My "Thieves Guild" Campaign

[grodog]

I like your "Troupe Style" approach to the game session: if you're not already familiar with Ars Magica, download the free 4th edition .pdf from RPG.now @ http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=774

I've found the Troupe Style approach to work very well in lots of different genres and games, in particular ones where the PCs have shifting amounts of "camera time" and where there's more roleplaying, and in general a higher number of NPCs.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Interesting, though I find myself wondering why you're requiring players to be rogues, specifically. It's not like there aren't other classes that can function in essentially the same roles as, say, a rogue/fighter. So, that seems like kind of an unnecessary restriction.

 

[HellHound]

In a guild campaign, there are few classes that can meet the minimum requirements to be a thief, really. An urban ranger can pull it off (which is an optional class to begin with), but outside of them, I'm drawing blanks until I go to other material than the core rules.

I would have issues having non-rogues somehow managing to make it into a classic D&D thieve's guild without the thieving skills required.

 

[luke_twigger]

Not all the members of a Thieves Guild need to spend their time actively "thieving" (opening locks, picking pockets, etc)

Fighters/Barbarians could be the hired muscle in protection rackets and such.
Wizards/Sorcerers could identify stolen magical items. Or use Nystul's Magical Aura for scams. Plus provide plenty of useful spells e.g. Invisibility, Spider Climb, etc.
Clerics of a suitable god could ensure divine approval (and useful spells).
OK, so I doubt a paladin will fit in

But a bit of inventiveness and hand waving should explain away most classes a player might want to use.

 

[Azlan]

Interesting, though I find myself wondering why you're requiring players to be rogues, specifically. It's not like there aren't other classes that can function in essentially the same roles as, say, a rogue/fighter. So, that seems like kind of an unnecessary restriction.

I am allowing one player character to be a pure bard, instead of a bard/rogue. I also told the player with the "urban" ranger character that he didn't have to take any levels of rogue. What's important here is that a character is not held back from the rest of the group because he/she doesn't have enough skill in climbing, hiding, moving silently, etc. Furthermore, since combat plays such a lesser role in this campaign, it's more important for all player characters to have lots of skill points, in general, to work with.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

I am allowing one player character to be a pure bard, instead of a bard/rogue. I also told the player with the "urban" ranger character that he didn't have to take any levels of rogue. What's important here is that a character is not held back from the rest of the group because he/she doesn't have enough skill in climbing, hiding, moving silently, etc.

Aha. Yes, that's exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of.

 

[Azlan]

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.

Oh, yes. I've read the Fafhrd and Grey Mouser stories. (Although it was quite some years ago.) And I have all the books in the Thieves World series. (Although I've only read about a third of them.)

I'm currently reading Gangs of New York (the non-fiction book that the movie was based on), to get some ideas, because most of the player characters in this campaign will be starting out as street urchins and/or gang members. I imagine that much in this city-state will resemble the Five Points area of old New York, only with a fantasy Renaissance twist. I may even put an opposing gang of rebellious, nihilistic halflings in there, calling them the Undead Rabbits.

 

[Shades of Green]

- 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

A few more ideas:
- Boxman (a specialist in locks, traps and othermechanical security measures)
- Revolutionary
- Beggar

All in all, I love your ideas - and I like thieff campaigns much. I'm getting ready to run one, in fact - though not (initially) set in a big city, but in a mining town, it will eventually roll down to Cera Tellan, one of my settings metropolises.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

In addition to the sources already mentioned, I've found the Jhereg books (by Steven Brust) useful background.

While I think you can do a perfectly good thieves' guild party with the core rules, I do recommend Complete Adventurer if you're ever in the market for that sort of thing.

One of your big problems is going to be keeping the experience fresh while retaining your central theme. So you're going to need all the variations on that theme you can come up with. But it sounds like you're well on the way to that if you just translate your list of character archetypes into a list of possible adventure goals as well.

 

[grodog]

I'm currently reading Gangs of New York (the non-fiction book that the movie was based on), to get some ideas, because most of the player characters in this campaign will be starting out as street urchins and/or gang members. I imagine that much in this city-state will resemble the Five Points area of old New York, only with a fantasy Renaissance twist. I may even put an opposing gang of rebellious, nihilistic halflings in there, calling them the Undead Rabbits.

Cool. If you like that then definitely check out Crichton's Great Train Robbery, since he based the novel on the actual trial testimony and police records