Magic Guilds

I thought I'd sketch out 2 Magic Guilds, that can give the PC mages some contacts and useful services.

THE MAGIC GUILDS

There are 2 guilds of Magic-Users operating in the Realm:  The Legion of Sorcery and The Wanderians.  The two guilds are mutually distrustful, and to some degree hostile to one another.  Each accuses the other of plotting to rule the world or of being in secret league with demonic powers.   Nevertheless, being made up of intelligent people, they rarely break into open violence within the Realm. 

Admission to the guilds are both by sponsorship, and all PC’s are free to join either guild (presumably by being sponsored by their mentors).  There are monthly dues to be paid to the guilds, which can be in arrears if the member is detained or distant from one of the guildhalls, as long as the dues are quickly repaid when the member returns.

 

1—The Wanderians

The stated goal of the Wanderians is to increase magical use and knowledge broadly across the world.   Accomplished magicians are often given stipends to train apprentices and seek out worthy candidates for training.  Any member can use part of his monthly “maintenance” costs to rent comfortable rooms at a guildhall or lodge.  There is always a central meeting hall/lecture room where magical instruction is encouraged.  Members swear to share any newly created spell with the guild, in exchange for a 500gp per spell level cash prize.  Wanderians display their membership by wearing a silver badge in the shape of 2 crossed magic wands (10gp).  They aren’t bound by oath of non-aggression toward one-another, but if any member is harmed, the guild aggressively seeks the culprit and helps the law punish him (even if it is another member).

There are 3 levels of membership in the Wanderians:  Journeyman, Master and Counselor.  Journeyman membership is open to level 1 or higher magic-users and costs 20gp per month and allows access to a basic level spell library (enough to research level 1-3 spells or potion formulae).   Master membership is open to level 7 or higher magic-users and costs 100gp per month and allows access to an intermediate level library (enough to research level 4-6 spells and permanent item formulae). Counselor membership is open to level 14 or higher magic-users and costs 500gp per month and allows access to an advanced library (enough to research level 7-9 spells).

The intermediate and advanced libraries can only be found at proper guildhalls, located in major cities.   The smaller lodges, found in some towns, often have a basic library.  Guild Members get their new spell books on gaining a new spell level from the guild for free, but must pay to replace one that has been destroyed or lost.

 

 

2—The Legion of Sorcery

The stated goal of the Legion of Sorcery is to act as a mutual aid and protective society of magic-users of reputable quality.   Members can use the library, invite guests into secure conference rooms (unless in use) and can themselves sleep at the lodge or guildhall for 2-3 days when arriving in town.   Legion members have secret signs and handshakes to recognize one another and are sworn to not knowingly harm a fellow member or face expulsion or worse.  Some Outer Circle members wonder aloud what secrets the Inner Circle hide, but the possessors of such wagging tongues usually do not reach the Inner Circle.

There are only 2 levels of membership in the Legion of Sorcery:  The Outer Circle and the Inner Circle.  Outer Circle membership is open to level 1 or higher magic-users, costs 20gp per month and allows access to a basic level spell library (enough to research level 1-3 spells or potion formulae).  Inner Circle membership is open only to magic-users who have been nominated by another Inner Circle Member (and the process is very mysterious) and costs 500gp per month and allows access to an advanced library (enough to any spell or item formula).

The advanced libraries can only be found at proper guildhalls, located in major cities.   The smaller lodges, found in some towns, often have a basic library.  Guild Members get their new spell books on gaining a new spell level from the guild for free, but must pay to replace one that has been destroyed or lost.