Delvers Guild - Organizational Outline

[These are the initial notes taken by the players on organizing the Delvers Guild.  As the GM, my only input has been to provide input on historical guild practices and organization (being the history buff and all).]

Delver’s Guild Hierarchy

• Trainee
• Cannot leave town operating under the Delver’s Guild name
• Handles tasks around town & the guild hall
• Torchbearer
• No pay
• Room and Board paid for by assigned Master Delver
• May participate in guild activities
• Must be led by Delvers and at least one Master Delver
• Senior Torchbearer
• Flat pay per outing, not a share
• May participate in guild activities
• Must be led by Delvers and at least one Master Delver
• Delver
• Earns a share from guild activities
• Must be led by at least one Master Delver
• **Maybe an Expert/Senior Delver level added here later**
• Master Delver
• Earns a larger share (2x) from guild activities
• Required to lead expeditions [exact number per year not yet set]
• Responsible for torchbearer room, board, and safety while on expedition
• Founder
• Us [meaning the player characters] (for now - will include Chapter Founders later)
• Make the rules [added by GM]
• Own the property [added by GM]

Delver’s Guild Rules

1. The guild gets a share of the expedition take or 10%, whichever is greater.
2. No stealing from the guild, punishable by expulsion and financial penalty.
3. Reports made to guild regarding expedition results must be made in a timely manner.

GM Commentary

[The Senior Torchbearer position is for long-term employees of the guild who do not wish to become delvers themselves but provide important, non-combat, services. This gives them standing in the guild hierarchy and puts them above the apprentices (Torchbearer-level).]

[Currently, Vorgand is the recognized Guildmaster.  They have not set term limits nor a method of replacing the guildmaster after death or because they become untenable (for whatever reason).  They have also not formalized the Founder rank nor its responsibilities nor privileges.  Right now they define it as "we are the founders and we make the rules," which won't work forever.  I look forward to seeing how things progress.]

[Honestly, I think the shares and percentages the guild takes are low. I need to read up on what merchant-captain's received when sailing for speculative trade companies. Maybe pirates as well. Those would seem to be a reasonable emulation of how a guild of adventurers might expect to partition treasure from a dungeon. This will be balanced by what the players are willing to pay out to the guild from their own loot.]


Session 25

Session 26