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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rethalgamon" data-source="post: 6140142" data-attributes="member: 80440">I'm working on a homebrew setting for d20 based on 8th-11th century Near East, and I'm working on incorporating guilds into the setting and rules system. I know that in the past, especially in the Medieval era, guilds were a big thing, very powerful and very secretive; most non-guild craftsmen didn't have the resources or abilities of the affiliated apprentices, journeymen, or masters, or, if they did (by working in an area outside of guild interest/control), weren't able to operate on a large scale or in a large area without the guild taking both notice and fees. I've decided to represent this several rules, but I'm worried that they are too strict, and the craftsman PC as a concept basically falls apart at one of them (the Apprenticeship feat.)1. Unless you have taken the "Apprenticed" background feat*, you may only place up to 2 ranks in any one Craft or Profession skill. The reasoning is that, without further in-depth instruction by either a guildmaster or an experienced artisan (i.e., an apprenticeship), you would not have access to the information that would allow you to expand your skills.2. Guilded craftsmen belong to a guild (!), must pay guild dues, are bound to guild trade laws, and are able to practice their profession within cities.3. Non-guilded craftsmen, called "Artisans", do not belong to a guild, and thus do not have to pay guild dues or be bound by guild trade law, but they may not practice their profession within cities controlled by the guild of their craft or profession.4. If a character wishes to pursue a craft, that is, put more than 2 ranks in a single Craft skill or Profession skill, he must take the "Apprenticeship" feat, detailed below. Note that the player would be essentially retiring their character for a span of in-game years as indicated by the chosen mentor, as apprenticing to a craftsman is a full-time commitment that doesn't allow for such adventuring nonsense. After that point, he is free to practice his craft wherever. It is advised that players who wish to play craftsmen characters cover their apprenticeships with the "Apprenticeship" background feat, and start the game as Journeymen.5. The Apprenticeship feat itself (this is where things get difficult.):I know this seems overly complicated and obtuse, possibly unbalanced even, but I can't figure out any other way to get at the "you need someone to teach you a craft and that information wasn't cheap, easy to come by, or quick to learn" and "guild were powerful and controlling economic entities" aspects of medieval life. What do you guys think? Am I overthinking it? Should I just ignore the entity of guilds, or restrict Craft and Profession skills to those characters with the Apprenticed background feat? Doing that, I believe, wouldn't allow a character with both the time and money for apprenticeship fees to learn a skill, for absolutely no good reason. I'm stuck. *Characters get both a feat and a background feat at level one.</blockquote>

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