B/X Thieves Guild Info — Guild Organization

This is the 5th of my posts for a B/X thieves’ guild reference I'm working on. Today is a long one, with the entire section for Guild Organization (minus the section on Association with Other Guilds that I posted the other day.

Guild Organization

Guild Structure

There is no single structure which all thieves’ guilds will follow. There are major models to which the majority of thieves’ guilds will ascribe, but they are certainly not limited to the ones that follow.

Centralist. A guild organized by this principle is characterized by a powerful and dominant leader with whom the loyalty of the entire organization lies. All decisions ultimately lie in the hands of the guildmaster. In this structure, the identity of the guildmaster is almost always known to all members. 

Cohesive. The cohesive guild structure is characterized by a central authority and organization, with room for senior leadership (under the guildmaster) to make some important decisions on their own. It is possible that a this type of guild uses a “blind ladder” where the identity of the “higher ups” are not known to lower level guild members, and orders “trickle down” from above.

Factioned. A factioned guild operates as a central body, but dominant figures within the guild maintain ownership of certain aspects of guild operations. They act under their own discretion in those areas, and try not to intrude on the affairs of aspects under the ownership of other guild figures. These factions are sometimes referred to as “sects.”

Guild Leadership

Guild leadership will vary based on guild structure. Following are the most common models for guild leadership.

Guildmaster. This is, by far, the most common form of leadership. This responsibility generally falls to the highest level thief in the guild. Centralist organizations are predominantly led by a guildmaster.

Council. In this model, guild leadership is in the hands of a select number of individuals who, when necessary, replace or expand its members from the senior ranks of the guild. Council leadership is common in cohesive and factioned structures. 

Democracy. Though this type of leadership is rare in thieves’ guilds, it is not unheard of. Democratic guild elections are typically plagued by bribery, corruption, and all manner of fixing and election rigging.  

The Guildhouse

There are four important considerations common to the guildhouse (or guildhall) for almost every thieves’s guild.

Location/Cover. It is of utmost importance that the location of the guildhouse remain secret to non-guildmembers. A small guild may need no more than a backroom somewhere, but larger guilds will need something far larger and more strongly protected.

Contents. The contents of a guildhouse will vary based on the physical needs of the guild. For example, guilds operating a substantial forgery or alchemy rackets will need facilities and equipment dedicated to those concerns, in addition to standard needs (like meeting rooms, lodging, etc.).

Protection. A guildhouse will almost always have guards on duty (and the ability to summon more quickly), as well as plenty of locks (to which only members have keys), traps, and other forms of protection (guard dogs/monsters, magical wards, etc.).

Attitude toward Non-guildmember Thieves

The guild will definitely have an opinion on non-guildmembers operating in its territories. This may be scripted or determined by a 2d6 roll on the table below.

Membership Terms

Membership terms may vary from guild to guild. The following terms are meant only as a guideline.

Recruitment & Resignation. Wether or a not a thief is required to join the guild operating in a specific area will depend on the guild’s view of non-guildmember thieves (as above). Recruitment, therefore, will vary from simple to solicitation to downright violence. Resigning from a guild is not usually an option, as it means the guild’s secrets go along with the former member. Guildmembers seeking to sever their ties with a guild may need to use deception to do so (e.g., faking their own death). Membership in multiple guilds is particularly frowned upon. 

Tithing. The standard tithing for a member (regardless of level) is 50sp/month, plus a 10% take for jobs approved in advance by the guild or 20% for those not approved ahead of time by the guild. If the guildmember goes 3 months without pulling a job, the tithing requirement increases to 100sp/month.

Secrecy. This is equally important as tithing, usually requiring an oath of loyalty. If the oath is broken, punishment will vary based on the attitudes of guild leadership, and may be as extreme as death.

Information. Guildmembers are expected to provide the guild with information about their own plans. They are also expected to gather and feed general information back to the guild that may help in other endeavors. The latter will help assure the guildmember remains in good stand with the guild. 

Other Limitations & Expectations. Guildmembers will be given explicit instructions relating to the territories in which they may operate and the activities in which they may engage. They may also be expected to do legwork for upcoming jobs or participate in other guild activities and rackets. Additionally, traveling thieves (e.g., those that spend the majority of their time adventuring) are expected to remain members of the guild, and are not permitted to become Guildmaster.