Some good contracts or missions for a guild

[SangoProduction]

We haven't really started yet, but way my game is set up, the players are leaders of a guild. What type? That will be discussed and decided on this sunday on session 0, but there've been 3 suggestions I've seen so far: trade guild, private investigators, and just "adventurer" guild. I'll ask come session 0 if they choose that if they meant "mercenary" or something.

I've got a couple ideas for potential quests and motivations. These include animals causing havoc on the roads (if they go with trade or merc guild, then this will be interrupting trade, else the mayor or some other big shot will offer a reward [taken from the intended treasure, not that they'd know] ).

As well, a sort of "race against time" quest, where an undead cleansing event goes on, and each guild may send one group. The one with the most skulls gets the big prize. They may also keep all the loot they find. [Foul play is allowed, but not when a guard can see it, giving everyone safe zones to run to, even the competitors. Also, if all the raised undead aren't killed by the end of the timer, then no one gets the reward.]

Then there's the generic "some monsters have set up shop in a dungeon, go kill them" sort of stuff.

Then on the less aggressive side of things: negotiating trade routes [Even the merc guild will have loot to sell]. Also, perhaps a new guild shows up later on as direct competition. They'd have to find a way to win out against them without violence (unless they are good at it...but...guards...investigation... if they go that route, I think it'll still be a nice little puzzle/role play challenge). It could well be a background sort of thing until they figure out a plan.

Anything else that I'm not thinking of? [Obviously, I'm going to let my players choose what to do, but having some ideas for what to do, in case they can't think of anything one day would be nice.]

[Bullet06320]

if your starting low level, it may be better to have them just be members, so they have a support system for rescue, healing, selling treasure, railroading and what not.

if your starting higher level, then having them run a guild and design it from the ground up, have at it then

and I do like the undead killing race idea

Power of Faerun and DMGII have rules for guilds and what not to help you out too

[NevinPL]

Fastest, and easiest way is to use ideas from cRPG's, both DnD, and not like TES series.
Using real life is fine too.

Out the top of my head:

hired to "bring monarchy" to some other nation,
hired to find\make safe place for 50k of refuges,
hired to find somebody\something (on 567 layer of Abyss),
hired to protect (or kill) the visiting king, queen and their whole bloodline,
hired to siege\break siege of a capitol,

[SangoProduction]

thanks for the help

[SangoProduction]

Would acting as escort for road/bridge builders through a forest be a decent quest? [It would improve the guild's trade ability, naturally, and would offer an excuse to kill things.] What type of roleplay options do you think are available for this type of mission?

[BowStreetRunner]

I'm particularly predisposed toward the private investigator guild. Take a look at the Bow Street Runners (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_Street_Runners) for a historical example. You could give them almost any sort of arrest warrant and send them off to track down the wanted persons. And since crime is such a broad concept you can adapt almost any kind of scenario to a mission for such a group.


...animals causing havoc on the roads...The group is sent to arrest a manor lord who allows his herds to graze crown lands and they often block the kings road.


...an undead cleansing event...The group is sent to arrest a necromancer who has been raising havoc in a border town that is about to be handed over to a neighboring kingdom as part of a recently negotiated treaty. The heroes need to clean up all of the undead before the forces from the other kingdom arrive or the treaty could be jeopardized.


...perhaps a new guild shows up later on as direct competition. They'd have to find a way to win out against them without violence (unless they are good at it...but...guards...investigation... if they go that route, I think it'll still be a nice little puzzle/role play challenge)...In fact they are the new guild, officially hired by the magistrate themselves, and the other groups are professional thief-takers who charge for their services. Each time the heroes take a warrant out they face the possibility that one of the thief-takers will get to the mark first and charge the magistrate to hand over the thief.


...hired to "bring monarchy" to some other nation...A neighboring kingdom has just been conquered and they are issued warrants for the arrest of some of the surviving members of the former ruler's government.


... hired to find\make safe place for 50k of refuges...Issued an arrest warrant for a crime boss who has literally taken control of a refugee camp bordering a warzone.


...hired to protect (or kill) the visiting king, queen and their whole bloodline...Issued an arrest warrant for a man suspected of attempting to assassinate a royal and they need to capture him before he tries again.


...acting as escort for road/bridge builders through a forest be a decent quest...Issued an arrest warrant for a group of bandits/outlaws who have been harassing a group of engineers building a bridge over a river deep in the kings forest. They also need to determine which of two barons (whose road taxes will go down when the bridge is complete) is behind the attacks.

One of my favorite western plots that has been reused many times is the story of the marshal who has to escort the prisoner back safely while no one else seems to want him to reach his destination. The prisoner's allies what to rescue him and his enemies want to kill him. The party could find themselves bringing back a prisoner who is actually easy to capture, but once they start to bring him back they end up attacked by many different groups and even a few 'random' encounters as well.

Another fun one would be going to arrest someone who is keeping an illegal menagerie full of prohibited creatures. Yes, those kinds of creatures. And of course a few of them will have to get out at some point.

[SangoProduction]

....I am speechless. That's really nice.

[NevinPL]

What type of roleplay options do you think are available for this type of mission?

negotiating with the local lord about allowing the road to be build (it's his land after all),
dealing with local druids\wood elves\eco-terrorists\whatever, about allowing the road to be build (they're against destroying nature, concern about pollution, etc.),
dealing with local populous (their against changes, road goes right through their fields, homes, are concerned about attracting the wrong kind of travelers)

[SangoProduction]

negotiating with the local lord about allowing the road to be build (it's his land after all),
dealing with local druids\wood elves\eco-terrorists\whatever, about allowing the road to be build (they're against destroying nature, concern about pollution, etc.),
dealing with local populous (their against changes, road goes right through their fields, homes, are concerned about attracting the wrong kind of travelers)


That's quite nice.

[SangoProduction]

I found this. http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/random/#type=Quest
It seems to have plenty of options and ideas I can use.