LABORERS GUILDS

Another relatively small but growing phenomenon, laborers guilds are associations of unskilled, low-paid, physical laborers who have banded together for mutual support. Usually, such groups organize in the hope that suffi cient numbers might grant them some of the influence and authority they lack individually. The guild not only provides laborers with a place to gather and share their grievances, it attempts to negotiate with employers and the city government for wages and working conditions. No single laborer has any real clout, but a few of the larger laborers guilds have garnered a fair amount of respect.

Many laborers guilds must weather assaults—usually economic and political, but in some cases literal—from businesses or even government departments. Most employers, after all, dislike it when their workers band together and insist on higher wages. Although a great many laborers guilds are entirely legitimate, a portion of them have allied with criminal organizations as a means of protecting themselves from government or business reprisals.

Laborers guilds still require dues from their members, but the cost is normally lower than other guilds. It varies from guild to guild, but a fee of 1 or 2 gp per level, rather than 5, is standard. Entry fees (when they are not waived) average 5 to 10 gp.

Examples: Dockworkers guild, teamsters guild.

Associated Classes: Commoner, warrior.

Associated Skills: None. Common and untrained laborers are the primary members of these guilds.

Duties: Members are required to support their guild and their fellow members in all confrontations. This can mean joining in demonstrations, or even going on strike (regardless of the fi nancial hardship it causes) when asked to do so.

Favored Benefits: Members gain a +1 bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks when negotiating with potential employers. When performing basic physical labor, members can expect to be paid 5% to 10% more than the standard value for those services.

Sample Contact: Colson of Archer Street (human commoner 5). Colson serves as a foreman and can arrange for a labor crew to perform simple physical tasks, such as carrying goods or driving wagons, for 1d3 days. Once every 2 months.