How many members would a large guild have?

[Kaibis]

The short version:
How many members of each tier would a large guild (in a large city such as Baldur's Gate) realistically be able to have? I can choose a bigger city if it works better. The guild is an adventurer's guild so active members would be largely out performing contracts (10-15 parties is already 75 members). I expect that the low-level ranks will definitely have plenty of members that never progress past the basic levels, happy to make a living performing basic contracts (so easily 10-15 of those type that never leave the city).

I need at least the following figures in order to ensure the overhead is covered - are they realistic figures?

Guild Rank	# of Members	Daily lodging* /pm	Daily overhead contribution /pm	Total overhead contribution /per tier
Initiate	10	2sp	free	0
Member (T1)	60	2sp	2sp	12gp
Member (T2)	40	1gp	1gp	40gp
Member (T3)	25	2gp	2gp	50gp
Master (T1)	10	4gp	4gp	40gp
Master (T2)	3	10gp	10gp	30gp

*The daily lodgings figure is not included in the total as it is the overheads I am interested in. I have provided them in the interest of clarity.


The longer version:
I am using the "you are a member of an adventurer's guild" as the plot hook and general 'why' you are doing this. I couldn't find (tried google, DMs Guild etc) a good 'how to develop a guild' style guide (I am playing 5e, but I think that part isn't important). I have sketched out the basics of my guild, including how much the member would be expected to pay as a fee, and am wanting to check whether it balances with an expected amount of members (which I am guessing).

Spoiler: Overheads calculations

Show

The per day rate that a member pays is a combination of lodgings cost (per the DMG) and guildhouse overheads (calculated using information from "Cataphract's Adventurers Guild Supplement").

Guildhouse Overheads
Guild house Upkeep*: 60gp per day⁺
Employee wages**: 64gp per day⁺
TOTAL: The guild needs to earn 125gp per day to maintain the guild and pay wages.

*The Guildhouse includes lodgings, tavern that is open to the public, and various other areas such as a training yard, workshop, stables, common room, research room etc.
** 5 Masters @ 10gp each per day, 6 skilled workers @ 2gp each per day, 10 unskilled workers @ 2sp per day
⁺Taken from "Cataphract's Adventurers Guild Supplement"

Spoiler: Guild Housedraft 1

Show

“Blood of the Raven”
Members are known as ‘Ravenai’

Guild Houses
Large guildhouses exist in several major cities, though the largest is in Baldur’s Gate. Across the forgotten realms their are a number of smaller guild houses that work with the Ravenai.

Guild Ranks

Guild Rank	Tattoo Colour	Approx. player lvl	Monthly Fees
Initiate	White	On joining guild, until completion of initiation	25% of contract fee (min. 2sp per day)
Member (T1)	Green	4-6	(min. 2gp per day)
Member (T2)	Blue	7-9	(min. 4gp per day)
Member (T3)	Purple	10-12	(min. 6gp per day)
Master (T1)	Black	13-15	(min. 8gp per day)
Master (T2)	Opalescent	16+	(min. 20gp per day)

Monthly Fees
Guild members contribute 25% of the contract fee. This covers guild overheads, as well as lodgings.

Guild Facilities
Initiate Member (Poor living conditions)
Fees include access to:

• Food: Simple meals in the tavern common room.
• Lodging: Bunkhouse
• Bathing: Communal bathhouse
• Limited access to guild services.

Green Member (Modest living conditions)
Fees include access to:

• Food: Simple meals in the tavern common room
• Lodging: Single room, single bed, chair, small cupboard
• Bathing: Communal bathhouse
• Full access to guild services.

Blue Member (Comfortable living conditions)
Fees include all of the above, plus:

• Food: Simple meals in the tavern common room
• Lodging: Modest apartment, large bed in bedroom, plus a sitting room.
• Bathing: Access to private (but shared) bathrooms.
• Full access to guild services.

Purple Member (Wealthy living conditions)
Fees include all of the above, plus:

• Food: Meals in a private members dining room, at rear of tavern.
• Lodging: Modest apartment with several rooms (including a guest room).
• Bathing: Private bathroom attached to apartment.
• Servants: Access to a small staff of servants that jointly serve this membership tier.
• Full access to guild services.

Note: Purple members may prefer to live in their own accommodations, however no fee discount is offered.

Black Member (Aristocratic living conditions)
Fees include all of the plus ability to commission members, plus whatever cool stuff the DM can dream up.

• Fees include all of the above, plus:
• Food: Meals in a private members dining room, at rear of tavern.
• Lodging: Modest apartment with several rooms (including a guest room).
• Bathing: Private bathroom attached to apartment.
• Servants: Access to a small staff of servants that jointly serve this membership tier.
• Full access to guild services.

Note: Black members will likely prefer to live in their own accommodations, however no fee discount is offered.They will stay in the guildhouse when travelling, and will have access to a full suite when they do.

Facilities while travelling
When travelling members can expect free accomodation to be equivalent to a tier below their own. So a Blue member would find themselves in a small single room, rather than a more lavish apartment. The exception is Black tier members, who will always be treated with respect.

Guild Services
Hall Master
Coordinates contracts with guild members, looks after memberships, assesses candidates potential. The hall master will also undertake the sale of items (for a percentage). The Hall master also provides access to a safe no-questions-asked storage facility.

Quartermaster
The guild quartermaster will re-supply adventurers with basic adventuring gear (free), she is also able to source items (at a price), or help the guild members locate a tradesman.

Master of Arms
A training yard, with a Master of Arms able to assist and train members.

Guild Maester
The guild maintains a small research facility/library. The Maester is also a skilled magic user that can assist members.

Guild Cleric
The guild keeps a local cleric on retainer. Fees for services are significantly reduced.

Wergeld
Upon death, your closest kin, or bearer of your certificate of Wergeld, is entitled to a portion of your estate. Further, the guild will find….

Workshop
A guild armorer can have simpler items made, as well as organise simple commissions. For more ornate, or magical items the armorer might suggest other more skilled tradesman.

Blood of the Raven Tavern
The guild runs a tavern as a meeting place. Guild members receive discounted prices on alchohol (or if they want food above their paygrade).

[NRSASD]

What I think you're looking for is the 2nd Edition Complete Thieves' Handbook. Besides brimming with great ideas, it has a loose way to model how many thieves are in a city per capita, based on population size and wealth. According to page 70, there should be, on average, 4d6+2 thieves per 10,000 citizens in a rich city. These thieves are thieves with class levels, and does not count the assorted thugs, beggars, and pickpockets one is likely to encounter.

As far as a level breakdown is concerned, 30% are level 1, 25% are levels 1-3, 25% are levels 1-4, 10% are levels 2-5, 10% are levels 2-7, and the highest thief would be 9-18.

I'd say this is a pretty fair breakdown of how many adventurers you'd likely find in a big city working for a guild. In my own campaign, I'm running a very similar concept, and came to roughly the same numbers. For a city of 60,000 approx, I have about 80 "professional" adventurers running around.

[Cespenar]

Baldur's Gate in 5e has more than a 100k populace, so your numbers aren't looking too silly in comparison. Maybe lower them just a little bit (adventuring is a niche thing, after all) and divide it into a few branches within the city?

Also, the daily lodging/overhead figures seem to be perfectly in line with the lifestyle expenses part in the books, so they are fine too.

I wouldn't suggest to delve further economics-wise into this than what you already did, unless the whole thing devolves into accounting instead of tabletop gaming . Generalize what you can, would be my motto.

[GrayDeath]

I`d say that depends on both what exactly the Guild does FOR the Adventurers (only a place to socialize/sleep/read the BOard where quests are posted contra one that actually trains adventurers, forges their own weaponry and makes scrolls/potions and looks for promising youths, as the extremes), where the city is located (a city above a giant dungeon with connection to the underdark just south of the Dragonspire Mountains would need a lot more adventurers than one in the middle of calm, long settled plains right by an important trade route, for example) and lastly, how old/established they are.


For an average Adventurer guild that is not the ONLY one in a largish city (say 60000-100k inhabitants) your numbers are fine if a bit high if they mostly do training/provide connections and "Quest Boards" (^^).

If you want it to do "other stuff" too, add another say 25-40 people doing the ground work (Smithies, Scroll and potion preparation, Cooks, Hands, etc).

if its the only guild there, or the city in question is a large adventure hub, I`d increase the numbers by around 25%.


As for the level of the members, I cant say more until I know the exact setting, and if its intended as an Elite Guild (say THE Heroes/Adventurers Guild main quarters) or not.
Following your first draft though, the levels look a bit too high, unless of course its THE Eltie Guild.

I hope this helps :)

[Kaptin Keen]

Well - the Esteemed Guild of Porters and Dockworkers would naturally be able to attract more members in a large port city than the Ebondark Academy for the Magical Arts Most Nefarious, obviously. A large dockworkers guild might well have thousands of members, while a large necromancers guild might have a dozen.

In a side note, the Esteemed Guild of Porters and Dockworkers is - again, obviously - the front for the Thieves Guild. But that's another matter, of course.

[Kaibis]

Baldur's Gate in 5e has more than a 100k populace, so your numbers aren't looking too silly in comparison. Maybe lower them just a little bit (adventuring is a niche thing, after all) and divide it into a few branches within the city?

Also, the daily lodging/overhead figures seem to be perfectly in line with the lifestyle expenses part in the books, so they are fine too.

I wouldn't suggest to delve further economics-wise into this than what you already did, unless the whole thing devolves into accounting instead of tabletop gaming . Generalize what you can, would be my motto.

Thanks, that's good advice. I want to get the numbers sorted so that they feel good, and then close the book on it. I'll know how many of various guild members for RP purposes, and I'll know what percentage each tier will pay... But the rest, as you suggest, will be ignored. I do not intend to play accounting in-game.

[Kaibis]

I`d say that depends on both what exactly the Guild does FOR the Adventurers (only a place to socialize/sleep/read the BOard where quests are posted contra one that actually trains adventurers, forges their own weaponry and makes scrolls/potions and looks for promising youths, as the extremes), where the city is located (a city above a giant dungeon with connection to the underdark just south of the Dragonspire Mountains would need a lot more adventurers than one in the middle of calm, long settled plains right by an important trade route, for example) and lastly, how old/established they are.

I would like the guild in a large city to provide many additional services. I have planned a quartermaster (to resupply basic items, but to be able to source other items), a training yard and master at arms, a research facility, a storage facility, the hall master will be able to sell unique items on the players behalf (10% fee) etc

I don't want this to be the biggest guild, but I do want it do have several chapters (ie. Maybe a really large chapter in Waterdeep, a medium guildhouse in Baldur's Gate, and 3-4 other guildhouses across the forgotten realms, as well as much more minor lodgings (or even "Ravenai friendly" inns across the realm).

The numbers I am proposing are for a single largish chapter (For fun I might do the math later on 2-3 other chapter sizes). This is a guild that exists primarily, at a higher level to eradicate the realm of the undead, but at lower levels the guild ranges from adventurers/bounty hunters to almost hired help..

The guild is airtasker with a focus on monsters!

[Kaibis]

...

As far as a level breakdown is concerned, 30% are level 1, 25% are levels 1-3, 25% are levels 1-4, 10% are levels 2-5, 10% are levels 2-7, and the highest thief would be 9-18.
.

What source did you pull these numbers from?

[Kaibis]

As for the level of the members, I cant say more until I know the exact setting, and if its intended as an Elite Guild (say THE Heroes/Adventurers Guild main quarters) or not.
Following your first draft though, the levels look a bit too high, unless of course its THE Eltie Guild.

I hope this helps :)

Oh, please I would love some advice about levels. I have never played that high, so I don't know what it should feel like. I don't even expect the players to get that high, I just want to have a rough sketch for RP purposes.

The green level should be the type of people who hit a level and stay their forever. It should have guys who make their living killing rats for the mayor, and escorting wagons from one place to the next.

(The blue level fits in between)

The purple level should be the solid and proven adventurers. They are handy and can tackle most any ordinary mob that is thrown at them.

Most members are Green-Blue-Purple.

The black/Opalescent level should feel elite. It should be a bigger jump. Seeing a black/opalescent level should be something that makes the room go quiet and other members should watch on in awe. The purple members get a private dining room, which feels like it belongs to them - until a black member arrives and then they suddenly feel outclassed.



and it does help, thank you.

[Kaibis]

I just found this, it is not related to Tabletop RPGs, BUT it does have a rank breakdown that may be helpful. https://www.leagueofgraphs.com/ranki...istribution/na.
Using it, I get the following distribution.

Maybe: Guild Ranks

Guild Rank	Tattoo Colour	Approx. player lvl	Monthly Fees	% of members per tier
Initiate	White	On joining guild, until completion of initiation	25% of contract fee (min. 2sp per day)	-
Member (T1)	Green	4-6	(min. 2gp per day)	20%
Member (T2)	Blue	7-8	(min. 4gp per day)	50%
Member (T3)	Purple	9-10	(min. 6gp per day)	20%
Master (T1)	Black	11-13	(min. 8gp per day)	8%
Master (T2)	Opalescent	14+	(min. 20gp per day)	2%

(I have also changed the levels to make them a bit lower.. thoughts?)

[Anonymouswizard]

Well - the Esteemed Guild of Porters and Dockworkers would naturally be able to attract more members in a large port city than the Ebondark Academy for the Magical Arts Most Nefarious, obviously. A large dockworkers guild might well have thousands of members, while a large necromancers guild might have a dozen.

In a side note, the Esteemed Guild of Porters and Dockworkers is - again, obviously - the front for the Thieves Guild. But that's another matter, of course.

This, so much this. Guilds in fantasy settings are like corporations in science fiction ones, they are the foundation of economic power (and in many cases political power, although guilds tend to have more direct political power). Therefore they'll wax and wane in power and population based on how important their services are to the city/region the guild operates in.

Oh, FWIW, in my native UK guilds still exist for various profession, although they're nowhere near as important as they once were.

Also note that a guild, at least in the way we're discussing, doesn't have to call itself a guild. A city could include a Mercenaries' Union, a Fellowship of Independent Traders, a Dock Workers' Association, a Wizards' Academy, and an Esteemed Guild of Porters and Dockworkers, and they could all be guilds in this sense. Or all fronts for the Thieves' Guild, it's not an either/or situation. There seems to be a delaying tendency to go for 'guild of X' or 'X guild' instead of something original, like the Motley College of Hatted Musicians and Storytellers for a bardic guild.

Actually, I kind of want my character to start up a Freelance Justice Association as a combination private detectives and mercenaries guild. Would be cool.

To answer the thread question, in a city of 100,000 (to pick a number) an adventurers' guild might have a few hundred, bit unless you're near to a lot of mercenary work the Butchers' Guild (maintains good relations with the Bakers' Guild and the Candlestick Makers' Guold, rubadubdub) probably outnumbers them, maybe even by an order of magnitude.

[Tvtyrant]

The short version:
How many members of each tier would a large guild (in a large city such as Baldur's Gate) realistically be able to have? I can choose a bigger city if it works better. The guild is an adventurer's guild so active members would be largely out performing contracts (10-15 parties is already 75 members). I expect that the low-level ranks will definitely have plenty of members that never progress past the basic levels, happy to make a living performing basic contracts (so easily 10-15 of those type that never leave the city).

I need at least the following figures in order to ensure the overhead is covered - are they realistic figures?

Guild Rank	# of Members	Daily lodging* /pm	Daily overhead contribution /pm	Total overhead contribution /per tier
Initiate	10	2sp	free	0
Member (T1)	60	2sp	2sp	12gp
Member (T2)	40	1gp	1gp	40gp
Member (T3)	25	2gp	2gp	50gp
Master (T1)	10	4gp	4gp	40gp
Master (T2)	3	10gp	10gp	30gp

*The daily lodgings figure is not included in the total as it is the overheads I am interested in. I have provided them in the interest of clarity.


The longer version:
I am using the "you are a member of an adventurer's guild" as the plot hook and general 'why' you are doing this. I couldn't find (tried google, DMs Guild etc) a good 'how to develop a guild' style guide (I am playing 5e, but I think that part isn't important). I have sketched out the basics of my guild, including how much the member would be expected to pay as a fee, and am wanting to check whether it balances with an expected amount of members (which I am guessing).

Spoiler: Overheads calculations

Show

The per day rate that a member pays is a combination of lodgings cost (per the DMG) and guildhouse overheads (calculated using information from "Cataphract's Adventurers Guild Supplement").

Guildhouse Overheads
Guild house Upkeep*: 60gp per day⁺
Employee wages**: 64gp per day⁺
TOTAL: The guild needs to earn 125gp per day to maintain the guild and pay wages.

*The Guildhouse includes lodgings, tavern that is open to the public, and various other areas such as a training yard, workshop, stables, common room, research room etc.
** 5 Masters @ 10gp each per day, 6 skilled workers @ 2gp each per day, 10 unskilled workers @ 2sp per day
⁺Taken from "Cataphract's Adventurers Guild Supplement"

Spoiler: Guild Housedraft 1

Show

“Blood of the Raven”
Members are known as ‘Ravenai’

Guild Houses
Large guildhouses exist in several major cities, though the largest is in Baldur’s Gate. Across the forgotten realms their are a number of smaller guild houses that work with the Ravenai.

Guild Ranks

Guild Rank	Tattoo Colour	Approx. player lvl	Monthly Fees
Initiate	White	On joining guild, until completion of initiation	25% of contract fee (min. 2sp per day)
Member (T1)	Green	4-6	(min. 2gp per day)
Member (T2)	Blue	7-9	(min. 4gp per day)
Member (T3)	Purple	10-12	(min. 6gp per day)
Master (T1)	Black	13-15	(min. 8gp per day)
Master (T2)	Opalescent	16+	(min. 20gp per day)

Monthly Fees
Guild members contribute 25% of the contract fee. This covers guild overheads, as well as lodgings.

Guild Facilities
Initiate Member (Poor living conditions)
Fees include access to:

• Food: Simple meals in the tavern common room.
• Lodging: Bunkhouse
• Bathing: Communal bathhouse
• Limited access to guild services.

Green Member (Modest living conditions)
Fees include access to:

• Food: Simple meals in the tavern common room
• Lodging: Single room, single bed, chair, small cupboard
• Bathing: Communal bathhouse
• Full access to guild services.

Blue Member (Comfortable living conditions)
Fees include all of the above, plus:

• Food: Simple meals in the tavern common room
• Lodging: Modest apartment, large bed in bedroom, plus a sitting room.
• Bathing: Access to private (but shared) bathrooms.
• Full access to guild services.

Purple Member (Wealthy living conditions)
Fees include all of the above, plus:

• Food: Meals in a private members dining room, at rear of tavern.
• Lodging: Modest apartment with several rooms (including a guest room).
• Bathing: Private bathroom attached to apartment.
• Servants: Access to a small staff of servants that jointly serve this membership tier.
• Full access to guild services.

Note: Purple members may prefer to live in their own accommodations, however no fee discount is offered.

Black Member (Aristocratic living conditions)
Fees include all of the plus ability to commission members, plus whatever cool stuff the DM can dream up.

• Fees include all of the above, plus:
• Food: Meals in a private members dining room, at rear of tavern.
• Lodging: Modest apartment with several rooms (including a guest room).
• Bathing: Private bathroom attached to apartment.
• Servants: Access to a small staff of servants that jointly serve this membership tier.
• Full access to guild services.

Note: Black members will likely prefer to live in their own accommodations, however no fee discount is offered.They will stay in the guildhouse when travelling, and will have access to a full suite when they do.

Facilities while travelling
When travelling members can expect free accomodation to be equivalent to a tier below their own. So a Blue member would find themselves in a small single room, rather than a more lavish apartment. The exception is Black tier members, who will always be treated with respect.

Guild Services
Hall Master
Coordinates contracts with guild members, looks after memberships, assesses candidates potential. The hall master will also undertake the sale of items (for a percentage). The Hall master also provides access to a safe no-questions-asked storage facility.

Quartermaster
The guild quartermaster will re-supply adventurers with basic adventuring gear (free), she is also able to source items (at a price), or help the guild members locate a tradesman.

Master of Arms
A training yard, with a Master of Arms able to assist and train members.

Guild Maester
The guild maintains a small research facility/library. The Maester is also a skilled magic user that can assist members.

Guild Cleric
The guild keeps a local cleric on retainer. Fees for services are significantly reduced.

Wergeld
Upon death, your closest kin, or bearer of your certificate of Wergeld, is entitled to a portion of your estate. Further, the guild will find….

Workshop
A guild armorer can have simpler items made, as well as organise simple commissions. For more ornate, or magical items the armorer might suggest other more skilled tradesman.

Blood of the Raven Tavern
The guild runs a tavern as a meeting place. Guild members receive discounted prices on alchohol (or if they want food above their paygrade).

Why those specific benefits? What would compel you to join a group that offers its best members your money?

I would envision it would actually be based on guided hunts/fishing. The guild pays employees to escort people to tackle dungeons and fight monsters with expert assistance and advice. When you get a contract you get an appropriate guide for it, and then trainees. A high level hunt could have some nobles, their retainers, the expert high level member and a low level member being trained.

Do well in the hunts (IE level up) and you start taking people on low level hunts alongside another low level guide, and eventually your reputation gets you better contracts and higher wages. There are always at least two guides, sometimes more, and they also tend to specialize in different areas and environments.

If the king wants a Beholder dead he puts out a bounty, and then people looking to get the bounty hire a guide to get them to it and help them kill it. He gets paid regardless of how well it goes (and has the right to flee if it goes badly), but they only get the money if they succeed.

[Kaibis]

Why those specific benefits? What would compel you to join a group that offers its best members your money?

Benefits?

• Reliable food and lodgings wherever the party travels (rather than paying exorbitant inn prices).
• access to free basic supplies (ammunition, basic rations etc)
• access to skilled personal (from weapon trainers, to armorers) that can either make items for you at low cost, or point you in the direction of those that will offer substantial guild discounts.
• The ability to have someone else take care of selling magical items (they can take the time to find a good buyer, thus getting a better price and saving you loads and loads of work trying to sell it).
• You basically have a concierge service for anything adventure related.
• Social contacts, need a Cleric for a mission, ask the hall master, ask one of your guild buddies.
• Want a job asap? Want a job that takes you to XXX? Want to move to YYY and be assured of work? Need a contact in ZZZ? Want a specific type of contract? Ask the Hall Master.
• Prestige
• ...

Why doesn't everyone just stay at a Best Western? Why would anyone stay at the Hilton? Because it offers valet parking, room service, nice views, a concierge, a nice dining area, a pretty lobby, and the ability to name drop.

[Kaibis]

I would envision it would actually be based on guided hunts/fishing. The guild pays employees to escort people to tackle dungeons and fight monsters with expert assistance and advice.

That is a straight up business model, I am going for something more guild-ish, with members and services.

[GrayDeath]

Well, going by your new description for the green/Blue/etc, I`d say make Greens Level 2-3, Blue 3-5, Purple 4-6, Black 5-7 and Opalescent 8+ and add a more reliable exact Level area for the necessary members.

Add 1-2 Levels for senior Black and Opalescent if theire elites.

Dont forget that "hard level caps/areas are not realistically depicting the more fluent world. ;)

[NRSASD]

What source did you pull these numbers from?

Same source, page 71 of the Complete Thieves' Handbook from 2nd Edition.

As an interesting point, I'd suggest that Guild Rank is not strictly tied to Class Level. A low level character might be a black or opalescent because they scored a really great haul early in their career or because of political connections. Likewise, a much higher level character might be content to stay low ranking to avoid the attention that higher ranks tend to draw. In my own campaign, rank is based on amount of gold brought into the guild, not experience.

Also, how does your guild fit into the society at large? Is it considered classy to hire Black rank bodyguards? Is it disrespectful? Why? Thinking a bit about the guild in its context will really help flesh out your campaign world.

[Satinavian]

Tattoos are kinda permanent. Identifying ranks by tattoo color is a bad idea if progression through the ranks is a thing.

It would be better to add things to an existing tattoo for a new rank.

[Kaptin Keen]

Tattoos are kinda permanent. Identifying ranks by tattoo color is a bad idea if progression through the ranks is a thing.

It would be better to add things to an existing tattoo for a new rank.

Well - you could always ink more stars on the shoulders of your officers. Demotions would be harder. Though, frankly, isn't that exactly what the yakuza does (or is reputed to do)?

[Kaibis]

As an interesting point, I'd suggest that Guild Rank is not strictly tied to Class Level. A low level character might be a black or opalescent because they scored a really great haul early in their career or because of political connections. Likewise, a much higher level character might be content to stay low ranking to avoid the attention that higher ranks tend to draw. In my own campaign, rank is based on amount of gold brought into the guild, not experience.

Also, how does your guild fit into the society at large? Is it considered classy to hire Black rank bodyguards? Is it disrespectful? Why? Thinking a bit about the guild in its context will really help flesh out your campaign world.

I love all this, thanks.

The levels are just suggestions (for me as the DM), not something the players would know about, so they are completely flexible. My intention was to wait until a good-ish time in the plot to upgrade them.

But I love the idea of a story around a 20yo with a black tattoo. Especially if the tattoo colour upgrades were mystical in nature (i.e. Not decided by an NPC), maybe the spirit of a long dead Vistani (or a crazy vistani magic women) decides.

I was going to have the tattoos invisible to anyone outside of the guild (though not sure whether to make that a player choice thing). I love the idea of a hall master being shocked that a PC can see her tattoos, like there is some bigger meaning there.

Also, yes, in my head there are always members that don't want to move up the ranks.

Maybe for particular tasks the members wear special cloaks (green, blue, purple), like when they want their rank to be known.

Thanks for the idea.

[Kaibis]

Tattoos are kinda permanent. Identifying ranks by tattoo color is a bad idea if progression through the ranks is a thing.

It would be better to add things to an existing tattoo for a new rank.

Lucky we have magic! :D

The plan is that these are magical mystical tattoos. The ink is almost fluorescent. The colour changes automatically. Further on the players will learn that expensive glyph type tattoos exist. (ie. Darkvision, or an extra 5ft of movement, the ability to change hair colour, a healing glyph that lets you reroll a 1 when healing.... non-game breaking stuff. I don't really want to be giving out skill improvements) - the key word being expensive - these are fluffy gold sinks.

[Tanarii]

I'd set guild fees as a percentage of the haul. In the case of adventurers, it can be quite high, 5% isnt too much IMO. What you get for that service fee is free money changing, gem sales, and art object sales. For magic items a 10% commission would be fair.

Totally worth it because hauls can easily be in coins that arent acceptible tender anywhere, potentially a century or more out of date. And instant cash value on gems and art objects from a trusted appraiser is worth the fee. Same for magic items. (The 5% should be on top of the normal buyer offer. 50% of appraised value? Whatever your standard is.)

[Kaibis]

I'd set guild fees as a percentage of the haul. In the case of adventurers, it can be quite high, 5% isnt too much IMO. What you get for that service fee is free money changing, gem sales, and art object sales. For magic items a 10% commission would be fair.

Totally worth it because hauls can easily be in coins that arent acceptible tender anywhere, potentially a century or more out of date. And instant cash value on gems and art objects from a trusted appraiser is worth the fee. Same for magic items. (The 5% should be on top of the normal buyer offer. 50% of appraised value? Whatever your standard is.)

I thought of that, then I realised that I would have to deal with the party being shady toward the guild master... ie. How much stuff can they hide in their big sack and not tell the guild master about.

Instead I am going for 25% of the contract fee. So no needing to be shady. They get to keep whatever they find laying around. The 25% includes food and lodgings, so it is an extremely good deal. If I take off the food and lodgings then it is a standard 12.5% fee.

I'll have the guild offer money handling services, and selling of items. So they find a wizard's book, but no wizard in the party. For a 15% fee the hall master will undertake to sell it.

[TheYell]

Just imagine you have enough members to float the thing.

[Tanarii]

I thought of that, then I realised that I would have to deal with the party being shady toward the guild master... ie. How much stuff can they hide in their big sack and not tell the guild master about.

Kind of hard to be shady when you need to give them all your coins, gems, and art objects to get usable coinage (or better yet, guild scrip) in return. /shrug