Background of Interesting Conflicts

A thief campaign can probably run for a long time on the central conflict of "Haves vs. the Have-nots". Players and DMs alike will find a lot more flavor and depth in a setting with a little broader background of conflict, however.

Conflicts appropriate to a thief campaign are little different from those that should liven up any campaign. Every social setting will have tension between the various legs of the power structure, whether these are ruling houses, political parties, or even different members of the same ruling family.

Conflict between different classes or social strata is another common point of tension in society. The rich might seek to dominate the poorer folk, who strive in their own right to gain a share of the good life. In a mercantile society there might be a middle class of merchants and artisans who seek to insulate their privileges from those less fortunate, while at the same time striving for financial betterment for themselves and their families.

Religious conflict is a common feature of campaigns, particularly appropriate in worlds with a wide pantheon of varied gods. Thieves and others can often be employed by the clerics of different temples in order to spy upon, pilfer, or sabotage the centers of rival religions.

Conflicts among thieves themselves, and obviously between the law and breakers of the law, should be standard features of the campaign. The conflict between a thieves' guild and independent (usually player character) thieves has become a cliche, but it still creates a tense background for a thief's activities. Just try to establish that this is not the only conflict around which the campaign is based.

Conflicts, as always, are most effective when they can be personalized. In a religious conflict, for example, detail the influential clerics on each side. If a thief PC encounters a challenge from an NPC thief working in the same territory, give that NPC a face and a personality. When conflicts are personalized, player characters develop a natural motivation and enthusiasm for their resolution.

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