My "Thieves Guild" Campaign

[Azlan]

I'm a veteran DM, with a group of six mature (if not veteran) players. Having just finished a Forgotten Realms "Defenders of the Dalelands" campaign, we're starting a new campaign. This time, we thought we'd do something different. This entire campaign will take place in a fantasy Renaissance city-state. Emphasis in this campaign will be more on intrigue, subterfuge, mystery, and interaction with NPC's, and less on combat and exploration, compared to typical D&D campaigns.

I'm using an old classic, "The Free City-State of Haven", as the source material. It's 500+ pages of written material and illustrations. (That is, with the original boxed set and with all the expansions, which I have.) There's more than enough source material here to provide for an entire campaign set in this city-state. It includes a poster map of the city, which is a pretty common inclusion in a package like this. What is not so common, here, is the included series of detailed map enlargements printed on 8.5"x11" cardstock that, if laid out end-to-end, would cover the floor of a small room.

Each and every player character will have at least a level of rogue. One or two of the player characters will be pure rogue, while others will be various combinations of rogue/fighter, rogue/cleric, rogue/wizard, etc. One character will even be combining his levels of rogue with levels of a variant "urban" ranger.

I think my group is mature enough to handle such a campaign without it devolving into backstabbing and anarchy. All the players in this group are in the age range of 30-40. Half the group members are male; the other half, female. (My wife plays, and there is another married couple who plays. The 3rd female is single but engaged to be married.) We already weeded out any malcontent or otherwise trouble-making players, quite some time ago.

In the previous campaign, the players were quite cooperative and easy-going with one another, and I don't expect that to change a whole lot, even with this "Thieves Guild" campaign. So far, no one is creating a player character with an evil alignment. (Most of them will be chaotic good or chaotic neutral.) Since this city-state has a degree of corruption, harshness, and unfairness very much like Dicken's London, the player characters will start out like a rag-tag group of Oliver Twists and Artful Dodgers, but will likely eventually become vigilantes and noble scoundrels.

 

[Azlan]

To serve as incentives and plot hooks for role-playing, for this "Thieves Guild" campaign, I compiled the following "rogue-ish archetypes", writing them on index cards, which I laid out on a table, and instructed each player (there are six in our group) to select three (no more, no less) for his/her character...

- con artist
- cat burglar
- crooked or disgruntled city guard
- miscreant or disillusioned knight
- fence (black marketeer)
- cutpurse, pickpocket
- street urchin or gang member
- fortune teller, charm maker
- illusionist (specialist wizard)
- enchantress (specialist wizard)
- exotic dancer
- courtesan or gigolo
- actor, storyteller
- singer, musician
- hot-headed or cavalier duelist
- private investigator
- thug, bruiser
- petty drug dealer
- vigilante
- acrobat, juggler
- escape artists, contortionist

These helped determine what class(es) and which skills a player chose for his/her character. (Actually, the players had pretty much already chosen their classes, which they had in mind as they selected these cards.)

In addition, I wrote the following "quirks and disadvantages" on index cards, and instructed each player to select two (again, no more or less) for his/her character...

- habitual liar
- kleptomaniac
- manic depressive
- multiple personalities
- alcoholic (2 cards; this is common among rogues)
- drug abuser (2 cards; this is common among rogues)
- compulsive gambler
- missing finger (i.e. already marked as a thief)
- distinguishing scar or birthmark on face
- abused or rebellious runaway (2 cards; this is quite common among rogues)
- blacksheep of family
- orphaned and destitute
- lascivious, lecherous
- daredevil, thrill seeker
- mischievous, prankster
- delusions of grandeur
- son/daughter of a notorious criminal

 

[Azlan]

In the past, what I've found difficult about city adventures, compared to dungeon or even wilderness adventures, is keeping the player character group together and focused, since each player character has his/her own agenda and is want to separate from the group and go do his/her own thing. To make matters worse, I foresee that many of the rogue-based adventures/missions in this city will require at most 2 or 3 player characters, yet there are six players in our group.

This is how I plan to work around that...

Those players who are not presently involved in the adventure/mission at hand will be given an NPC to play. Written on the NPC's sheet will be a stats block, of course, but also hooks and soliloquies to role-play that character. Sometimes, the NPC may be beneficial to the adventure/mission, but most of the time, the NPC will be oppositional, and it won't always be obvious at first (at least, not to the other players) which way the NPC stands.

Since I award group XPs instead of individual, this will be fair and square for all players, because even if a player spends much of a session playing an NPC instead of his/her character, he/she will still get as many XPs as the other players. (I do supplement the group XPs with individual bonuses, based on role-playing, but this will apply whether a player is playing his character or an NPC.)

For example, one of the first "missions" the player characters will undertake is robbing a pastry shop, located in an upper class area of town. Since the player characters will be starting out at 1st level, at ages 12-16, and since one or two of the player characters will be halflings or gnomes, it will be easy for them to impersonate children and thereby loiter around the shop.

The reason they will want to rob this shop is because they will learn that its handsome owner is being extorted for his having a love affair with a rich, middle-aged noblewoman (who has been one of the shop's best customers), and that the pick-up for the extortion money is scheduled for that afternoon. So, two or three of the player characters will be there an hour or two before the pick-up, to rob the shop and hopefully get the extortion money before it exchanges hands.

Following are NPCs available for the players whose characters are not going to be involved in this robbery...

The Gang Leader. Class & Level: Rogue 2. Stats: Str 11, Con 12, Dex 14, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 14. Alignment: CN. Equipment: MW throwing daggers. Role-playing: You are 20 years old, with some experience as a rogue already under your belt. You've been leading these teenage rogue initiates (i.e. the player characters) for the past month or so, but you've decided they are weighing you down. You're the one who first stumbled across this shop owner's affair and the extortion, but because these teenagers are always tagging along with you, they found out as well. You want to somehow take all the robbery money for yourself and make a surprise break away from the gang. However, if these teenagers gang up on you, they can beat you, so you'll have to figure out a way to double-cross them without directly confronting them, by yourself. If an opportunity presents itself to take all the money without a confrontation, you will certainly take advantage of it.

The Shop Owner. Class & Level: Commoner 3. Stats: Str 13, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 13. Alignment: CG. Role-playing: You are handsome and flirtatious, but you are also cowardly. Even so, you will do your best to protect your shop, since it's your livelihood. You have little to no skill with the hand crossbow or the shortsword (masterwork, both) that you've been keeping lately, under the counter. However, you just purchased a potion of heroism, yesterday, which you're keeping handy on your person.

The Extortionist. Class & Level: Rogue 3. Stats: Str 12, Con 13, Dex 14, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10. Equipment: mw rapier, mw throwing darts (sleep poisoned), mw leather armor (hidden under clothing). Alignment: NE. Role-playing: You've been closely yet secretly watching the pastry shop, the past couple of days, to see if the owner is going to notify anyone of your extorting him. So far, the owner appears to be cravenly going along with your demands. Even so, you're getting nervous. You've decided to show up an hour early to pick up the extortion money. You don't want to be confronted by the city guard or some hired swords, who the shop owner might have waiting in hiding for you, if you show up at the designated hour.

The Noblewoman's Bodyguard. Class & Level: Fighter 3. Stats: Str 14, Con 13, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11. Equipment: +1 longsword, mw chain shirt. Alignment: LN. Role-playing: Your employer, the noblewoman, is making a surprise visit to the pastry shop owner, this afternoon. This has been an extremely boring job for you, and you're itching for some action. But so far, no one has tried to rob this plump, middle-aged yet quite vain woman who you're working for, despite all the flashy jewelry she wears.

Note: Whichever of these NPCs are not played by a player, as well as all the other NPCs involved in this encounter, will be played by the DM (i.e. myself).

 

[Azlan]

So, has anyone else here ever DM'ed or played in a campaign composed entirely of rogue player characters? And if so, what were your experiences from it?

Any observations, suggestions, things to avoid, etc.?

How do you think the ideas and conventions I've come up with, thus far, will work out?

 

[EricNoah]

Sounds really neat. I like the idea that the PCs might be involved in info gathering, planting evidence, delivering messages, and being parts of larger scams that might be going on in the guild ("your team's mission is to break into the Crosstown Express Carriage while it is carrying the daily mail and plant a false letter in the delivery bag" -- the PCs might not know why, but they'd better do their job!).

 

[Shadowdancer]

When I ran a similar urban-based Thieves Guild campaign several years ago, I made the PCs all novice members of the largest thieves guild in the city, the only guild with activities in all parts of the city. There were several smaller thieves guilds and gangs challenging the big guild in the various districts and wards of the city. Many of the PCs' adventures were missions they were sent on by the guild against the rival gangs/guilds and their assets.

The PCs in that campaign were also multi-classed rogues/whatever, and also had cover jobs in guild-owned businesses/shops.

 

[adwyn]

I've played in several all rogue campaigns all using at least some of the Thieves Guild material, and it looks like you already have the basics down.

One thing I've noticed is the need to move away from the guild format. We usually went with competing families with most of the crime families tied to a political family. This lent a new spectrum to the political infighting and kept the characters tied to each ther in an enviroment otherwise known for breaking people apart.

Hand in hand with this was de emphasizing the crimes and instead focusing on interactions and consequences. Remember that even in large fantasy cities the criminal underworld is probably smaller than your high school was. Just think back on all of the gossip and jockeying for position and think of how it would go when the consequences are real and meaningful.

 

[luke_twigger]

Hi there

Right when DnD v3 was released I DM'd a campaign with all the PCs being "thieves". The campaign was set in the City of Greyhawk and they were all members of the Thieves Guild. Not all PCs had levels in rogue though.

I found our old session writeups, which may be of interest. http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lodgelands/Thieves/index.html

During Session15 there was a (player) cockup which is now known as the "Arkon Silverback" moment in our group. After that the group fled Greyhawk and the campaign focus changed and ended soon after.

Even though I've DM'd and played plenty of v3/v3.5 campaigns since, it's still one of my favourites (certainly up to Session15).

Let me know if you want any further details and I'll dredge my memory banks, though it was run in 2000/2001 so forgive me if I'm a tad vague with details.

Luke

 

[HellHound]

I ran a campaign centred around three rogues. It was called "Three Rogues of Arcanis" and was set in an Arcanis version of Sanctuary mixed with a bit of Cauldron (from the Thieve's World books and the Shackled City adventure path, respectively).

The first few games were about gaining entry into the major thieve's guild in town, followed by some competition with other local guilds, trying to expand the turf of their own guild to nearby towns and so on.

It was a lot of fun, and revolved around the characters' wants and needs instead of following a bigger metaplot. It was also the source of one of my fave NPCs, an Aerenae Dark Stalker who was a major lieutenant in the competing guild.

All the characters had at least one rogue level. We ended up with a Rogue / Acrobat, a Rogue / Sorcerer / Arcane Trickster, and a Rogue / Fighter

 

[grodog]

So, has anyone else here ever DM'ed or played in a campaign composed entirely of rogue player characters? And if so, what were your experiences from it?

I haven't, but I've wanted to for years! I'm envious

Any observations, suggestions, things to avoid, etc.?

For inspiration, read Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories, in particular the ones about the thieves guild of Lankhmar; the first four Thieves World books would be good re-reads, too.

If you're also planning to set this game in the FR, I'd re-read Greenwood's gates article from Dragon 37 (in Best of Dragon 2, and the Dragon Archive), as well as Farmer's World of Tiers---gates make the best traps ever, and they're very appropriate in a FR game!

PS - Different Worlds owns the rights to all of the original Gamelords Haven/Thieves Guild stuff, and we're working to publish the long-lost "Intrigue on the North Bank" Haven supplement, among other things. See .sig if you're looking for other Haven/TG materials, and email tadashi@usa.net if you'd like to see "IotNB" in print, at long last

PPS - Check out Gygax's Canting Crew from TLG, and FFG's Traps & Treachery if you don't already have them; Necromancer just published an update for Grimtooth's Traps to d20 as well; for additional thievery cultural inspiration, read Michael Crichton's "The Great Train Robbery" (as well as the usual Sherlock Holmes Moriarty stories).

PPPS - Also check out the Thievery 101 .pdfs from Wyvern's Claw, which are great thief-focused solo adventures (just for 1 1st level thief PC, but also adaptable to groups). Similarly, the series of Thief PC games from Looking Glass Studios/Ion Storm Productions is a great inspiration too.