Dragon	-	Classes	-	Dragon #64
Enforcement & punishment	-	-	-	1st day on the job

Sooner or later you’re bound to run
into them. They may ambush you in the
forest; they may lie in wait for you in dark
city streets; they may betray you from
within your own party. At some time during
your adventuring career, you’re
bound to encounter assassins.

These encounters can sometimes be
less difficult for the victim than for the
player who wants to portray the villain,
or for the DM running a campaign that
involves playing one or more assassins
as NPCs in addition to his many other
“monsters.” Assassins can be complex
and unpredictable characters; determining
where, when, and how they will strike
can be very difficult. What motivates
them? What determines their priorities?
How daring can they afford to be without
putting themselves in danger of discovery
and capture?

The key to dealing effectively with assassin
characters is to realize they aren’t
necessarily as impetuous as they may
appear to be when they strike. Even
chaotics need some sort of loose framework
of standards to live by; otherwise
they’d eliminate their allies as well as
their enemies, and nothing constructive
would ever get done. Moreover, most assassination
attempts take a good deal of
careful pre-planning and waiting for the
opportunity to make a move when the
chance of being caught seems minimal.
No sensible person is going to spend
effort to achieve a goal that will gain him
nothing and probably endanger his life
into the bargain.

An assassin must be, if anything, even
more organized than the average player
character or NPC. This is where the Assassins’
Guild comes in. Under the direction
of the Guildmaster or Grandfather
of Assassins, it protects the interests and
safety of its members, insures that the
effort expended in its activities will provide
profit rather than loss, and trains its
apprentices to think in the cunning and
convoluted way that will allow them to
stay one step ahead of both their victims
and the law.

It is possible for unaffiliated assassins
to operate under their own direction and
for their own profit. But it’s very unlikely
they could have learned their intricate
craft well through trial-and-error experience
without making a fatal mistake.
Besides, even the most free-spirited
assassin-adventurer eventually has to
stop in somewhere for supplies and employment;
and no settlement, of any size
or structure, is without its underworld
“Organized crime” may be less brazen
about its nefarious activities in a predominantly
lawful area than it might be
in a locale where such dealings are unremarkable;
but it will always be there.
Suffice it to say that the neighborhood
professionals are not going to take kindly
to an out-of-town freelancer usurping
their business, One way or another, the
guild will get involved.

Members of Assassins’ Local 327 will
be found in many logical places, watching
out for newcomers of all sorts. There
will probably be at least one ear to the
wall of every inn and tavern in town, especially
the seedier ones. Shops, guild
halls, banks, and warehouses— particularly
those storing the goods of traveling
merchants — will also be monitored,
both for careless mention of available
booty and for strangers who seem to be
listening for the same information. Guild
members will also be posted in all the
places one would go for the tools of the
trade, such as weaponsmiths, bazaars,
and apothecaries. There will be at least
one spy in or near the households of
each of the major figures in town, especially
those concerned with law and
order. And let’s not forget the “at-large”
assassins, prowling the streets disguised
as everything from beggars to housewives.
Thanks to such a pervasive network
of information gathering, the guild
is very likely to know the doings of everyone
in the area, with special attention
paid to travelers and newcomers.

Yet the assassins themselves will be
difficult to identify. Most of them, or at
least the highest-level ones, will have
alter-egos: perfectly legal “front” businesses
or jobs, in which they will use
aliases and probably altered speech and
appearance as well. Upper-level guild
administrators may have several such
disguises, with elements of each one interchangeable
to provoke further confusion.
Even their own apprentices may
have trouble identifying these masters of
disguise from one moment to the next.
The more the surrounding populace
leans toward law or good, the more likely
that all the guild members will adopt a
similarly lawful and/or good cover. It is
very likely that no one of the assassins
other than the administrators of the guild
will know more than a few of his colleagues.
If one is captured, the majority
of the guild members would thus remain
unidentifiable. Informants will deal only
with a particular contact, identified by a
password or code phrase, and meet only
at selected times and places. Their signals
and rendezvous points will change
from one meeting to the next, to keep
them from being noted and memorized
by the uninitiated.

The actual number of guild members
is usually vague, because of the desire
for secrecy and because the membership
rolls change fairly often thanks to
death, expulsion, or new recruits. The
number of members the guild can support
at its fullest will depend upon the
size of the city or keep, the complexity of
its social structure, and the amount of
transient traffic. Spies will be needed at
every level of society, with emphasis on
those segments of the population that
pose the greatest threat, provide the
greatest profit, or are the most active and
changeable. Spies observing permanent
residents of the area are likely to be a
permanent group themselves. Those
keeping tabs on travelers and newcomers
will belong to a different division
within the guild. Still another faction will
do the actual dirty work. A select few will
do both types of work, as necessary or in
particularly delicate situations.

The racial makeup of the guild should
cover the full spectrum, so that no visitor
or area of society will be overlooked.
One is, after all, more likely to trust
someone most like oneself, reveal more
information to him, and allow him in
closer proximity to oneself. In an area
infested with monsters of reasonable intelligence,
such as orcs or hobgoblins, it
is perhaps not unlikely for the guild to
make arrangements with them, guiding
victims into their hands in exchange for
the assassins’ own safety, an odd bit of
treasure, or information about those
passing through the area. Certain intelligent,
subtle, and/or easily controlled
creatures may even be kept by guild
members as assets to their trade; some
species of snakes or insects, for example,
are efficient instruments of death,
and a well trained pseudo-dragon can be
a good spy.

Should the surveillance network spot
someone suspected of being rival or
freelance talent, a high-level assassin
will be notified immediately. If this administrator
agrees that the newcomer is
suspicious or a threat, arrangements will
be made to shanghai the intruder at the
first opportunity. After being led blindfolded
through a bewildering maze of
streets (or, more simply, knocked unconscious),
the stranger will find himself
in a dark room, staring into the stark light
of a bullseye lantern, with a number of
dark figures dimly discernible around
the perimeter of the room.

The newcomer’s affiliation (if any) and
level of ability will be determined at
once. If the newcomer is established in
an allied guild, he will be assimilated into
the existing structure for as long as circumstances
warrant. If he is established
in a rival guild, and that information is
somehow brought out during questioning
or otherwise obtained, he is most
likely to be eliminated immediately.

If, however, he turns out to be a novice
just trying his hand in the business, and
has not yet actively solicited or accomplished
a task, his treatment will not be
quite so summary. First, he will receive a
gentle chiding, of the Didn’t-you-expectwe’d-
be-in-charge-here? variety, and he
will be made an offer to join the guild that
he can’t refuse.

Once he has agreed, he will be read
The Laws. These rules and regulations,
spelled out in the accompanying text
and further described and explained
below, are given as an example of the
sort of code an assassins’ guild would
require its members to adhere to. The
Laws are intended for the eyes of player
characters who have a reason to be
made aware of them; the explanations
are for the use of the DM, who will enforce
The Laws in his or her capacity as
master of the guild.
 
 

I. No one may plan and enact a premeditated act of murder except a member of the assassins’ guild. A murder by anyone else must be proven with all possible stealth by a member of the guild to have been accidental, self-defense, an unpremeditated act of passion, or the spontaneous result of a duel or argument. However, a nonmember who, wittingly or not, premeditatedly removes a threat to guild members or security may, at the Guildmaster’s discretion, be exempted from punishment. If proven otherwise to the Guild’s satisfaction, the murderer will be considered to have intentionally infringed upon the guild’s field of operations and will be dealt with according to the Guildmaster’s discretion. II. No one shall consider himself an assassin until he has proven his worth to the guild’s satisfaction in a trial appointed to him by the Guildmaster Assassin, and has paid an initial due amount of 50 gold pieces for his membership in the guild. Assassins who have previously proven themselves will be liable for dues consisting of a total of 30% of all monies and/or property owned by them, as selected by guild officials, and above and beyond any tithing from assignment fees, precisely every thirty days for as long as they remain in the area. A member in good standing of this guild or an allied guild who enters the area under jurisdiction of this guild, whether for the first time or after an absence, will be required to immediately render up payment of the above dues, or forfeit his property and/or freedom entirely to the Guildmaster. III. No one shall enact a murder unless he can provide satisfactory evidence to the guild that he is being paid by an employer, or that the said murder will be of material benefit to the guild. No assassin will work without due payment or reward, and 40% of said payment, as well as 40% of any incidental booty removed from the victim’s person or lodging, as selected by guild authorities, shall be rendered up to the Guild as a token of good-standing membership therein. IV. No assassin shall enact a murder on his own behalf, or on the behalf of a friend or relation, unless it can be proven to the Guildmaster’s satisfaction that the emotions involved in such a situation will not lead to rash actions or careless methods that will constitute a threat to the safety and integrity of the guild. If the Guildmaster feels that the assassin in question is emotionally unfit to carry out his intentions without seriously endangering other guild members or the guild as a whole, he reserves the right to order the said assassin to appoint a fellow member for the case, or to appoint one himself, regardless of the said assassin’s wishes. V. No one shall assassinate or attempt to assassinate any person of influence, high standing, or renown who is a permanent resident of the  area, except at the express order of the Guildmaster Assassin. Such an attempt would cause great and immediate danger to the guild as a whole; and guild members will immediately render such traitors up to the proper authorities in order to preserve themselves and the guild. If said traitors cannot for some reason be rendered up to the authorities, the guild will find it necessary to enact its own judgement in the case. VI. All weapons and materials used by assassins must be supplied and/or previously approved for use by guild authorities. Any unauthorized or unskilled use of weapons or materials will be dealt with as a threat to guild security. VII. Any poisons used in an assassination must be formulated by a guild member, supplied by the guild, and authorized by the Guildmaster Assassin for use by the assassin in question. Only a sufficient amount for the deed will be supplied, and it will not be replenished for that assassin for the duration of the case if the attempt is unsuccessful. VIII. The use of poisoned weapons is discouraged by the guild, for a number of reasons: A. It is obvious, and therefore a threat to guild security. B. The poison does not adhere to metal, and there is a chance that it will rub off in the scabbard or on any intervening object during use of the weapon. C. If the poison is not injected in the first cut, its effectiveness lessens. It also evaporates quickly. D. There is a chance that the assassin will be nicked and poisoned by his own blade. IX. The use of simple, well-set traps is encouraged, as they provide time to erase any connection with the guild. Members should keep in mind that traps can backfire, and should take precautions accordingly. X. Members of the assassins’ guild are not recognized as members of any thieves’ guild, and will not be taught thieving skills by members of the latter brotherhood. XI. Discovery while on a spying or assassination mission is always possible, even when the assassin is disguised. The guild expects all of its members to maintain the secrecy and security of the organization even under torture; and they will be punished according to the Guildmaster’s judgement if they do not. Any neglect or infringement of these Laws will be dealt with according to the Guildmaster’s judgement by the true and faithful members of the assassins’ guild.

I. This law was established primarily to
exempt from eligibility other player
characters who, during the course of the
game, might chance to kill one of the
townsfolk or a member of their own party
for one of the reasons mentioned. It also
exempts those who may be assigned, or
who take it upon themselves, to eliminate
a monster or monsters terrorizing
an area, since this threat is presumably
as dangerous to guild members as it is to
any other humanoid creature. If, however,
the menace happens to be the assassins’
guild itself or one of its monstrous
allies, the guild is certainly justified in
seeking revenge or preventing the attack
in any way possible.

II. Here is dealt with the matter of paying
one’s dues, both literally and figuratively.
An incipient assassin will have to
scrape up those gold pieces any way he
can, although whether he will be required
to pay up before he is given his
first assignment will be a matter for the
Guildmaster’s discretion. Established
members will be required to be prompt
and relatively truthful.

III. Like any other guild, the assassins’
guild is a business. There is overhead to
consider; the cost of specialized materials
and equipment can be high, especially
if these are imported from a long
distance or obtained on the black market.
However, if a member’s assignment
comes directly from the Guildmaster,
and/or involves the security of the guild
(such as eliminating a snooping law officer
or a renegade guild member), fee
and tithe requirements may be waived.

IV-V-VI. These security measures may
be more relaxed in a generally chaotic
and/or evil area, but strongly enforced in
a predominantly lawful and/or good region,
where any fumbling will lead the
bloodhounds straight to the guild. Above
all else, the guild must maintain its secrecy
and the security of as many of its
members as possible in order to maintain
itself as a functioning entity.

VII-VIII-IX. These three laws provide for a
combination of security and efficiency.
Selecting the right person and tool for a
job increases the chance of success
without detection. Beginners disobeying
orders here will put the entire guild in
danger of discovery. Penalties for infractions
of security laws will be severe, especially
so in guilds established in predominantly
lawful areas.

The laws governing the use and consequences
of using poisoned weapons
(Law VIII.A.) should be administered as
per the rules on page 29 of the AD&D™
Players Handbook. The chance of poison
rubbing off a metal weapon is 15%
for each handling or contact with any
object, including a sheath or scabbard. If
the poison does not “take” on the first
hit, the victim will suffer half damage (at
most) on the second hit, and no damage
on any cut thereafter. Rules for the rate
of evaporation of the blade venom are
given on page 20 of the Dungeon Masters
Guide. Also see this page for details
of how an assassin sets traps (Law IX).

X. While they share some common
abilities, assassins and thieves are different
classes of characters, and their
functions are not all interchangeable. It
is likely that separate thieves’ and assassins’
guilds are both established within
the area; or perhaps the assassins became
a specialized branch of the thieves’
guild. In any case, the thieves would
probably be required to pay a regular fee
to the assassins for routine elimination
of threats to their security. They may
also exchange information gained while
spying or while simply hiding in the right
shadow at the right time. Occasionally,
the two guilds may work together to pull
off a large-scale venture, like robbing a
caravan.

XI. Members’ loyalty to the guild and
its security is implicit. The guild’s loyalty
to individual members who may be captured,
however, will depend upon several
variables, among them being the
amount of danger a rescue would involve
for fellow guild members; the value,
skill, and loyalty of the member in question;
and the chance of that member
turning informant under duress. If the
Guildmaster suspects the captive is likely
to give away too much information,
there is an equal chance that he will
order either a rescue or a quick, preventive
execution before the beans are
spilled. Which method he chooses is
most likely to depend on the level and
skill of the imprisoned assassin and his
relationship with the Guildmaster. If the
prisoner is especially important in the
guild hierarchy, or is owed a favor by one
or more fellow assassins, something on
his behalf might be arranged. In most
cases, however, assistance from the
guild is not to be relied on.

Enforcement and punishment



Punishment for infractions of the Laws
will vary. It will depend on whether there
was a security breach, and the extent of
that breach; the necessity for protective
measures, and their extent and intensity;
the amount of loss of material, equipment,
or personnel involved; and, to a
degree, the nature and whims of the
guild administrator who passes judgement
on the offender.

The punishment for a violation could
be a stiff fine; virtual indenturement to
the Guildmaster to repay lost funds or
replace damaged or destroyed materials;
physical penance not designed to be fatal;
or, in the most extreme cases, summary
execution.

First day on the job
Once he understands the framework
in which he will be operating, the novice
assassin will be given his first assignment
— a simple, routine job, but one not
without substantial risk. It may be a task
of material benefit to the guild, such as a
burglary carried out in conjunction with
a thief, with whom he will divide the take.
It may be a question of removing a minor
threat to guild security, such as a lowlevel
but prying officer of the law, an
untrustworthy apprentice, or a bystander
who happened to stumble onto a vital
piece of information. He may even be
called upon to do in one of his own companions
as a test of loyalty to the authority
of the guild. The task should be challenging,
but not beyond his capabilities.

He will be equipped with the weapon(
s) deemed most efficient for the
case, and be told the method by which
he will be able to contact the proper
guild member. Commonly, he will be
asked to bring back sufficient proof that
the task has been fulfilled. At the Guildmaster’s
discretion, he may also be secretly
monitored by one or more assassins
in disguise who will see to it that
there is no fumbling or double-crossing.

At the successful completion of his
first assignment, the initiate will be given
some token to mark him as an established
member of the guild and exempt
him from further trials. This token may
also be accepted as a sign of goodstanding
membership in allied guilds —
and rival or enemy guilds will be looking
out for it, too, for altogether different
reasons. If the nervous novice fails his
test, and somehow escapes alive to beg
the forgiveness of the Guildmaster, he
may, at the Guildmaster’s discretion or
under extenuating circumstances, be
given a second opportunity. Otherwise,
he becomes Someone Who Knows Too
Much, the worst kind of threat to security.

The assassins’ guild system can be
particularly valuable for players and DMs
who have never played assassin characters
before, since it offers a framework of
logic to work within and teaches players
an appreciation for the importance of
covering one’s tracks while still allowing
plenty of freedom for ingenuity and
initiative.

As their experience grows, players can
use the system to get in plenty of extracurricular
adventuring, while the DM can
tailor the Laws to suit a particular campaign
or vice versa. Indeed, it wouldn’t
be hard to build an entire assassinoriented
campaign around them. Even
after players and the DM have become
adept at handling assassin characters,
the guild system and its Laws will continue
to provide a foundation on which to
base the reasoning for what assassins do
and why they do it the way they do.