Thieves Guild Mechanics

[Havard]

While it can be nice to have Thieves become regular Dominion Rulers, it could also be interesting to have these characters at times embark on a different path. Lately I have been thinking about adapting the Dominion Rules to cover Thieves Guilds. I am pretty sure it can be done, but I have only gotten as far as to the initial idea yet. I'm thinking rather than lands, the Thief will take over parts of a city's criminal population, collecting taxes (extortion), but also having to fight off threats to his organization or even threats to the neighbourhood which law enforcement cannot handle.

Also, perhaps the War Machine mechanics could be used to handle gang wars or clashes between different organizations?

Some specifics on the Dominion Rules:

1. Size: While towns and villages may be controlled by one single guild, Cities are often divided into districts where several Guilds will compete for control over a single City.

2. Location: City, Large Town, Town, Village

3. Population: Population of the District controlled.

4. Dominion Resources: Use the table from the Companion Set, but type of resources might be changed? Alternately, this is what the Merchants in the district posess... Or Maybe this will instead be according to the average social status of the population in your district? High end crime gangs will be able to make more money?

5. Income: Based on resources above.

6. Visitors: Other crime bosses may come and check up on you.

7. Troops: These are your goons

8. Tournaments: Hmmm...do Thieves have something equivalent?

9. Confidence Level: This would be replaced by a value of how well you control the population. Pretty much the same thing, isnt it?

10. Dominion Events: Many of these events can be kept, though Law enforcement would also be an issue here.


Thoughts, so far?

Havard

[Dave L]

My first thought is whereas a "normal" PC will gain a dominion as a land grant or reward from a higher placed NPC, the thief is going to have to fight for his "dominion" right from the start.

There will be an established set-up that he will have to challenge or at least usurp - and he'll need a decent group backing him or he'll end up floating down the river face-first.

One of the hazards of rulership!

[Seer of Yhog]

You might want to check out Old Dawg's Gaz on the Free City of Landfall - IIRC he had rules on setting up Thieves' Guilds and the like.

[Chimpman]

While it can be nice to have Thieves become regular Dominion Rulers, it could also be interesting to have these characters at times embark on a different path. Lately I have been thinking about adapting the Dominion Rules to cover Thieves Guilds. I am pretty sure it can be done, but I have only gotten as far as to the initial idea yet. I'm thinking rather than lands, the Thief will take over parts of a city's criminal population, collecting taxes (extortion), but also having to fight off threats to his organization or even threats to the neighbourhood which law enforcement cannot handle.

I love this idea Havard!

6. Visitors: Other crime bosses may come and check up on you.

This is cool. I'm thinking that especially criminals from larger towns might come to you - at first for professional favors, but perhaps eventually to try and recruit you into their own organization - or else...

8. Tournaments: Hmmm...do Thieves have something equivalent?

If you want somethng formal than I'd say some kind of trial/initiation rights into the gang.

Otherwise thieves could have informal "competitions" whenever something valuable comes into town in order to see which one will be the one to "acquire" it.

[agathokles]

Just to add to previous resources, Birthright (AD&D) had management rules for domains that included thieves' guilds and merchant holdings. Also, Darokin Gaz has merchant house rules that might be used to some extent to model Thieves' Guilds.

GP

[OldDawg]

You might want to check out Old Dawg's Gaz on the Free City of Landfall - IIRC he had rules on setting up Thieves' Guilds and the like.

Indeed it does. You can find the gazetteer here (pg. 12 of the player's book). The rules primarily reskin the dominion rules, but it does introduce a few extra things. 1) It removes the reset CL rule; 2) it lists specific CL adjustments for a wide range of events, 3) it institutes a two-track CL: one Confidence Level is for your group/guild, the other is for the subject people within your territory. Thus you could have a tight unit faced with open rebellion in the street, or be a don beloved by the people but beset by internal coup attempts. Some things affect both CL's positively, both negatively, and sometimes the two respond oppositely (e.g. increasing extortion rates).

The same approach was taken with running a mercenary company in Oceansend, with one CL for internal esprit-de-corps, and the other used as reputation for hiring purposes. The same will be seen in the business rules of the Leeha gazetteer.

-OldDawg

[Cthulhudrew]

Funny you should mention this, as I was only just today going over the Dominion rules for possible adaptation to pirate "kingdoms".

[Azaghal]

Another source might be the Thieve's Worlds stuff.