Everything Thieves Guilds Do

[Thunderfoot]

If the Guild is very sophisticated...

Openly or organizing front organizations to:

Provide Health care & retirement plans for guild members or their families;

Do charitable acts within their neighborhoods to keep the locals happy with them;

Back laws, candidates or established politicians that would make life easier for the Guild;

Influence Peddling & Introductions;

Skimming from gov't or private contracts;

Providing "Security"- a great front for drug running, skimming and other crimes;

Serve to the Crown while helping themselves- see "Privateers" or "Spymasters"

Dear God! YOU ARE A LAWYER!!!!!

 

[Thunderfoot]

Running dance halls (Sometimes all a lonely person wants is a cuddle, not the whole shootin' match)
Selling information to the highest bidder (sometimes the intangiable stuff has greater value)
Backing street gangs as a 'farm league' for future members (I'm amazed how often this aspect is missed)
Politics - especially greased palms
Crime fighting - the best way to ensure the best jobs are your is to control the police
Loan sharking and small business loans - crush the rich and subvert/submiss the poor
Temp agency for adventurers - don't laugh, the best way to get good loot is to have someone show you where it is.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Temp agency for adventurers - don't laugh, the best way to get good loot is to have someone show you where it is.

Laugh? I'm not laughing. This is a great idea.

 

[The Iron Mark]

Laying the smack-down on non-guild thieves. So: crime-fighting.

Good old Pratchett right there. Brutally kill any non-guild thieves, and let people pay money to the guild so guild thieves will not rob them.

 

[Oryan77]

Pyramid schemes - "Hey buddy, I got this really good 'get rich quick' idea...here's how it works..."

Vacation Package scams - "For only 100 gold, we will send you on a paid vacation to Waterdeep for 4 days & 3 nights. All you have to do is participate in our 2 hour Time Share conference & that's it!" Of course, when you send them the gold they never respond back.

Nigerian bank fraud - "If you can send 50k gold to me in the Underdark, I can use the money to release my 1 million gold inheritance and split it with you 50/50."

 

[jbuck]

in a D&D world i can see theives guilds tithing to the theives god to stay in buisness.
also, has beating up merchants for protection money come up yet?

 

[Nightfall]

Thunder,

Some nice ideas! Definitely things that a thieves guild would do.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Thunder,

Some nice ideas! Definitely things that a thieves guild would do.

Let's just say that my avatar is there for a reason.

 

[Nightfall]

Thunder,

See I thought it was there cause you didn't want to show everyone your driver's license picture as the only photo you could use...