Adversarial Guild System:

There are different guilds in each city who compete for job requests. Guilds are usually small and close knit: having few people on staff / a few dozen adventurers as members. However, jobs submitted to a Guild can also be completed by non-Guild members under certain conditions.

How Guilds generate revenue:

Charging a completion fee for every job completed through their organization
Charging an auditing fee for jobs (billed to the requester), to ensure an accurate job description / difficulty level is listed.
Charging membership fees to adventurers who are members of their Guilds.

Why Clients choose certain Guilds:

Auditing fees can be waived if a Clients are known to submit accurate job postings
- Since most Guilds charge auditing fees for unknown requesters, it incentivizes people to work repeatedly with Guilds they have good relationships with
Certain Guilds specialize in certain tasks. If a Guild is known for having skilled hunters / trackers, then more clients needing those skills will flock to that organization.
- Eventually this feedback loop can cause Guilds to specialize.
Guilds may be backed by larger powers(nobility, churches, etc.) which incentivize people to patronize them specifically.

Why Adventurers commit to certain Guilds:

If someone regularly develops a good relationship with a guild, they can become a member to reduce their job completion fees paid to the Guild.
- Developing renown takes time so people tend to dedicate themselves to Guilds they are already members of
A Guild with good auditing practices makes jobs less likely to be unknowingly dangerous for adventurers.
- Trusting a Guild’s ability to accurately judge job difficulty is an important part of why adventurers do business with one guild over another
Guilds may have certain amenities / advantages over other guilds
- Some Guilds span multiple regions, which makes membership more lucrative to certain adventurers who want to retain the benefits of a Guild throughout their travels
- Some Guilds offer lodging, have relationships with merchants, or can offer references to other connections they have in their region
A Guild may re-invest money into their most valued adventurers to boost the renown / power of their organization

Guild Unions:

As Guilds become specialized, they may choose to join unions with other specialized Guilds. In a union, all jobs of a certain type may be referred to a member Guild specialized in solving those jobs. By using this alliance system:

Guilds can focus on developing a specialized talent pool that easily completes related job requests
1. Adventurers prefer consistency in their job type, and develop deeper skills through this consistency. (eg. being in a hunting focused Guild will develop your hunting skills faster than being in a general Guild)
2. Clients prefer their jobs are completed quickly by people who are experienced in their request
Guilds can develop relationships with other Guilds in their union
1. Having Guilds focus on specific job types reduces competition in a region
2. Guilds can call on other members of their Union in times of need

Table of Contents

Tree's World of Spirits #3 - Guild System

Setting the Stage: Having Players write the Backstory in Pathfinder 2e

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