Ideas needed for an adventurers' guild

[Niccodaemus]

It seems to me that the very essence of a guild is diametrically opposed to the spirit of being an adventurer. Of course, I'm mostly influence by folktales, in which "adventuring" is usually undertaken by someone who has had quite enough of the life imposed on them, and decides that rather than listening to anyone else they are going to go out and "seek their fortune". To then join a guild with rules about how you do that just seems odd.

The "adventurer" in stories tends to stumble into problems that no one else can solve, and succeeds often by sheer ignorance of the obstacles.

I also tend to think of adventurers as gunslingers in the old west. I just couldn't conceive of any of Clint Eastwood's characters belonging to some sort of "gun for hire" guilds.

That's not to say it is a bad idea. But I wouldn't call it an adventurer's guild. Perhaps "security" guild might be more apropo. I'd actually make it subservient to another guild, like the merchant's guild.

But that's just me. If it fills a need in your gaming world, do whatever works!
I could imagine it being an organization that often comes to the players despite the fact they don't belong, rather than because they do.

"Look Caspian, I know last time things didn't work quite as well as we would have hoped, but we made it up to you, didn't we? We have a contract to find a husband for some king's b*tc... er... daughter, and so far every one we've sent out has come back sniveling like a child. Our two best men... look, don't snicker... are up north dealing with giants, if we don't get this done, the May festival is going to be held over in Putland. Now really... do you wan't THAT, do you? Have you tasted their beer?"

 

[Jon_Dahl]

I think I'm going to go in the lines of Weem.
NPCs are going to start up a guild for adventurers, but they need help. PCs will have strong influence in the first steps of the guild. But I still need to outline it because I need to have some kind of suggestions which players can either accept, modify or trash them and create something different. I'm not just going to throw the ball to my players and tell them to think everything from the scratch.

So, I've been thinking something like this:
- Reputation and proof of quality. Whatever makes the adventurers look good makes the guild look good too and vice versa.
- Guarantee for a proper funeral. If you suffer TPK in the Underdark, we'll get you out and bury you decently. Even if you're just a week old pile of poop.
- Masterwork prostheses to members. For some reason "losing limbs" if oft mentioned in D&D, even though it never happens!
- Buying tips of monsters, treasures and other things related to adventuring. Treasure maps too. Guild will investigate the validity of tips and then sell them to their members after they have ranked it. All tips are ranked according to different qualities.
- Missions. If an outsider has a job to do which considered as adventurous enough, guild will accept it and find the right guy for the job. Bulleting boards as previously mentioned? Just pick your mission!
- Magical item trading: Don't like that shield +1? Trade it for scrolls then! No selling since they don't want to make Merchants' Guild irritated (this is something that should be considered: No overlapping with other guilds!).
- Recruiting new adventurers for adventuring parties. So you have a 13th-level group and your roque just died? Where are you going to find a replacement? Of course usually a new character just steps out of nowhere and without any delay, but this sort of guild could perhaps help with verisimilitude? (btw I hate that word )
- Magical healing and arcane casting services.
- Arcane library.

This of course doesn't cover the different levels of membership, but I'm going to think about it (SteelDragons had very good suggestions).

 

[Desdichado]

I never liked the idea of adventurer's guilds, as they felt too artificial and "meta" for my taste.

That said, I picked up Paizo's Pathfinder Society book. The Pathfinder Society is the setting's signature organization, and basically, it's a continent spanning adventurer's guild. In spite of myself, I found myself quite liking it.

Here's the wiki entry on the subject, and here's the actual book... in case you need that much detail.

 

[Tayne]

If you're inclined to a more humorous approach to your setting, you could treat your guild like a modern union. There's a lot of satire to be mined out of this.

What happens to non-guild adventurers?

What happens when the guild goes on strike?

What happens if the king decides he doesn't like organized adventuring?

After the guild is disbanded or before it is formed, how much worse is it to be without a guild watching your back? Or better without one, depending on your particular economic or political leanings?

 

[Wiseblood]

A guild needs bylaws that apply only to guildmembers.

Two or three levels of membership.

Member: It has it's perks.

Guild Officer : These guys can tell members what to do with a reasonable expectation of obedience.

Guildmaster: This person runs the show and is usually feared for their political clout or actual personal power or deeds.

First, you are a nothing. You either are recommended or seek out members to sponsor you. You get hazed. Which might mean crappy or dangerous missions to enrich the guild these also display loyalty and or talent. After the initial phase of hazing is concluded there is a vote by the guild to let you in or not. Once you are a member you get full benefits. If you break guild bylaws too often you may get kicked out or worse.


Once you're in, common adventurers/citezenry are unlikely to cross you because you have the guild backing you. Authorities are less likely to hassle you, again, because you are one of a powerful and exclusive group of dangerous folks. You instantly get street cred, at least amongst the non-guild people. Most guildmemebers will back you, even in dangerous situations and they are very likely to treat you like family. With that said, family squabbles and drama still arise. Non-members that wish to get into your good graces will perform favors. Equipment can be baught through the guild cheaper. Guild dues are collected as a share of the loot taken while adventuring. If you don't make money you don't pay. You can help the guild out other ways.


You all meet in an inn. No, seriously.The guildhouse is probably an inn or a fortress. (a few safehouses squirreled away too) Because these structures meet the needs of adventurers moreso than a mansion, library or sewer system.


Guilds have markers, pins, cloaks, tatoos or whatnot that all members carry. This is not to identify other guildmembers. You already know them, some quite well, they're family remember? It is so common folk can tell who you are.



Some guild bylaws migh be:

Defend the reputations of the guild and it's members.

Always aid a fellow guildmember.

Never betray the guild or a member to outsiders. ( authorities or their enemies)

Be ready to punish traitors to the guild.

Guild tokens (cape, knife, tatoo or whatnot) must never be defaced.


Other perks of membership might be.

Guild sponsored restorative magic. (raise dead, cure disease and so on)

Taxes are paid on your behalf by the guild from dues.

Places to stay, eat and seek employment. (or hide from enemies)

Assistance from other guildmembers.

Legal defense. ( and he's probably a bard)

Guild favors, when the guild calls in a favor they have a much bigger pool to draw from than just your party.

That's just the tip of the iceberg.

These are the kind of folks that you can call on to hide the bodies.

 

[Tayne]

here's a dry, scholarly approach to medieval guilds if you value historical accuracy in a campaign. Mostly it seems to apply to craft guilds, so take it for what it's worth.

Guilds

A very small sample of highlights -


Services Performed by Guilds
Guilds performed other services for their members as well. They

provided funeral expenses for poorer members and aid to survivors;
provided dowries for poor girls;
covered members with a type of health insurance and provisions for care of the sick;
built chapels;
donated windows to local churches or cathedrals;
....

Guilds and Community Interrelationships

The members of the guild were called confraternities, brothers helping one another. From the political viewpoint, the guild was neither sovereign nor unrelated to society outside the guild and town organization. As a collective unit, the guild might be a vassal to a bishop, lord or king, as in Paris. The extent of vassalage depended on the degree of independence of the town where it was located. There was a close connection between the guild and the city authorities:

-The City Council could intervene in event of trouble between guilds.
-Council could establish the hours of work, fix prices, establish weights and measures
-Guild officials were frequently appointed to serve in civic government because guilds usually voted as a unit, raised troops for the civic militia, and paid taxes as a group.

Each guild was required to perform public services. They:

-took turns policing the streets and
-constructed public buildings and walls to defend the town or city.

A perceived higher social status could be achieved through guild membership. The guildsmen of The Canterbury Tales had wives who liked to be called "Ma Dame" by their inferiors.

By the 13th c. to become a guild man one had to go through 3 stages:

lowest was apprentice,
next was journeyman, and
top-ranking stage was master.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

A 19th Century approach is an Adventurers Club - less structured than a guild, membership dues are just that - you pay for membership on a yearly basis. Dues include discount on a place to stay while in the city - inexpensive enough that some groups maintain the rooms on a yearly basis. Clubs by city, not by nation, with a few exceptions.

Good food, good drink, folks listening to your lies and telling you theirs. A social network.

Look up 19th century Gentlemen's Clubs for an idea. (For that matter, look up Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's brother, who lived in the Diogenes club.)

The Auld Grump

 

[Tayne]

around the wolrd in 80 days starts with a gentlemanly bet in a 19th century-style adventure guild, doesn't it?

 

[TheAuldGrump]

around the wolrd in 80 days starts with a gentlemanly bet in a 19th century-style adventure guild, doesn't it?

Thank you! That's the example of the Adventuring Club that I couldn't quite remember. And Fogg spent more on his 80 day Journey than he won....

The Auld Grump, so I was saying to Sir Hillary the other day, you've met him, haven't you? Well, I was telling him about my time in Madagascar....

 

[saskganesh]

In my current game, I don't have a guild, but the PC's have a patron who is part of a NPC adventurer's "conspiracy" called the Eight Pointed Star, which functions as a decentralised, anarchic guild. The PC's are unwittingly part of this conspiracy and as the game progresses they will find more out about the conspiracy's membership, networks and goals. From my point of view, it's a good vehicle to bring in new PCs and plothooks, as well as being its own mystery/adventure should the player's wise up and start investigating.