Thieves Guild: Behind the Mask

You’ve heard the rumors.

Drachenfest has no Thieves Guild. Or maybe they do, but they’re the final say on Roguelike play. Or maybe they don’t but it’s a really, really elaborate joke. Or maybe they do but you have to be asked off-game to join. Or maybe they don’t and the real Thieves Guild was the friends we made along the way. So many rumors, so little time.

But a little birdy told us that you need a bit more than rumors. So, just this once, the Drachenfest Thieves Guild is going to lower the mask for a moment and have a nice chat with you to help you know exactly what to expect if you’d like to join (or simply play close to) the most elusive Guild in the Dragonlands.

We’ll be covering:

1. What the joining process is like

2. What we’re looking for from a potential member

3. What members can expect, generally, post-joining

4. How to get in touch with us

5. How to interact with members of the Guild if you’re not looking to join

So You Want To Join The Thieves Guild?

Wishing to partake in the hive of scum and villainy that is the Thieves Guild makes perfect sense to us - we love it, too! But we’ve noticed in the last couple of years that not everyone knows what we’re assessing when you find us, or what to expect from the joining process.

We focus on the storytelling that comes from joining way more than the story after you join.

Most guilds, you show up, sign up for a class, say you’d like membership, and that’s about it. You might need to take an exam - like for the Alchemists or Mages - or have a good chat to show your interest - like with the Surgeons or Bards. That’s not how we operate.

Joining the Thieves Guild is 100% intended to be challenging. We make it tricky to find us on purpose, and there’s a lot of nuance to the joining and rank-gaining process. If you activate that “sketchy brain” outlook and lean into it, you’ll find a series of non-linear puzzles and challenges that are a ton of fun to solve. We love our puzzles, and we want you to love playing with them!

Here’s the number one thing that The Thieves Guild wishes everyone would understand: there’s not actually a bigger story waiting for you after you join. The best part of the story is trying to get in! Joining our Guild is one of those “journey, not destination” kinds of things.

Here is exactly what you get after joining:

1. Initiation RP

2. Access to new quests (but think Skyrim’s Thieves Guild Small Jobs for the most part)

3. Applicability for skill classes (but they still aren’t a guarantee)

4. “Part of the family now” RP

Let’s talk about those skills. We offer three: Assassinate, Lockpick, and Infiltrate. The first thing to know is that you’re unlikely to get in a skill class the same year you join the Guild. That year is all about focusing on the initiation RP, letting us know what you’re interested in playing with for the future, and you can expect to start learning skills the next year.

Part of that is because you don’t need a skill card to roleplay these concepts. They’re useful skills, but they don’t actually gatekeep your play. You can still murder another character, steal items, and sneak into somewhere you’re not supposed to be without using these skills at all. If this is RP you’re very hungry for, the skills will make it easier and give you more options, but you’re free (and encouraged!) to do these things all on your own!

You can and should be sneaky all by yourself before you ever join. You should make sure not to structure your character concept around needing to be part of the Thieves Guild to have fun, too. Make it a game goal, but not the core of your fun.

The Guild is not the first step in becoming a serious assassin, thief, or rogue: it’s the last.

The real thing you get when you join is the sensation of being part of a secret club. Including making more stories for others who’d like to join. That’s why the journey is so important - it makes it feel like you’ve really achieved something once you’re in!

What We’re Looking For

So the prospect of an adventure doesn’t scare you off, and you’re absolutely sure that your dream RP is joining the Guild. Awesome! Let’s talk about what we’re actually looking for from our recruits as you venture down this rabbit hole.

The skills we can teach are intense. They are intense not because they can do so much for the person who has them, but because misuse or unfair play with these skills has the power to totally ruin another player’s day. Our biggest concern is if someone gets assassinated or robbed in a way that doesn’t feel fun for them. That’s a big responsibility, so we don’t give away our skills lightly.

We need to know that anyone who has those skills will be responsible, intentional, and use them to lift other players’ stories - not to lord over others just to make themselves feel cool. We’re all about consent based conflict: everyone is supposed to be fun and opting-in, even when the play is lying, cheating, and stealing, and that’s a huge part of what the guild actually teaches on a meta-level.

When you go through our initiation process, we’re looking for two main things:

1. Show us you can play along with us - Are you speaking in code? Treating this as a clandestine activity? Acting nervous to be “found out” by the wrong people? Trying to steal, bribe, or con information to find us?

2. Show us you’ll be fun for everyone around you - Are you lifting a criminal enterprise feeling? Are you acting sneaky towards non-members rather than no-selling them? Are you being a good winner (and a good loser!) when faced with challenges? Are you attentive to the targets of your crimes as players who should also be enjoying themselves?

The number one question we ask is always the same: If I was being mugged on the road by this character, would I be having fun?

That’s what it’s truly all about, after all: using sneaky skills to create amazing roleplay for everyone around you.

Getting In Touch

The best way to join is to find us in play and try to be initiated by playing with us. Start by asking around in your camp or at the Bazaar. Be sneaky, be a detective. There are hints everywhere, and you can learn to spot them! Some people might send you on a wild goose chase, but most will help you gently along the path.

While we do have contact info on the Drachenfest website, it’s intended for those who’d like to play as full-time guild members. If you’re a camp player who wants to join, please try to find us in play instead of sending us an email! It’s a lot more fun and will be much more memorable for us when we’re running around like chickens with our heads cut off prepping for game.

Keep in mind, Guild members, including full-time Guild members, are players just like you, who work very, very hard to keep our identities hidden even when out of character. We like being all secret squirrel - and we’d love for you to play along with us!

We mentioned that what we’re looking for is generous, lifting RP and overall buy-in. If you find us but just don’t seem to be clicking with that, we’re not going to shun you. We’re going to coach you to lead you towards the right kind of play. Even folks who aren’t a perfect fit right away can become amazing Guild members! It’s not always a straight path, but the best stories rarely are.

What if I don’t want to join?

That’s cool! You don’t have to! The way we see it, there’s two groups of people who’d prefer not to join.

The first group is people who’d like to do roguelike roleplay all on their own. We love that! The Thieves Guild does not have a monopoly on sneaky play - and we wouldn’t want to. It’s so much more fun to have a world where the lawless don’t follow laws or wait for permission to be conniving. There is plenty of rogue shenanigans you can get into in your Camp, such as working with your Spymaster.

Reading out of curiosity, but not interested in rogue play yourself? That’s totally fine! We only ask that, if someone does approach you with sketchy intent, you play along, lift their story, and let them feel seen.

If you’re being robbed, attacked, conned, or otherwise involved as a bystander, please know that your rogue doesn’t want to ruin your game. This is a bid: we’re asking you to play with us!

Remember that thieves cannot steal coin, only in game items. If you had an amazing time, however, you might reward the other player by “tipping” them and handing off some coin. Just not into it? We’ll always respect an “Oh, Mother!” call.

See You On The Sneaky Side

Now that we’re filled you in, we’ll be returning to our masks and slinking back into the shadowy corners of the Dragon lands.

If you feel like there’s a dark spectre dogging your steps as you make your way through the roads at night, or you’re wondering if that slick talking card shark having a drink with you might be eyeing your jewelry a little too closely... know that we’re always there, always watching, and very eager to tell a story with you.