Shades of Eternity
Legend
With the relative high magical power level of Dungeons and Dragons, how can a Guild use it's power so it doesn't become moot in someplace like Cormyr?
D&D General How does a guild use it's power?
- Thread starter Shades of Eternity
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Zardnaar
Legend
1. Money
2. Access to services.
Laws exist in Cormyr, someone with a bit of personal power can't kill them.
LordEntrails
Hero
Has does a union use power in the real world? Magic does not eliminate the power of politics, of mass buying power, of strikes and labor actions.
For instance, a guild of tavern owners who refuse to serve a mercenary company exhibits power. A guild of horse breeders who wont sell horses to the guild of caravaners.
For instance, a guild of tavern owners who refuse to serve a mercenary company exhibits power. A guild of horse breeders who wont sell horses to the guild of caravaners.
Zardnaar
Legend
Guilds were formed to counteract nobles who might use political power to not pay their bills.
Shades of Eternity
Legend
Carbonari | Italian Revolutionary Movement, History & Members | Britannica
Carbonari, in early 19th-century Italy, members of a secret society (the Carboneria) advocating liberal and patriotic ideas. The group provided the main source of opposition to the conservative regimes imposed on Italy by the victorious allies after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815. Their influence
www.britannica.com
Sometimes guilds can be secret societies of revolutionaries.
MarkB
Legend
I'd say guilds could generally go one of two ways. They can be an organisation that exploits and manipulates the marketplace for the benefit of their members (like a cartel), or one that exploits their members for the benefit of their management (rather like a protection racket). Many may be a little of both.
TiwazTyrsfist
Adventurer
In a world with magic, a guild is likely to have at least a few members with magic.
Basically, I assume a Guild in a fantasy world works like guilds did in the real medieval world through the renaissance, except with the addition of Fantasy elements.
The Tanners guild keeps a stranglehold on leather supply, because they're the only people willing to work with giant boiling vats of urine.
The Weavers guild keeps a stranglehold on textiles because they keep their weaving techniques secret and will literally kill people to maintain them.
That uh, that murdering people to keep trade secrets actually goes for MOST guilds.
Scrying's a problem, but if rivals can afford mages to scry, surely the guild can afford better mages to block scrying.
The Smiths, and or various subgroups of smiths, both keep techniques secret (what color do you temper a blade to? Straw or peacock? A dagger, a chisel, a rapier, and a saber all need different tempers, which is which?), AND have a deal with the Mining Guilds.
You cannot take over the Blacksmithing market if no mine will sell you Iron Ore.
Frankly, before you have the magical power necessary to Break the guilds, they will come seek you out and offer you a cushy job working for or with them.
Once you have the magic to truly overthrow a guild, you have the magic to overthrow a King. You may have the power to simply raise a new kingdom from the bottom of the ocean and set up a new empire instead.
Once you can actually face them, they're beneath your need to bother with.
Basically, I assume a Guild in a fantasy world works like guilds did in the real medieval world through the renaissance, except with the addition of Fantasy elements.
The Tanners guild keeps a stranglehold on leather supply, because they're the only people willing to work with giant boiling vats of urine.
The Weavers guild keeps a stranglehold on textiles because they keep their weaving techniques secret and will literally kill people to maintain them.
That uh, that murdering people to keep trade secrets actually goes for MOST guilds.
Scrying's a problem, but if rivals can afford mages to scry, surely the guild can afford better mages to block scrying.
The Smiths, and or various subgroups of smiths, both keep techniques secret (what color do you temper a blade to? Straw or peacock? A dagger, a chisel, a rapier, and a saber all need different tempers, which is which?), AND have a deal with the Mining Guilds.
You cannot take over the Blacksmithing market if no mine will sell you Iron Ore.
Frankly, before you have the magical power necessary to Break the guilds, they will come seek you out and offer you a cushy job working for or with them.
Once you have the magic to truly overthrow a guild, you have the magic to overthrow a King. You may have the power to simply raise a new kingdom from the bottom of the ocean and set up a new empire instead.
Once you can actually face them, they're beneath your need to bother with.
Zardnaar
Legend
That or you need them inside to tax or run your domain.
Kings had a lot less power than people often assume. A lot were broke or were cash poor. You were reliant on the nobles supporting your rule, they didn't pay that much tax and a rich Duke was often richer than the King.
The nobles would have to borrow money off the guilds, early banks, Jews or things like the Knights Templar. There was no income tax.
Salthorae
Imperial Mountain Dew Taster
This ^^
Magic is everywhere. Why would the guilds not have it in equal measure to those outside of the guild?
Take Eberron for example. The Dragonmarked houses essentially act as Guilds with a bit more oomph behind them, but still. House Ghallanda is a great example. The build inns and operate them across the continent.
There are other inns and taverns out there that AREN'T House Ghallanda, but they are Ghallanda "approved" and get the stamp of approval to display. Then there are others who aren't approved etc.
So in that way the guild provides the service or approves those it deems "up to snuff" so that people can expect a certain level of quality/service from those inns.
Guilds in Waterdeep all work together so that if you piss off one of them, you have trouble with all of them.
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