The Game: Guild of Shadows
The Publisher: SPQR Games
Degree of Familiarity: None with this game in particular, but I've played and run plenty of Savage Worlds
Books Required: Guild of Shadows and SWADE
Guild of Shadows is a fantasy game (seems to be low- or no-magic, but I haven't read all of it) in which all of the PCs are thieves, rogues, and general scalawags belonging to the Thieves' Guild. It was published around the same time as Blades in the Dark, which is perhaps unfortunate, because the games are similar in premise but Blades is far superior.
I mean, I shouldn't say that. I haven't actually played Guild, but I ran the heck out of Blades, and I know Savage Worlds pretty well. It just seems to me that the idea of playing characters that have similar niches requires some other method of niche protection, which Blades gives you through playbooks (and thus abilities that you and only you can easily access). Guild, though, is Savage Worlds, meaning theoretically any character can access any Edge, and the niches and the protection thereof are a matter for the players. Likewise, while the city of Duskwall was compelling and immersive, yet had enough blank space to leave some room for the players to be creative, whereas Guild's city of Kurstwahl feels like a D&D setting with a greater emphasis on politics and thief-stuff.
And again, I might be totally unfair, here, because I haven't played it. Actually, my group almost did, at one point (I think we wound up playing East Texas University instead). The concern that the players cited was that everyone playing thieves felt kinda one-note. I should note, too, that Kurstwahl is meant to be dropped into a campaign, so probably this should feel like a supplement to a SWADE fantasy game.
Anyway, for all of that, there's stuff about the game I like. I like the notion of a band of rogues doing their dastardly shit in a fantasy city, and I'm interested to see how Savage Worlds, which is kinda built on action and combat, would handle a game where combat isn't the go-to.
Well, this character ain't gonna make itself, so on we go.
First thing is to pick an archetype. This isn't strictly necessary; all an "archetype" is, basically, is a template for one of several kinds of scoundrel-type person (oh, and look at that, this concept pops up in the SWADE book. I should really read that more carefully at some point). I could just build a character normally. But actually, I kind of like the Pickpocket archetype. I really enjoy sleight of hand and feats of manual dexterity (as evidenced by my love of the totally-impractical knife-throwing warrior in movies), so I think I'll start with that archetype and see if I want to tweak anything.
So far, so good. Four more Skill points. Well, I think Persuasion is probably a good idea, at least a little, so I'll put a d4 there. Lockpicking, um, yeah, but again, not strictly speaking his forte, so d4. See, there's not actually a Sleight of Hand skill, so making a pickpocket is actually sort of tricky in-concept. What skill would you use to pick a pocket? STEALTH! OK, then. (Thanks, SWADE book!) I'll spend my two remaining points to bump Stealth up to a d10.
Hindrances, then. I like that the archetype doesn't pick those for me. Let's see. Any in the Guild book that I love?
Well, Branded is fun. I'll take it as a Minor and say he's got a brand on his left palm (typical for pickpockets). He can cover it with a glove or bandage, but if he gets caught, they'll know where to look. I also kinda like Poor Liar, just because I think it's amusing that he's fine with misdirection and stealing from people, but he stammers and sweats if he has to con them. Minor, though, I think. Maybe. Let's see what else I want. Ooh, actually, I'll take Illiterate and then bump Poor Liar up to Major.
OK, cool. Now I get a free Edge because I'm hooman. Any in Guild that I love? Well, Artful Dodger is actually pretty cool and leans into the concept I was thinking of, so sure, we'll do that (which also frees up four more Skill points, but I'll do that momentarily).
Right, now I have four points that I can use to buy skills or another Edge or whatever (plus four more free points in skills). I see this character as having grown up on the streets - he's actually kind of like Oliver Twist if Dr. Brownlow had never found him (I mean, a thief, not dead). He learned from a non-Guild pickpocket, from whom he's since become estranged (because my guy joined the Guild). I think that my character still knows where they are, though, so I'll take the Connections Edge and say I can call on him and his buds for help if I really need to.
I'll spend two more points to bump my Agility to d10, which means I get a Skill point back (I guess? Actually I don't know for sure, and I just spent what must have been 10 minutes trying to figure it out, but it's not in the book that I can find and tooling around RPG forums is bad for my mental health, so fuck it, I get the point back). Five skill points, then. I'll bump Persuasion up to d6 (since I use it for my Connections Edge), and I'll bump Throwing up to d8. Two more points. How about we take Tracking at a d6? Cool.
Derived traits, here at the end, where they belong. Pace is 6, Parry is 4, Toughness is 5. Do I care enough to spend money for gear? I think I do not. Let's say he has a couple of throwing knives, but small enough that he can conceal them. Street clothes, but pouches and folds sewn into the inside of his clothes so he can hide shit he steals quickly.
So: Gregor the Hand grew up on the streets of Kurstwahl, and was taken in by Cato, a former Guild pickpocket and con artist. Cato doesn't talk about his time in the Guild (Gregor is one of the few among his gang that even knew he was a member at all), and hates them with a passion. Gregor tried to share that hatred, but didn't really have anything to connect it to. And then one day, Gregor got pinched cutting someone's purse. Initially he was going to have his left hand severed, but someone whispered to the magistrate and the sentence was downgraded to a brand. Gregor learned that the guy who spoke up was a Guild member who called in a favor to spare the young man having his fucking hand cut off, and Gregor decided, after some very difficult conversations with Cato, to join the Guild.
Gregor remains vigilant for...whatever the hell Cato was so angry about to show up, but so far, everyone's a thief. Gregor's been around thieves most of his life; there's camaraderie, but not trust. There's respect, but not love. That's how things are.
Gregor is in his late teens. He's pretty short, very skinny, and never quite got the hang of lying. He blushes, stammers, and sweats when he tries, and he prefers to just run away if he gets noticed.
That'll do it!
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