Adventurer's Guild

[Bellberith]

So, if you guys were to implement an Adventurer's Guild and/or Mercenary Guild.... What type of ranking system would you use (if you would use one at all)?

Example: If you were to go by Grades such as F/E/D/C/B/A/S/SS/SSS (Last two may be redundant) with the -/+ (also may be redundant), how would you categorize the adventurer's? Achievements, Class, Race, Level, ect.....

My players always tend to do things like "I'll look at the bounty board" the minute they enter a town, even though they are there for a completely separate reason. So the idea came to me that one of these days I'll run a campaign with a system like you would read in adventure genre Light Novels and was wondering how to go about it.

[SharkForce]

probably some ranks are more or less competence-based, with specific areas of expertise noted, but i would expect higher ranks to be partially competence and partially internal politics.

[Mjolnirbear]

A job board probably assumes solo hires. À guild that uses a job board probably knows people will team up, so they'd make a ranking system that incorporates both solo and teamwork.

Suppose level C is the most common tier. Anyone from level 1-4 can be expected to solo it. All guild members can take these on.

Level B is for characters level 5-8. A B member can solo this. Or multiple C members might team up to reduce risk and share the treasure.

Level A is for characters from 9-12. Bs can team up for this. Cs cannot team up at all for this, it will be too challenging.

S-Level missions are generally expected to require characters or teams higher than level 12. These are held by the guild leader and the notice of the board is probably along the lines of "S Mission, at x location, enquire within" so that the guild leader can evaluate them on a bed to know basis.

And there are rumours of special secret missions, but they don't even get advertised. The leader accepts or declines the missions and hand picks the team.

[manny2510]

A ranking system is hell for a GM to keep track of. I feel that referrals from NPC's feel more natural and require less effort.

[Foxhound438]

So, if you guys were to implement an Adventurer's Guild and/or Mercenary Guild.... What type of ranking system would you use (if you would use one at all)?

Example: If you were to go by Grades such as F/E/D/C/B/A/S/SS/SSS (Last two may be redundant) with the -/+ (also may be redundant), how would you categorize the adventurer's? Achievements, Class, Race, Level, ect.....

My players always tend to do things like "I'll look at the bounty board" the minute they enter a town, even though they are there for a completely separate reason. So the idea came to me that one of these days I'll run a campaign with a system like you would read in adventure genre Light Novels and was wondering how to go about it.

you could probably get away with following the tiers of play (1-4, 5-11, 12-16, 17+). ie, "you only see two posters on the bounty board, most were taken. one says 'TIER 1 MISSION [insert mission here]' and the other says 'TIER 3 MISSION [...]'" and have the poc listed for the tier 3 one just laugh and laugh and laugh and... if your level 1-4 characters go asking for details.

[Kane0]

Makes me think of Battletech's MRBC for some reason.

[Mjolnirbear]

I was thinking Naruto myself. :)

[JAL_1138]

There's always the old 1e level titles for classes. Rutterkin, waghalter, myrmidon, ovate, chevalier, courser, etc.

(NOTE: the examples above are taken from several different classes and are in no kind of order at all. Each class had its own progression of titles by level.)

[CNagy]

Treat adventurer guild ranks as in-game achievements/granted feats. I tend to stay away from the letter ranking system because it feels anachronistic to me. In one game where I did use an adventurer's guild, I poached an idea from Overlord and made the ranks metal (except tags instead of plates). Copper tags being entry level, up through platinum, then mithril and lastly adamantine.

It's very much a system that thrives in a sandbox game. I tried to incorporate it in a more traditional quest-based campaign and it fell flat on its face. One reason for that I think is that the presence of an Adventurer's Guild (to say nothing of such an organization having multiple branches and outposts) implies that there are a lot more adventurers (not only in the world, but in the local area) than one might encounter in a game without. The ripple effects from that can be pretty far reaching.

[Kane0]

Titles work well for this kind of thing. You can have three different kinds too: Individual titles, group titles and specialization titles.

For example a level 8 evoker in a level 6-8 party could possess the 'Flame Savant' and 'The Wary' titles, and the group share the 'Collegiate' title.

Which means one could eventually get a list impressive enough to rival Richard.

Edit: A more traditional ranking for a group could be used to differentiate, like bronze/silver/gold.

[JoeJ]

What do you intend the rankings to represent, and how are they assigned? Are they based on customer satisfaction? The length of time somebody has been in the guild? Score on some sort of test?

[Bellberith]

What do you intend the rankings to represent, and how are they assigned? Are they based on customer satisfaction? The length of time somebody has been in the guild? Score on some sort of test?

This is part of what i was asking you guys.... The question is how would YOU do it. I was looking to take all the ideas i liked out of this threat and attempt to make a fun, interesting system that players could use to improve their status in the world while they do side-quests, or if they just wanna go fight something.

I do like the traditional rankings.... could use Bronze (1-4) / Silver (5-10) / Gold (11-16) / Platinum (17-20)

But those would be roughly the levels that would be in them. Actually getting into those ranks would require achievements typically only people of those levels could complete. So someone could get into a higher rank as a lower level or be stuck in a lower rank while being a higher level.

[JoeJ]

This is part of what i was asking you guys.... The question is how would YOU do it. I was looking to take all the ideas i liked out of this threat and attempt to make a fun, interesting system that players could use to improve their status in the world while they do side-quests, or if they just wanna go fight something.

I do like the traditional rankings.... could use Bronze (1-4) / Silver (5-10) / Gold (11-16) / Platinum (17-20)

But those would be roughly the levels that would be in them. Actually getting into those ranks would require achievements typically only people of those levels could complete. So someone could get into a higher rank as a lower level or be stuck in a lower rank while being a higher level.

I'm not familiar with any tradition involving metals. The guild tradition I'm familiar with only has the ranks of Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master, which doesn't sound like what you're looking for.

[Kane0]

Party rank (based off average party level)
Copper: 1-4
Silver: 5-8
Gold: 9-12
Platinum: 13-16
Mithril/Adamantine: 17-20

Individual rank (based off character level)
- recruit/entrant (1-2)
- member (3-4)
- journeyman (5-6)
- adventurer (7-8)
- officer (9-10)
- veteran (11-12)
- hero (13-14)
- master (15-16)
- known by name (17-20)

Title: like nickname, used where appropriate for flavor and description.

[Coidzor]

So, if you guys were to implement an Adventurer's Guild and/or Mercenary Guild.... What type of ranking system would you use (if you would use one at all)?

Example: If you were to go by Grades such as F/E/D/C/B/A/S/SS/SSS (Last two may be redundant) with the -/+ (also may be redundant), how would you categorize the adventurer's? Achievements, Class, Race, Level, ect.....

My players always tend to do things like "I'll look at the bounty board" the minute they enter a town, even though they are there for a completely separate reason. So the idea came to me that one of these days I'll run a campaign with a system like you would read in adventure genre Light Novels and was wondering how to go about it.

If I were to do rankings, probably would be some variant on the idea of Trainees/Apprentices(hypothetical level 0s), Probationary Members(say, level 1 characters/new people), Members(rank and file), Senior Members(older, more established, typically higher leveled), Guild Officers(higher leveled), and then Guildmasters(usually highest leveled character normally there, but not always or an honorary and service fraternity within the guild for the most senior of members). With membership on some council or other requiring senior membership or holding some office within the guild and allowing more access to the politicking of the guild.

As far as actual titles for those ranks... I got nothing right now, though I suppose they would be easy enough to use as is.

I like the ideas in the Quest for Glory games with some of the sidequests. It can give them some activities for their characters to do during Downtime as well, instead of just working or wenching or learning a language or plotting for the next adventure or building something.

You can also just crib the Renown system and create an organization to represent the guild. Maybe one of the ranks allows an extra healing potion, gratis, every time the character goes on a new adventure after spending time in Downtime.

[Tanarii]

One reason for that I think is that the presence of an Adventurer's Guild (to say nothing of such an organization having multiple branches and outposts) implies that there are a lot more adventurers (not only in the world, but in the local area) than one might encounter in a game without. The ripple effects from that can be pretty far reaching.Adventuring Companies, and a large number of Adventurers around the world, are very much the assumption in Forgotten Realms / AL. It's the entire basis for the way AL adventures work, allowing random/pick-up groups of Adventurers coming together, going on a quest / mission / adventure, then going their own separate way again.

It's basically embracing the 'you all meet in a tavern' trope and making it the standard assumption, without actually having to play it out before each and every adventure.

[Vogonjeltz]

So, if you guys were to implement an Adventurer's Guild and/or Mercenary Guild.... What type of ranking system would you use (if you would use one at all)?

Example: If you were to go by Grades such as F/E/D/C/B/A/S/SS/SSS (Last two may be redundant) with the -/+ (also may be redundant), how would you categorize the adventurer's? Achievements, Class, Race, Level, ect.....

My players always tend to do things like "I'll look at the bounty board" the minute they enter a town, even though they are there for a completely separate reason. So the idea came to me that one of these days I'll run a campaign with a system like you would read in adventure genre Light Novels and was wondering how to go about it.

I'd probably just offer a variety of jobs, whoever completes it gets the bounty (so there may be more than one team actively pursuing an offering).

Many ways to go about the posting of missions, it could be ad hoc (a board where anyone can put a flyer up) or it could be on commission (specific person(s) are hired.

As to who might be deliberately tapped, that really depends on the mission type.

Exploration? Rescue? Delivery? Acquisition? Bounty? Protection?
And so forth.

The actual danger level would be something conveyed in the request, but it would be no better than an estimate.

[Bellberith]

Adventuring Companies, and a large number of Adventurers around the world, are very much the assumption in Forgotten Realms / AL. It's the entire basis for the way AL adventures work, allowing random/pick-up groups of Adventurers coming together, going on a quest / mission / adventure, then going their own separate way again.

It's basically embracing the 'you all meet in a tavern' trope and making it the standard assumption, without actually having to play it out before each and every adventure.

This is something i have in my games. Random encounters on the road can sometimes be another party of adventurers. The rate is drastically reduced when i have evil PCs though.... Don't want them looting obscene amounts of gold/gear. But when i have them, the stuff they have is level appropriate and if there is a fight, it is almost always lethal for both sides.

It helps let the players know they aren't some "chosen ones" and there are other people in the world that can be just as, or even more powerful than they are. These people are also off doing their own things, saving towns / cities and helping people, or the complete opposite, in their own way.

[Mad_Saulot]

I tried an Adventure Guild in Forgotten Realms, the entire Guild took over Castle Perilous, and became so powerful even Empires were afraid of them.

Turns out when you get a butt load of class levels into one castle you can rule the world.

The guild fell apart eventually due to internal rivalries.

It was great fun, I highly recommend trying it at least once.

If you have access to lots of players you could expand upon the idea.

[Tanarii]

I tried an Adventure Guild in Forgotten Realms, the entire Guild took over Castle Perilous, and became so powerful even Empires were afraid of them.

Turns out when you get a butt load of class levels into one castle you can rule the world.How'd they deal with the Harpers, Zhentarim, Red Wizards, Lord's Alliance, Cormyr and innumerable insanely high level NPCs that would have prevented them from ruling the world? Just to name a few off the top of my head. Stock Forgotten Realms seems like one of the less likely campaigns for that to be able to happen. There are far too many high powered class levels already gathered in individuals and organizations around the setting that would stop it from happening.

[Mad_Saulot]

How'd they deal with the Harpers, Zhentarim, Red Wizards, Lord's Alliance, Cormyr and innumerable insanely high level NPCs that would have prevented them from ruling the world? Just to name a few off the top of my head. Stock Forgotten Realms seems like one of the less likely campaigns for that to be able to happen. There are far too many high powered class levels already gathered in individuals and organizations around the setting that would stop it from happening.

The Guild was run by a mysterious 20th level Gnome Illusionist, and his cadre of max level compatriots, they sowed the seeds for the Guild and my players entered at the ground floor, before long the Guild had hundreds of adventurers ranging from level 1 to level 20.

The Lords Alliance was a major sponsor for the Guild and the Harpers and Zhentarim were directly involved as many of the adventurers belonged to one or the other, elements of every faction were represented in the Guild. There were no alignment restrictions to membership, although Zoosk (the 20th level Gnome Wizard) was Lawful Good, he was tolerant of all religions/alignments, one of his best mates was a chaotic evil Anti-Paladin.

The overarching goal of the Lords Alliance was to rid the world of monsters and usher in a new age of civilisation (at the expense of the Guild).

The Red Wizards were happy to include an Enclave within Castle Perilous for trade and diplomacy purposes, and Cormyr needed their support as they were in a proper war with Sembia, there was much intrigue there.

Individual uber-characters were no match for the combined might of the Guild, as many Deities were onboard with the Guild for various reasons (not all good).

But as I mentioned, the Guild eventually collapsed as a result of internal tensions, so really, it destroyed itself.

[Tanarii]

Haha okay so ultimately in a sense all those groups *did* prevent it. After first helping form it. Then having a falling out.

One of the things I love about Forgottem Realms is it just accepts so many D&D tropes as a normal part the world. Which is hardly surprising, given its influenced D&D just as much as D&D has influenced it.

[Mad_Saulot]

Haha okay so ultimately in a sense all those groups *did* prevent it. After first helping form it. Then having a falling out.

One of the things I love about Forgottem Realms is it just accepts so many D&D tropes as a normal part the world. Which is hardly surprising, given its influenced D&D just as much as D&D has influenced it.

Faerun is easily my favorite D&D setting, played it for well over a decade, but the Guild was one of my last Faerun games as we were starting to get a bit bored of it, so the Guild was really just a fun experiment to end the setting with a party.

Now I'm building a world from scratch as I'm not too keen on the other official worlds.

[Socratov]

I'd use a system of ranking and competenties:

for ranking the system is as follows:


D is for baseline competent. entrants for this competency are asked to perform an entrance test. If they pass they will be awarded this rank. This rank serves to create a baseline between competent and incompetent. Think apprentice, but with the minimum skills required to function in this area of skill.
C is for rank D personell that has undergone a second test, or has, during a ission, shown excellence deserving of this rank. This rank serves the function to distinguish between poeple who do a thing and cna do a thing reasonably well. Think the rank of a journeyman
B is the rank for people who have mastered their craft and either shown competence beyond normal skill to se them apart form level C, or by contributing significantly to the skill in question. Think Tradesmaster
A is always followed by a number. This is what makes a grandmaster of the craft. this rank signifies a level of competence in a skill to go beyond normal and will certainly be the stuff of legends. these peopel could consider themselves an engineering peer of Leonardo Da Vinci, or a General like Julius Caesar. The number signifies the rank should more then 1 person fall in this category. Numbers are (re)assessed when new heights in this skill are uncovered at either a personal level (relative to other Rank A's), or on a world wide level. A record here makes for a high rank.




for instance: you can hire melee fighters or put out a job for melee fighters where an indication of required skills and skilllevels is made. so a job might post Melee: D
Ranged: C
Acrobatics: B

etc.

If you and/or the party has all the basic proficiencies in store (or 75% of them to put a riskfactor in it) you can take up the mission in name of the guild. You get passed a letter of representation that the persons (you and/or the rest of the party) carrying this letter and named therein are representing the guild on official guild business.

Then after you carried out the job you return for a full per person debriefing on which performances, gains, expenditures and requirements are re-assessed. Based on these you each get your cut as follows:

higher rank skill contributors get a larger cut of the spoils after tax. Spoils after tax are the total tradable benefits enjoyed (free room and board not included, benefits of professional 'enjoyment' included), minus expenditures [consumables, lost/damaged weapons (based on insurance value), ammunition, and so forth], after which a 10~30% guild tax has been deducted (depending on billables of participants). Mind you, if a level D is asked and a level B fulfills the request the lvl B is given a D level cut.

Each person is member so long as the person in question contributes billables according to their rank. For example: a rank D person is expected to contribute 50 GP in a year, a level C 150 a year, level B 450 gp a year. Level A members have become Honorary members as their rank is so high that jobs are really rare. though they are expected to share experiences and contribute in a more practical way by teaching their skills to others (mostly lvl B and sometimes C). level B members can increase their billables by taking up teaching, mentoring and ajudication jobs in the internal structure of the guild. They recieve no wages for it (as opposed to rank A members), but see their supposed wage flow directly to their billables. These activities cost half a day for a week at a time. D and C level functionaries are expected to report for training at least 4 weeks a year and can apply for ajudications once a year to test their skill and have it rated accordingly. A pass means as of that day they are rated as the new rank, though depending on billables fullfilled will see their billables increase accordingly. Every member can donate money and/or equipment to increase his/her billables according to the value of the donation.

For example: John is a D level melee and during the year asks for his review. He passes. The guild then transfers his file to rank C, John gets an insignia to signyfy his new rank. Now the guild sees that John had 20GP of his billables left to fullfill. His new target, therefore, will be 20/50*150=60gp left to gather until the end of the guild year.

Ok, what started as a proposal for a guild ranking now has become a full bureaucratic working for a guild of adventurer's and mercenaries.

[Mad_Saulot]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, in our Guild there were no formal ranks, it was fairly obvious who the most powerful members were and the Guild founder didnt encourage a specific hierarchy, there were no "leaders" as such, and party leaders only had authority over their own groups. It worked quite well and resulted in many rivalries and party v party conflicts.

The Guild only ever unified in a united front if the Guild itself came under attack as a whole, otherwise the tradition of the Guild was to send adventuring parties out one at a time per crisis. If they were more organised and had specific ranks and regiments they would cease to be adventurers and instead could easily have founded a new empire, so I avoided that for obvious adventuring reasons.