Wizards/Clerics in a Thieve's Guild? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Wizards/Clerics in a Thieve's Guild? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
JEF
10-25-07, 10:18 AM What motivation would a wizard/cleric/sorcerer have to join a thieve's guild? I'm trying to build a campaign based around the idea of the PC's being involved in a thieves guild, and have no idea why these classes would opt to join the guild, beyond a cleric of Olidammara. Also, if you have any suggested books/ideas, that'd be appreciated. yarrr.
GoriceXII
10-25-07, 10:24 AM I think you need perhaps to flesh out as well why this Thieves' Guild exists. What kind of Guild is it, what do they do?

In a Conan rpg adventure I remember there was a cult devoted to a god of thievery and cleverness--that might work. There might be some affiliations between a group of scholars, sages, priests and spellcasters and a group of thieves on that kind of basis.

They could also form the underground resistance in a city occupied by some unpleasant group or evil force.
Zousha_Omenohu
10-25-07, 10:29 AM There's a built in motivation if the wizard plans on becoming an Arcane Trickster, but if that isn't the case, then I'd say that a few good reasons for the thieve's guild to have a mage is 1) because having a spellcaster on hand to deal with magical safeguards and such is handy for a heist, or 2) The wizard can create magic items for the guild and can identify any magic items that are stolen. As for the wizard's motivation, what's their alignment? I'm assuming that if you're joining a thieve's guild you have fewer scruples than the average mage. Perhaps the guild happens to allow you access to powerful magical stuff that they steal. Perhaps they've bullied you into joining. Perhaps you just love coin. The posibilities are massive!
JEF
10-25-07, 12:41 PM The Thieve's Guild in this city exists originally because the Guild Master wanted to pull a heist, and needed more than just a local group of adventurers. As the commotion in CityA(To be named) was a bit large, they set up shop in CityB(Similar to Sharn/Waterdeep. I may just use one of these cities >>). The campaign starts in a small suburb, as the players are recruited by a small "outreach" program (The Guild is expanding, and local villages are good for finding new recruits).

While the presiding Council Lawful/neutral, there is the odd game of corruption, and some of the nobles more so than others. The GM doesn't like this, and so does what he can to keep it in check.

Does that work? This is my first time DMing/world building, though I have played for a while. Suggest away.
GoriceXII
10-25-07, 02:48 PM You see, often the solution just exists within the circumstances. Have the pcs hired for a particular job, and have the situation bloom from there. If they're successful have the GM suggest that he could make it worth their while to hang around. They might know even know he IS the GM.
Smerg
10-25-07, 09:48 PM I play a mage in a campaign based on the city of Sanctuary in the Thieves World novels.

My character has a mixture of reasons for working with thieves.

Her first reason is her background which was a child in the brothels. She grew up knowing various rogues and such types of people.

Her second reason is monetary. Many low level spells like locate object, detect thoughts, charm person, unseen servent, rope trick, silent image, disguise self, and many more; can have be easily turned to larceny. My character maintains an alter ego to go on thief missions to provide special spell service to thieves.

Third she maintains an apothecary as her normal business. Not all thieves walk into your home to rob you. Some have normal looking business and then make their profit from robbing the customers by charging money for stuff they are fencing or for fake cures.

Fourth, the mage that is her mentor has her set up in the apothecary to gather information from the surrounding community and other businesses. My mentor has a rival that wants my character to attempt to get close enough to befriend and spy upon or the people connected to my mentor's rival.

Fifth, I serve as the puzzle expert as I play Antiques Roadshow looking over strange items that other characters bring me. I have a variety of knowledge skills that helps me figure out things like the source of ink on a scroll or note and the possible history of an item. The information has helped break open a couple of adventures by helping direct the other characters on to the correct path.

-------------------

In another campaign, I play a halfling priest of Olidamaara. The campaign is Greyhawk and I have invented a gypsy style of close knit merchant family. The family has two main branches. The first branch tends to be thieves that steal low quality items like iron and wood from homes. The second branch tends to be traveling merchants that fences the items stolen to craftspeople in town and villages surrounding the big cities who use the cheap raw materials to make new items. The finished goods are often then sold back to the cities. A third branch of the family works as the controling group and punishes the lower branches of the family for problems with discipline.

My cleric fits into the second branch of the family. The second branch of the family also maintains inns that serve as spots for traveling merchants to rest, swap goods, and share information. My cleric is designed with skills of listening, diplomacy, bluffing, and other skills that makes him hopefully the ideal innkeeper. My hope is to eventually turn him into a master spy maintaining a ring of merchants while offering aid and advice to people in need.
taradusis
10-25-07, 10:56 PM If the oulaws are like robin hood then a cleric could be like friar tuck,a spiritual advisor who tries to keep them from going to far and harming the peasentry?
JackSnape
10-26-07, 06:02 PM Mages can make great thieves if they focus on the right spells, grease, fly, and knock come to mind.
Clerics of Oldimera and Flanghran (sp?) would be right at home in a thieves guild, but St Cuthbert's clerics would be quite uncomfortable.
If you want a really diverse group you might call it something other than a thives guild (mafia, syndicate, gang, etc.)
If you want your PC's to be in one of these orginizations, just tell them and give them a little time to think, they'll probably surprise you with backstories and making thier characters fit into the world. You could help them by letting everyone pick 1 thief-y skill(disable, slight of hand, or pick lock) as a class skill.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JEF 10-25-07, 10:18 AM	What motivation would a wizard/cleric/sorcerer have to join a thieve's guild? I'm trying to build a campaign based around the idea of the PC's being involved in a thieves guild, and have no idea why these classes would opt to join the guild, beyond a cleric of Olidammara. Also, if you have any suggested books/ideas, that'd be appreciated. yarrr.
GoriceXII 10-25-07, 10:24 AM	I think you need perhaps to flesh out as well why this Thieves' Guild exists. What kind of Guild is it, what do they do? In a Conan rpg adventure I remember there was a cult devoted to a god of thievery and cleverness--that might work. There might be some affiliations between a group of scholars, sages, priests and spellcasters and a group of thieves on that kind of basis. They could also form the underground resistance in a city occupied by some unpleasant group or evil force.
Zousha_Omenohu 10-25-07, 10:29 AM	There's a built in motivation if the wizard plans on becoming an Arcane Trickster, but if that isn't the case, then I'd say that a few good reasons for the thieve's guild to have a mage is 1) because having a spellcaster on hand to deal with magical safeguards and such is handy for a heist, or 2) The wizard can create magic items for the guild and can identify any magic items that are stolen. As for the wizard's motivation, what's their alignment? I'm assuming that if you're joining a thieve's guild you have fewer scruples than the average mage. Perhaps the guild happens to allow you access to powerful magical stuff that they steal. Perhaps they've bullied you into joining. Perhaps you just love coin. The posibilities are massive!
JEF 10-25-07, 12:41 PM	The Thieve's Guild in this city exists originally because the Guild Master wanted to pull a heist, and needed more than just a local group of adventurers. As the commotion in CityA(To be named) was a bit large, they set up shop in CityB(Similar to Sharn/Waterdeep. I may just use one of these cities >>). The campaign starts in a small suburb, as the players are recruited by a small "outreach" program (The Guild is expanding, and local villages are good for finding new recruits). While the presiding Council Lawful/neutral, there is the odd game of corruption, and some of the nobles more so than others. The GM doesn't like this, and so does what he can to keep it in check. Does that work? This is my first time DMing/world building, though I have played for a while. Suggest away.
GoriceXII 10-25-07, 02:48 PM	You see, often the solution just exists within the circumstances. Have the pcs hired for a particular job, and have the situation bloom from there. If they're successful have the GM suggest that he could make it worth their while to hang around. They might know even know he IS the GM.
Smerg 10-25-07, 09:48 PM	I play a mage in a campaign based on the city of Sanctuary in the Thieves World novels. My character has a mixture of reasons for working with thieves. Her first reason is her background which was a child in the brothels. She grew up knowing various rogues and such types of people. Her second reason is monetary. Many low level spells like locate object, detect thoughts, charm person, unseen servent, rope trick, silent image, disguise self, and many more; can have be easily turned to larceny. My character maintains an alter ego to go on thief missions to provide special spell service to thieves. Third she maintains an apothecary as her normal business. Not all thieves walk into your home to rob you. Some have normal looking business and then make their profit from robbing the customers by charging money for stuff they are fencing or for fake cures. Fourth, the mage that is her mentor has her set up in the apothecary to gather information from the surrounding community and other businesses. My mentor has a rival that wants my character to attempt to get close enough to befriend and spy upon or the people connected to my mentor's rival. Fifth, I serve as the puzzle expert as I play Antiques Roadshow looking over strange items that other characters bring me. I have a variety of knowledge skills that helps me figure out things like the source of ink on a scroll or note and the possible history of an item. The information has helped break open a couple of adventures by helping direct the other characters on to the correct path. ------------------- In another campaign, I play a halfling priest of Olidamaara. The campaign is Greyhawk and I have invented a gypsy style of close knit merchant family. The family has two main branches. The first branch tends to be thieves that steal low quality items like iron and wood from homes. The second branch tends to be traveling merchants that fences the items stolen to craftspeople in town and villages surrounding the big cities who use the cheap raw materials to make new items. The finished goods are often then sold back to the cities. A third branch of the family works as the controling group and punishes the lower branches of the family for problems with discipline. My cleric fits into the second branch of the family. The second branch of the family also maintains inns that serve as spots for traveling merchants to rest, swap goods, and share information. My cleric is designed with skills of listening, diplomacy, bluffing, and other skills that makes him hopefully the ideal innkeeper. My hope is to eventually turn him into a master spy maintaining a ring of merchants while offering aid and advice to people in need.
taradusis 10-25-07, 10:56 PM	If the oulaws are like robin hood then a cleric could be like friar tuck,a spiritual advisor who tries to keep them from going to far and harming the peasentry?
JackSnape 10-26-07, 06:02 PM	Mages can make great thieves if they focus on the right spells, grease, fly, and knock come to mind. Clerics of Oldimera and Flanghran (sp?) would be right at home in a thieves guild, but St Cuthbert's clerics would be quite uncomfortable. If you want a really diverse group you might call it something other than a thives guild (mafia, syndicate, gang, etc.) If you want your PC's to be in one of these orginizations, just tell them and give them a little time to think, they'll probably surprise you with backstories and making thier characters fit into the world. You could help them by letting everyone pick 1 thief-y skill(disable, slight of hand, or pick lock) as a class skill.