Joining a guild is a simple enough prospect one simply approaches it and petitions for membership. Adventuring-oriented guilds might attract his interest, however, and some characters might indeed seek to join a more mundane guild, if only for a way to earn some money or to practice their skills. It is unlikely that an adventurer has much interest in joining a butchers or bakers guild in his spare time, even if he possesses some skill at butchery or cooking. That said, many guilds will be of no interest to PCs. Guild membership can be an attractive prospect, though most guilds appeal only to characters who stand to gain from belonging, rather than the party as a whole. In fact, in some cities, people of a certain profession might be required to join the local guild. It is far easier to join a guild than to gain the patronage of a noble house. A guild that becomes this powerful often fixes prices, drafts legislation favorable to it, or dominates markets otherwise unrelated to its pursuits. In both cases, the municipal government cannot afford to alienate the guild, giving it substantial leverage to make demands. Consider, for instance, a guild that controls the shipping and sale of lumber in a city far from any source of wood, or a powerful mercenary guild that protects a city with an otherwise weak militia. Small, weak guilds often do little more than provide members a place to belong (and perhaps a bit of financial support), but powerful guilds control entire economic markets, and might even guide the course of their local government. Even two guilds of the same type might differ wildly in appearance and behavior, depending on the people who join and the city in which they dwell. From the tailors who band together to battle import tariffs, to the religious malcontents who form their own united front against the oppression of the government, to the thieves' organization that operates in the heart of the poor quarter, guilds are everywhere in a fantasy city. Within that broad definition, a guild can appear in countless different forms: large or small, weak or powerful, public or secretive. A guild is an organization formed to protect the interests and pursuits of people involved in the same general trade or activity.
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