Guilds, Gangs and Organizations

[Gillar]

As a companion to the Consortia, this article details the formal structure assigned to PC-ran guilds, gangs and organizations that offer players the option of having their characters come together under a common purpose and interact with one-another for the sake of the particular organization. Guilds, gangs and various other organizations may share some common elements with PC-owned/ran businesses yet they tend to be on a much larger scale and/or are of a format that doesn’t fall under the guidelines of a traditional Mizahar business/occupation. Below you will find detailed descriptions on the formation and operation of a guild, gang or other organization. Each section detailed below makes up the Organization Plan. Just like a Business Plan, the Organization Plan includes all of the important details of structure, membership, resources, etc.

Guilds, gangs and organizations are made up of a large variety of groups. Mercenary Groups, Merchant Houses, Tradesmen Guilds, Thieves Guilds, Temples, Schools, Street Gangs, Influential Families and even Sea Pirates are all examples of organizations that PCs may create and become a part of.

==The Plan==

Name:

Secret :

One of the most basic yet important pieces of any organization is its name. The name of your organization conveys many things beyond a simple title. It conveys purpose, inspire feelings and project influence.

Type:

Secret :

What type of organization is this? Organizations tend to fall into a certain overall type. See further into the article for more details on Organization Types in relation to Tier, Benefits and Assets/Resources.

- A Guild which is a more formal organization like a Craftsmen/Trade Guild or even a Mage or Thief’s Guild. Merchant Houses and Mercenary Groups also can be classified as a Guild. A Guild tends to operate for the sake of controlling activity and/or earning wealth. They are often, though not always, supported by a local governing body or perhaps even hold influence over that body.

- A Gang is a more informal version of a guild although they can share similarities. Gangs often engage in violence, crime and intimidation more so than guilds. They are typically not supported by local governments yet may still hold some influence within said governments. They tend to operate through the imposition of fear and intimidation.

- A Temple or Religious Organization primarily operates on behalf of a deity or deities. Their work benefits the will of the divine figures that they represent.

- A School or Educational Organization works to educate not only their members but can also work to educate those outside of the organization through their actions.

- A Family or House is made up of family members who engage in activity that goes beyond what typical families in Mizahar do. These groups tend to embrace formal status and social structures within their familial makeup which carries on from generation to generation as the family grows and expands.

- Some organizations can be best classified as, Other. These are organizations that may not fit into the above classifications. Assistance may be needed to determine whether or not an organization may need to classified as something other than the above types.

Tier:

Secret :

Every valid PC organization on Mizahar is assigned a tier level that represents the organization’s collective strength, power and influence. The organization’s tier also determines what general benefits it has available to its members based on the organization type. Tiers range from 1 to 4. The tier level of an organization is detailed later in this article.

Description:

Secret :

This is a summary of what the organization is. Note the word, Summary as details such as location, purpose and other more involved elements are addressed in following sections. This is where you would mention things like what the organization does in general.

Purpose:

Secret :

What is the purpose of the organization? Why does it exist? There should be a good reason for why the organization has formed. The reason or purpose of the organization helps define it and forms the core from which so much else about it is built.

Does the organization claim authority over people and/or activities within a given area? It may require people to join it in order to engage in certain activities. Gangs often form with this purpose in mind; requiring people to join them, restricting activities to only that which they control. Members are watched closely and have limits placed on them depending on the nature of the organization.

Maybe an organization seeks to exchange knowledge, ideas and skills. Institutes, schools, education centers as well as organized temples, churches and shrines typically have this as their purpose.

Some organizations have security as their primary purpose and work to protect and secure all manner of things. They may come together for the protection of their members or even the defense of ideas, property or other people. Mercenary Groups often have this type of common purpose.

Organizations often have specific goals in mind that are typically long-reaching. Such goals/tasks are generally ones that take a quite a bit of time to find success. Examples of such specific tasks or goals include but are not limited to, working to free slaves, creating and managing an uprising and changing city laws for the better or for selfish whims.

Many organizations desire nothing other than mizas. These organizations look to make as many mizas as possible through all manner of creative means. They are also the organizations that involve themselves most in businesses. Merchant Guilds are a great example of organizations looking to increase wealth.

Primary Location/Area of Influence:

Secret :

Where is the organization located? What city? What is the base of operations? What sort of structure/building houses the organization?

Membership Requirements:

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What is required in becoming a member? There can be as many or as few requirements as necessary for a given type of organization. Examples include, a specific gender, certain race or races, skill or skills requirements, social class/wealth, performing of certain tasks or even taking formal tests and even more difficult to classify things like maybe requiring a certain hair-color, ritual scarring, etc.

Important Note: All organizations, regardless of type or other requirements, must have at least 3 active PC members in order to be considered a valid organization for the sake of the Organization Plan and all it entails.

Advancement/Promotion:

Secret :

Most organizations, though not all, have some form of ranking structure (chain of command as it were). With this comes possible ranks as well as ways to advance or otherwise be promoted to those various ranks. There are numerous ways of handling rank and advancement. Examples include, a cooperative approach where all members are equal and there is no particular ranks or titles. Decisions are made by the group as a whole. There are those organizations that involve control over members by stronger, more influential ones. Basically these are made up of those who control and those who are controlled. There are organizations that engage in elections of members and group choice of who advances and how far. Promotions based on accomplishments of a member may dictate their advancement or meeting certain requirements like time active, age, general activity, that sort of thing. Even wealth and monetary contribution to the organization can offer a path toward promotion and advancement.

Benefits:

Secret :

All types of organizations have some form of benefit to the membership else there would be members. This is where you detail the benefits of being a member. Benefits may include the following:

- Items: The organization can provide items such as weapons, armor, clothing and other equipment that is possibly customized for that particular organization. Items may also be of the kind that are not normally available outside of the organization such as magical or religious offerings. They may also offer items at a reduced cost.

- Room and Board: The organization can provide housing and living essentials. This often takes the form of reduced costs to living expenses along with having a roof over one’s head.

- Training and Education: The organization can provide training in a variety of skills via other members willing to share their knowledge.

- Religious Opportunity: The organization can open their members up to religious experiences and communication with divine beings.

- Support Structure: The organization offers support to its members in a variety of forms; economic, social and even political or geographical. It can even offer benefits based on its own reputation among others.

- NPCs: The organization may offer use of its NPCs to its members.
Income: The organization can offer income either through organization-based occupations, contracts or a variety of other methods.

- Social Status: The organization may, depending on its standing within a city, provide its members with special privileges within a city; granted by the city governing body.

- Special: The organization offers special training and other unique opportunities not available anywhere else. This could be certain types of magics or even lost disciplines. It could also be access to certain special places.

More details on benefits are found later in the article.

Leaving/Exiting:

Secret :

Sometimes there is a need for a member to leave or otherwise exit the organization. This is where you detail this process. What is the process for leaving the organization with permission of the organization’s leader/leaders? What happens if a character leaves without permission as in they are disgruntled and simply walk away? What sort of drawbacks might there be to doing so? What can get a member kicked out? What happens if they are kicked out? What repercussions other than being kicked out might be imposed? For example, maybe they risk being magically bound in some way, beaten, tortured depending on the nature of the organization. Perhaps they may even risk gaining a negative mark from a deity if the organization is religiously-based.

Resources/Assets:

Secret :

Like a Business Plan, this is where the organization’s assets are recorded and regularly updated. This includes the organization’s funds, acquisitions and expenditures, assets with include basically anything purchased by the organization. More details can be found on Resources and Assets later in this article.

==Tiers: What Are They and How Do They Work==

Organization Type and Tier Benefits

Organization Funding and Economics

[Gillar]

This is a draft of a coming addition to Mizahar. It provides a structure to help define PC Organizations. It is still a work in progress but I wanted to present the initial layout for everyone to see.

Things to be added include details of Tiers, what they are, how they are determined, how to increase level and what benefits are provided to each Tier level. The Tiers mirror the four level system we have in Gnosis, Skills and variety of other parts of Mizahar's game structure.

An Organization will act almost like a separate character made up of several smaller pieces.

Organizations will not necessarily offer individual players increased wealth so the economic system of Mizahar will not be thrown out of whack.

A new type of NPC will be introduced that is exclusive to organizations. Individually, these NPCs will not affect the economic aspects of an organization. They are meant more for organization support and to help benefit the stories told within and about the organization itself.

Benefits of being a part of an organization will likely include discounts on purchases that help build the organization as well as discounts for members on specific goods and services dependent on the type of organization. These benefits will vary depending on the organization's Tier.

Questions and Comments in this thread are welcome.

[Gillar]

This addition to the main write-up details Tiers, what they are, how they work and what sort of Tiered benefits an organization receives based on what Tier Level it is. The listed benefits are the default. As will be detailed later, an organization may offer more benefits as it grows and increases its level. An organization will have its own funds separate from individuals which it can use to purchase expansions, items, structures, benefits, etc. For now though, here is the basics of Organization Tiers.

==Tiers: What Are They and How Do They Work==

Organization Tiers represent the overall strength, power and influence of an organization. The basic format of Tiers is much like that of Skill Levels or Gnosis Marks in that they range from 1 to 4 with 1 being the weakest and 4 being the strongest. Each tier has a range of points associated with it in a way similar to skill points but are called Tier Points.

Tier Points are acquired by doing Organization Threads specifically for your organization in a way similar to job threads. Each Organization Thread must involve actions taken that somehow further the goals of your Organization. They must be 2,500 words each. A member of the organization can engage in any number of Organization Threads per season with each completed, graded, valid thread being worth 1 Tier Point. Multiple members can engage in Organization Threads thus allowing for many possible Tier Points being earned within a season.

Tier Levels

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Tier 1 (1-25) = Basic Organization: This organization is new and/or still growing. It holds little influence within a given area and maintains modest resources. They garner little notice and/or support or condemnation from local governing powers.

Tier 2 (26-50) = Advanced Organization: While still growing, this organization has established itself as having moderate influence within a given area. They maintain moderate resources and are acknowledge by local governing powers for better or for worse, to some extent.

Tier 3 (51-75) = Influential Organization: Having attained a name for themselves, this organization maintains a respectable amount of influence and/or notoriety within a given area. Local governing powers fully recognize the organization as either a benefit or a threat to the area and respond accordingly. Resources are also impressive.

Tier 4 (76-100) = Powerful Organization: This organization has reached a level of power and influence that often rivals that of existing powerful NPC groups as well as local governments. They are centers of influence within the area (the nature of that influence depending on the type of organization). They often have a number of allies as well as enemies due to their influence. Resources are immense.

Organization Type and Tier Benefits

Different types of organizations maintain different types of benefits. These benefits are then broken down by Tier Level. For example, the benefits of a Guild are different from the benefits of a Temple. Only a single type of organization can offer benefits at a time. For example, one could have a Guild and enjoy the benefits from that organization type or they could have a Family/House and enjoy the benefits from that organization but they could not enjoy the benefits from both. This is not to say you can't design a Family/House and be a part of a Guild; you would only gain the listed benefits from one or the other. However, the PC who creates the organization may offer benefits other than those listed if multiple organizations are involved however those benefits must be acquired separately and/or funded separately.

Any discounts on purchasing structural components for the organization superceed other discounts for things like quality and multiple components bought at one time. This means they all don't stack. Organization bonus is all you get for organization structures. Bonuses for building your own structures do however stack.

Each organization type offers an occupation exclusive to that particular type. This occupation grants a base income that can be modified by increased levels in a skill relevant to the duties the individual performs for the organization. An organization member IS NOT required to take this occupation to be a part of the organization. However, these occupations offer a base income far higher than many non-organization occupations. For example, a non-GGO groom makes 3 gm / day. A groom working for a Guild would make 6 gm / day.

Purchasing items to outfit GGO members; custom clothing and equipment, need only be bought once to create the GGO Clothing/Equipment package. Once all the items, their modifications and customization, are bought, they become available to GGO members. The GGO may require members to buy this package or offer it for free. If purchased by members, the mizas they pay go back into the GGO coffers.

Benefits by Type and Tier

Guild

Secret :

- A Guild offers a number of Tiered benefits related to its purpose. These benefits involve discounts on skill-based items/structures/services as well as bonuses to guild-related business resources. The bonuses do not stack in that as a Guild increases its Tier, it leaves behind the old bonuses and gains the new ones.

Tier 1 - %10 discount on skill-based items/structures/services based on the type of guild when purchasing such things for the improvement of the guild itself. %25 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of guild members (for the sake of customizing items for guild members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the Guild Member occupation (6 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to the Guild's purpose). Offers Members a default Common Living Expense of 100 gm / Season when living in a Guild Structure and Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Tier 2 - 20% discount on skill-based items/structures/services based on the type of guild when purchasing such things for the improvement of the guild itself. 50% discount on on items purchased for the outfitting of guild members (for the sake of customizing items for guild members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Individual members enjoy a %10 discount on skill-based items/structures/services based on their guild type which can be for their own, non-guild use. Offers Members a default Good Living Expense of 400 gm / Season when living in a Guild Structure and Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season. Offer the Guild Member occupation (6 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to the Guild's purpose).

Tier 3 - 30% discount on skill-based items/structures/services based on the type of guild when purchasing such things for the improvement of the guild itself. 50% discount on on items purchased for the outfitting of guild members (for the sake of customizing items for guild members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Individual members enjoy a %20 discount on skill-based items/structures/services based on their guild type which can be for their own, non-guild use. Offers Members a default Good Living Expense of 350 gm / Season when living in a Guild Structure and Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season. Offer the Guild Member occupation (6 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to the Guild's purpose).

Tier 4 - 40% discount on skill-based items/structures/services based on the type of guild when purchasing such things for the improvement of the guild itself. 50% discount on on items purchased for the outfitting of guild members (for the sake of customizing items for guild members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Individual members enjoy a %30 discount on skill-based items/structures/services based on their guild type which can be for their own, non-guild use. Offers Members a default Good Living Expense of 300 gm / Season when living in a Guild Structure and Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season. Offer the Guild Member occupation (6 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to the Guild's purpose).

Gang

Secret :

- A Gang offers a number of Tiered benefits related to its purpose. These benefits involve discounts on more underworld/taboo/crime-based goods/services as well as territorial boons. The bonuses do not stack in that as a Gang increases its Tier, it leaves behind the old bonuses and gains the new ones.

Tier 1 - %25 discount on the purchase of drugs, poisons, larceny and underworld items for use by the gang as a whole. This represents stores of such items that can be accessed by gang members. Buy each item once and it becomes a permanent addition to available gang stock at discount to members equal to 10%). %25 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of gang members (for the sake of customizing items for gang members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the Gang Member occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to more underworldly functions; poisons, subterfuge, larceny, intimidation, etc.). Offers Members a bonus to intimidation based on the gangs overall influence within the area (+10 to Intimidation). All offered by Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Tier 2 - %35 discount on the purchase of drugs, poisons, larceny and underworld items for use by the gang as a whole. This represents stores of such items that can be accessed by gang members. Buy each item once and it becomes a permanent addition to available gang stock at discount to members equal to 20%). %35 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of gang members (for the sake of customizing items for gang members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the Gang Member occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to more underworldly functions; poisons, subterfuge, larceny, intimidation, etc.). Offers Members a bonus to intimidation based on the gangs overall influence within the area (+15 to Intimidation). All offered by Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Tier 3 - %50 discount on the purchase of drugs, poisons, larceny and underworld items for use by the gang as a whole. This represents stores of such items that can be accessed by gang members. Buy each item once and it becomes a permanent addition to available gang stock at discount to members equal to 30%). %45 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of gang members (for the sake of customizing items for gang members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the Gang Member occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to more underworldly functions; poisons, subterfuge, larceny, intimidation, etc.). Offers Members a bonus to intimidation based on the gangs overall influence within the area (+20 to Intimidation or Larceny; choose one or the other, not both). All offered by Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Tier 4 - %50 discount on the purchase of drugs, poisons, larceny and underworld items for use by the gang as a whole. This represents stores of such items that can be accessed by gang members. Buy each item once and it becomes a permanent addition to available gang stock at discount to members equal to 30%). %50 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of gang members (for the sake of customizing items for gang members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the Gang Member occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to more underworldly functions; poisons, subterfuge, larceny, intimidation, etc.). Offers Members a bonus to intimidation based on the gangs overall influence within the area (+30 to Intimidation or Larceny; choose one or the other not both ). All offered by Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Temple or Religious Organization

Secret :

- A Temple or Religious Organization offers a number of Tiered benefits related to its purpose and divine patron(s). These benefits involve discounts on religious-based goods/services as well as greater access to spiritual and divine elements. The bonuses do not stack in that as a Temple increases its Tier, it leaves behind the old bonuses and gains the new ones.

Tier 1 - %10 discount on religious gear and other religious-based items and structures for the sake of improving the Temple itself. %25 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of temple members (for the sake of customizing items for temple members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the Temple Attendant occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to Temple duties. Must have some Religion Lore and at least 1 mark of the patron diety). All members gain a physical symbol of their faith in a form dependent on the patron deity; item is of exquisite quality. All offered by Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Tier 2 - %20 discount on religious gear and other religious-based items and structures for the sake of improving the Temple itself. %50 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of temple members (for the sake of customizing items for temple members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the Temple Attendant occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to Temple duties. Must have some Religion Lore and at least 1 mark of the patron diety). All members gain a physical symbol of their faith in a form dependent on the patron deity; item is of exquisite quality. Offers Members a default Common Living Expense of 100 gm / Season when living in the Temple Structure and Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Tier 3 - %30 discount on religious gear and other religious-based items and structures for the sake of improving the Temple itself. %50 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of temple members (for the sake of customizing items for temple members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the Temple Attendant occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to Temple duties. Must have some Religion Lore and at least 1 mark of the patron diety). All members gain a physical symbol of their faith in a form dependent on the patron deity; item is of historical quality (may be magical quality 50/50 chance). Offers Members a default Good Living Expense of 400 gm / Season when living in the Temple Structure and Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Tier 4 - %40 discount on religious gear and other religious-based items and structures for the sake of improving the Temple itself. %50 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of temple members (for the sake of customizing items for temple members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the Temple Attendant occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to Temple duties. Must have some Religion Lore and at least 1 mark of the patron diety). All members gain a physical symbol of their faith in a form dependent on the patron deity; item is of artifact quality (may be magical 50/50 chance). Offers Members a default Good Living Expense of 350 gm / Season when living in the Temple Structure and Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

School or Educational Organization

Secret :

- A School or Educational Organization offers a number of Tiered benefits related to its purpose and educational focus. These benefits involve discounts on educational materials/services and structures as well as research materials. The bonuses do not stack in that as a Temple increases its Tier, it leaves behind the old bonuses and gains the new ones.

Tier 1 - %10 discount on educational gear, services and structures for the sake of improving the Temple itself. %25 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of school members (for the sake of customizing items for school members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the School Associate occupation (6 gm/day modified by the teaching skill or skill related the member's duties within the school). Members gain a 25% discount when purchasing personal items from sources outside of the school for use in research and educational activities. All offered by Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Tier 2 - %20 discount on educational gear, services and structures for the sake of improving the Temple itself. %50 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of school members (for the sake of customizing items for school members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the School Associate occupation (6 gm/day modified by the teaching skill or skill related the member's duties within the school). Members gain a 35% discount when purchasing personal items from sources outside of the school for use in research and educational activities. All offered by Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Tier 3 - %30 discount on educational gear, services and structures for the sake of improving the Temple itself. %50 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of school members (for the sake of customizing items for school members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the School Associate occupation (6 gm/day modified by the teaching skill or skill related the member's duties within the school). Members gain a 35% discount when purchasing personal items from sources outside of the school for use in research and educational activities. Members can use the school's influence within an area to gain a 25% discount on skill training outside of the school. All offered by Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Tier 4 - %40 discount on educational gear, services and structures for the sake of improving the Temple itself. %50 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of school members (for the sake of customizing items for school members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the School Associate occupation (6 gm/day modified by the teaching skill or skill related the member's duties within the school). Members gain a 50% discount when purchasing personal items from sources outside of the school for use in research and educational activities. Members can use the school's influence within an area to gain a 25% discount on skill training outside of the school. Members have a chance of uncovering ancient secrets through their organization's great influence and research capacity. All offered by Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Family or House

Secret :

- A Family or House offers a number of Tiered benefits related to its purpose and family make-up. These benefits involve heavy discounts on living expenses due to the close bonds of the family as well as discounts on structures and items related to the family's focus. The bonuses do not stack in that as a Family increases its Tier, it leaves behind the old bonuses and gains the new ones. A Family or House is one of the more open types of organization as it can engage in many activities and focuses that resemble those of the previous organization types.

Tier 1 - %20 discount on items/structures/services specific to the purpose and focus of the family/house when purchasing such things for the improvement of the family/house itself. %50 discount on items purchased for the outfitting of family members (for the sake of customizing items for family members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Offer the Family Member occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to the Family's purpose). Offers Members a default Common Living Expense of 100 gm / Season when living in a Family Structure and Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season.

Tier 2 - 30% discount on items/structures/services specific to the purpose and focus of the family/house when purchasing such things for the improvement of the family/house itself. 50% discount on on items purchased for the outfitting of family members (for the sake of customizing items for family members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Family members enjoy a %10 discount on any purchased items/structures/services due to their family's status and influence within an area. Offers Members a default Good Living Expense of 380 gm / Season when living in a family Structure and Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season. Offer the Family Member occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to the Family's purpose).

Tier 3 - 40% discount on items/structures/services specific to the purpose and focus of the family/house when purchasing such things for the improvement of the family/house itself. 50% discount on on items purchased for the outfitting of family members (for the sake of customizing items for family members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Family members enjoy a %10 discount on any personal items/structures/services not related to the organization, due to their family's status and influence within an area. These are purchases that benefit the member but not necessarily the organization. Offers Members a default Exquisite Living Expense of 600 gm / Season when living in a Family Structure and Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season. Offer the Family Member occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to the Family's purpose).

Tier 4 - 45% discount on items/structures/services specific to the purpose and focus of the family/house when purchasing such things for the improvement of the family/house itself. 50% discount on on items purchased for the outfitting of family members (for the sake of customizing items for family members; custom uniforms, weapons, armor, etc.). Family members enjoy a %15 discount on any personal items/structures/services purchased due to their family's status and influence within an area. Offers Members a default Exquisite Living Expense of 500 gm / Season when living in a Family Structure and Completing 2 Organization Threads per Season. Offer the Family Member occupation (5 gm/day modified by a skill relatable to the Family's purpose).

- Some organizations can be best classified as, Other. These are organizations that may not fit into the above classifications. Assistance may be needed to determine whether or not an organization may need to classified as something other than the above types.


PC Organizations and NPC Organizations

PC Organizations may hold influence over related NPC businesses and organizations within an area. For example, a PC Blacksmithing Guild may have influence enough to bring a city's NPC Blacksmith businesses into their sphere of influence once they've reached a high enough tier. The NPC business/organization gains OOC benefits from this such as a greater pool of resources and manpower while the PC Organization gains a boost to their coffers from the added membership. This will not allow the PC Organization to control the NPC business or organization however.

Starting at Tier 2, a PC organization may attempt to convince NPC groups to become part of their organization. Depending on NPC organization (Storyteller Discretion), they may join or they may not. Deciding factors may include how influential, powerful and/or established the NPC group is compared to the PC organization. This is done in-thread.

The benefits to the PC organization are as follows:

Secret :

Tier 1 = NA

Tier 2 = 1 gm per joined NPC business/organization added to PC organization Income.

Tier 3 = 3 gm per joined NPC business/organization added to PC organization Income.

Tier 4 = 5 gm per joined NPC business/organization added to PC organization Income.

[Gillar]

This is an addition to the main article. This section deals with the economics of the PC organization as well as a new class of NPC that is exclusive to the PC organization.


==Organization Funding and Economics==

All organizations require some sort of funding; a way to keep operating. There are expenses that include but are not limited to, paying members, operating costs, purchases and overall expansion. Some of these things are built in to the whole economic system of Mizahar as in the case of businesses. When it comes to Organizations, the system is similar in some ways and different than others.

To begin, in order to create a valid organization, you will first need a total of 3,000 gm in addition to the 3 member requirement. This breaks down to 1,000 gm per member. These 3,000 mizas represent the initial investment in the organization and the basis for everything financially that comes later.

In addition to the 3,000 mizas, a starting base of operations for the organization is required. This base of operations can take many forms but must be worth at least another 3,000 gm in structural components (furniture and other additions do not count toward the 3,000 gm).

In addition to those requirements, the creating character must have 51 Skill Points in Leadership or a skill strongly related to the organization's purpose and function.

From the starting 3,000 gm, the foundation of the organization is created. The organization can use these funds to purchase items/structures and services as well as benefit packages (to be detailed later on in the article). The routine costs of operating the organization are taken care of behind the scenes and are built into the economic system. This part is no different than what takes place in businesses.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The 3,000 gm starting funds and the 3,000 gm of structural components cannot be acquired through taking out a loan from an NPC. This must all come from the PC members.

Mizas can be contributed to the organization's bank by any member however the organization's tier level determines a default income for said organization. This is regardless of the type of organization.

Organization Income by Tier

Secret :

Tier 1 = 10 gm / day or 900 gm / season
Tier 2 = 15 gm / day or 1,350 gm / season
Tier 3 = 30 gm / day or 2,700 gm / season
Tier 4 = 60 gm / day or 5,400 gm / season

This basic income is derived from the background operations that would normally take place out of thread. It takes into account mizas earned by the organization out of thread as well as common expenses that are incurred. The above amounts are what is left over.


GGO NPC

An organization that has been made valid by achieving the required 51 points in Leadership/Essential Skill, 3,000 gm, Base of Operations worth 3,000 gm, can gain GGO NPCs equal to 3 NPCs to each PC member. GGO stands for Gangs, Guilds and Organizations. These NPCs are paid from the organization's "bank" although the actual wages are not subtracted. It balances out based on their service to the organization which ends up covering their wages; thus, it is a wash. This is part of the built-in functions of the economic system. Thus, 3 PCs forming a valid organization may have up to 9 NPCs that may be shared among the organization's members as a whole. These NPCs do not have to be acquired at the start of the organization; they can be acquired later as well.

These NPCs are very special and are unique to PC organizations. GGO NPCs are the only PC controlled NPCs to be able to grow and change as far as their skills and gnosis are concerned. This ability to change however is tied to the Tier Level of the Organization. With each increase in skill points, new skills can be assigned to these NPCs. GGO NPCs are open to anyone within the organization to use in their threads.

Note that GGO NPCs are mainly for flavor/story purposes and belong to the organization, not individual PCs.

GGO NPCs by Tier

Secret :

Tier 1 = Same as a Stationary NPC however they may travel for short periods of time with the PC and their living expenses are covered. They may 1 Gnosis mark.

Tier 2 = Same as a Stationary NPC however they may travel with the PC for short periods of time, have their living expenses covered and gain 50 points worth of skills (total of 100). Skills capped at 56 skill points each. They may have 2 gnosis marks from a single god or 1 mark from two different gods.

Tier 3 = Same as a Stationary NPC however they may travel with the PC for short periods of time, have their living expenses covered and gain 100 points worth of skills (total of 200). Skills capped at 66 points each. They may have 2 gnosis marks from a single god and 1 mark from another.

Tier 4 = Same as a Stationary NPC however they may travel with the PC for short periods of time, have their living expenses covered and gain 200 points worth of skills (total of 400). Skills capped at 76 points each. They may have 2 gnosis marks from two different gods.

[Ines]

Thank you for writing up these guidelines, Gillar. They put a mechanical reason to starting an organization, and makes them seem much more obtainable and worthwhile.
I'm also the kind of person that finds it easier to write creatively when I have something to bounce off of.

[Crylon Stonecraft]

Really love the write up, as always is very in depth and specific, and packed with interesting little things. I especially like the group npc thing. Do have a few questions, more about some of the processes than anything else. Might be in the above articles and I missed it, since as I said it is a pretty in depth piece. So: 1- What would be the process for submitting one of these groups? I see the first post has the breakout of the plan, would you submit that for review somewhere, such as in the business plan forum, or somewhere else? 2-How focused does a group have to be? And/or, if it starts focused on one thing, similar to a business, can it add more down the road? 3-Location- Generally travel is an issue in Mizahar, but would it be possible to have members located across a region or other area, even if it does have a (hopefully central) main base? Say there is a pc in Ravok, Sunberth, and Zeltiva, making dowsing rods, and they want to form the first dowsing rod makers guild, would that be possible? Or do they all need to be located in the same city? Thanks for all the work you put in on this Gillar, as always enjoying reading this multiple times. Crylon Stonecraft

[Gillar]

1- What would be the process for submitting one of these groups? I see the first post has the breakout of the plan, would you submit that for review somewhere, such as in the business plan forum, or somewhere else?

Keep in mind that this is still in development even though I have presented quite a bit of it. There are still going to be some tweaks here and there as well as a few more additions. That said, GGO (Guilds, Gangs and Organizations), when it goes live, will be a part of the Consortia Forum just like Businesses and Business Plans. There will be a subforum for submitting plans just like there is for businesses. There will be a plan template available for filling in the details. From there, the process is much like business plans with a review, possible suggestions, required modifications and such before final plan approval. The attending ST will still need to approve the final implementation of the organization which is why it is EXTREMELY important to get the ST in on the ground floor of organization development at the very beginning to make sure that it is something that will work with their city. Otherwise you may find yourself doing a lot of work for nothing.

2-How focused does a group have to be? And/or, if it starts focused on one thing, similar to a business, can it add more down the road?

How focused a group is depends on what kind of organization you are looking to start. If you start for example, a blacksmith guild and eventually want to bring on other professions, like a business you will want those additions to be related to blacksmithing somehow. Maybe you include weaponsmiths, armorers or even stables and horse dealers. All have ties to blacksmithing.

Another example, a Temple to Ivak. Maybe you want to include other gods down the road. In this case you would look to gods that are friendly, allied or at worst, neutral to Ivak.

Schools can be quite flexible in what they offer however you would likely not go from teaching things like herbalism, botany and pottery to adding reimancy, blacksmithing and acrobatics.

Maybe you have a gang that is into slavery and you want to add drug production as a side focus. The two aren't exactly related but they are not so far out of line for a gang that they aren't possible.

So I guess my point is that as long as you can somehow relate a different focus back to your original one, you're good. Also, with enough thread work and development, you could potentially change your focus altogether and possibly even your organization type itself. That is more for future development though as it we still have to see how this initial stuff works in play test first.

3-Location- Generally travel is an issue in Mizahar, but would it be possible to have members located across a region or other area, even if it does have a (hopefully central) main base? Say there is a pc in Ravok, Sunberth, and Zeltiva, making dowsing rods, and they want to form the first dowsing rod makers guild, would that be possible? Or do they all need to be located in the same city?

For right now, being located in a single city will be necessary due to those difficulties in long distance travel. However, I will not rule out being able to expand in such a way once an organization reaches tier 3 or 4.

Thank you for the questions. I hope to get more submitted as this new system continues development so that I can further modify it based on the questions. I want this to work for both new characters and more advanced ones alike.

[Anja Nightwatcher]

My major thought as I was going over all this information is that if I were to be joining one of these organizations, I would be taking a major hit to the amount of income I can make. Maybe having a base amount of money you can earn based on organization type isn't the best way to go about it. Might it make more sense to have the organization's income associated with a job type instead? Whatever the organization happens to be associated with?

[Caspian]

Thank you for putting this together. It’s a lot to think about. The incentives and benefits are really attractive, and make potential investment feel worthwhile. I’m wondering, though, if it might be good to lower the out of pocket fees, from the example of 1000 mizas a person to 500? I think putting in the suggested 1000 is appropriate as a symbolically weighty sum, but so is 500, and it might make starting up a new organization less intimidating. As with things like Weekend Challenges, (for me at least) the fun of it is seeing more participation across the site than less.

Then again, a lot of people have been on the site for a while and might have mizas stacked to the ceiling, and the difference between 1000 and 500 may be nominal. (I also haven’t been around very long, so I’m hesitant to present any less-informed and less experienced opinions.)

All in all I really like this idea and look forward to seeing further development. Thank you again for taking the time to write this out!

[Gillar]

My major thought as I was going over all this information is that if I were to be joining one of these organizations, I would be taking a major hit to the amount of income I can make. Maybe having a base amount of money you can earn based on organization type isn't the best way to go about it. Might it make more sense to have the organization's income associated with a job type instead? Whatever the organization happens to be associated with?

There is a misunderstanding here. It is something I didn't elaborate enough on. The offered occupations based on organization type are offered as an alternative to other occupations. They are not a requirement or in any way forced upon a character. They are an added benefit for those who would otherwise have lesser paying jobs. For example, a groom earning 1 gm a day who joins a guild that offers a guild member job of 6 gm a day would get a huge increase in pay. Also, the guild leader may increase this amount (which I will be detailing in the next post) thus making the default organization occupation even more well-paying. In the end however, a character does not need to take this on and may retain their existing job.