:

• Railroad Conglomerate (RRC)

• Grave Council

• Junkerpunks

• San Saba Republic

• Law Dog Union

• The Bravado Militia

These are the six major local factions in the San Saba, the immediate 10-mile or so range around the settlement of Bravado. These organizations have been major influencers in the region over the last few years and have nearby headquarters or settlements of note. You can expect to encounter agents of these factions during a DR:TX event and membership in these factions can involve in you in the local stories and intrigues of that group. You can find more details about these organizations below.

Approved Player-Led Local Societies:

• The Road Royals

• Blood & Bone

• Misfits & Maidens

• Shields of the Lonestar

• The Lucky Ram MC

Player-led Local Societies must have at least five (5) active characters in regular attendance and must be approved by the DR:TX gamerunners. These groups will need to submit Design Docs detailing themes, narrative, and local membership requirements. You can inquire more about adding a group to this list by sending an email to info@dystopiarisingtx.com.

Network Level Societies:

• Blacktide Hunters

• Wells Society

• Ossuary Society

• Arbiters of the Bond

Note, Network-wide societies are not necessarily involved in our local DR:TX stories. As these become available to join locally, we will update our information on this page.

For players, advancement within these societies is a long-term journey, not something earned overnight. Rising through the ranks of a Network-Wide Society requires consistent engagement, influence, and time—at least one year of active participation per rank increase. These organizations are not designed for rapid progression; their weight and impact in the world come from history, stability, and the cumulative efforts of their members. A character climbing the ranks of their society is not just proving their worth to their local settlement but becoming a recognized part of the organization’s broader structure.