What are the 'assets' of a Thieves Guild?

Do not underestimate the power of information. The first thing I would do if I was setting up a theives guild in a fantasy/ medevil town is try to come to some sort of agreement with the local guards/ constibles. In exchange for certin liberties allowed by the guild (nothing too major), the guild will provide info to the authorithies on any unrest/ threats to the thorone, ect..
 

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A few things I can think of:
  • Assassinations (bards are assassins on Dark Sun)
  • Catering to the rich and their rich habits (which may slightly be on the illegal side)
  • Information, information, information
  • Smuggling goods into the city (wizardly magic is illegal in Dark Sun city-states, food and water are normally expensive)
  • Mediating between politically-significant parties (since the democratic process is largely alien to the world, carrying messages between stubborn elements like the royal palace, the elemental temples, and the Order can only really be executed by those out for a profit-- without as MUCH of a concern for their lives).
  • Working for other groups (doing dirty work)
  • Currency exchange (charging money for doing weird exchanges or barters)
  • Selling exotic, but legal, items (like gate keys, for example)
  • Selling services (getting clients in touch with sages or experts that they may want for a certain task)

need more?

EDIT: Some more exotic, maybe-Dark-Sun-specific purposes

  • Extorting/getting money from the families of slaves for illegally freeing/smuggling them out.
  • Getting a hold of slaves of special types for patrons who're willing to pay the dough for something weird/illegal.
  • Various transactions with city templars (speeding up/slowing down executions, lubricating arrests, politically hurting other templars and other inter-templar interests)
  • Rigging arena games as well as collecting on bets that are not accepted/avoided by official channels
  • Giving visiting wizards a place to stay without being hassled
  • Covering up political messes by elements like the royal palace (the collapse of a mine leaves five survivors to talk about its details, or a templar was sent out to the cliffs to be executed but survived his fall-- beyond the scope of an execution, per se because these elements could be killed or payed off or whatever... actions below the dignity of said political party), or seeking out components that someone like a defiler dragon may have no time for.
  • Spreading mis-information
  • And last but not least, propagating a multi-city-state network of guilds, a.k.a. expanding the conspiracy.

I didn't cover the mafia-type activity... serving as protection for certain noble houses, or extorting money from merchants for a weak promise of no vandalisation... because I'm sure it's been done above.

EDIT #2: left out illegal or legal gambling: dire wolf duels, card games, you name it.

ciaran
 
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What do you mean with protection of noble houses? That the guild threatens nobles? Rather unlikely, these guys have henchman and weapons of their own.
 

Sarellion said:
What do you mean with protection of noble houses? That the guild threatens nobles? Rather unlikely, these guys have henchman and weapons of their own.
What I see it meaning is NOT striking at a noble house if they are under the guilds protection, basicly off-limits to guide members and that the guild would take action if someone did break that rule. The guild could even provide 'henchmen' to act as guards. This allows a noble to be 'evil' in a non-public way.

Again I bring up the issue of plot killing spells, a guild can also provide magic to help protect detection of crimes via spell means (Devine Rating).
 
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If you REALLY want to get a good set of ideas for what activities a thieve's guild is involved in, just attend your local city council meeting...
 

Legitimate Businesses a Thieves' Guild Would Own:

1) Whorehouses - Even if prostitution is legal, "pillow talk" is a great means of information gathering. Also see #5.

2) Jewellers - Stolem jewellery needs to be disposed of. While a golden ring with emerald inset looks pretty much like any other, an ingraved golden snuffbox will need to be altered, before sale. This fella can do both forya, acting as both alterer and fence.

3) Gemcutter - The Star of India (famous RL Diamond) or Hope Diamond (ditto) can't be sold just anywhere... It can be cut down into several smaller stones, however, and the dust sold as material components, however (diamond dust for resurrection, etc).

4) Smelters - Melt down and sell those snuffboxes, musicboxes, chatellaines, and anything else too distinctive to sell.

5) Construction business - You want floorplans for a place? Also useful in disposing of dead bodies...

6) Warehousing - Storage places have a LOT of uses, and you can always steal anything TOO valuable that was stored!

7) Magic shoppes - You gotta dispose of'em, somewhere!

8) Habberdashery - For disposing of dead folk's clothes.

9) Weapon shoppes - For their weapons.

10) Armor shoppes - same as above.

11) Pawn shoppes - anything else.

12) Servants-R-Us - Get in anywhere.
 
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Lets talk forgery! Want a gem replaced, a painting? How about that holy sword or spell book? In D&D there is a lot of items that can be fake, a guild can supply those items. :)
 

Tomb-Robbing. Many wealthy people are buried with valuables; no reason that such nice things should be wasted on the dead. In fact, this is a great lead-in to the life of an adventurer :) Depending on the level of magic or vindictiveness of the wealthy, this can be an extremely high-risk job.

Grave-Robbing. Many common folk will be buried with not-so-nice things, but these can still be sold. This is not quite so high-risk but is a quick way to get a very, very unsavory reputation. The 'common folk' won't think much about a thief robbing Lord Pembrooke's tomb and taking his jeweled monocle but they'll burn the house of the thief that clipped off the Window Marsh's fingers to get her heirloom rings.

Material Components. There are any number of evil spellcasters that might need unsavory components. Baby's blood, hand of a hanged man, that sort of thing. High pay, medium risk (you're probably in more danger from your client than the law).

Child Slavery. Maybe the Guild also employs a 'Fagin', a man who gets kids to steal for him. (Also, a Fagin may be his own Guild, in a way; he may also be a rival that must be eliminated). Kids can also be used for cheap labor, especially in mines where their small size is an advantage. Halfling kids make wonderful sneaks; their tiny size lets them get into places in ways no-one ever thinks to check. This might be recruitment of homeless kids on the streets, or active kidnapping.

'De-greaser' (alt: de-greaseer). In a more magical world, a sorcerer or wizard employed by the Guild (or who does this work as a sideline) to muddy the psychic/magical 'impressions' on valuable or unique items so they can't be magically traced or divined. (Also generally depends on there being more numerous, selective and active Divination spells in use in the game). A competant de-greaser can not only muddy impressions, but remove them altogether. A top-of-the-line artist can put other impressions on the item. Useful for framing someone else for the theft.

Marker. A man who changes the maker's marks on items. Many things, from furniture to swords, bear a maker's mark (generally so you can tell if you are buying the work of the Master or that of his apprentices/journeymen). Changing this mark can mean selling a thing for a much higher price, or concealing ir's origins.

Coin clippers and shavers. This is one of the things that gets you drawn and quartered, most places. Both involve taking small amounts of metal from many coins to cast new ones.

Corrupt Scribe. Depending on the level of civilization, people may need contracts or other written things. This is highly skilled forgery work (for patents of nobility, duplicating seals, etc.) This is also a line of work that gets you dead, dead, dead if they find you.

Prostitution. Even if prostitution is legal, even if the local social mores are very loose, there will still be a boundry of propriety. And there will be those who go beyond that boundry, sometimes far beyond. The Guild provides for those people. Pay is extremely good, but again if you get caught, it's likely death rather than imprisonment or banishing. Again, a likely place for a Guild wizard, either for illusions and such, or summonings.
 
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