Our fine heroes got out alive from an ambush, where some NPC thugs tried to lure them in a building, then lock the door and set it ablaze. They got out and the NPCs scattered, and the only one they captured simply doesn't know anything of value (the more experienced ones left him behind to slow the party). All in all, all they know is someone is wishing them ill.

These were obviously not fighters, they lied to them -- but they were definitely pros, and cold-blooded ones at that! So, who sent them? Who have they crossed?

Well, after a brief conversation, the answer might become "who's still at our side and why in the nine circles of Hell didn't they leave us to rot earlier", but that's another matter. Depends on the group, doesn't it? The group in our example has crossed a nameless demon cult by saving a sacrificial victim, the watch by breaking the hand of a watchman, and a guild by making the daughter of a rich trader pregnant! (Admittedly, only one of them was responsible for the last, but they don't plan to leave him to rot, so they'll be seen as his associates by the trader).

Motives

So, be they guilds, churches, armies or extended families, what do organizations want? Why, of course, that depends on their agenda …

You're wrong! Wrong?

Yes, wrong. The organization wants to ensure it gets enough resources. Their goals are what the bosses want. Sometimes not even they consider them primary!

Of course, the line gets muddy with a clan where ensuring the well-being of the people comprising the clan is also its stated goal. But just remember that and let's focus on the rest of them.

OTOH, to ensure they get enough resources -- money, respect, privileges, whatever they need -- an organization usually needs to prove it's actually doing its job. That's why they get them.

Have you made them look bad in public, perhaps by proving them inefficient? Maybe you even hinted they're (no longer) necessary? Did you hurt one of the high-ranking members in private? Is he or she in position to leverage the rank as a means to get revenge (which could easily lead to the PCs making them look bad in public)?

If so, you know an organization that doesn't love you. How are they going to express their disapproval?

It depends on whether you're dealing with Cosa Nostra (the Sicilian mafia, note Asen) or the demon cult next door, doesn't it? (I hope neither of us actually has a demon cult for neighbours next door, BTW).

Means

If you're dealing with an armed organization -- criminal, ancient militaries or paramilitaries, people with private armies, militant churches, a martial arts school in an ancient setting -- the obvious answer is the wrong one. Probably.

Most people don't resort to killing as their first choice in dealing with a problem. No, they'll look out for other ways first. Even the mafia considers killing to be a bad business practice, generally. At the very least, it attracts the attention of the police - and "shady" businesses don't need that. However, if you're talking about a mafia boss called "Mad dog" Giacomo... all bets are off. But he's the exception, not the rule! Well, most organizations would think twice. Granted, there are exceptions...

Still, three stages might be a good rule of thumb for most. A demon cult might go for armed much sooner, a bureaccracy might never do that.

Still, who would they sent against you? Well, first, if they can deny any services to you, they will. If they can't, they can probably slow down the delivery (and if your actions lead to reduced funding for them, as a bonus, they get to blame you for being inefficient and causing you stress and possible harm. "We can't do our jobs with this funding, which was reduced thanks to you. We're doing our best. Sorry for inconveniences". And to make the matters worse, that's a legitimate answer! They might be genuinely under great pressure, and not trying to spite you. It's not like PCs are known for being the best judges of which organization is actually working as hard as it can for as little money as it can...)

If that's not enough or things keep escalating, they might start hitting back at you socially. That usually involves other people in the setting, and draws them in the confrontation (which they might not be happy about). Even in a game without social combat -- who's your best contact? That's presumably a human being. Is he (or she) overjoyed at losing their services as well? Does anyone in the organization have contacts to him, his family, or worse of all -- his own boss?

You can bet they'd use it at this stage.

Can they call on favours to deny you some other assets? Or can they involve someone else that's closer to the PCs?

Like, can the priest of the demon cult claim to the police the PCs, a team of deeply religious supernatural-hunters, are infringing on his freedom of religion? If so, you could get a restraining order (after a judicial procedure, but if the PCs were as delicate as most PCs in leaving traces, this might be an easy Persuade roll for the cultists). Good luck investigating them, now that this is a crime! Or can he go to the archbishop and threaten a media scandal if these Catholic witchhunters don't stop harassing them? If so, the local padre might well refuse to provide holy water, or even impose a penitence to your deeply religious PCs. Yes, they're kicking you where it hurts -- and we're not even fighting yet.

Well, let's get to the third stage. Mind you, a modern bureaucracy might never get to this stage, unless the PCs attack them physically first. (But then, they'd call the real professionals! Or in other words, they'd call the police. And it might call for SWAT teams. And if you can deal with them, anything up to National Guard and SEALs can be dispatched).

Remember, any organization has some means to protect itself from physical abuse. It might well be a low-wage, paid-per-hour guard at the door and a phone to call the police -- but this setup actually works for many people in modern times. Have you wondered why? Well, because it's actually pretty efficient, if you give it time to work. Are the PCs willing to use hit-and-run tactics and become criminals?

And for armed organizations in a time and area with little laws, muggings and drive-by assaults might well be the obvious answer. Don't anger the hypercorps... or don't let them know it was you who did this!

As an aside, the organization might not have the right to strike back, depending on setting. But in an armed organization, some members might decide to shortcut the legal procedure and meet you in a back alley for a long, heartwarming, painful conversation! Their superiors might be oblivious or turning a blind eye to it. Only a very spoilt and unscrupulous organization would go after your relatives and friends looking for "soft targets", though. Of course, in many settings and genres we play in, there are plenty of those!

Resources

These were actually hinted at in the previous paragraph. But basically, denial of services, social attacks against your contacts, money and image in society, beatings and assassination attempts are some major options, off the cuff of my head. Any organization can engage in the non-violent ones. And of course, they all have the means they need to do their general job -- well, sometimes a bit less, sometimes a bit more, but if they still exist, that's "a little". And a little less on organizational scale makes little difference when they have to deal with the PCs on a personal scale.

So, we already know what would trigger an organization's "wrath", how they're likely to react, and what means they'd use. You have a ready-made antagonist or ally.

Really, the PCs can be the ones protecting an organization! Just give them some enemies that act against the organization, and tell them what backing they might receive. Then the NPCs are in the role of the PCs, and PCs are the agents of the organization trying to keep the status quo. Your ally is always someone else's enemy! This goes even for influential people, which in the context of this article are considered high-ranking officials in their own organization. Yes, the Sun King is the head of an organization. It's called a "state". And the barons are high-ranking officials of the same organization as well! So, in this article, I only provided one perspective, the one of PCs vs Organization -- but you might as well turn it on its head, and/or replace organization with individuals. It's a stable structure, I believe, so it's going to hold, and should still provide you with ideas. If they're keeping the status quo, just think what a group much like the PCs would do, and have the antagonists doing exactly that!

As an added benefit, this can lead to a final show-off where the enemies claim that They Are Not So Different!

Word of warning, expect any PCs to try wild publicity stunts to protect the organization against the damage. Or they might skip the non-violent phases. Or do all of these at once.

As always, it depends on the players, really!