I love the way that guild membership is represented in a character's background. However, what happens if a character joins a guild during the campaign? Or when a character switches from one guild to another? Are they simply barred from the options in the accompanying background? Is there a precedent for changing backgrounds during a campaign? Should this be handled through a feat? It almost feels like benefits from membership of an organization should be handled through an, as of yet, missing mechanic.
Typically, a background represents skills your character picked up before becoming an adventurer and will not change do to character choices or progression.
For example, an ex-criminal gives up on crime, does great deads, and is given a title and land. He may choose classes, feats, and skills (or be given by DM) that reflect his new status, but he will not have lost the knowledge and skills he had as a criminal.
Changing guilds seems only a little bit more relevant because of those bonus spells. First, remember that changing guilds is rare. Second, after gaining enough renown in the new guild, it may be appropriate to let them change backgrounds or be given a homebrewed feat that gives some of the bonuses of new guild.
Well, seems this is actually covered by the rules:
Changing Guilds
If events in your character’s adventuring career warrant it, you can abandon membership in one guild and join a different one. Once you leave a guild, you can rarely go back.
Your DM decides what requirements you must meet to join a new guild. Some guilds welcome new recruits and make the process as simple as possible, while others require a demonstration of loyalty.
When you change guilds, you lose all the privileges of membership in your original guild, including the background feature granted to you by your original guild and any rank or position you have achieved in that guild. You also lose access to your old guild spells, unless they are already on your class’s spell list, among your spells known, or in your spellbook. Except in exceptional circumstances, your renown score with your original guild becomes 0.
Your old guild expects you to return your guild insignia, and your new guild gives you one to replace it.
You gain the privileges of membership in your new guild. These include the background feature granted by your new guild, although your DM might decide that it takes you a while to gain the full benefit. For example, a character who leaves another guild to join the Gruul Clans doesn’t immediately know the ways of the rubblebelts, but has to gain that familiarity over time. You also gain access to your new guild spells.
Your new guild doesn’t give you any benefits that assume prior knowledge or experience, including proficiencies, starting equipment (except your guild insignia), and contacts.
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I love the way that guild membership is represented in a character's background. However, what happens if a character joins a guild during the campaign? Or when a character switches from one guild to another? Are they simply barred from the options in the accompanying background? Is there a precedent for changing backgrounds during a campaign? Should this be handled through a feat? It almost feels like benefits from membership of an organization should be handled through an, as of yet, missing mechanic.
Typically, a background represents skills your character picked up before becoming an adventurer and will not change do to character choices or progression.
For example, an ex-criminal gives up on crime, does great deads, and is given a title and land. He may choose classes, feats, and skills (or be given by DM) that reflect his new status, but he will not have lost the knowledge and skills he had as a criminal.
Changing guilds seems only a little bit more relevant because of those bonus spells. First, remember that changing guilds is rare. Second, after gaining enough renown in the new guild, it may be appropriate to let them change backgrounds or be given a homebrewed feat that gives some of the bonuses of new guild.
Thank you for your reply. My thoughts were going along the same lines, and I have already decided to fix this via a homebrew feat.
Well, seems this is actually covered by the rules: