CRIMINAL GUILDS

These organizations are illegal and highly secretive, except in particularly corrupt cities. They exist for one purpose: to protect their members from the law, the citizenry, and rival criminals. A criminal guild offers its members somewhere to train, compare notes, learn of opportunities, fence stolen goods, or simply lie low for a time. It is particularly valuable as a means of fi nding employment, since those who require an illicit service often approach the guild (which in turn farms the job out to a specifi c member). Membership in the guild is a powerful tool for intimidation and negotiation when dealing with those who know of the organization’s power.

Criminal guilds occasionally have an underworld house at the center of their power structure.

Examples: Assassins guild, thieves guild.

Associated Classes: Bard, fighter, rogue, scout (Complete Adventurer).

Associated Skills: Bluff, Disable Device, Forgery, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand.

Duties: Members must keep all details of the guild secret from nonmembers. They must avoid robbing or otherwise victimizing anyone the guild has declared off limits (either because the individual is paying protection money, or because he poses too great a risk of drawing attention). A member is not required to take every job the guild asks her to perform, but she should have a good reason for refusing. She must obtain guild permission before undertaking any large criminal endeavor. Finally, she must pay to the guild 15% of all profits made from criminal activities, on top of her monthly dues.

Favored Benefits: The guild provides access to the black market and stolen goods. A member can obtain many goods for a discount, in any city where the guild maintains a presence. The chance of fi nding a specifi c discounted item is a fl at 85% for mundane items, 50% for minor magic items, 25% for medium magic items, and 10% for major magic items. If they are available, mundane items can be purchased for a 10% discount, while magic items are discounted 5%. Note that these items are stolen or contraband, and a PC caught with an identifi ably stolen item on his person could be arrested and charged.

Sample Contact: Colben Shey (human bard 5). Through a combination of clever lies, forgeries, and a group of “witnesses” he keeps available at all times, Colben can provide an airtight alibi for the PC, insisting that he was in one place when he was actually in another. Once every 4 months.