Thieves guilds? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Thieves guilds?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
ancalimohtar
Jun 30, 2010 16:20:29 Any place is Athasian cities for these? Seems like the society described in the Wanderer's Journal (which was supposed to apply to all 7 cities) was pretty simple--SK, templars, nobles, merchants, freemen, slaves. Bam. No thieves guilds.

Would it make sense for one to exist? Which city would be best for one? Would they be extremely secretive to avoid extermination by the templars, or would they be powerful and smart enough to be able to exist semi-openly without fear of being destroyed?
#2
cnahumck
Jun 30, 2010 16:26:02 First off, noble houses, templars and merchants would all employ groups to fill that role. It would be part of doing business. They tend to call them Bards, but you can flavor it how you want. One or two bards with their attendants.

Elves and the elven markets fill this role too.

It's not that they don't exist, it's that they are imbedded within the existing structures.

Oh, and the Veiled Alliance would also be involved in some of the traditionally theives guild operations.

#3
Pennarin
Jun 30, 2010 19:36:21 Denning described a "Bard's Quarter", a place where people (rogue, bard, fighter, whatever) employed and trained as the entertainers called "bards" gathered, as existing in a lot of cities. It's as colorful as an Elven Market, for example.

I believe what other settings describe as Thieves Guilds are Bard...Associations on Athas. They assassinate, poison, steal, and entertain; only that last part is known by the public.
#4
Duke5150
Jul 01, 2010 4:32:07

A organized band of thief stealing from nobles, merchants and Templars wouldn't live very long.

If the organization were filled with fools, then I'd agree. The Shadows, on the other hand, have been successfully doing it for a long time, but then, they are not filled with fools as fools don't live long and usually never actually become members of the shadows.

Athasian crime organizations could be as successful as your story needs them to be. Just look at the merchant houses. They're the perfect athasian mafia families.
#5
Sysane
Jul 01, 2010 11:10:18 While not a true guild, I always played the House of Fingers located in Tyr as a sort of lose organization of bards and rogues.
#6
Nyarlathotep
Jul 01, 2010 14:18:51
I don't know if thieves guilds have been explicity stated to exist in DS, but I don't see any reason why they shouldn't. Basically, all you need for them to exist is someone who decides that this whole buisness of taking other people's stuff would be a whole lot easier with some help. Voila, thieves guild.
#7
guest689870068
Jul 01, 2010 17:06:49 Just to consider - one significant reason for the guilds to exist is to protect the thieves. But under 2nd Edition (which amy not apply now but should because it's just awesome), if a thief is working for someone else, that someone else is legally guilty of the thievery - not the thief himself. Hence, one of the more significant advantages of being part of a thieves guild is eliminated.
#8
xlorep_darkhelm
Jul 01, 2010 17:20:56
Just to consider - one significant reason for the guilds to exist is to protect the thieves. But under 2nd Edition (which amy not apply now but should because it's just awesome), if a thief is working for someone else, that someone else is legally guilty of the thievery - not the thief himself. Hence, one of the more significant advantages of being part of a thieves guild is eliminated.

I'm sorry, but I really don't follow you here. Could you extrapolate a bit please?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ancalimohtar Jun 30, 2010 16:20:29	Any place is Athasian cities for these? Seems like the society described in the Wanderer's Journal (which was supposed to apply to all 7 cities) was pretty simple--SK, templars, nobles, merchants, freemen, slaves. Bam. No thieves guilds. Would it make sense for one to exist? Which city would be best for one? Would they be extremely secretive to avoid extermination by the templars, or would they be powerful and smart enough to be able to exist semi-openly without fear of being destroyed?
#2 cnahumck Jun 30, 2010 16:26:02	First off, noble houses, templars and merchants would all employ groups to fill that role. It would be part of doing business. They tend to call them Bards, but you can flavor it how you want. One or two bards with their attendants. Elves and the elven markets fill this role too. It's not that they don't exist, it's that they are imbedded within the existing structures. Oh, and the Veiled Alliance would also be involved in some of the traditionally theives guild operations.
#3 Pennarin Jun 30, 2010 19:36:21	Denning described a "Bard's Quarter", a place where people (rogue, bard, fighter, whatever) employed and trained as the entertainers called "bards" gathered, as existing in a lot of cities. It's as colorful as an Elven Market, for example. I believe what other settings describe as Thieves Guilds are Bard...Associations on Athas. They assassinate, poison, steal, and entertain; only that last part is known by the public.
#4 Duke5150 Jul 01, 2010 4:32:07	A organized band of thief stealing from nobles, merchants and Templars wouldn't live very long. If the organization were filled with fools, then I'd agree. The Shadows, on the other hand, have been successfully doing it for a long time, but then, they are not filled with fools as fools don't live long and usually never actually become members of the shadows. Athasian crime organizations could be as successful as your story needs them to be. Just look at the merchant houses. They're the perfect athasian mafia families.
#5 Sysane Jul 01, 2010 11:10:18	While not a true guild, I always played the House of Fingers located in Tyr as a sort of lose organization of bards and rogues.
#6 Nyarlathotep Jul 01, 2010 14:18:51	I don't know if thieves guilds have been explicity stated to exist in DS, but I don't see any reason why they shouldn't. Basically, all you need for them to exist is someone who decides that this whole buisness of taking other people's stuff would be a whole lot easier with some help. Voila, thieves guild.
#7 guest689870068 Jul 01, 2010 17:06:49	Just to consider - one significant reason for the guilds to exist is to protect the thieves. But under 2nd Edition (which amy not apply now but should because it's just awesome), if a thief is working for someone else, that someone else is legally guilty of the thievery - not the thief himself. Hence, one of the more significant advantages of being part of a thieves guild is eliminated.
#8 xlorep_darkhelm Jul 01, 2010 17:20:56	Just to consider - one significant reason for the guilds to exist is to protect the thieves. But under 2nd Edition (which amy not apply now but should because it's just awesome), if a thief is working for someone else, that someone else is legally guilty of the thievery - not the thief himself. Hence, one of the more significant advantages of being part of a thieves guild is eliminated. I'm sorry, but I really don't follow you here. Could you extrapolate a bit please?