Hook for Outside Help to Thieves' Guild?

[Hassassin]

I'm drawing a blank here. I need a hook to bring some (low level) outside help to a powerful thieves' guild.

The PCs are a party of slightly infamous up to 5th level rogues and the like from outside the city - nothing really special from the guild's point of view. I can't figure out a good reason why they'd call in the PCs for any generic task, when they already have hundreds of operatives many of whom are more skilled or powerful.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I'm drawing a blank here. I need a hook to bring some (low level) outside help to a powerful thieves' guild.

The PCs are a party of slightly infamous up to 5th level rogues and the like from outside the city - nothing really special from the guild's point of view. I can't figure out a good reason why they'd call in the PCs for any generic task, when they already have hundreds of operatives many of whom are more skilled or powerful.

Maybe they need the PCs to be their patsies.

 

[Hassassin]

Maybe they need the PCs to be their patsies.

That would be one possibility, but I'd actually like to get them into the guild structure after their initial task.

Edit: And even then, that's hardly the justification they'd give the PCs, so there would need to be another reason.

 

[IronWolf]

Perhaps one of two angles....

The PCs happen to have familiarity with the target more so than the current guild members and their expertise could be to their advantage. Also being 5th level they are likely of more expertise than the cutpurses and stuff on payroll by the powerful guild.

Or... the PCs are less identifiable fir a certain target. Perhaps the normal guild guys have already been made, so they need some fresh faces to do the job.

Or the PCs end up getting blackmailed to do it. Maybe the powerful guild knows about the PCs last gig and are ready to spill the beans to the authorities unless they help with a proposed job.

 

[Bedrockgames]

That would be one possibility, but I'd actually like to get them into the guild structure after their initial task.

Edit: And even then, that's hardly the justification they'd give the PCs, so there would need to be another reason.

I think I would tie the hook to something very specific the PCs did recently. There are plenty of options. If the PCs did anything particularly daring or clever in their last adventure the guild may have heard of it. Another possibility is the exploits of the party have been exagerated by rumor. Alternately the Guild may need a party that isn't well known so it can evade detection during the quest.

 

[BraveSirKevin]

That would be one possibility, but I'd actually like to get them into the guild structure after their initial task.

Edit: And even then, that's hardly the justification they'd give the PCs, so there would need to be another reason.

Well... The powers-that-be within the guild could have heard of the party through their exploits and decided that they were clearly destined for great things and came to the conclusion that it was worth their while to get these future legends into their organisation early. They approach the party and simply tell them that they see a lot of mutually beneficial opportunities in the future, but need to test their mettle before they can sign them on.

A more interesting take could be that the guild is a little on the superstitious side, and have consulted many oracles over the years. The oracles have continuously reported that this up and coming party will one day grow to power and at this point, their power will bring about the destruction of the guild, and the bloody, violent deaths of the guildmasters. Deciding that they don't much like this fate they have opted to take a third option and recruit the party into their ranks in the hopes that having them on their side could ultimately save the guild. Of course, if the party dies doing their dirty work, that will solve their future problem too.

 

[SteelDraco]

You could have the guild not trust their operatives for some reason - if you can, work into the plot of the task that there's information being leaked from inside the guild related to whatever the job is. The guildmaster hires outside help, ie the PCs, to accomplish whatever the task is while the leak is found and plugged.

 

[MarkB]

Another variation on the 'trust issues' option - there's currently a power struggle within the ranks of the guild, two high-level lieutenants competing for control of the same territory. Thieves being what they are, neither lieutenant can entirely trust his subordinates not to be working for his rival.

The PCs get involved inadvertently - perhaps saving a woman from a mugging, only for it to turn out that the woman was a trusted associate of one of the guild factions, and the mugging was actually an attempt by their rivals to eliminate her. The faction they've accidentally assisted brings them in to carry out one special job because, as outsiders, they're unlikely to be actively working for the opposing faction.

 

[domino]

I see it's already been suggested, so I will instead second the suggestion of the Party being hired because the current guild is already known, so they need an outsider.

Or, there's suspicion of some sort of traitor within the guild, blackmail, coercion, something like that, so they need someone with absolutely no ties within the guild to look for them/do a thing, because they would rather trust some guys they don't know all the well then trust the guys who they think might be bent. (he says about the thieves' guild)

 

[noretoc]

Maybe the target paid protection money to the guild, so they have to pin it on someone else.

Maybe a member of the party's father/mother/relative was secretly in the guild. The guild is scouting him out to see if eh is as good, or maybe the old member got away with a secret that the guild hope the new guy has. Maybe there is an artifact keyed to the old member's bloodline the guild want to control...

Case of mistaken identity. A pc is mistaken for an agent of the guild in another city, and the guild doesn't so much as recruit, but drop the mission into his lap. (Best if the mission is attractive to the PC. Could mean trouble when the real agent comes looking.)