Guild-by-Guild Lifepath Suggestions
Below are some suggestions for creating members of each of Hârn's guilds by using Burning Wheel lifepaths. Through these suggestions, it should be possible to burn up characters of all ranks, from any guild, from apprentices through experienced masters.
Where possible, I have sought to rely on lifepaths already included in Burning Wheel Gold. However, for a few guilds, I have found it necessary to create new lifepaths.
Lifepaths found in BWG's Lifepaths of Man are accompanied by references to the Setting/Sub-Setting and page numbers. Lifepaths from the Burning Wheel Magic Burner are specifically labeled as such. All references to new/original lifepaths contain a link to the New Guild Lifepaths page on this site.
The Apothecaries Guild
There are several lifepath sequences that could be followed to burn a member of the Apothecaries' Guild:
Student
— Physician |
Student — Doctor |
| Student — Court Doctor | Midwife — Physician |
| Student — Ship's Doctor | Midwife — Crazy Witch |
Note: Many of the above lifepath sequences are the same as those suggested for a member of the Society of Physicians. Differences between the two guilds would be reflected by specific skills taken and how many points are put into them. (An Apothecary should have high Apothecary and Herbalism skills, but would probably have very low or non-existant Anatomy/Surgery skills; for a Physician, this might be reversed.)
At GM/group discretion, guilded Apothecaries may be permitted to use lifepath-related skill points to open the Poisons and Alchemy skills, even though they are not listed in all of the above lifepaths. Alternatively, Apothecaries may be permitted to take the lifepaths of Poisoner (Outcast Sub-Setting, p. 195) and Gardener (Noble Court Sub-Setting, p. 180) but to treat them as being part of the City Dweller and/or Villager Settings.
Additionally, Apothecaries who own their own shops may wish to take the Shopkeeper lifepath (from either the Villager or City Dweller Setting).
The Guild of Arcane Lore
There are numerous lifepaths that could be used, either singly or in combination, to represent time spent as a member of the Guild of Arcane Lore.
The most obvious lifepaths for an Arcanist are those from the College of Magic Sub-Setting in the "I Burn Wizards" chapter of the Magic Burner. This would include Supplicant, Junior Student, Senior Student, Adjunct, Researcher, and so on (Magic Burner, pp. 221-222). The related Apt Pupil lifepath (Magic Burner, p. 218,) and the Dilettante lifepath (from BWG's City Dweller Setting, p. 171) are also highly appropriate.Through these lifepaths, one can create all sorts of Arcanists, ranging from astrologers and alchemists to scholars of 'ordinary' arcane lore, such as mathematics, history, and geography. In combination with a lifepath that gives the Sorcery skill (such as Arcane Devotee, Neophyte Sorcerer, and Sorcerer from the Lifepaths of Man), furthermore, these lifepaths can also be used to create Shek-Pvar mages.
For characters who are on the periphery of the Guild's activities (e.g. rural types who have a tangential attachment to the Guild as well as spooky weirdo occultists), appropriate lifepaths could include: Augur (Peasant Setting, p. 164), Recluse Wizard (Peasant Setting, p. 164), Rogue Wizard (Outcast Sub-Setting, p. 196), and/or Crazy Witch (Outcast Sub-Setting, p. 196).
In addition to the above mentioned lifepaths, the lifepaths Student, Scribe, Young Lady, and Clerk from any appropriate setting could also be appropriate for a member of the Guild of Arcane Lore, even though these lifepaths do not necessarily confer particularly 'arcane' skills or traits.Alchemist-Specific Lifepaths
Although the lifepaths listed above should be workable for creating Alchemist characters, GMs/groups may also wish to use the Alchemist lifepaths that were proposed by Yagathai and Johnstone in the Burning Wheel Forum on the threads Alchemists! and New Alchemist LPs.
The Chandlers' Guild
Suggested lifepath sequences for a Hârnic Chandler might include.
Apprentice — Chandler or
Shopkeeper — Chandler
Note: Chandler is a new lifepath, not in the Lifepaths of Man. For details, see the New Guild Lifepaths page.
All three lifepaths (Apprentice, Shopkeeper, and Chandler) could also be taken in combination.
For older Chandlers (at least those who have taken the Apprentice lifepath), the Journeyman and even the Master Craftsman lifepaths would be appropriate.
The Charcoalers' Guild
For an urban Charcoaler in Hârn , the most relevant lifepath is Coal Man (City Dweller, p. 172). An urban charcoaler who maintains his own shop, could also have taken the Shopkeeper lifepath.
A rural characoaler, however, may find it most appropriate to take Woodcutter (Peasant Setting, p. 164). At GM/group discretion, the skill Charcoal-wise can be added to the list of skills leaned from this lifepath. Alternately and/or additionally, a Charcoaler character may be permitted to take the Coal Man lifepath from within the Peasant or Villager setting and to drop the Streetwise skill (or replace it with something else.)
It is also conceivable that Charcoalers might take the Apprentice — Journeyman lifepath sequence in addition to one or more of the above paths.
The Clothiers' Guild
There are several possible lifepaths for creating Clothiers. At a minimum a Clothier shoud have one of the following pairs of lifepaths (not necessarily taken in the listed order):
Tailor — Apprentice (from the Villager Setting) or
Seamstress — Apprentice (from the City Dweller Setting)
There are several options for post-Apprentice lifepaths, including Journeyman and Master Craftsman lifepaths. Cloth Dyer (Villager, p. 168) is another post-Apprentice lifepath that confers skills highly relevant to the guild.
Shopkeeper is an additional option for Clothiers who own their own franchise. Merchant, would be an additional option for post Master-Craftsman Clothiers who own their own franchises.
The Courtesans' Guild
For a member of the Courtesans' Guild, the following sequence of lifepath. is suggested:
from the City Dweller Setting. (Young Courtesan is also available in the Captive and Servitude Setting).
Note: Courtesan and Young Courtesan are new lifepaths, not in the official BW rules. For details, see the New Guild Lifepaths page.
For courtesans who own/run their own houses, the Shopkeeper lifepath would be appropriate.
The Embalmers' Guild
There are two likely lifepath sequences for becoming an Embalmer:
Student — Embalmer
Gravedigger — Embalmer
NOTE: Embalmer is a new lifepath, not in the BW rules. For details, see the New Guild Lifepaths page.
For Embalmers who own/run their own houses, the Shopkeeper (City Dweller p. 126) lifepath would be appropriate.
The Glassworkers' Guild
A possible lifepath sequence for members of the Glassworkers' Guild is:
Apprentice — Glassworker — Journeyman — Master Craftsman
NOTE: Glassworker is a new lifepath, not in the BW rules. For details see the New Guild Lifepaths page.
Glassworker does not need to be the second lifepath of this sequence. It could appear in any post-Apprentice position. The key thing is that a character must have taken the Glassworker lifepath at some point to be a member of the Guild.
Shopkeeper, Merchant, and even Artisan are plausible post-Master Craftsman possiblilities for a Glasworker who owns her/his own franchise.
The College of Harpers
There are several possible lifepaths sequence for members of the College of Harpers, the most obvious of which are:
Student — Performer — Composer (City Dweller Setting), and
Student and/or Young Lady and/or Page— Minstrel (Noble Court Sub-Setting)
These lifepaths could also be combined in various manners.
For Harpers who engage in instrument-making, the Apprentice lifepath, as well as the Journeyman lifepath and Master Craftsman lifepaths, may also be taken.
The College of Heralds
There are several possible lifepaths sequences for members of the College of Heralds. the most obvious of which are:
Student
— Herald |
Page — Herald |
| Young Lady — Herald |
from the Noble Setting and Noble Court Sub-Settings. (These lifepaths may also be combined— e.g. Young Lady — Student — Herald.) Another option might be
Bannerman — Herald
from the Professional Solider Sub-Setting.
Post-Herald lifepaths might include Courtier (Noble Court Sub-Setting, p 181), Chronicler (Noble Court Sub-Setting, p. 182), or Court Lawyer, (Noble Court Sub-Setting, p. 182). The latter two options have Student as a pre-requisite.
The Hideworkers' Guild
The obvious sequence of lifepaths for members of the Hideworkers Guild would be:
Apprentice — Journeyman — Master Craftsman
from any appropriate setting.
Post-Apprentice specialist lifepaths might include Cobbler (Villager, p. 167) or Saddler (City Dweller, p. 174). The Tailor (Villager, p. 167) and Seamstress (City Dweller, p. 172) lifepaths can also be chosen to represent the skills gained in stitching/sewing leather.
Shopkeeper and Merchant are also post-Master Craftsman (or post-Cobbler or post-Saddler) possiblilities for a Hideworker who owns/runs his own franchise.
The Innkeepers' Guild
There are several lifepath options that might be taken (in various combinations) to create guilded Innkeepers. Some suggested possibilities:
Serving Wench — Brewer — Hosteller (Villager Setting)
Barkeep — Conner and/or Alewife — Hosteller* (City Dweller Setting)
The following lifepaths might also be appropriate for an Innkeeper: Baker (City Dweller, p. 172) , Butcher (Villager p. 168), and Apiarist (Villager, p. 169). The Vinter lifepath (Villager p. 169) may also be a possibility, at GM/group discretion, but it should be rare in Hârn.
Shopkeeper is not an obvious choice, but may also be an option. The same holds true with Apprentice and Journeyman, provided that the skills taken are those likely to be learned by an Apprentice Innkeeper.
*Per BW rules, the Hosteller lifepath is only available in the Villager Setting, but with GM/group discretion, one can choose to allow it in the City Dweller Setting as well. (Or one can just take the 1 year lead to get it in the Villager Setting.)
The Jewelers' Guild
The suggested lifepaths sequence for members of the Jewelers' Guild is one of the following:
Apprentice — Journeyman — Jeweler — Master Craftsman
Apprentice — Journeyman — Jeweler — Merchant
These sequences can also be combined-- e.g. Apprentice — Jeweler — Journeyman — Merchant — Master Craftsman. (Although that's starting to get into a lot of lifepaths!)
Additional lifepath choices might include could include Engraver (City Dweller, p. 174), or, for a less honest jeweler, Coin Clipper (City Dweller, p. 170). Artisan would also be a possible post-Master Craftsman possibility.
The Lexigraphers' Guild
For members of the Lexigraphers' Guild, the following set of lifepaths from the City Dweller Setting is suggested:
Apprentice and/or Student— Lexigrapher
Note: Lexigrapher is a new lifepath, not in BWG's Lifepaths of Man. For details, see the New Guild Lifepaths page.
For Lexigraphers who own their own shop, Shopkeeper is also an appropriate lifepath.
Other appropriate lifepaths for a lexigrapher might include Clerk (Villager, p. 166; City Dweller, p. 173) and Scribe (City Dweller, p. 173).
The Lia-Kavair [Thieves' Guild]
For members of the Lia-Kavair, one can choose from among the various 'criminal' lifepaths in the Villager, City, and Outcast Settings:
These might include any and all of the following:
Taskmaster (Villager, p.166), Duelist (City Dweller, p. 170), Coin Clipper (City Dweller, p.170), Pickpocket (City Dweller, p.171), Street Thug (City Dweller, p.171), Criminal (City Dweller, p.171), Confidence Man (City Dweller, p.171), Blackmailer (Outcast, p. 193), Kidnapper (Outcast, p. 193), Fence, (Outcast, p. 194), Outlaw (Outcast, p. 194), Whoremonger (Outcast p. 194), Poisoner(Outcast p. 195), Thug (Outcast p. 195), and/or Desperate Killer (Outcast p. 195).
The Burning Wheel Wiki also has some additional suggestions for Thieves Guild lifepaths.
The Guild of Litigants
An obvious lifepath sequence for members of the Guild of Litigants is:
Student - Advocate
Other lifepaths for members of this guild might include Clerk (Villager, p. 166; City Dweller, p. 173) or Scribe (City Dweller, p. 173).
Possible post-Advocate lifepaths for members of the guild might include Court Lawyer (Noble Court Sub-Setting, p. 182).
The Locksmith's Guild
The suggested lifepaths sequence for members of the Locksmiths' Guild os:
Apprentice — Journeyman — Locksmith — Master Craftsman
Shopkeeper is a possiblity for locksmiths who have their own franchise. Although Merchant and Artisan are viable for other craftly guilds, they may not be inappropriate for Hânic locksmiths.
The Masons' Guild
The suggested lifepaths sequence for members of the Masons' Guild is :
Apprentice Artisan— Artisan
from the City Dweller Setting. At GM/group discretion, it may be permissable to let a member of the Mason's Guild take the Journeyman lifepath even though the requirement for that lifepath is Apprentice (rather than Apprentice Artisan).
Post-Apprentice Artisan specialist lifepaths might include Sculptor (City Dweller, p. 171) and Engraver (City Dweller, p. 174).
Shopkeeper is also a possibility for Masons who have their own franchise. Merchant may also be a viable post-Artisan lifepath.
The Mercantylers' Guild
There are multiple lifepaths options available for members of the Mercantylers Guild. Some possible options include:
Moneylender
— Merchant |
Moneylender — Banker |
| Accountant — Banker | Accountant — Banker |
from the City Dweller Setting, and
Shopkeeper
— Merchant |
Smuggler — Merchant |
from the Villager Setting.
These items could, of course, also be taken in combination with each other— e.g. Moneylender — Merchant — Banker.
Other lifepath options for Mercantylers could include Shopkeeper, Fence (Outcast, p. 194), City Peddler (City Dweller, p. 171), and Coin Clipper (City Dweller, p. 170). The Magnate lifepath (City Dweller, p. 176) may also be appropriate for very wealthy Mercantylers.
The Metalsmiths' Guild
The obvious lifepaths sequence for members of the Metalsmiths' Guild is:
Apprentice — Journeyman — Master Craftsman
from any appropriate setting.
Post-Apprentice specialist lifepaths might include Farrier (Villager, p. 167) and Engraver (City Dweller, p. 174).
Shopkeeper is a possiblity for those who have their own franchise. Merchant and even Artisan may also be viable post-Master Craftsman options.
The Millers' Guild
The most critical lifepath for a member of the Millers' Guild is Miller from the Peasant Setting (p. 163).
Millers who specialize in baking, in addition to or instead of the actual milling of grain, could also take the Baker lifepath (City Dweller, p. 172).
The Apprentice and Journeyman lifepaths could possibly be taken in addition, although they are not required.
The Miners' Guild
For a member of Miner's Guild, the Miner lifepath from the Villager Setting (p. 166) is an obvious lifepath. Any of the listed pre-requisites are appropriate. The Apprentice and Journeyman lifepaths could possibly be taken in addition.
An alternate route is through the Mining Engineer lifepath (p. 169). Again, any of the listed pre-requisites (including Miner) are appropriate. At GM/group discretion, characters who take Apprentice as a stepping stone to the Mining Engineer lifepath may substitute Mining for one of the Apprentice craftly skills.
The Ostlers' Guild
For Ostlers, one of the following sequences of lifepaths is recommended:
Groom — Apprentice — Farrier
Apprentice — Journeyman — Saddler
These lifepaths can be learned in any appropriate setting. They could also be combined (given sufficient lifepaths to work with).
Merchant and Master of Horses (Noble Court Sub-Setting, p. 182) are viable lifepaths for particularly wealthy Ostlers, or those in the service of a nobleman.
The Perfumers' Guild
The most critical lifepath for a member of the Perfumers' Guild is:
from the City Dweller Setting. This is a new lifepath, not in the Lifepaths of Man. For details, see the New Guild Lifepaths page.
Pre-Perfumer lifepaths could include Student and/or Young Lady. Shopkeeper would also be approprite for a Perfumer who owns his or her own shop. Merchant may also be viable option for a post-Perfumer lifepath.
The Society of Physicians
There are several options for lifepath sequences for members of the Physicians' Guild:
Student
— Physician |
Student — Doctor |
| Student — Court Doctor | Midwife — Physician |
| Student — Ship's Doctor | Barber — Ship's Doctor |
Additional combinations of the above would, of course, also be possible-- e.g. Student — Physician — Doctor — Barber.
Note: Per BWG, the Young Lady lifepath can provide physician skills and is an acceptable pre-requisite lifepath for the Physician lifepath. In Hârn, it would be somewhat unusual for noblemwomen to become members of the Society of Physicians, so I have not listed it among the suggested lifepaths above. At GM/group dicretion, however, it could be used instead of Student in the above sequences.
The Pilots' Guild
The two most relevant lifepaths for a Pilot are Pilot and Navigator, both from the Seafaring Setting. Per the rules, both lifepaths have prerequisites. Based on those prerequisites, the following combinations of lifepaths can be used to result in a member of the Guild of Pilots:
Sailor
— Pilot — Navigator |
Student — Navigator |
| Student — Sailor — Pilot | Student — Sailor — Navigator |
| Student — Sailor — Pilot — Navigator | |
At GM/group discretion, it may be appropriate to allow Pilot characters to use Lifepath-gained skill points to open/increase both the Pilot and Navigation skills, using regular skill points, so long as either the Pilot or Navigator lifepaths were taken.
The Potters' Guild
The suggested sequence for members of the Potters' Guild is:
Apprentice — Journeyman — Master Craftsman
from either the Villager Setting or the City Dweller Setting.
Shopkeeper is also a possiblity. Merchant and even Artisan may also be viable post-Master Craftsman options.
The Salters' Guild
The most critical lifepath for a member of the Salters' Guild is:
from either the Villager or City Dweller Setting. This is a new lifepath, not in the Lifepaths of Man. For details, see the New Guild Lifepaths page.
For Salters who own their shop, the Shopkeeper lifepath is also highly appropriate. The Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Craftsman sequence of lifepaths are also possibilities.
Merchant may also be viable option for more experienced and successful member of the guild.
The Seamans' Guild
There are numerous lifepath options for creating a member of the Seaman's Guild, the most obvious of which is Sailor, which can be found in multiple settings (Villager, City Dweller, Professional Soldier, Seafaring). It is also possible to create a Seaman by following other lifepaths within the Seafaring Setting, such Boy, Ratcatcher, Landsman, etc. (pp. 189-190)
For more experienced Seamen, further lifepaths might include Purser, Bosun, Signalman, Marine, Ship's Cook, Crazy Old Sailor,and similar lifepaths from the Seafaring Setting (pp. 190-192). Although few vessels in NW Lythia are likely to have ballistae, catapults, or other war engines on board, the Artillerists' Mate lifepath (p. 191) is also a possibliity.
Although the Pilot and Navigator lifepaths (from the Seafaring Setting) are more appropriate for members of Pilots' Guild, and the Sailmaker, Carpenter's Mate, and Ship's Carpenter lifepaths (Seafaring, p. 190) are most suited for members of the Shipwrights' Guild, they too may be options for experienced Seamen.
Pirate (from the Outcast Sub-Setting) and Privateer (from the City Dweller Setting) are other seafaring options, but may not be appropriate for honest guildsmen.
The Shipwrights' Guild
The two most relevant lifepaths for members of the Shipwrights' Guild are Ship's Carpenter and Sailmaker, both from the Seafaring Setting (p. 191). Suggested sequences include:
Apprentice (from any setting)— Ship's Carpenter — Sailmaker
Carpenter's Mate (Seafaring Setting)— Ship's Carpenter — Sailmaker
In the former case, these lifepaths could be followed by the Journeyman or Master Craftsman lifepaths from either the Villager or City Dweller Subsetting or by Engineer (Seafaring, p. 191). It is possible that Merchant, and even Artisan may be viable post-Master Craftsman options.
Though rare in Hârn, shipwrights involved in the construction of military vessels might also have taken Artillerists' Mate (Seafaring, p. 191).
The Tentmakers' Guild
For member of the Tentmakers' Guild, the following sequence of lifepaths is suggested:
Apprentice — Tentmaker — Journeyman — Master Craftsman
from either the Villager or City Dweller Setting. (Note: Tentmaker is a new lifepath, not in the Lifepaths of Man.) For details, see the New Guild Lifepaths page.
For Tentmakers who own their shop, the Shopkeeper lifepath is also highly appropriate. Merchant is also an option for a post-Master Craftsman lifepath.
The Guild of Thespians
Suggested lifepaths for members of the Guild Of Thespians:
Perfomer and/or Dramaturge from the City Dweller setting (p. 172) from the City Dweller setting, and Itinerant Performer from the Outcast Setting (p. 195) would be appropriate in any combination or order.
The Apprentice and Journeyman lifepaths could possibly be taken in addition, to reflect some of the manual skills required by Thespians (sewing costumes, building scenery, etc), and to reflect their status as guilded performers.
The Timberwrights' Guild
The most relevant lifepath for a member of the Timberwrights' Guild is Woodcutter from the Peasant Setting (p. 164).
The Apprentice and Journeyman from could also be taken.
The Weaponcrafters' Guild
Suggested lifepaths sequences for members of the Weaponcrafters' Guild include:
Apprentice — Armorer — Journeyman — Master Craftsman
or Apprentice — Armorer — Merchant
These sequences can also be combined-- e.g. Apprentice — Armorer — Journeyman — Merchant — Master Craftsman. (Although that's starting to get into a lot of lifepaths!)
These lifepaths could come from any appropriate setting.
Post-Apprentice specialist lifepaths (in addition to, or instead of Armorer) might include Bowyer (Villager, p. 169) or conceivably Attilator (Noble Court, p. 182 and Professional Soldier, p. 188). However, the official distaste for crossbows in much of Hârn may make this an unlikely option. (GMs and players may want to consider consider replacing the Attilator lifepath available in the Noble Court and Professional Soldier lifepaths with the Bowyer lifepath.)
Shopkeeper is a possibility for Weaponcrafters who have their own franchise. Merchant and even Artisan may also be viable post-Master Craftsman options.
The Woodcrafters' Guild
Suggested lifepaths sequence for members of the Woodcrafters' Guild:
Apprentice— Journeyman — Master Craftsman
Any setting is appropriate.
Other possible lifepaths might include Sculptor (City Dweller, p. 171) and Engraver (City Dweller, p. 174). Shopkeeper is also a possiblity. Merchant and even Artisan are also viable post-Master Craftsman options.