However, the distinction between these two categories is really quite loose, and an Adventurer will quite frequently begin by learning how to, say, heal injuries by use of lengthy rituals, before eventually refining his skills so as to achieve the same result with a second or so of casting. (In GURPS Terms if the character does not have the spell at 12 or better, does not have the required IQ to cast or doesn't know all the preq spells at 12 or higher, the character can still cast the spell, but instead of it taking seconds to cast, minutes replace seconds in the Ritual spell version casting times).
Leaving the Guild
"When did you last see an ex-Adventurer?"Actually, that's a silly question. There are a fair number of former Adventurers around, both journeymen and apprentices; the fact is, however, that they either look like Adventurers (in which case they are taken for current Guildsmen), or they don't (in which case no one may guess that they were Guildsmen). Few Guildsmen are widely known for their faces (as opposed to their names or deeds), few people would challenge someone who might be a Guildsman about his status, and ex-Guildsmen may be deterred from boasting about their history by natural reticence, possible disbelief, or the danger of trouble from fools trying to prove themselves or dark cultists with a dislike for the Adventurer's Guild.
The Adventurer's Guild would hardly wish to force a member to remain against his (or her) will; it lacks the authority of an army, and enthusiasm in members is too much a part of its ethos. However, it has two basic reasons for controlling departures. First, there is a danger of members "going rogue," betraying Adventurer's Guild secrets or abusing Adventurer's Guild training and damaging the Adventuer Guild's good name. (This isn't as odd an idea as it sounds; some Guildsmen derive their enthusiasm from something close to insanity, and insanity can lead to strange inversions of ethics.) Second, the Adventuer's Guild has some traditional guild functions, controlling hiring rates and otherwise taking care of its members' commercial interests; a cynical ex-Guildsman might trade on the Adventurer's Guild image without paying Guild dues, or undercut Adventuer Guild members' fees, or harm the Adventurer's Guild status by dishonest dealing.
Therefore, the Adventurer's Guild does tend to examine the motives of members who resign quite carefully, and may watch their subsequent activities for a time. Resignations are customarily presented to a Guild Master, and some time, effort, and payment of fees "in respect of honour due to one's mentors" may be required. The Adventurer's Guild has little liking for those who endanger it in any way, and tends to be as deadly as the law permits it to be in pursuit of vengeance (and in certain cases more than the law allows....).An ex-Guildsman who is believed to have "gone rogue" is, of course, seen as a danger, and may or may not be pursued with force, depending on the circumstances but not all ex-Guildsmen are seen as rogues, and those who are tend to live very exciting lives....at least for awhile.
Ex-Guildsmen with magical training do not forget their knowledge, but the conditioning involved in their teaching imposes a serious limitation; spells will only work in pursuit of Adventure's Guild objectives. They are only useful if the ex-Guildsman is entirely convinced that he (or she) is somehow still working for Adveturer's Guild ends. Given time, effort, and research, such abilities may be adapted for less constrained use, but not easily (In GURPS Terms the character must pay the difference between Adventurer's Guild Magery {5 points} and 1 level of Magery {15 points}).
Requirements: Advantages and Disadvantages for Guild Membership
Apprentice - O points
Vow - Defend humanity from Dark Forces...-10 points
Duty to the Guild (on a 9 or less) -5 points)
Guild Reputation +2 - Guardians of Humanity...for a modest fee...).10 points
Claim to Hospitality....5 points
Please note that normally, the above disadvantages DO COUNT against the character's personal disadvantage limt.
Common but not required...
Adventurer's Guild Magery -5 points
Sense of Duty to Guild -10 points
Hates Monsters (varies)
Looks Dangerous - (Buy as reputation)
Fanaticism -15 points
Renegade Guildmen might take "Enemy: The Adventurer's Guild".
Journeyman
As per Apprentice...
One Level of Rank 5 points.
Leadership and Tactics at a reasonable level (10 or above)
Master
As per Journeyman
One additional level of Rank 5 more points
Leadership and Tactics at a reasonable level (12 or above)
Guild Master
As per Journeyman
One additional level of Rank, total 3 levels
One level of Status 5 points
At least Wealthy....
Leadership and Tactics at a reasonable level (14 or above)
Duty to Guild is lowered to Occasionally (roll of 6 or less) -2 points
One way of handling the Adventurer's Guild is to treat it much like a religion or cult. It isn't really religious, but it does demand some of the same dedication from its members!
Use of the Adventurer's Guild
In this campaign, the simplest use of the Adventurer's Guild is as a background for one or more player characters. Its training and resources make it useful for its members, while its rules, and the loyalty it demands of its Guildsmen, give the Player a useful "handle" for playing his character. PCs should not raise the "Duty to Guild" to the "Quite Often (12 or less)" level, unless they are willing to continually be involved in desperate battles with hordes of demonic monsters that could eventually lead to a very dead character.....although some players may not mind where the idea for their next fight comes from, wanting their characters to soldier on against hopeless odds until the glorious end....The Adventuer's Guild puts a price on its facilities, and player characters should see that debt called in on occasion (via the Duty disadvantage).
An additional complication can come if the character grows to dislike some aspects of the Adventuer's Guild, such as the fanaticism; after a few sessions in which NPC "Guild brothers" have been seen slaughtering orc babies ("they grow up into Orcs!"), putting whole forests to the torch ("full of bloody monsters!"), and generally acting like self-righteous psychopaths, some sensitive players may start working towards resignation.This mixture of usefulness and viciousness can also appear when Guildsmen are used as NPCs. No one minds being rescued from the Orc slaver gang, but when the party's elf is treated with disdain, the priestess of an honoured cult of the Goddess of the Night has been cross-examined for a few hours about her Faith (with the implied assumption that she sacrifices babies), and the honest hard-working mercenary has been told not to poach work from Adventurer's Guild members, gratitude can run short.
The Adventurer's Guild can be many things to many people, hope you will use and enjoy it...