Organizations

A lone sword arm is a target. A guild, a temple, a brotherhood — that’s an army. And armies write their own laws.

— Durnan of the Yawning Portal (veteran adventurer, innkeeper)

Organizations — guilds, factions, and orders — provide individuals with collective privileges that rival or sometimes surpass nobility. Unlike noble birth, these privileges are conditional: they exist only so long as the organization is recognized and the member maintains good standing.

For commoners, joining an organization is the most reliable way to rise above baseline rights. Most families push their children toward guilds, temples, or orders for this reason — membership grants protections that simple citizenship does not.

Baseline Privileges of Organizations

• Guilds (trade, craft, mercantile)
• Usually grant Right of Trade: G → T (Guild-only to Tariffed).
• Members may carry arms/tools related to their craft.
• Guild halls often serve as courts for disputes (Status: O).
• Religious Orders (temples, monasteries, knightly faiths)
• Grant the same privileges as recognized clergy (see Religion & Law).
• May override local restrictions if the faith is registered.
• High-ranking orders (e.g., paladin orders of Tyr, knights of Tempus) may hold noble-like authority.
• Factions (Harpers, Zhentarim, Lords’ Alliance, etc.)
• Grant varying privileges depending on political recognition.
• Harpers may bypass movement restrictions (papers provided secretly).
• Zhentarim may enforce trade monopolies or override tariffs by intimidation.
• Lords’ Alliance factions recognized across multiple cities → de facto passports.
• Military Orders (mercenary companies, knightly orders)
• Often grant Right of Arms: R → U (regulated to unrestricted).
• Provide status akin to minor nobility in certain regions.
• Members judged internally by the order (Status: O).

Organizations vs. Nobility

• Nobility = permanent, inherited, and honored across borders (with caveats).
• Organizations = conditional, contractual, and can be revoked or outlawed.
• In practice, many nobles sponsor guilds or factions, blurring the line between inherited and organizational power.

A duke commands rights by birth; a guildmaster commands rights only if the guild is respected in that city.

Examples of Iconic Organizations

• Waterdeep Guilds — Dozens exist; membership is required to trade. Merchant and craft guilds dominate Trade rights.
• Watchful Order of Magists & Protectors (Waterdeep) — Controls spellcasting licenses. Grants Spellcasting: L → D/DT to members.
• Harpers — Semi-secret, but tolerated in many cities. Members often gain informal protections under Movement and Status.
• Zhentarim — Recognized in Zhentil Keep and nearby, proscribed elsewhere. In their strongholds, they override nearly all Rights in favor of faction law.
• Order of the Gauntlet — A holy order that enforces law across borders; members are treated as licensed adventurers and sometimes as nobility-lite.

DM Guidance

• When a player joins an organization, ask: “What Rights does this group negotiate or override?”
• Most guilds shift Trade; most faiths shift Faith/Spellcasting; military orders shift Arms/Status.
• Recognition is regional — a Harper in Waterdeep may enjoy privileges, but in Zhentil Keep they’re a criminal.
• Organizations are perfect adventure hooks: rival guilds feuding, outlawed factions operating in secret, or players choosing between legal protection and independence.

Organizations & Law Quick Reference

How to Use

1. Check recognition: If the org is legal in that region, apply privileges. If outlawed, PCs risk prosecution if caught.
2. Adjust Rights: Membership usually shifts 1–2 Rights in the PC’s favor.
3. Add flavor: A Harper’s “Movement exemption” might be secret papers; a Zhent’s “Trade monopoly” might be brute force intimidation.