Guild suggestion - some kind of 'Forester', 'Ranger', or 'Woodsman'

[Lemuel]

In keeping with the ability to play this game without needing to be a spell-caster, I would like to request the addition of a Guild centred around woodcraft and using no spells.

Basic Training in this Guild would immediately raise to 40 such skills as

- firekindling
- skinning
- trapping
- fishing
- hunting
- foraging
- logging
- perception
- stealth
- 'tracking' - a new skill created

While that seems like a lot of skills to raise to 40, the relatively weak nature of most of those skills reduces the advantage.

[Makkah]

Pretty cool idea, but I think it needs a lot more guild ideas to grow legs. Otherwise, why couldn't anyone of any guild become a "Ranger/Forester"

[Rias]

I love the idea of nonmagical woodsmen/rangers/survivalists, so please do continue to brainstorm ideas.

Also note not all guilds are made equal in regards to power. These guys could have more in the way of utility and useful facilities/mundane equipmet, rather than killing power and fancy spells.

[Rias]

Also FYI, tracking exists. These guys would definitely get it.

[Xzean]

The ability of a human to become someone who can blend in with and survive in the wild to a literally unbelievable level exists in our real world. I don't think that making a guild in a game that mimics those things that say, special forces do in RL would be all that out there.

[Makkah]

What about a Trailblazer ability that creates a temporary road through the wilderness reusable by other PCs to lower travel RT? Maybe lasts a day or two.

[Nootau]

If you don't mind my asking.. How does this differ from the Udemi who chooses not to use Aeromancy?

[Rias]

Udemi also make a lot of use of druidry - they're rather magic-oriented. A larger difference would be that the Udemi, while certainly "rangers" in their own right, are more dedicated to combating the resen, and are very much a combat-oriented guild with a very specific and clear purpose. This proposed new guild would be more utility-based and with no real ultimate purpose or goal - just a group of foresters, survivalists, and so on, all a part of this group for their own reasons. To join the Udemi is to become a part of a prominent organization with its own culture and hierarchy, and is committing to fighting the resen - not everyone wants to make that commitment in order to be considered of the ranger/woodsman archetype. I would see this group as much more relaxed and laid-back, with no real overlying purpose. Heck, I'd want to join, just to be able to do well and have some tricks to employ out in the wild while not having any commitments to make or keep.

As I alluded to before, the lack of unifying goal and purpose would likely result in the guild not being as "powerful" as, for instance, the Udemi. I'd try to partially make up for that via a broader range of utility abilities and some unique facilities or perks that aren't ability- or combat-related.

[Rias]

I'll also bring up that a big reason the Coalition Mercenary guild was created was to have a more generic "warrior" guild that didn't require adhering to the guidelines and/or philosophies of either the Dwaedn Wyr or Knights Templar, as well as a complete lack of supernatural abilities. I certainly understand that some people prefer not to join guilds that have well-defined or required goals/ruiles/guidelines/supernatural qualities.

I get a lot of joy from sticking to the mundane in a world of the magical and fantastical, which is why I often end up playing rogues/thieves in games. They're almost always completely nonmagical, and are allowed to follow their own path and ideology. I've always enjoyed the concept of rangers, but rarely play one in games because they're almost always magical.