Guilds of Dierde

There are many guilds across the lands and many have programs set up for adventurers. In most cases there is enough peace and connection between like-minded guilds that we can view them as single guilds. In other words, each Tattoo Guild might have different names and leadership, but they all work together enough that they can be viewed as a single guild, for our purposes here. This is not always true, such as with thieves guilds, they can get territorial and may be prone to conflict with other theives guilds.

Guilds purpose is to gain as much knowledge on a profession as possible. To protect it, and those who use it to profit. The main three categories are:

Professional
Apprentice
Adventuring Journeyman

Then there are the hobbyists. This group tends to pay more, has less responsibility, and tend to get less from the guilds. They are generally the rich though doing this for clout or connections. The Professionals and Apprentices are the real important groups, as they are the ones that profit off the professions and contribute to the organization. These are not for adventurers as it is a full-time life dedication to the arts protected by the guild. The Adventurers are helpful as they are like mercenaries who can assist and help find lost or hidden knowledge and tools for the various guilds. For the sake of the party, we will focus more on this as it is what applies to the party.

HOBBYIST

If you don't have a proficiency in the chosen field you need to gather this. This means you are actually a hobbyists. You will be tested. This will aid in placing your start. Then you pay the entry, 1000 gp, and 1000 gp/year. You don't get discounts on the tools or resources. If you fail the DC 12 test you will pay 1500 gp for the entry, and 1500 gp for the kit.

Starter Kit

If you pay the 1000gp you are given a "starter kit". The kit will include some manual. You are responsible for this and cannot let anyone else use it or you will be denied access to the guild. Only those who are a part of the guild are supposed to be allowed to use their stuff and this is a part of the agreement you sign. There is also small print about some magics that might be used to determine truth and honesty on this… Remember, the guilds are about only their members and the knowledge. Rules as Written

Downtime Activity: Training

You can spend time between adventures learning a new language or training with a set of tools. Your DM might allow additional training options. First, you must find an instructor willing to teach you. The DM determines how long it takes, and whether one or more ability checks are required. The training lasts for 250 days and costs 1 gp per day. After you spend the requisite amount of time and money, you learn the new language or gain proficiency with the new tool. Source: PHB, page 187

Downtime Activity: Training

Given enough free time and the services of an instructor, a character can learn a language or pick up proficiency with a tool. Resources Receiving training in a language or tool typically takes at least ten workweeks, but this time is reduced by a number of workweeks equal to the character's Intelligence modifier (an Intelligence penalty doesn't increase the time needed). Training costs 25 gp per workweek. Complications Complications that arise while training typically involve the teacher. Every ten workweeks spent in training brings a 10 percent chance of a complication, examples of which are on the Training Complications table. Training Complications

d6	Complication
1	Your instructor disappears, forcing you to spend one workweek finding a new one.*
2	Your teacher instructs you in rare, archaic methods, which draw comments from others.
3	Your teacher is a spy sent to learn your plans.*
4	Your teacher is a wanted criminal.
5	Your teacher is a cruel taskmaster.
6	Your teacher asks for help dealing with a threat.

*Might involve a rival Source: XGE, page 134

The XGE ruleset is way too low, and so I would go with the 250 days, 250 gp to learn a skill, tool, or language. With these kits you are able to spend time studying and practicing. It requires 5 weeks to learn the basics. You will need to spend at least 8 hours during each week. If you miss a week or get less than 8 hours that week, those hours and week do not count. You will need to a week where you can do 16 hours to restart the progress. As long as you get in 1 hour though the previous weeks still count. Each week you don't get 1 hour you will then lose a week of progress. Once you have finished 5 weeks, minimum 40 hours -- You will then need to be tested in some way, this doesn't have to be by anyone -- but the DM makes the setup with the character. If they pass they are now proficient. You can now join as an apprentice (which is not for adventurers since it becomes a full time job), or an adventuring journeyman. If you fail you need to spend another week, another 8 hours practicing. (This has to be within the next 6 months). Then test again at DC 18. Success, you get it. Failure, and another two weeks, meaning 16 hours (and also has to be done within the next 6 months). Same rule if you miss time as well. This will be a DC 20. Success you get it. Failure you need a new kit. The new kit costs 500 gp, starts the training over. There are rumors of some guilds who will allow you to retest with them and pay a 10,000 gp "bribe" to just be accepted instead of starting over though. This is not to be spoken about, and it is generally something that could get someone kicked out if they ever discuss actually happening.

ADVENTURING JOURNEYMAN

Now you pay 500 gp to join, if you have proficiency (either previously or from passing the Hobbyist). The annual fee is 100 gp. You can get get the annual fee discounted if you take on jobs giving you a 50% discount regardless of how many jobs you take on, but the jobs tend to pay as well. If there are jobs available, and there generally are many things from delivery jobs to exploration and retrieval jobs. You also get a 50% off the costs of tools or whatever is appropriate if bought from guilds. This tends to only be found in large cities or ports though. MOST Guilds require you to keep a book of some sort, a journal, a sketchbook, a spellboook, etc… to keep your guild status intact you need to stop by a guildhouse 1x a year minimum to allow them to "copy" this. If you have added since the last time you will now have access to new information. A selection based on DM's discrection and you can choose one out of the selection. You are allowed to do this 6x a year as long as you have added to the knowledge in some discernable way. There is also a fee attached (generally based on level of knowledge being given to the player, but this shouldn't be too outrageous, generally in the hundreds of gold).

So long-winded example: Frank wants to learn tattooing. He is able to convince the guild to give him a shot while he is town. He takes the first test, he is given a bit of pigskin and the tattoo tools. He shows that he is able to do this. And so they sell him the starter kit for 1000 gp after he pays his entry fee of 1000 gp, a total of 2000 gp. If he had failed the DC 12 test he would have paid 3000 gp. Now he finds time before bed, and during guard duty (which could mean a disadvantage on perception checks during guard). He finds the time to get his 8 hours in each week for the first 3 weeks. However in the 4th week he only gets 7 hours done. That 7 hours didn't count and so he has to try again with 16 hours in the first week that will count as the 4th week. He only gets 15 hours. So he has to try again. The next week he only gets in 1 hour -- his party has been busy. He is still at 3 weeks and needs to get 16 hours in a weeek. The next week he actually gets none, maybe he was in a dragon-induced coma. He is now at 2 weeks of progress. To get things going again he gets 16 hours the next week and now is at 3 weeks total. He has no problem for the next two weeks and hits his 5 weeks of minimum 8 hours each week. He is ready for his test. It doesn't have to be official in any capacity, but it should be meaningful. Let's say he does a medium intricate design for a team mate. This is a DC 15. If he succeeds he can then sign up for the AJ level when he next visits a guildhouse. Unfortunately Frank didn't pass and is upset he didn't ask the bard for inspiration or guidance. Now he needs to spend get a week where he gets in the 8 hours of practice. After that 8 weeks he attempts another design --

Other Benefits

Additionally, if one is in a guild. Once a year around the anniversary of their entry they can attempt to see if they have "learned" a new thing just based on their membership and experience. Depending on what they want (a new recipe, a new tattoo, a spell, etc..) it is up to the DM to determine the DC based on the rarity/complexity. Obviously not all guilds require formulas or designs or spells… So guilds like those for most vocations might have other things. Bards learn more instruments and music easier, as well as bits of lore and legends. Fighters (or melee in fighter guilds) can gain other benefits. Maybe access to magic gear, or inspiration points… Generally to join a fighter guild you need to prove proficiency with a melee martial weapon of some type.

Major Types of Guilds

Adventuring Vocation

Thieves (thieves tools, forgery, poisoner's kit, disguise kit) Primal Exploration (this is a lot of rangers and druid types. Navigators tools, herbalism and apothecarists also tend to be a part of these) Fighter (leatherworker, Smithy, weapons and armor) Bard Schools (music, instruments, lore, history)

Artistic

Art and Painter and Potter Tattoo Guilds Wood carver Weaver Calligrapher (also has forgery) Jeweler Glassblower Brewer Cook

Other

Tinker & alchemy (as well as poisoner and apothecary/herbalism) Bounty Hunters (Criminals & Creatures) different rules. Mason Carpenter Cobbler There are other "Guilds" which are not really guilds, but use the word in their tile -- such as teh Merchant Guild of Wide Berth & Moneychanger Guild of Neyer, or even Xanathar's Thieves' Guild which is more of a gang than a proper "guild" as we are discussing here.

History

Many of the guilds were very antagonistic and protective of their charters, and it is said many conflicts were backed by two opposing guilds of the same type. The Great King was able to help squash this issue, for the most part, and with some protective orders helped them create larger infrastructures that allowed for smaller segments and groups to garner more power by all working together. Granted, there are still those who seek to break these peaceful institutions for their own benefits. .... note: time in a guild can also allow guildmembers to improve their craft and learn new things... ...