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| Thieves guilds (DMG) | 1st Edition AD&D | Thieves | Classes | Dragon magazine |
Lords
of the Night
Behind the scenes at the
local thieves' guild
by Eric Oppen
The thieves' guild is a regular part of
AD&D
gaming, and yet the rules say very
little about it.
The PLAYERS HANDBOOK mentions
that player character thieves may choose
to join a guild.
UNEARTHED ARCANA states that thief-acrobats
are treated as regular thieves by any thieves' guild in their area, and
may be found in ledership positions in such a guild.
The DEITIES & DEMIGODS book
has a paragraph or 2 about the Thieves' Guild
of Lankhmar.
The DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE has tables
to determine what sort of thieves
and how many a would-be Guildmaster can attract.
But the question of why thieves join guilds remains unanswered.
Training
Any thief wishing to improve his or her
abilities needs training. Under the rules,
a
thief PC must undergo training
to advance to a higher level, or, at the
proper level, to become a thief-acrobat.
The obvious place to obtain training and
competent instruction is a thieves' guild.
A
guild should have examples of various
sorts of locks for practice picking, traps
to
practice setting and disarming, and doors
with various lock-and-trap combinations
to
open, perhaps in competition with other
aspiring thieves or against a time limit.
Other facilities might include a large
gym with sections of stone, brick and
wooden walls to practice wall-climbing
under the eye of instructors, with padding
below to break a fall. For obvious reasons,
this sort of practice could not go on in
public, unless the thief's public <i>persona
is
a fire fighter, construction worker, or
other person authorized to climb buildings.
Some practice walls would be built so
that they are exposed to the weather, or
could be wetted down or iced, for practice
climbing in bad weather.
Pickpocket
training would involve dummies
with bells attached to pockets and
pouches, or experienced insttructors
dressed up in various sorts of clothing
to
play the part of victim for advanced practice,
like Fagin in Oliver Twist.
Still other training facilities might include
sections of various sorts of floor on
which to practice silent movement, fighting
instructors to train thieves in backstabbing
and melee skills, acrobatics
instructors for thief-acrobats, and language
instructors to teach the thieves' skill
of reading languages, reading magick (at
appropriate levels), and speaking the
thieves' cant.
Instruction
Of course, all these facilities would be
nearly useless without expert instructors.
The thieves' guild
offers even the richest
thief the advantage of convenience. Instead
of wandering all over a city for
instruction, a thief or thief-acrobat wishing
to advance a level can simply pay the
guild and take advantage of the fact that
the instructors are already there and are
good at their jobs. (If they weren't good
at
their jobs, they wouldn't be there.) A
thieves' guild, by necessity, is one of
the
most pragmatic organizations available.
Equipment
Other specialized needs of thieves
are
best met through a guild set up especially
for that class. One such need is for the
thieves' tools. After all, aspiring thieves
won't walk calmly into a local tool shop
and buy a set of distinctive thieves' tools,
even assuming that such tools are openly
available. The guild offers both convenience
and discretion, since a thief would
often not want to make his or her lock-picking
skills public knowledge. The thief's
cover profession might not include lock-picking
skills. Not only that, but thieves'
guild tools would often be much better
adapted to a thief's special needs than
the
type found in local tool shops, since they
would be designed to be light, quiet, and
easily concealed.
A very well-equipped and long-established
guild might even have magickal
items
for purchase or rent. For
obvious reasons, the thief wishing to rent
a chime of opening, gauntlets of dexterity,
or a rope of climbing would have to be
high in rank and possibly willing to submit
to magickal compulsion, such as a geas,
to
insure the return of the items. This
could be one way for a DM to make appropriate
magickal items available to a party
without permanently unbalancing a campaign.
Information
Having been equipped and trained, the
next thing a thief
would need is accurate
information about potential targets. Burglarizing
a mansion or store is far easier
when the thief knows what to look for and
where to look. Accordingly, a thieves'
guild
would develop contacts in the community
that could tip it off on the location of
riches. An obvious approach is through
the servants in a rich man's house. A
standard method used by thieves in Victorian
London was to look up people recently
discharged from domestic service
and pay them well for any information on
their former employer?s belongings. Victorian
thieves even planted a servant or two
on the premises, complete with forged
references and all necessary skills, and
had them work with the thieves. An
AD&D
game thieves? guild would be able
to use these methods and could gamer a
great deal of useful information by keeping
up on servants? gossip through spying
or by operating a restaurant or club catering
to servants.
Inside information is not the only sort
of
information a good thief would want
before planning a big job. Through the
friendly thieves? guild, a thief could
easily
hire several nondescript people to keep
an
eye on a wealthy household or business
for several days or weeks, to learn about
the happenings there. Another source of
information about a particular target is
the recollections of the thieves who?ve
had
a go at that target in the past. Whether
in
a formal classroom setting or yarning over
a tankard of ale, an experienced thief?s
tales could mean success or failure for
an
attempted theft. The guild might even pay
such people a wage to be available with
information about targets they?ve tried.
Of
course, such information might not be
remembered correctly or might be out of
date. . . .
Assistance
The services a good guild would offer
wouldn?t end there, but would continue
into extremely specialized fields. Through
a guild, a thief planning a big job could
more easily contact thieves with special
skills, particularly demi-human, multiclassed
thieves. One sleep or knock spell
cast at the right time could ensure success
more surely than almost any skill singleclassed
thieves or thief-acrobats have to
offer. Cleric-thieves
(see "Arcana Update,"
DRAGON® Magazine issue #103)
would
also be quite useful, particularly in the
case of a target guarded by undead.
Through a large, well-run thieves? guild,
a
member would have a much better chance
of obtaining this sort of help when
needed.
Unspecialized help on a job would be
much easier to arrange through a guild
than otherwise. For instance, a loud
brawl, an accident, or even a well-staged
fire in the right place at the right time
would do much to distract an estate?s
guards long enough for some clever
thieves to slip in and out.
Disposal of loot
Once the thief
has the loot, his problems
aren?t always over. In fact, more thieves
today are caught trying to sell or otherwise
dispose of stolen goods than are
actually caught in the act of theft. Any
form of loot other than coin of the sort
commonly used in the region presents the
problem of how to dispose of it most profitably
and safely. Jewelry is often extremely
distinctive, and an important
person who had lost valuable jewelry to
thieves would certainly pay well for information
that Biff, the halfling thief, was
trying to dispose of just such a piece
to
Honest Dismas the pawnbroker. Fine
weapons, magical items, and other valuables
present similar problems. A recentlyrobbed
VIP might have word sent around
to all jewelers, weapon dealers, or pawnbrokers
that there would be a large reward
to anyone providing information
that led to the recovery of the stolen
valuables.
The thieves? guild would probably have
several reliable fences on the staff, with
magic-users to identify any magical treasure.
These fences could take distinctive
goods off the thief?s hands for a reasonable
sum, making sure that they were
safely sold with a good profit for them
and
the guild. In fact, the thieves? guild
would
probably control all regular buying of
stolen property in its town, with anybody
knowingly making a business of receiving
stolen goods being invited (forcibly or
otherwise) to join.
The law
The successful thief
would have one
more problem to complicate things. That
problem would be the law and its enforcers.
When a thief is caught, the guild goes
to work to make sure that witnesses recant
their testimony or muddle it, juries
hand in acquittal, judges acquit or give
light sentences, and guards leave keys
in
locks. That is, assuming the thief is caught
by guards who are not guild members
themselves or paid well by the guild to
make sure that guild members get safely
away from the scene of their crimes.
If the captured thief is important
enough, forcible break-ins to help the
thief
escape are possible, in the truest commando
style. But if all else fails and if the
punishment is not severe, a little jail
time
to reflect on one?s errors in a heist might
be worthwhile.
Recruiting
Like any other organization, a thieves'
guild
needs recruits. These could come
from several different sources. One obvious
pool of potential talent would be the
abandoned or neglected children found in
all cities. These waifs would already have
no qualms about stealing, and the best
ones would be quite willing to accept an
offer of training from the thieves? guild.
After all, in the guild, a homeless child
would have a regular place to sleep, systematic
training, status, and some certainty
of a next meal. In return, the guild
would gain a recruit with some aptitude
for the life of a thief, street wisdom,
and
probably some haphazard experience.
Since a street waif would be young when
recruited, he would be easier to train
than
an adult.
Another source of recruits would be
freelance thieves, such as adventurers
wishing to use the city for their headquarters
or people who came to the trade as
adults. Since these people would not know
who was under guild protection, they
could bring themselves to the guild?s attention
by stealing from people who have
bought theft protection from the guild.
For the sake of its relationship with the
town, the guild would have to make an
effort to track down these freelancers;
once they were caught, they could be
offered guild membership if they were
deemed worthy of it. An amateur thief
would be offered training on the same
basis as other new recruits. As has been
mentioned, a thieves guild is a very pragmatic
organization. Having caught someone
with talent, why not take him or her
into the firm? After all, good talent doesn?t
grow on trees.
Still another source of new blood in a
guild would be guild thieves from other
cities who wish to change their place of
residence. Perhaps they long for a change
of scenery or are too well-known in their
home towns. Since they would already be
guild members, they would make sure to
obtain references from their Guildmasters
to facilitate entry into their new guild.
In
fact, ambitious Guildmasters might compete
to lure the most talented thieves to
their own guilds. This can provide an
opportunity for a lot of interesting roleplaying.
The guild and races
A thieves' guild is certainly the most
racially mixed organization likely to be
encountered in most AD&D
game campaign
worlds. Since all player character
races (and, conceivably, exceptional members
of NPC races such as hobgoblins) can
be thieves, they could all be found at
a
guild. Few well-run guilds could afford
to
tolerate racial friction. An elven or half-elven
Guildmaster would be unlikely to
attract many half-orcish followers and
might have a problem with dwarves, but
a
thieves? guild would usually be less likely
to establish racial harriers. In a well-run
guild where such frictions are kept under
control, it would be quite possible to
see
members of all player character races
hobnobbing in harmony. Due to the different
outlooks of each race, there would
always be some trouble, but a well-run
guild would take the attitudes and special
abilities of the various races into account.
A dwarven thief might be less intolerant
of
elves if an elven thief made the success
of
the last big job possible.
Types of membership
A guild might have several levels of
membership, reflecting the different expectations
and abilities of members. The
very lowest, for example, might be the
honorary membership extended to those
who purchase the guild's protection from
thieves. This would not confer the right
to
enter the Guild hall or grant any voice
in
the guild's decisions, but it would allow
the purchaser the right to appeal to the
Guildmaster
for aid and redress if theft
occurs. Since the guild's connections and
investigators might be far more effective
than the usual city guardsman, many
people might be very happy to pay a nominal
fee (i.e., protection money) for the
benefits of this "service."
The next level of membership would be
that conferred on apprentices. They
would be strictly under the orders of their
tutors and forbidden to steal without their
tutors' consent, but they would be allowed
to enter the guild hall and watch guild
decisions being made, even though they,
as
apprentices, would have no voice in them.
They would have the same right as other
members to appeal to the Guildmaster, but
would be well advised not to do so without
their tutors? consent. In return, the guild
would extend its full protection to them,
and any Guildmaster with sense would not
tolerate wanton abuse of apprentices. A
full member, particularly a tutor, found
to
be mistreating apprentices would not be
treated gently at all.
The most common sort of membership
in the guild, not counting those who purchase
guild protection, is that offered to
fully-fledged thieves. A guild thief has
the
right to full use of all guild facilities
(upon
payment of appropriate fees), immunity
from theft, and a voice in the guild?s
decisions.
If a dispute between thieves occurs,
the thieves may appeal to the Guildmaster
to arbitrate it, perhaps with a jury of
other thieves. Full membership also confers
the guild?s permission to commit theft
within its territory and to ask for guild
assistance on a job too big to handle alone.
The rarest sort of membership in the
guild would be that conferred on the nonthieving
specialists the guild might need.
Since demi-humans cannot advance beyond
certain levels in spellcasting professions,
a guild with a regular need for
high-level spells might invite a spellcaster
of the required sort to become a specialist
member. In smaller guilds, if no clericthieves
are available, a cleric of some god
favored by thieves might be invited to
become ?chaplain? and build a chapel or
temple on thieves? guild property. These
specialists would be treated very carefully
by ordinary thieves; if offended, the offenders
might not need to bother with
appealing to the Guildmaster; they might
in fact be slain or cursed.
Other specialists that might become
guild members would include jewelers (for
disguising distinctive loot and disposing
of
it), locksmiths (for training thieves in
the
fine art of opening locks), fences (for
disposing
of stolen property), acrobats (for
training thief-acrobats), and fighters
(to
protect the guild in case of real trouble).
Such specialists would have the right to
enter guild property on business but
would have no voice in decisions lying
outside of their expertise. For instance,
if a
problem has arisen about how to dispose
of loot, fences might be called in, but
locksmiths would not expect to be consulted.
Those specialists who don?t cast
spells would have the same immunity to
theft as all other members.
Alignment
The alignments represented in a guild
would almost always be affected strongly
by the Guildmaster's
own alignment. In
general, the most successful Guildmasters
would be lawful, and the thieves who
operate best in a guild setting would also
be lawful. Chaotic thieves would be less
happy in a guild and would prefer to
freelance. If in a guild, chaotic thieves
would tend more toward working alone,
using the guild more as a training hall,
fence, and equipment supplier than as a
place to recruit help. Lawful thieves would
prefer a well-planned job with a place
for
everything and all contingencies covered.
Since most thieves tend toward evil and
no
thief starts out good, conflicts over good
and evil would not be a major problem.
For purely pragmatic reasons, though,
even an evil Guildmaster might strictly
forbid all guild thieves to engage in gratuitous
atrocities, as that would bring trouble
to the whole guild. An evil thief would
not
feel welcome in a guild in which everybody
else was neutral (or even good), and
vice versa.
The Guildmaster
A Guildmaster is a person of power and
influence, even if only behind the scenes.
His days are spent in administrating guild
affairs, approving expenditures, recruiting,
handling promotions (and demotions),
dealing with guild auxiliaries (such as
fences, toolmakers, and spellcasters),
judging squabbles between thieves,
and
acting in the name of the guild when necessary.
Depending on local mores, the
Guildmaster may be openly acknowledged
as the leader of the thieves or may operate
behind a public persona. If the Guildmaster
is not in control of a town?s underworld,
he is certainly a power in it. The
Guildmaster is also a person of great influence
in town politics, if only because of his
wealth, and must probably deal with ambitious
schemers who wish to control the
guild for their own ends. All in all, a
large
thieves? guild is certainly a profitable
organization
to head, though not every thief is
well suited for the post. A player-character
thief, for instance, would not make a good
Guildmaster, for the simple reason that
he
would be far too prone to go off adventuring.
In his absence, his lieutenant might
well decide that he should be the new
Guildmaster; should the boss come back,
the player character would find a mutinous
guild and be either killed or expelled.
The guild's environment
We have seen above how a typical
thieves' guild might operate. Why, though,
should the rest of the people in a town
tolerate a well-organized group of thieves
in their midst? Why can?t the town government
just send soldiers to break the whole
thing up?
One reason is that the guild would often
operate secretly. Before Prohibition, very
few ordinary citizens knew that organized
crime existed. A thieves? guild would usually
operate through fronts, if only to save
face for town rulers. Some useful fronts
would be servant agencies (see the comments
above on servants and their uses),
security consultants, entertainers
(especially
for thief-acrobats), locksmiths, and
dealers in second-hand goods and jewelry.
In public, the Guildmaster might be
known as, for example, a leader of the
locksmiths? guild.
All these fronts would be extremely
useful in and of themselves. The servant
agency could plant servant-spies on potential
targets, collect information, forge
references and teach servant-spies the
appropriate skills. A locksmithing service
would also provide useful information,
as
well as offering thieves material on which
to practice their skills, thereby creating
an excuse for owning and carrying their
tools. After all, who would have a better
excuse for having lock-picking skills and
tools than a locksmith? Dealers in secondhand
goods and jewelry could dispose of
stolen goods, either in the same town or
by selling them to similar dealers in other
towns. The advantages to these fronts are
that they help the town?s rulers save face
(as mentioned above) and provide a valid
excuse for the guild members? income and
skills. Of course, the money that fronts
bring in through legitimate business could
tide a guild over a lean period.
Another reason for a town to tolerate
the presence of a thieves? guild is that
its
presence tends to inhibit freelance theft.
At least, with the guild thieves, a citizen
would have the option of paying them a
sum for immunity to theft for a given
length of time. Where freelance theft is
concerned, a group of guild investigators
would be much more effective in bringing
evildoers to justice than any constable,
due
to their greater knowledge of the underworld
and their control of any likely buyers
of stolen goods.
Another reason for local officials to
ignore a discreet thieves? guild could
be
bribery. Certain officials, particularly
the
lower-ranking ones, might think of themselves
as outrageously underpaid, and a
regular system of subsidies, from the
town?s ruler down to the lowliest constables,
would be worthwhile for any thieves?
guild. As long as the guild avoided outlandish
actions, the officials would be likely
to
ignore them or go through the motions of
investigating guild thefts (while doing
nothing).
Another way to neutralize official interference
would be blackmail. With a good
spy network in place, the guild could
easily find out facts that any official
might
not want made public knowledge. These
facts could be kept on file at the guild
headquarters to be used when necessary.
If at all possible, the officials concerned
would be kept ignorant of the fact that
the
thieves? guild possesses this incriminating
information. As always, blackmail is a
dangerous game.
Relations with
other guilds
Though their skills and areas of concern
tend to overlap, it is not always likely
that
thieves and assassins
will be at odds with
each other. An evil thieves? guild would
be
quite willing and likely to cooperate
closely with an assassins? guild, if one
exists nearby, and even neutral thieves
see
some benefit in having the assistance of
?troubleshooters? around. In small towns,
the thieves and assassins might well share
some facilities or even be different
branches of a common guild.
In general, with regards to other nonthieving
guilds, the rule would almost
certainly be to purchase their services
when needed and not antagonize them
unduly the rest of the time. Interguild
warfare would benefit nobody, and all
Guildmasters, officials, and other influential
citizens (such as the head clerics of the
town temples) would cooperate to ensure
that the peace is kept. It is doubtful,
though, that thieves and merchants will
ever get along well.
To guild or not to
guild
To take an extreme example, the fantasy-world
peasant village of Hogwallow (with
a total population of 38 poverty-stricken
souls) would have no thieves' guild and
no
work for one if such a guild existed. At
the
other end of the scale, a major city on
important trade routes and a large population
of wealthy nobles, clergy, and spellcasters,
could not avoid having a large,
wealthy, and well-entrenched thieves'
guild.
Between these extremes, we can set
some simple rules for determining if a
particular town does or does not have a
guild.
For game purposes, assume an average
of 500 people in a town would be necessary
to support and cover the activities of
one professional thief. This number may
be adjusted downward by a hundred to
reflect a wealthy population, or upward
by a few hundred to reflect a relatively
poor population. If too few people are
in a
town, everyone is more likely to know
everyone else and know a good deal about
them as well. In Hogwallow, any professional
thief could only hope to survive by
plundering outsiders, but a village that
small could not hope to see enough visitors
to make theft a viable career. In a
major population center, anonymity is
possible and the chance of encountering
worthwhile targets is greater.
The ratio of one professionally qualified
thief to every 500 people is a reasonable
reflection of the facts mentioned above.
For game purposes, a DM can simply
decide how many people (to the nearest
500) live in a town, divide that number
by
500, and determine how many professional
NPC thieves live there. If the DM
wants more thieves, they can be present,
but should be given other jobs to provide
most of their income. The relatively high
chance of meeting thieves in the DMG's
table of city
encounters reflects the fact
that thieves, particularly full-time thieves,
would be more likely to have free time
to
roam the streets than ordinary citizens
would.
* * * * *
A Den
of Thieves
The care and management of
a thieves' guild
by Vince Garcia
Nazier hadn't thought it would be like
this. A heady life leading a select group
of
trusted disciples who would become the
terror of the countryside, living life
their
own way and beholden to no one ? that
was the way it was supposed to be. Not
like this, standing amongst this group
of
strangers before this mockery of a king?s
court to swear allegiance to this . . .
unliving
thing.
All too soon it was his turn. The last to
be summoned, Nazier tentatively advanced
towards the dark-robed priestess, who
beckoned from beside the throne upon
which her master sat.
"This is Nazier",? she spoke as he dropped
to his knees, eyes lowered in real fear.
The black-shrouded nightmare had
never spoken throughout the ceremony as
the parade of followers had been led before
it to swear fealty ? and Nazier hoped
it wouldn?t find its tongue now. But the
Thing stirred, and Nazier knew his bitter
luck was holding true.
?"You are spoken well of, Nazier,"? came
the sibilation from the visage peering
down at him from its drawn hood. "?Am I
correct in hearing that you have chosen
to
join our Brotherhood?"?
The priestess grasped Nazier?s arm,
raising it so that his sleeve fell away
to
reveal the still-stinging trident-shaped
brand upon his arm. The Thing nodded
approval.
?"Great in this life shall your reward be,?
it continued. ?And great your responsibilities.
You know the city of the Sea Kings, to
the east??"
?Yes,? Nazier managed to whisper.
?"A powerful guild of thieves makes its
base in that city, controlling all pirate
vessels who make that its port. You will
journey there with such assistants Drucinda
gives you. Having arrived and made
contact with other servants of mine, you
will form a rival faction of thieves?"
-- ? the
Thing leaned forward ?-- ?"and you will
eliminate the present guild, by any means
at hand, subjugating all criminal activities
under you ?-- and therefore ultimately
under me.?"
?"But how --" ?? Nazier sputtered, turning
paler still.
?"You will find a way, Nazier,?" it cut
him
off. "?You will find a way. For now, go
and
gather to yourself such followers who will
see in you a worthy master.?" A skeletal
hand stretched from the figure and
dropped a small disc at his feet. Reaching
down, Nazier grasped a small token that
was similar to the one he had long possessed,
with one difference --? above the
embossed skull in the center of the golden
circle was scribed an ebon crown.
?"Receive this token of your new authority."
?The Thing stiffly rose to its feet. Its
arm stretched out, and Nazier instinctively
drew back, fearing it would touch him.
But no --? the arm, rigidly extended, was
lifted up in what Nazier recognized was
actually a salute.
?"Hail Nazier, Guildmaster!?" Its voice
was
a hissing blast.
Now all in the secluded mountain glen
raised their arms in salute, the rotting
forest echoing their cry.
?"Hail Nazier! Guildmaster . . .?"
One portion of the AD&D
game system
never fully dealt with is the formation
and
operation of a player-character thieves?
guild upon the character?s attaining 10th
level and choosing to do so. Far from
being so simple a matter as rolling a few
dice to see how many NPCs flock to the
character?s side, the proper incorporation
of a player-controlled thieves? guild can
be
the most demanding aspect of a well-developed
campaign, requiring a great
deal of creativity and work on the part
of
the player and especially the DM. To aid
in
this end, the following article presents
some guidelines and principles dealing
with this long-neglected aspect of the
AD&D
game, in the hope those campaigns
ready for it can experience a new dimension
in role-play and adventure.
The DM's role
1st of all, it's going to take a fair
amount of work on the DM's part. The
player is naturally going to desire the
PC
guildmaster and his guild to become part
of the mainstream campaign,
and he may
also expect -- not without some justification
-- to make some profit on the endeavor.
It thus falls to the DM to keep the
player happy and to keep the guild in its
proper perspective as a sideline to the
normal campaign, and to also see that its
influence does not become unduly significant
without limiting factors, such as
being subservient to other, more-powerful
guildmasters.
The player's
role
A PC thief's days
of adventuring
whenever and wherever he chooses
are in all likelihood drawing to a close.
Little in life can be counted on, and few
things are more tenuous than the hold of
a
guildmaster over a group of ambitious
thieves ? especially when it is realized
a
cornerstone of the thieving philosophy
is
to keep one eye on the back in front of
you while keeping the other on your own.
The responsibilities of a guildmaster thief
are many ? and there always exists the
chance that a protegee may move to step
into an absent, adventuring guildmaster?s
shoes (à la the knife-fight scene
in Butch
Cassidy & the Sundance Kid).
Preliminary
steps
When initially forming the guild, five
steps must be observed.
1. Take an in-depth overview of the
campaign.
2. Determine what the best role is for
the guild in the campaign, and note
whether an entity or nonentity guild fits
within the mold of the DM?s assessment.
3. Note the type of training the guildmaster
has received in advancing through his
levels of experience.
4. Choose the most appropriate guild
type based on the former factors.
5. Create the thieves.
In looking over the campaign, the DM
should note where it is and ultimately
where he intends it to go. If his future
campaign plans do not include a specific
town or city to serve as a central hub
of
the campaign, a player-character thieves?
guild becomes next to useless, for the
greater the degree in urban interaction
with NPCs and land development present
in the campaign structure, the more a PC
thieves? guild finds a useful spot in the
game. Conversely, as the emphasis on play
shifts further from this type of play to
the
extreme of dungeon-delving as the only
developed phase of the campaign, so the
PC guild must invariably shift from a
viable tool for campaign development to
a
forced nonentity status, depriving both
players and DM of an almost limitless
source of intrigue and adventure.
Having taken an overview of his game,
the DM must then decide whether the
guild is to exist as an entity or nonentity
within the campaign. Of the two, the
entity guild is the type with the most
potential.
It becomes an active part of the
overall campaign, fitting into the DM?s
plans for the Big Picture. While comfortable
in its role as a sideline to the mainstream
game, it nevertheless is involved in
current events, perhaps even to a critical
extent. Its counterpart, the nonentity
guild, exists entirely on paper. Either
because
the game has failed to develop past
the dungeon stage, or the DM feels the
present needs of the campaign do not
include a fully developed fellowship of
thieves, the guild is recognized as existing
but plays no real part in the campaign.
Next, a look must be taken at the PC
guildmaster. Specifically, it must be noted
how the thief has been obtaining training
to advance in levels of experience. If
the
training has been accomplished by members
of the player character?s parent guild,
it is obvious that the guild hierarchy
will
be aware of the character?s advance in
levels and his growing influence amongst
the lower-level thieves, especially novices,
who may ? though not necessarily ? be a
bit more impressed with the player char-
acter?s reputation and exploits than the
guildmaster desires. If, on the other
hand, the player character has found
training with nameless NPCs encountered
while roaming the world in search of
adventure, no such automatic awareness
of the character?s potential will exist
in the
minds of the local guildmaster, but this
also limits the thief?s guild-type options,
possibly increasing the potential for confrontations
with established guilds in the
same area.
There are a number of different guild
types open to the player character, and
the
type chosen is dependent primarily upon
what the DM feels adapts into current
game circumstances best. While generally
a singular type of guild will fit right
into
most games, it is possible that campaign
circumstances could dictate the creation
of
a guild that contains aspects of two or
more listed guild types. If this occurs,
the
guild hierarchy should duplicate the guild
type which most accurately reflects the
ultimate authority of the guild, including
all required tithes and responsibilities,
while the guild should be run and followers
determined by the guild type
which most closely reflects in what manner
the guild is to be operated.
Those guilds available to the player
character can generally be broken down
into one of the following sorts.
1. Independent
guild. The independent
guild is one which forms with no
affiliations to other guilds or individuals.
As an example, assume a thief
has been
spending some time around a city or town
without a thieves? guild. If she chooses
to,
she can set up her own guild without fear
of competition (at least initially). This
guild
type is highly desirable from the perspective
of offering no competition while being
set up with a minimum of difficulty. However,
it can usually be assumed that one
reason no competitive guild exists in the
area is that the pickings in the area are
slim; no one else wants to waste time with
the project. Additionally, local law enforcement
may vigorously and effectively hunt
down thieves in the area.
Independent guild structure
Initial number of followers: 4d6
Follower-type table: A
Income factor: E or better
Confrontation factor: None or F
Loyalty factor: C
Additional followers table: C
2. Allied.
The allied guild is one which
forms an alliance with another guild,
usually for the purposes of mutual benefit
or protection. This clearly suggests an
initial conflict with a third entity (law
enforcement, another
guild, or other
entity), and there exists a high probability
the PC guild will begin its existence by
infringing on territory claimed by others.
Figure 1 illustrates the concept of allied
guilds. Guild A is a waterfront guild controlling
all activities in that portion of the
city, while guild B is a large but less
powerful
faction with its eye on two disputed
blocks of territory (the shaded area),
which recently have been the scene of a
few minor confrontations between the
two groups. Currently a member of guild
A, our PC guildmaster-to-be has determined
that his guild requires new leadership
? namely, himself. He makes contact
with the guildmaster of B. In return for
B?s
recognition of A?s claim on the two blocks,
the PC thief offers a tithe of 5% of all
monies obtained in the area as well as
a
pact of alliance, should he (soon) come
to
power. Guildmaster B readily agrees, as
he
can now expect revenue from this area
without risking any of his own forces.
Allied guild structure
Thus, depending on who has the most to
gain from the alliance, the PC guildmaster
may ? in addition to the normal risks,
costs, and repercussions ? pay a tithe
of
up to 10% of all monies obtained in guild
activities to his ally. Further, if the
allied
guild requests the aid of the player character
or some of his thieves for a project or
attack on their mutual rival(s), it is
expected
the PC guildmaster will cooperate.
Allied guild structure
3. Associated
guild. The associated
guild is one which is overseen by the
player character while remaining under
the ultimate authority of a more powerful
guild, perhaps governed by the player
character?s parent. Figure 2 shows a scenario
in which the player character?s
current guildmaster is receptive to the
idea of his forming a new guild. But,
rather than ceding his claim over the two
disputed blocks of territory, he instead
reinforces it by having the player character
set up a secondary guild in the heart of
the area. The PC guildmaster thus becomes
responsible for all criminal activities
within the territory, paying a tithe of
5% of all monies obtained, as well as policing
the area and discouraging incursions
by guild B. Some of the benefits to this
guild type include the option of forgoing
the acquisition of an assistant guildmaster,
as the training for the novice thieves
can
be accompanied by the player character?s
parent guild. Further, the player character
will generally have greater access to cooperation
and assistance from his parent
guild with regards to different projects
than he would with an allied guild. In
practical game terms, this form of guild
can also aid the DM in keeping a reasonable
amount of control over the player
character?s guild in a legitimate fashion
by
adopting the persona of the parent guildmaster,
rather than resorting to arbitrary
rulings.
Yet another set of circumstances which
could bring about this type of guild would
be if the player character?s parent guildmaster
desired to assign an area to the
player character in order to be relieved
of
the responsibilities of this section in
order
to pursue the acquisition of new territory
on another front. Or, in keeping with the
thought of acquiring new territory, it
is
possible for the parent guildmaster to
assign his protege one or more blocks of
territory presently under the jurisdiction
of a rival guild with the command to absorb
this area into the parent guild, showing
one example of how a guild can mirror
two separate guild types ? in this case
an
associated guild which would be run as
a
maverick guild (see below).
Associated guild structure
Follower type table: B
Income factor: A or B
Confrontation factor: Variable from A to
D
depending on campaign circumstances
Loyalty factor: B
Additional followers table: C
Associated guild structure
4. Guild-within-a-guild.
While probably
the most dangerous of all guild types,
this guild opens the door to an exciting
campaign based around the intrigue of
operating a secret guild under the nose
of
the player character's guildmaster.
One
case that would cause this type of guild
to
be created would be if the NPC guildmaster
would be unreceptive to the idea of the
player character?s forming an associated
guild, and circumstances are such that
an
allied guild is also out of the question.
In
retaliation, the player character gathers
to
his side a select few acquaintances to
form
a fellowship of thieves within the larger
guild with an eye towards one of these
possibilities. Overthrowing the current
guildmaster and assuming control of the
whole guild? Forming a growing power
base to eventually force a sharing of authority?
Gathering a group to work together
on unapproved projects to avoid
paying high guild taxes? The possibilities
can be endless. Clearly, this type of guild
cries out for entity status. Further, because
of the potential and risk involved
with this type of guild, it is not inconceivable
a DM could allow thief characters
higher than 1st level to become a part
of
it.
Guild-within-a-guild structure
Initial number of followers: 2d3 or as
determined by DM
Follower type table: A
Income factor: B
Confrontation factor: G
Loyalty factor: B
Additional followers table: D
5. Sponsored
guild. A sponsored
guild is one which is formed with an individual
or group willing to back the PC
guildmaster
with money or force for their
own particular reasons. A fighter of Lord
status, for example, may ask a thief who
is
a fellow adventurer to form a thieves?
guild in an area he is developing so as
to
have ? at least in theory ? a friend with
control over the thieving activities he
knows will be a natural outgrowth of a
civilized area. In another form, the sponsor
can exist as an NPC individual or
group played by the DM; the opening
portion of this article, which relates
an
incident in my campaign. A PC thief was
forced by various circumstances into
accepting sponsorship on the part of a
powerful but evil group, with an obvious
eye towards gaining control over a major
seaport?s criminal activities.
In the case of a sponsored guild, it is
again quite likely that the PC guildmaster
will have to stake his claim on territory
claimed by someone else, once more opening
the door to a possible dual guild type.
Finally, it is not unusual for a sponsor
to
place a representative within the guild
hierarchy to protect the individual?s or
group?s interests.
Sponsored guild structure
Initial number of followers: Either 5d4,
as
indicated by second portion of dual guild
type, or as determined by DM
Follower type table: A or C
Income factor: C or as determined by DM
Confrontation factor: Either B, variable
according to second portion of dual
guide type, or as determined by DM
Loyalty factor: B
Additional followers table: Variable or
C
6. Renegade
guild. The renegade
guild has a particular advantage where
the
DM is concerned in that it is the simplest
guild to run in entity form, as little
work is
required to create a backdrop for the
campaign; the DM may merely scope out a
few excursions for the guild to partake
once every few sessions of play. The renegade
guild almost always tends to be a
small and versatile group, relying on these
2 traits and that of constantly shifting
locales to ply its trade under the noses
of
other guilds.
The form of the renegade guild can also
come surprisingly close to duplicating
an
adventuring party, due to the versatile
nature of the fellowship. It is not unusual,
for instance, to find a guild of this type
consists of the PC guildmaster
to provide
mastery of thieving skills, a strong fighter
or two for muscle, and a multiclassed
magic-user/thief or cleric/magic-user/thief
to provide spell support. For this reason
and its fluid nature, the renegade guild
can also double in the overall campaign
as
the regular adventuring group, if the DM
allows!
Figure 3 outlines the activities of a renegade
guild over the course of a week?s
time. On Monday night, the guild burglarizes
a warehouse containing some stolen
merchandise in the hands of guild A.
Wednesday, after a period of scouting and
paying bribes to obtain information, the
group assaults and robs a courier in B?s
territory as he heads back to the guild
headquarters with the weekly tithe of an
associate guildmaster. Laying low for a
few days, three of the group set up a
wealthy merchant to have her pockets
picked on Saturday afternoon in the marketplace
claimed by C. And (finally!), on
Sunday night, the guild burglarizes a
mansion in D?s territory.
Monday, the entire area is in confusion.
Guildmaster A is convinced the warehouse
burglary was an assault by B?s forces,
in
retaliation for a B thief being killed
in a
piece of disputed territory. Guild B is
just
as certain that A had his courier robbed
in
a flagrant violation of territorial boundaries.
C is fuming over the fact that no tithe
has appeared from the pickpocketing, and
D doesn?t know what to think. Meanwhile,
the renegade guild has moved to another
part of town or has left the region altogether,
a few hundred gold pieces richer.
Thus, the renegade picks and chooses its
operations carefully, taking maximum
advantage of existing schisms and tensions
within and between other guilds to screen
their existence.
Renegade guild structure
7. Maverick guild.
The maverick guild
is that type most closely resembling the
guidelines
outlined in the PLAYERS HANDBOOK.
Put simply, the PC
recruits some followers, obtains a structure
to serve as a guild headquarters, and
claims outright ownership of territory
under the possession of another guild.
Conflict inevitably follows. Unless the
PC has the power or the
money to obtain henchmen or hirelings to
bolster his position, his guild may be
short
lived. The key in this situation to survival
is maintaining a low profile for as long
as
practical to gain more followers and remain
undetected by the rival guild.
Maverick Guild Structure
Initial number of followers: 4d6
Follower type table: A
Income factor: C or D
Confrontation factor: E
Loyalty factor: C
Additional followers table: B or D (keeping
a low profile)
8. Business front
guild. This guild
type frequently coexists on good terms
with 1 or more other regular thieves'
guilds, with which
it has agreements to
provide services for a percentage of
profits or a flat fee. A seemingly legitimate
business front is used as a screen to hide
the operations of the guild. Some examples
of this type of set up would include a
teamster service which ships stolen goods
to fences out of the area, a ship or boat
owner who leases the craft for an occasional
smuggling run or secret transportation
elsewhere for a wanted thief or
assassin, or a fencer of stolen merchandise
from an emporium.
Conflict among regular thieves? guilds is
usually negligible ? but run-ins with law
enforcement agencies are a danger always
to be reckoned with!
Business front guild structure
Initial number of followers: 2d6
Follower type table: A
Income factor: A or variable
Confrontation factor: D
Loyalty factor: B
Additional followers table: C
9. Bandit gang.
While unusual, it is
possible for a PC to band
together a group of brigands along the
<bandits, not brigands>
lines of Robin
Hood's merry men (if he's a
nice guy) or Ali Baba's 40 thieves (if
he
isn't). Both the income and the confrontation
factors can vary from the top to the
bottom of the scale; likewise, loyalty
factors
can also be either quite tenuous or
very strong, again depending on how the
guild is set up and what its philosophy
is.
Due to the nature of this type of guild,
there is a great potential for it being
strong in an offensive way due to its large
size and chances for possessing fighters
and spellcasters. Its weakness lies in
an
urban impotency and lack of true thieving
specialists. Law enforcement also tends
to
take a special notice of bandit gangs,
and
various members may find their descriptions
on wanted posters with uncomfortable
regularity.
In another form, this type of guild can
exist as a group of freebooters or corsairs,
sailing the world as pirates. The pirates
would have a seaside lair away from prying
eyes or based in a Port-Royal type of
city that thrives on piracy. The pirate
ship
itself might serve as the ?"guild house".?
Initial number of followers: 5d6
Follower type table: C
Income factor: A or variable
Confrontation factor: D or variable
Loyalty factor: E or variable
Additional followers table: C
* The lieutenant need not actually be a
thief, and in this case can be a fighter
of
the same general level as an assistant
guildmaster.
The guild structure
At the top of the hierarchy is, of course,
the PC guildmaster.
To assist him in the
normal guild operations, he usually finds
it
necessary to obtain the services of a thief
of not less than 5th level, whose duty
it is
to furnish training to the novices, as
well
as receive the monthly guild taxes. This
assistant guildmaster may further be
called upon to act as a go-between and
negotiator between the player character?s
guild and others.
When initially obtaining this assistant,
an
inducement of 1,000 gp per level of experience
is required; thereafter, the assistant?s
salary is expressed as a percentage of
the
guild?s monthly take, but not less than
2%.
At the PC?s desire, this can be increased,
which may proportionally increase the
assistant?s cooperativeness and loyalty
base.
At the bottom of the totem are the novice
thieves (and nonthieving characters, if
any). It is they who bring in the revenue
to
support the guild and its officers, and
a
tithe of not less than 5% is assessed as
a
guild tax on any valuables obtained in
the
course of thieving.
As mentioned, it is possible that the
make-up of the guild can include members
with no thieving skills whatsoever, such
as
fighters or spellcasters; it can be assumed
that they lend their particular talents
to
their thief associates during sanctioned
operations, gaining an equal portion of
treasure and experience for doing so.
While the DMG indicates the novices
may in fact be of a greater level than
1st,
and includes a table
for determining that,
this writer has found in actual play that
unilaterally starting all followers at
1st
level makes for the smoothest and most
balanced campaign. If, however, a DM
feels that strict adherence to the official
system is best for his campaign, he is
certainly free to disregard this suggestion.
In fact, one may forgo the following tables
altogether if such best maintains campaign
continuity.
When using the follower type tables
below, an initial percentile dice roll
is
made to note what race of follower and
class potential are available. In the case
of
multiclassed elves and half-elves, a second
roll is made to see whether the individual
possesses two or three classes. The DM
then chooses the particular professions,
and the follower is created by random
dice rolls.
Follower type table A
| Dice roll | Follower type |
| 01-57 | Human thief |
| 58-59 | Human fighter |
| 60-63 | Dwarf thief |
| 64 | Dwarf, multi-classed |
| 65-68 | Elf thief |
| 69 | Elf, multi-classed |
| 60-73 | Gnome thief |
| 74 | Gnome, multi-classed |
| 75-78 | Halfling thief |
| 79 | Halfling, multi-classed |
| 80-83 | Half-elf thief |
| 84 | Half-elf, multi-classed |
| 85-88 | Half-orc thief |
| 89 | Half-orc, multi-classed |
| 90-91 | Dwarf fighter |
| 92-93 | Elf fighter |
| 94-95 | Gnome fighter |
| 96-97 | Halfling fighter |
| 98-99 | Half-elf fighter |
| 00 | Half-orc fighter |
Follower type table B
| Dice roll | Follower type |
| 01-40 | Human thief |
| 41-44 | Human fighter |
| 45-49 | Dwarf thief |
| 50-53 | Dwarf, multi-classed |
| 54-57 | Elf thief |
| 58-60 | Elf, multiclassed |
| 61-64 | Gnome thief |
| 65-67 | Gnome, multi-classed |
| 68-71 | Halfling thief |
| 72-74 | Halfling, multi-classed |
| 75-78 | Half-elf thief |
| 79-81 | Half-elf multi-classed |
| 82-85 | Half-orc thief |
| 86-88 | Half-orc, multi-classed |
| 89 | Dwarf fighter |
| 90-91 | Elf fighter |
| 92-93 | Gnome fighter |
| 94-95 | Halfling fighter |
| 96-97 | Half-elf fighter |
| 98-00 | Half-orc fighter |
Elves
01-60 = 2 classes
61-00 = 3 classes
Half-elves
01-75 = 2 classes
76-00 = 3 classes
<the other races are missing!>
Follower type table C
| Dice roll | Follower type |
| 01-20 | Human thief |
| 21-30 | Human magic-user |
| 31-35 | Human cleric |
| 36-72 | Human fighter |
| 73-74 | Dwarf fighter |
| 75-76 | Dwarf thief |
| 77-78 | Elf fighter |
| 79-80 | Elf, multiclassed |
| 81-82 | Elf thief |
| 83-84 | Gnome fighter |
| 85-86 | Gnome thief |
| 87-88 | Halfling fighter |
| 89-90 | Halfling thief |
| 91-92 | Half-elf fighter |
| 93-94 | Half-elf thief |
| 95-96 | Half-elf, multiclassed |
| 97-98 | Half-orc fighter |
| 99-00 | Half-orc thief |
Elves
01-80 = 2 classes
81-00 = 3 classes
Half-elves
01-90 = 2 classes
91-00 = 3 classes
<the other races are missing!>
Follower type table D
| Dice roll | Follower type |
| 01-20 | Human thief |
| 21-40 | Human fighter |
| 41-44 | Dwarf thief |
| 45-50 | Dwarf, multi-classed |
| 51-54 | Elf thief |
| 55-60 | Elf, multi-classed |
| 61-64 | Gnome thief |
| 65-70 | Gnome, multi-classed |
| 71-74 | Halfling thief |
| 75-80 | Halfling, multi-classed |
| 81-84 | Half-elf thief |
| 85-90 | Half-elf, multi-classed |
| 91-94 | Half-orc fighter |
| 95-00 | Half-orc, multi-classed |
Elves
01-50 = 2 classes
51-00 = 3 classes
Half-elves
01-60 = 2 classes
61-00 = 3 classes
<the other races were left out!>
Guilds and
your campaign
In the case of the nonentity guild, the
DM can merely choose the particular guild
type and assess the character a fee to
obtain an assistant guildmaster and structure
to serve as guild headquarters (if such
is deemed necessary), thereafter referencing
on a monthly basis the following
charts to determine cash flow and any
confrontation factors with law
enforcement
or other guilds.
The entity guild is best created with the
participation of all the players in the
campaign.
In Nazier's case, when the remainder
of the gaming group arrived, they
were told to create a thief character for
use in a short scenario. A number of
multiclassed and straight thieves were
rolled up, and the group was then told
their guildmaster was Nazier. As was
expected, a few smart remarks followed,
but the resulting campaign, taking up a
session or two every couple of months,
has been an exciting diversion from the
normal game. In the case of the entity
guild, the players should be allowed to
create whatever type of thief interests
them. If the DM is concerned that this
will
result in gratuitous loyalty to the guildmaster,
rest assured that in actual play this
need not necessarily be the case. (Nazier
-- ?
with gritted teeth ?-- would be the first
to
admit this.)
Unlike in the nonentity guild, which
causes the PC guildmaster to foot all costs
in outfitting his thieves, the entity guild
allows characters to roll
up funds using
the method in the PLAYERS HANDBOOK.
As regards a guild headquarters, campaign
circumstances must ultimately dictate
whether such is necessary and what
the cost will be. The renegade guild, for
example, would have no real need for a
specific guild headquarters due to its
small
size and its need to constantly change
locales. The business front guild, on the
other hand, obviously requires one or
more structures to house its various operations.
The tables following are presented as a
guideline primarily for a nonentity guild.
In the case of an entity guild, it can
generally
be taken that the DM has scoped out
both some occasional excursions to gain
the guild and its followers money and
experience, and has determined what
conflicts and confrontations with other
bodies are likely to occur.
Income and experience
When referencing the following tables,
an initial percentile dice roll is made,
adding 1 to the roll for each thief above
10
in the guild, and 2 for each block of territory
the guild operates in above 1 block.
The result indicates the gain over the
month, which is then adjusted by the
Income Factor, either increasing, decreasing,
or leaving the amount unchanged.
Once the monthly income is known, the
tithes and guild taxes are then subtracted
and disbursed, with the PC
and assistant guildmaster receiving experience
for their portions of the take on a 1-
to-1 basis. The amount of money
left over
is then broken down into separate lots
of
cash and experience by dividing it by the
number of guild members. These guild
members, including any nonthieving individuals,
are then numbered; each lot is
assigned by random dice roll, gaining the
guild member one or more portions of
money and experience.
As an example, an allied guild with 15
members operating in a three-block area
rolls a 77. Adding 5 to the roll for the
extra five guild members and 4 for the
extra two blocks of territory, this modifies
the roll to an 86.
Income table
| Dice roll | Result |
| 01-10 | 5-50 gp (5d10) |
| 11-25 | 8-80 gp (8d10) |
| 26-50 | 10-100 gp (10d10) |
| 51-70 | 40-160 gp (4d4 x 10) |
| 71-80 | 40-240 gp (4d6 x 10) |
| 81-90 | 60-360 gp (6d6 x 10) |
| 91-95 | 80-640 gp (8d8 x 10) |
| 96+ | 100-1000 gp (10d100) |
| Natural 00 | See below |
The above result is adjusted by the following
income factors:
A. Exceptional: x5
B. Above average: x3
C. Average: x1
D. Below average: x.5
E. Poor: x.25
The following activity factors are optional
and must be applied at the DM?s
discretion:
1. Opportunities purposefully created
for theft (traps, scams, lures, etc.):
x2
2. Extreme and purposeful measures
taken (i.e., steal everything in sight):
x4
In the example above, between 60-360
gp was taken in by the guild; this is determined
to be 200 gp. This result is adjusted
by the guild?s Income Factor (D), halving
this figure to 100 gp. From this is subtracted
a 5% tithe to an allied guild, 4%
for the assistant guildmaster, and 6% for
the PC guildmaster, for a total of 85 gp
given to the guild members. The modest
sums gained by the PC and his assistant
are 6 gp and 4 gp, respectively. What can
be done to bolster this rather mediocre
amount? Higher guild taxes, for a start
?
but this affects loyalty of the novices
in an
unfavorable way (who likes taxes?). At
the
PC?s discretion, the thieves can be urged
to
step up their activities by one or two
factors.
The first factor will double the take,
while the second will triple it ? and,
of
course, this will modify the confrontation
roll (see below) in an unfavorable way.
Of the 85 gp remaining for the month,
this is divided by the 15 guild members
for
a lot amount of roughly 5 gp (round
down). A 20-sided die roll is then made,
ignoring results over 15. Each time a number
comes up corresponding to a particular
guild member?s number, he receives
one lot of money and experience. If this
seems too modest an income, consider the
fact that the DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE
rates the pay of a professional mercenary soldier
at a mere 3 or
4 gp a month!
As for funds received by either the
assistant guildmaster or the guildmaster
himself for the recruits? level training,
it
can be taken for granted the bulk of these
amounts will go towards paying actual
costs, while the remainder serves to keep
up the guild headquarters and maintain
the two guild officers in a modest lifestyle.
No experience is gained for training
monies.
Finally, if the DM feels a greater potential
for gain is appropriate, he may check
the tables on a weekly or bi-weekly basis,
rather than monthly.
Monthly confrontations
While operating a thieves'
guild can be
fun and profitable, it can also be dangerous.
Neither city government nor lawenforcement
officials number thieves?
guilds among their allies. Rival guilds
can
likewise prove to be an annoyance. Each
month (if not more frequently), the following
tables are checked to see what baneful
occurrences, if any, befall the guild or
its
members. While the term ?novice thieves?
is used throughout, it also is meant to
include any nonthieving guild members.
While in the matter of the entity guild
these tables are probably unnecessary,
they may nevertheless provide some helpful
ideas.
Table A: Low potential for conflict
| Dice roll | Result |
| 01-90 | No confrontations this month |
| 91-98 | Randomly selected novice thief apprehended by constabulary; fine of 10-40 gp must be paid or thief is punished |
| 99+ | Randomly selected novice thief killed in thieving attempt |
| Natural 00 | 1-3 novice thieves apprehended or killed (50% chance of either) |
The following adjustments are made to
the dice roll:
+1 for every thief above
10 in guild
+30 if activity factor
1 pursued (opportunities created)
+50 if activity factor
2 pursued (extreme measures taken)
Table B: Below-average potential for encounters
| Dice roll | Result |
| 01-75 | No confrontations this month |
| 76-85 | Randomly selected thief apprehended by constabulary; fine of 10-40 gp must be paid or thief is punished. |
| 86-90 | As above, but number of thieves captured is 1-3 |
| 91-95 | Rival guild active in area; gross receipts halved this month |
| 96+ | Randomly selected novice thief killed in thieving attempt |
| Natural 00 | As above, but 1-3 thieves lost |
The following adjustments are made to the dice roll:
+1 for every thief above
15 in guild
+20 if activity factor
1 is pursued
+40 if activity factor
2 is pursued
Table C: Average potential for encounters
| Dice roll | Result |
| 01-50 | No confrontations this month |
| 51-70 | Rival guild active in area; gross receipts fall 25% |
| 71-85 | Randomly selected novice thief apprehended by local constabulary; fine of 10-40 gp must be paid or thief is punished |
| 86-90 | Randomly selected novice thief killed in thieving attempt |
| 91-95 | Rival guild active in area; halve monthly receipts |
| 96+ | 1-4 randomly selected thieves apprehended by local constabulatory; fine must be paid (as above) or thieves are punished |
| Natural 00 | Randomly selected novice thief is assassinated |
The following adjustments are made to the dice roll:
+1 for every thief above
20 in guild
+15 if activity factor
1 is pursued
+35 if activity factor
2 is pursued
Table D: Frequent encounters with law enforcement
| Dice roll | Result |
| 01-40 | No confrontations this month |
| 41-60 | 1-2 randomly selected thieves apprehended; fine of 100 gp per thief or else they are executed |
| 61-75 | 1-2 randomly selected thieves killed while attempting a robbery |
| 76-85 | Local law enforcement hunting guild headquarters; 10% chance they locate and raid it |
| 86-95 | Law enforcement sweeps area; 40% chance that 1-6 guild members apprehended and fined 10-100 gp each |
| 96+ | Reroll on table E |
| Natural 00 | Assistant guildmaster apprehended with stolen property in his possession, DM should arbitrate situation |
The following adjustments are made to the
dice roll:
+10 if activity factor
1 is pursued
+25 if activity factor
2 is pursued
Table E: Frequent encounters with other
guilds
| Dice Roll | Result |
| 01-40 | No confrontations this month |
| 41-60 | Rival guild active in area; monthly take down 25% |
| 61-75 | Randomly selected novice thief beaten up by rival guild members; 20% chance that death results from attack |
| 76-85 | Courier robbed; no guild tithe this month |
| 86-90 | Rival guild active in the area; monthly take halved |
| 91-95 | Randomly selected novice thief killed by rival gang |
| 96+ | Reroll on table D |
| Natural 00 | Roll percentile dice on special events table |
Special events table
| Dice roll | Special result |
| 01 | Officer from rival guild offers to join your guild |
| 02-05 | NPC guildmaster frustrates assassination attempt |
| 06-08 | Randomly selected novice thief kidnapped and held for ransom |
| 09-15 | Street urchins pickpocket PC guildmaster, taking 1-20 gp |
| 16-24 | Randomly selected novice thief works con game with rival guild friend; gains 10-100 gp |
| 25-29 | Guild cheated by crooked fence; lose 25% of indicated take this month |
| 30-34 | Rival guild member killed by novices from PC's guild |
| 35-39 | Rival guild member's body dumped on PC's turf by 3rd party to stir up trouble |
| 40-44 | <missing!> |
| 45-49 | Stoolie sets up 1-4 novice thieves for apprehension by law enforcement |
| 50-59 | Guild headquarters firebombed or attacked by damage-causing spell; 50% chance of 100-600 gp damage |
| 60-74 | Mutually beneficial project with another guild goes well; guild takes in an additional 100-600 gp this month |
| 75-82 | Randomly selected novice thief disappears |
| 83-84 | Guild headquarters destroyed; DM must arbitrate |
| 85-94 | Assassination attempt made on PC guildmaster; DM must arbitrate |
| 95-99 | Assassination attempt made on assistant guildmaster; DM must arbitrate |
| 00 | Assistant guildmaster assassinated |
Loyalty Table
| 01-60 | No problem this month |
| 61-75 | Randomly selected thief lies about monthly take; subtract 5% from indicated guild tithe |
| 76-85 | Guild members unhappy with paying guild tithe; subtract 40% from indicated guild tithe this month (they lied about what they took in) |
| 86-90 | Guild members unhappy; subtract 50% from indicated guild tithe (they lied even more); 25% chance a randomly selected novice thief quits guild (20% chance this thief becomes turncoat, setting up problems for PC's guild) |
| 91-95 | Rebellion brewing; subtract 75% from indicated guild tithe; 20% chance that 1-4 novice thieves quit the guild |
| 96+ | Open rebellion; no guild tithe this month; 25% chance of a guild-within-a-guild developing (30% chance assisstant guildmaster heads it) |
The following adjustments are made to the
dice roll:
Subtract the PC guildmaster?s
loyalty
base, as indicated by
his charisma
+1 for every percentage
point of tax
over 15% charged by
the guild
-5 for every percentage
point of tax
charged by the guild below 10%
The following loyalty
factors are also
added to the dice roll:
A. Fanatic/devoted: -40
B. Above-average loyalty: -25
C. Average loyalty: +0
D. Below-average loyalty: +15
E. Relatively mutinous: +25
Additional followers table A
When there is a superior chance for new
candidates to join the guild, the percentage
chance of this occurring monthly is
figured as follows:
Base recruitment chance: 20%
Modified by:
+3 for every 6 points
of guildmaster?s
charisma
+2 for every block of
territory controlled
+1 for every 10 thieves
in guild
Number of recruits gained:
1
Additional followers table B
When the guild?s chance of gathering to
itself new thieves is no better than ?
or
worse than ? average, it is figured as
follows:
Base recruitment chance: 10%
Modified by:
+2 for every 6 points
of guildmaster?s
charisma
+1 for every block of
territory controlled
+1 for every 10 thieves
in the guild
Number of recruits gained:
1
Additional followers table C
When circumstances are such that the
chances for gaining new guild members
are poor, the following table is consulted:
Base recruitment chance:
05%
Modified by:
+1 for every 6 points
of guildmaster?s
charisma
+1 for every 2 blocks
of territory controlled
+1 for every 15 thieves
in the guild
Number of recruits gained: 1
Robbin' hoods
While this work has dealt primarily with
the thieves' guild
as a purely criminal
body, nothing is further from the truth
if
it is assumed the guild must stop there.
The good-aligned guild is a perfect example
of this. It is possible for a thieves?
guild
to exist in the open as a helpful and respected
part of the community ? even
working hand in hand with law enforcement
to cleanse society of particularly
undesirable elements, such as an assassins?
guild selling murder to the highest bidder!
More than once in both history and fiction
have thieves not only found favor with
the
people but have even saved the day a few
times. The wealthy merchant who desires
a secret repository be built to house valuables,
a prosperous businessman who
desires a report on the trustworthiness
of
his employees or the security of his building,
the engineer who must construct a
secret passage to provide a sovereign with
egress from his castle in time of war,
the
party of adventurers who have come to
the Kingsford Burglars Guild to seek the
services of an honest thief for dungeoneering
help, the devoted group of
bandits committed to overthrowing a
wicked monarch and restoring freedom to
the people ? these are examples of how
a
thieves? guild can be one of society?s
best
and most valued friends.
Thus, while much of what a thieves?
guild can stand for may be contrary to
the
tenets of good alignment, those truly rare
and creative players and DMs may find
that the good-aligned guild achieves a
potential no criminal guild could ever
hope to attain.
* * * * *
Honor
Among Thieves
Oaths and codes of the thieves'
guilds
by Eric Oppen and Robin Jenkins
Playing an entity thieves' guild as described
in Vince Garcia's article, "A
Den of
Thieves," provides a
variety of opportunities
for role-playing intrigue and adventure.
Aside from the normal activities of
running the guild and making money,
there is certainly room for the development
of game plots and scenarios. By its
nature, the thieves? guild is the perfect
setting for intrigue and adventure;
whether steeped in a Masonic atmosphere
of silence and secrecy or in a visible
hierarchy
of political machination, the thieves?
guild is the perfect source for game plots.
The following article is a sidelight to
the
entity guild as described in Vince Garcia?s
article. Although it is generally held
that
there is no honor among thieves, the guild
structure is a direct contradiction of
this
statement. Within this social structure,
there are certain laws and beliefs that
must be maintained in order to keep the
social fabric tightly woven. Without a
code
of ethics and an oath of fealty, chaos
quickly bursts the seam that order offers.
The following oath and list of ethics are
provided. As conflict is the essence of
storytelling, the subject of violation
of the
oath and the code are discussed at length.
Although these guidelines are provided
for
developing the atmosphere of the entity
thieves? guild, there is no reason they
cannot be used in the formation of game
plots, subplots, and scenarios.
The Guildsman's Code of Ethics
1. A guild member never
informs on a
fellow guild member.
2. A guild member never
discloses the
location of the thieves?
guild.*
3. A guild member never
discloses the
identity of the Guildmaster.*
4. A guild member never
robs a business
or individual protected
by the thieves?
guild.
5. Nonguild members may
never be
brought onto guild premises
without
the Guildmaster?s approval.
6. Guild members may not
include nonmembers
in guild-sponsored or
guildcondoned
activities.
7. No guild member may belong
to or
work for another thieves?
or assassins?
guild.
8. No guild member may enlist
the aid of
another guild or foreign
guild member
without the Guildmaster?s
approval (in
such cases, the enlistee
is expected to
act in accordance with
guild policy).
9. No guild member may involve
himself
in nonguild thievery
within the guild?s
territory.
10. Guild members must
never reveal
guild-related information
or its
sources to the authorities,
nor to any
nonguild member. Guild
premises,
procedures, or personnel
may not be
discussed with any nonguild
member.
11. Bribes and other forms
of monetary
compensation may not
be administered
by any thief other than
the
Guildmaster or his appointee.
12. No thief may hold membership
in the
thieves? guild without
paying all regular
guild dues or guild
tithes.
13. Guild members must
always relinquish
their share of taxation
to the
guild and to the Guildmaster
before
receiving their cut.
14. No large heists or
robberies may be
performed without the
Guildmaster?s
approval.
15. A guild member may
never accept an
apprentice without the
Guildmaster?s
approval. * *
16. Apprentices are not
allowed to involve
themselves in guild
activities without
their mentor?s or Guildmaster?s
consent.
* In cases where the guild location or the
Guildmaster?s identity is commonly
known, these two rules do not apply.
* * The Dungeon Master must define the
size of the maximum haul allowed from
thieving adventures, or else note what
areas (such as royal palaces, government
buildings, etc.) cannot be pillaged without
permission.
As a general note, many of these ethics
have little or no importance, depending
on
the structure of the guild and its relations
with other guilds (see Vince Garcia?s article,
"A Den of Thieves"),
and upon the
particular details of the circumstance
at
hand. It is up to the DM to determine the
importance of these ethics and the severity
of a particular infraction.
As expressed before, the guild structure
demands some code of ethics to maintain
order and authority. The Guildsman?s Oath
of Fealty affirms both. At the point of
his
induction into the thieves? guild, the
apprentice
thief is expected to utter the
Guildsman?s Oath aloud. This oath is uttered
before the entire guild in a ceremony
that marks the apprentice?s
acceptance into the guild as a novice thief.
This ceremony varies from guild to guild.
In guilds of good alignment, for example,
the apprentice may kneel before the Guildmaster
and place his own right hand on
his left shoulder. The Guildmaster then
places his hand upon the apprentice?s
hand, and as the Assistant Guildmaster
reads the Guildsman?s Oath aloud, the
apprentice repeats it. After the oath is
uttered, the apprentice is motioned to
arise. From this point on, he is recognized
as a member of the thieves? guild.
Once the Guildsman's Oath
has been
uttered aloud by an apprentice, he or she
agrees to abide by the Guildsman?s Code
of
Ethics for that particular guild. Ethics
vary
from guild to guild. For a neutral-good
guild that is highly visible in a society,
Ethics 2 and 3 will not be a part of the
Code. It is up to the DM (or the PC Guildmaster,
in such circumstances) to decide
which ethics are appropriate for that
particular guild.
Ethics 1, 2,
and 3 are known collectively
as the Vow of Silence. Rumor has it that
in
a unnamed city with a particularly powerful
thieves? guild, a thief disclosed the
location of his guild headquarters (a highly
secretive and extremely mercenary organization
at constant odds with the authorities
and rival guilds) to a group of friends
at a waterfront tavern. A thief from a
rival
guild overheard the drunken thief and
passed the information along to the authorities.
The authorities immediately
infiltrated the premises, arresting the
Guildmaster and a large number of guild
members, all of whom were executed.
Though the full nature of the punishment
visited on the talkative thief by his surviving
guildless comrades was never revealed,
it is said that the assistant
Guildmaster who caught the miserable
wretch cut out his tongue to insure the
act
would never be repeated. From that point
on, these three basic ethics have been
known as the Vow of Silence.
There are numerous actions not included
in the Guildsman?s Code of Ethics
that are considered inviolate acts. Usually,
any unlawful act committed against the
guild, its Guildmaster, any guild member,
or any guild protectorate is considered
a
breach of ethics and is punishable in any
of a number of ways.
Code violations
Any breach of ethics is punished immediately
by the guild. The severity of the
punishment varies from guild to guild,
and
should be decided by the DM in each
particular case in accord with the alignment
of the guild and the severity of the
crime. Keep in mind that these punishments
are merely guidelines, and as such
can be administered, altered, or dispensed
with at the DM'S discretion.
The severity of infractions varies from
guild to guild based upon the alignment
of
the guild and upon the special circumstances
surrounding each guild. For example,
a neutral-good guild that is fairly
well-known in a society may allow the
local authorities to deal with recreant
guild members as they deem fit. By the
same token, a neutral-evil guild that mires
itself in secrecy may prescribe prolonged
torture and eventual execution for any
disclosure of guild information, the guild
location, or the identity of any guild
members.
Basic examples of the severity of
each infraction are as follows:
THE GUILDSMAN'S OATH
"I swear my solemn and utter allegiance
to the
thieves' guild of
(this city) before all other
guilds, groups, and authorities. I place
the Guildmaster's
authoritah before any other authoritah
and I vow to abide by this authoritah exclusively.
In guild affairs, I acknowledge the Guildmasters's
word as law.
Severe infractions:
Ethics 3, 5, and 10
in highly secretive guilds; Ethic 2
in all
guilds; Ethics 7 and 9,
depending upon the
guild in question; and, any act of felony
against the Guildmaster, the guild, or
its
members. Murder, grand theft, blackmail,
sedition, etc., all fall into this category.
Major infractions:
Ethics 4, 12, and 13
in all guilds; 5 through 10, and 14 through
16, depending upon the visibi1ity of the
guild and the details of the infraction;
and,
any act of misdemeanor against the Guildmaster,
the guild, or its members. Petty
theft, assault, destruction of property,
etc.,
all fall into this category.
Minor infractions:
Ethic 11 in all
guilds; Ethics 6 through 8, and 14 through
16, depending on the guild and the details
of the infraction; and, any skirmishes,
arguments, or similar problems between
guild members.
Generally speaking, guilds of a lawful
alignment decide a guild member?s guilt
or
innocence, and the punishment for the
infraction, through some type of guild
court or vote. At their best, these courts
may resemble our present-day legal system
of representation, giving the suspected
guild member the benefit of
protection and unbiased trial. At their
worst, however, guild courts may resemble
the kangaroo courts that often epitomized
law in the Old American West,
offering little protection and representation
to the suspected member, and administering
extreme punishments without
reserve.
Guilds of a chaotic alignment usually
leave judgment in such cases entirely up
to
the Guildmaster and his associates. At
its
best, judgment by the Guildmaster and his
associates could resemble a review by the
Supreme Court. At its worst, however,
judgment by the Guildmaster may resemble
a judgment by the worst of the Roman
emperors, such as Nero or Caligula. In
either case, judgments may be made by
either the Guildmaster himself, or by a
small council composed of the Guildmaster
(who heads the council) and his immediate
associates.
Because circumstances vary over time, it
is important to remember that no one set
of rules can be expected to cover every
possible case of infraction. As always,
each
situation is different, since the nature
of
rules is that there are always exceptions.
For this reason, the information in this
article is offered as a set of guidelines,
and
not as a strict set of rules. Suggested
punishments
for infractions against the guild,
its members, or its code of ethics follow.
They are listed in order of general severity.
Punishments
1. Execution.
2. Expulsion from the guild.
3. Suspension from the guild.
4. Suspension of select guild rights.
5. Restriction from select guild activities.
6. Monetary or material fine, or confiscation
of possessions.
7. Mandatory work or activity.
8. Any other penalty deemed fit by
Guildmaster.
The lengths of suspensions and restrictions,
amounts of fines and penalties, and
types of works, suspensions of guild
rights, and restrictions from guild activities
are all variable. Monetary fines are
usually assessed only in cases of crimes
against property (theft, destruction, etc.),
and most often are double, triple, or quadruple
the value of the property involved
? depending, of course, on the severity
of
the crime as assessed by the guild or
Guildmaster. Suspensions and restrictions
are usually administered in cases where
a
thief has disclosed guild information,
allowed nonmembers to be involved in
guild activity, has betrayed guild trust
or
secrecy, and so on. The lengths of these
suspensions or restrictions vary with each
case, and can extend from anywhere
between one week to five years, depending
upon the severity of the act. In extreme
cases, some guild members may be
permanently restricted from certain guild
activities or may have certain guild rights
suspended. Types of work, suspension of
guild rights, and restrictions from guild
activities are variable in each case, and
are
decided by the DM.
Execution
In the thieves' guild,
some infractions
are punishable by execution. Generally
speaking, only guilds of an evil alignment
condone execution as a form of punishment,
although it has been known to occur
in some neutral guilds and even to a
rarer extent in good guilds. This latter
case is more an exception to the rule,
since
the infraction would be nothing less than
the murder of a fellow guild member,
sedition against the guild, or unlawful
acts
against the Guildmaster. In guilds where
secrecy is paramount, an infraction such
as disclosure of the Guildmaster?s identity
or the location of guild headquarters warrants
immediate execution. In some
chaotic-evil guilds, disclosure of protected
information such as names of guild members
and prospective plans for robberies
also carries execution as a penalty.
The manner in which executions are
carried out vary greatly from guild to
guild. In a neutral guild, an execution
is
usually hired out to a professional assassin,
thereby dissociating the guild from the
crime. In an evil guild, the execution
is
performed by a guild member and conducted
in utter secrecy away from guild
headquarters. In instances such as these,
a
thief who has committed another crime
punishable by mandatory work may be
required to perform an execution in order
to clear his record with the guild. The
guild is not interested in how the act
is
performed ? just that it is performed and
done without any ties whatsoever to the
guild. Preliminary torture for severe offenses
may precede the execution in evil
guilds.
A good-aligned thieves? guild rarely
expects a guild member to perform an
execution. Assassins are not hired, but
the
Guildmaster, as a matter of honor, may
elect to perform the task if there is no
other recourse. On occasions, good and
neutral guilds notify the local authorities
(if they are in favor with them) and,
through the process of bribery or favors
being repaid, have the thief set up for
a
crime that carries a penalty of execution.
In this manner, the guild is able to wash
its
hands of the act entirely Note that any
reprehensible act, such as informing on
a
fellow thief or committing any act of murder
within the guild, often carries a penalty
of death. In chaotic and neutral guilds,
acts against the Guildmaster often carry
this penalty, since the Guildmaster only
entices others to follow suit if the first
case is not provided as an example.
Expulsion from
a guild
There are numerous cases in which a
guild or Guildmaster
would deem expulsion
from the guild a justifiable punishment.
One such example is withholding of
guild funds. Although the function of the
thieves? guild is to make money through
illegal means, the guild does not take
kindly to having money made from it in
the same manner. In the guild?s opinion,
thieves are granted the opportunity to
steal within guild territory in return
for a
reasonable and regular amount in dues.
For these dues, thieves are provided all
the benefits the guild has to offer (as
illustrated
in Eric Oppen's article, "Lords
of
the Night"). Thus,
a thief who withholds
dues, as is forbidden in item 12 above,
is
in violation of this exchange. The guild
does not tolerate any abuse of such a
system. Within its structure, thieves are
expected to not only adhere to the guild?s
code of ethics, but they are expected to
have some sense of respect for the guild
and for its members. As far as the guild
is
concerned, a thief who doesn?t abide by
these codes simply doesn?t belong in the
guild. As a result, expulsion from the
guild
is often advised in cases such as these.
Suspension from
a guild
Some infractions, such as a guild member
performing a major heist without the
Guildmaster's
approval, may warrant a
suspension from the guild. Depending
upon the severity of the crime, this suspension
can range anywhere from one
week to one year, but are usually 1
month in length. If a thief operates for
another guild during this Time, 1 of 2
situations occurs. In a good-aligned guild,
for example, the suspended guild member
is expelled permanently from his original
guild. This often results in the expelled
guild member becoming an enemy of his
original guild. If the member is still
operating
within the same city as his original
guild, the former guild member may become
a target for a robbery or for a bit of
rough action from his old guild mates.
If it
is discovered that the former guild member
has beeen providing his new guild with
information on his former guild's operation,
the former guild may elect to have
the thief bumped off to silence him --
regardless of alignment considerations.
In some cases, the former guild may try
to get the suspended member to rejoin his
original guild. If the former guild member
has worked for a rival guild, it is to
the
original guild's advantage to know the
operations of their rival. Of course, once
he has returned to the original guild,
it is
doubtful that the turncoast will ever be
returned to a position of complete trust.
As a result, the thief may be retained
for
information on the rival guild, but won't
be included in any important guild activities.
If the character refuses to return to
his original guild, the guild may decide
to
have the character assassinated, either
by
members of the guild or by a professional
for hire. Obviously, a thief who has gone
to another guild in the same sphere of
influence is a danger to the original guild,
as the knowledge he possesses is certainly
of interest to the rival guild.
Suspension
of rights
Some infractions do not immediately
result as an action against the guild,
but
lead indirectly to some later infraction.
For example, a guild member accepts an
apprentice without the Guildmaster's
approval. The apprentice likewise breaks
the rules, by thieving without his master's
or his Guildmaster's approval, and is
caught in the act by the local authorities.
if the apprentice is smart and remains
silent, the Guildmaster may allow the
master to bail the apprentice out or bribe
for him at the master's own expense.
Needless to say, the apprentice will not
be
allowed to return to the guild upon his
release.
If the apprentice talks, informing on the
guild in any way, he is dealt with by the
guild. If the guild is highly secretive,
attempts
may be made to silence the apprentice.
if the guild is fairly public, having
some degree of control within the local
law enforcement agency, a bribe might
insure the apprentice's silence by placing
him in solitary confinement for an indefinite
length of time. In either case, the
Guildmaster decides whether the master
acted unwittingly, though not malevolently,
in his acceptance of an apprentice
without approval. As his punishment, the
thief master may have his right to an
apprentice suspended for a period ranging
from one month to one year. If the action
resulted in major problems for the guild,
the Guildmaster may decide to revoke the
thief master's right to ever have an apprentice.
Restriction
from activities
In the case of minor infractions, such
as
cheating on a lottery for a monthly payment
or for failing to return items (of a
nonmagical nature) belonging to the
thieves' guild after
using them, a restriction
of select guild activities may be
deemed a reasonable punishment. In the
former case, the member may be temporarily
(1 month to 1 year, depending
upon the severity of the act) restricted
from participating in the monthly lottery.
In the latter case, the member may be
restricted from using guild tools for a
similar duration. If the act has been
deemed particularly heinous, these rights
might be restricted permanently.
This type of punishment might also be
instituted in the case of a bungled burglary.
If, for example, a group of thieves
have been apprehended during a robbery,
and the Guildmaster has agreed to bail
them or bribe for them, he may elect to
punish the bunglers by restricting them
from any future heists. Instead, he may
require the thieves to work the streets
or
train novices for 1 month to 1 year,
or permanently in an extreme case (an
extreme case being a bungled burglary
that results in the eath of a guild member
or in the loss of a substantial amount
of
capital).
Monetary fines
and confiscation
In major and minor
infractions, the
Guildmaster may decide to levy a monetary
fine. In major cases, the fine is usually
in addition to another form of punishment
(e.g., mandatory work or suspension of
select guild rights). For example, in the
example of the master accepting an apprentice
without the Guildmaster's approval,
the Guildmaster may deem the
situation a major infraction if the apprentice
has leaked information about the guild
to the authorities. If the apprentice has
been bailed out, the Guildmaster may levy
a fine in addition to the suspension of
the
master's right to have an apprentice. The
fine in this case may be the cost of the
bribe -- double or triple if the situation
has created great problems. If the apprentice
has to be silenced, the Guildmaster
may require the master to finance the act
in addition to the suspension of his right
to
have an apprentice. An additional payment
to the Guildmaster or to the guild as a
whole may also be required in particularly
difficult circumstances.
A minor infraction, such as inadvertently
picking the pocket of an individual
under guild protection, may warrant a
fine only -- in this case the amount stolen
(paid to the guild or Guildmaster) in addition
to the return of the original amount
to its original owner. The justification
here
is that both the guild and the individual
under guild protection need to be reimbursed
for this foolish act. Fines are usually
assessed in cases in which money or
property are the key issues. As a result,
minor cases usually require the amount
involved, major require double, and severe
cases require triple.
Confiscation of a thief's property and
finances is a rare punishment, usually
used in addition to expulsion (and certainly
in cases of execution), and is only
instituted in the most severe cases. Confiscation
is performed by the usual illegal
means of breaking into the thief's home
and taking everything that is of any worth.
Mandatory
activity
In certain minor circumstances, mandatory
work or activity is considered enough
of a penalty for an infraction. For example,
in the case of a bungled heist, the
Guildmaster
may require the bunglers to
work the streets as pickpockets or to train
novices in the finer arts of climbing walls
or moving silently. In the case of the
unapproved
apprentice, the Guildmaster may
have required the master to be involved
in
a major heist -- a job for which the thief
may or may not be paid (depending on the
GUildmaster's attitude and the severity
of
the infraction). The duration of mandatory
work orders may be from 1 week to
1 year in length: activities such as major
robberies are usually 1-time punishments.
It should be noted that final decisions
regarding guilt or innocence, penalties
or
punishments, are always up to the Guildmaster.
In lawful and neutral guilds, the
Guildmaster generally abides by decisions
made by a council; in chaotic guilds, however,
the Guildmaster may decide contrarily.
In either event, the Guildmaster's
decision is always final. Also, it is within
the Guildmaster's power to determine
unique penalties or punishments in certain
circumstances. In the case of a minor
argument between 2 thieves, e.g.,
the Guildmaster ov a chaotic guild may
advise a competition between the 2
thieves. The thief who steals the most
in a
1-month competition is determined the
winner, and the argument is thus decided
in his favor. Penalties ov this nature
are up
to the Guildmaster's discretion. There
are
some stipulations as to what types of penalties
can be demanded ov a thief. This, ov
course, varies from guild to guild &&
is
dependent upon the AL type of
both the guild && its Guildmaster,
and the
structure && code ov ethics ov
that particular
guild. A Guildmaster seldom requires
punishment || penalty that is far above
&& beyond the severity ov the crime.
An
action such as this merely serves to promote
dissension within the guild -- a result
the Guildmaster does not want to fuel.