Den of Thieves, Fallen Comrade

Den of Thieves is a product similar in nature to College of  Wizardry and Bastion of Faith. It takes a location dedicated to a  specialized group and explores it in great detail. Den of Thieves  visits the most iconic of all three with it's exploration of a  Thieves Guild.

This book for the first time in my opinion presented the DM with  enough information to make running a full fledged thief based campaign possible. The book provides detail of all aspects of the  Thieves Guild. It touches on their inner workings and their  activities inside their sphere of control.

The book explores the way a guild could be organized by  presenting the DM with a fully detailed example of a Guild with  detail on the hierarchy and division of duties and  responsibilities. This is something that the DM could either  incorporate into the setting as is or use as the foundation for  one of their own. As usual I think I would end up going somewhere  between the two extremes.

The book then provides the DM with information on all of the  groups that would be connected to the guild in one way or another  and would affect their operations. These range from the Assassins  Guild and beggars to fences, spies and fixers. It again provides  examples that could be used directly or as something to model  unique creations around.

The book finishes up providing the DM with a huge number of  adventure hooks that are actually fleshed out enough that they  border n mini adventures as written. There are then a collection  of tables that the DM would need to refer. These are collected  from other locations in the book for ease of use. There is also  an exploration of Thieves Guilds of fact and fiction as well as a  map of the guild used as an example in the book.

Published: 1996
Pages: 96

From the back cover:

"Watch your back!

Who stalks the fog-shrouded alleys of the night? Who rules where  the City Watch fears to tread? Enter the secret organized  underground of thieves, pickpockets, cat burglars, upright men,  and kingpins. This 96-page book includes eye-opening details  about thieves' guilds, a complete underworld organization, new  adventures, and magical items. Also included is a full-color  poster map showing an elaborate thieves' hideout in great  detail."


Spell:

Fallen Comrade

Level: Fourth
Range: 6"
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: One Individual
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user will restore life to a  fallen comrade for a brief period of time. This can be used to  allow them to continue on in a fight.

The spell must be cast while the group is in a combat situation  and the remains of the fallen comrade need to be present. The  spell will restore life essence to the target. They will be  restored with 50% of their hit points. If they were a spell  caster they will retain any unused spells and may be granted new  spells if the total possessed is less than 50% of their daily  allowance.

The comrade will fight until such time as they again fall below zero hit points. They can be healed but can not be healed beyond  the 50% number they were restored with. At the end of the combat  the comrade will immediately be restored to their fallen state and  they can be be brought back again by use of this spell.

The use of this spell is not something to be done lightly though.  Using it involves the caster touching powers that come with a  cost. The caster will find that they have aged five years when  the spell is cast. The target of the spell will pay a price as  well. If they are resurrected or reanimated they will find that  they have lost one level of experience and will have a 50% chance  of losing a point of constitution over and above any other loses  connected directly to their demise.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the  write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the  80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other  than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be  slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of  spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :)  Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on  me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please  let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.