Thieves guildes - looking for insights

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Winter83
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Re: Thieves guildes - looking for insights

Post by Winter83 » Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:00 am

.....so.....

I share a few other good ideas, might inspire all of your who love the Theme of Thieves & Rogues & Scoundrels.

This is an excerpt from the Quintessential Rogue II. Advanced Tactics. Under the Chapter of Carpers & Cons.

Rackets :
- Begging : Viable.
- Blackmail : Viable.
- Brewing: Not viable, booze is not illegal, not monopolized and policed by groups and factions
- Brawling: Viable. Underground fighting rings (no monks allowed), this is actually a pretty nice idea, can be implemented nicely. Though not illegal per-se, save the fact that unlike brawls in the arena, underground fighting rings can result in death. Which is part of the fun.
- Gambling: Not viable, due to lack of gambling tools, or ability to cheat. Dice tables are in the module, but not craftable. Would be nice if these were craftable. Once again not really illegal on the server, since it does nor ruin families and create poverty. Still a viable thing to amend the Theme with.
- Mugging: Viable, very high risk of getting exiled, jailed, beheaded for little gain. But can be done nevertheless.
- Pickpocket: Viable, very high risk of getting beheaded on the spot. Also little gain.
- Protection: Partially viable. You cannot really threaten seasoned adventurers with anything, neither can you burn their shops, and break their wares. They are more likely to laugh in your face if you try to threaten or intimidate them. Arelith is an island of super-heros.
- Security consultation: Viable, but requires the cooperation and good will of the other. IT stinks from afar what's this is angling at, but would your victim willing to play along it can be done.
- Smuggling: Not viable. Unless you are smuggling slaves. There are no illegal goods on the island.
- Vice racket: Not viable. This is about brothels and drugs. Both are edging on the border of PG13.

Heists: Partially viable. There's no King's crown jewel that can be stolen from a secured mansion. And quarters are locked tight. With some creativity one can organize trade fairs to steal the price, or cooperate with a benign DM to have the cordorian bank robbed.

Confidence tricks:


Business proposal : Viable. Charity-cons are in this category also.
Foreign dignitary: Not viable You can hardly play someone important from another settlement as the island is as tiny as a napkin.
Magic item: Not viable. Its a nice con, but requires a lot of well-meaningness and cooperation from the victim. This con game stinks from afar that something is fishy around it.
The medicine show: Not viable. Genuine falmer blood elixir anyone? A level 3 barbarian fresh of the boat cannot be fooled with this. Unless we get a mechanic behind to create fake items. (I totally can imagine selling fake skleen for instance, which is a craftable with the same outlook as skleen but useless. Renamed, redesciptioned can make a few nice tricks)

Confidence tricks in general are partially viable. Creativity here can go a long way, but these are request an above average cooperation from the side of victims. Luckily many gamers on the server are good sports.


EDIT:
Some ideas derived from the above.

Craftable Fakes: Items with identical looks, but no or malign properties. Maybe the appraise skill can come into play here to differentiate the genuine from fake.
Craftable Dice tables: Just that. Craftable dice table furniture.

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Kashisjonny
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Re: Thieves guildes - looking for insights

Post by Kashisjonny » Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:37 am

Gambling is possible, even with just the dice table in the nomad. You just gotta work the numbers game.

For thieves i would say find some inspiration from Con tricks, just surf youtube for a bit and you will find tons of cool stuff.
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DaTexican
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Re: Thieves guildes - looking for insights

Post by DaTexican » Fri Oct 10, 2014 3:15 pm

I do like the idea of "Fake" crafted items. It would add a whole new aspect to the trade world.

Also I don't know how the "Pickpocket" functions work inside and out, but since Arelith has some REALLY REALLY high DC's for quarters, the pickpocket function could be buffed? Perhaps you can see portions of their inventory based on your pickpocket roll, and pick which item you want, including quarter keys? If you steal their key you can just walk into the house (if the module allows this already plz correct me as I am just brainstorming). Also I feel like if you use the "change locks" function for doors, it should reset your lock DC back to the original? This way if a key was stolen, you had 2 options. Leave lock as is with the already high DC and risk whomever stole your key raiding your house regularly, or change the locks, thus costing you more money if you want a high DC lock again. This would open ALOT of RP for the server, as steal a few keys and now people have to dump loads of money to fix their locks, or you can steal from their house every day until they do. This would also open up the opportunity for the gaurds or some NCIS (as mentioned before) of cities to make dummy houses? Let the key get stolen and purposely not change locks and hide inside the house, waiting for the thieves to come, and then arrest them? Thoughts?

*Edit* Perhaps have different lv's of lock for quarters as well (if this isn't already implemented). IE a pub room that costs 50gold a month should have a significantly lower BASE dc than a quarter that costs the player 600-1000 gold a month. This could effect the BASE dc of the lock and also effect the MAX DC you can raise it to? Just another thought that came to mind
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Winter83
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Re: Thieves guildes - looking for insights

Post by Winter83 » Fri Oct 10, 2014 3:45 pm

One approach to quarter "burglary" could be the increased cost for high end security.
The cost of even large manors are very cheap.

I believe it is a good approach if we offer increased security for those who can afford it. Also capping lock DCs based on the building. A quarter situated in a rundown tavern should come with the risks, and it is silly to have them with the security of a King's vault. These rented rooms acting as treasure troves is very strange.
Most of the stored items are usually crafting materials and thus not a big catch for wanna be thieves.

I can imagine added security options for even more coins:
Alert system: When a quarter is breached it sends a message to members of a certain faction (Alike to the knocking-system). It can be chosen from the Security options. You say the Faction's name and they automatically get a revenue, much alike to tax. Of course it'd be silly to set up the Cordorian guards faction for a Guldoran quarter, as they likely wont heed the call

Be it the city guard, or a mercenary group. This promotes even more RP of protection & security.
The thieves always risking this way being caught by the members of a certain group.
Also would promote the Thieves guild-like factions. Want to be safe from thieves? Sign up your quarter with them. Protection money goes for the faction, in exchange they police burglars.

There can thus be rivalry between factions whom to govern a certain area, keeping it protected. Also the owner's best interest would be to sign up with a well manned group. Sponsoring it even. Thus it makes factions grow, gives them a new funcion, promotes burglary RP, and players cant complain they have no options to have their treasures protected.

Want to lure away the protecting faction? Make a fake alert in the other end of the island. Wait a bit till they portal there, and go for your mark. They wont be able to get to you in time.

You have a quarter in the wilderness? Sign it up with some ranger faction. The can easily track down your burgler caught by the alarm system.

Also from the Protecting faction a lot of apprach is available. You can be charging there with swords blazing, or choose a sneakier apprach. Follow the burgler caught blackhanded, see where he goes. Blackmail him etc.

Another option: Insurance with the bank. Or *gasp* with a faction. It will make the factions' interest even more so to keep quarters protected, patrol living areas. They wont want to pay insurance money, so they best interest would be to chase down thieves and burglars or to heed the alarm system.


. You pay a healthy ammount of coins monthly, and if you get robbed, they can give you some coins back. New venues of RP!


-Quarter golems: They are not installed for combating burglars but to aid investigators. You can use the -investigate function on them as you can on any NPC. Make them invulnerable small npcs. That way you can get an approximate idea who was the burglar.

Seven Sons of Sin
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Re: Thieves guildes - looking for insights

Post by Seven Sons of Sin » Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:09 pm

I remember a certain Cordorian Councilor once tried to rename iron ingots into adamantine, and sell them as adamantine.

I don't know if that's too "mean" or if it was actually effective, but my god that's hilarious.
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DaTexican
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Re: Thieves guildes - looking for insights

Post by DaTexican » Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:13 pm

:D Ship it!
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