Guild Rank System¶

Purpose¶

NPC guilds issue ranked work orders to player characters. Guild rank is a public credential that signals competency, unlocks higher-tier jobs, and — at the top tier — carries ongoing obligations. This document covers the universal rank rules shared by all guilds. Individual guild documents define their specific work order types and exam formats.

What a Guild Is¶

An NPC guild is a permanent civic institution, not a player social organization. It employs a Guildmaster, an Examiner, a board clerk, and a handful of named specialists. It issues work orders from its own mandate — the Adventurers Hall focuses on safety and clearance; the Crafters Hall focuses on production and commissions. Players register with guilds individually, not as a group.

Player-owned guilds and clans are a separate social system. See ../social/guilds-clans-and-town-control.md.

Rank Ladder¶

Ranks ascend from F through A, then into the S tier.

Rank	Common Name	Access Unlocked
`F`	Registered	Entry-level orders only
`E`	Recognized	Standard orders, basic escort
`D`	Competent	Named-area and quality-required orders
`C`	Proficient	Elite-zone orders, restricted commissions
`B`	Expert	High-risk orders, bounty and rescue work
`A`	Master	Apex orders, mentorship authority
`S`	Distinguished	Highest-tier orders, guild council access

A character can hold a rank in multiple guilds simultaneously. Rank is per-guild, not account-wide.

Advancement: Two Paths¶

Advancement from any rank requires meeting one of the following conditions. Both are always available.

Path 1 — Task Count¶

Complete the required number of work orders at your current rank or above. Quality threshold applies: work orders completed below the passing quality floor do not count.

Current Rank	Tasks Required
F → E	10
E → D	25
D → C	50
C → B	100
B → A	200
A → S	500 + Qualification Trial (see below)

Path 2 — Rank Exam¶

The Guild Examiner offers a rank exam at any point. The exam is a curated multi-task sequence that tests the core competencies of the target rank. It is available at every rank through B.

Exam rules:

Request the exam from the Guild Examiner NPC at any time
All exam tasks must be completed within 7 real days of acceptance
Each task must be completed at the passing quality floor or above
Passing all tasks in the window advances the character immediately, regardless of task count
Failing the exam (missed deadline or failed task) requires either:
waiting 3 days before retaking the exam, or
completing the remaining standard task count instead

The exam never expires once started — it only times out if the 7-day window closes with incomplete tasks.

A → S: Qualification Trial¶

There is no exam shortcut for reaching S rank. Both conditions must be met:

Complete 500 qualifying tasks at A rank
Pass the Qualification Trial — a special multi-day high-difficulty sequence issued by the Guildmaster personally. Each guild defines its own Trial content.

The Trial may be attempted once per 14 days if failed.

S Rank: Points and Inactivity Decay¶

S rank has five internal levels based on cumulative guild points.

S Level	Points Required (cumulative)	Display
S1	0 (entry point)	S
S2	1,000	S+
S3	2,500	S++
S4	5,000	S*
S5	10,000	S**

Earning Points¶

Every S-rank work order awards points on completion. Point awards scale with order difficulty and outcome quality. Base awards:

Order Tier	Base Points (passing quality)	Bonus Points (exceptional quality)
Standard S	5	+3
Elite S	12	+8
Boss / Apex	30	+20

Inactivity Decay¶

Inactivity decay activates when a character completes no qualifying guild work for a sustained period.

S Level	Grace Period	Daily Decay Rate
S1	14 days	−3 pts/day
S2	10 days	−5 pts/day
S3	7 days	−8 pts/day
S4	5 days	−10 pts/day
S5	3 days	−15 pts/day

Decay rules:

Points cannot fall below the S1 floor (0 cumulative). A character cannot be pushed out of S rank by decay alone.
If decay drops points below the S2, S3, S4, or S5 threshold, the character returns to the lower S level. The guild record notes the drop.
Decay resumes immediately when the grace period ends. Completing any qualifying work order resets the grace period.
Qualifying work includes any work order accepted and completed at A rank or above. Non-guild activity does not count.

S Rank Standing Notice¶

When a character at S3 or above has not completed a qualifying order within the last 7 days, the board clerk displays a standing notice on their profile: "Standing review pending." This is visible to players browsing the guild roster. It carries no mechanical penalty beyond the decay already in progress.

Exam Format Summary¶

Each guild defines its own exam tasks, but all exams share the same structure:

The Examiner presents a sequence of 3–5 tasks
Tasks are drawn from the target rank's work order pool
One task is always a competency check unique to that guild — it cannot be completed with raw stats alone; it requires demonstrated knowledge of the guild's domain
Results are logged in the character's guild record and visible to the Guildmaster

Guild Record¶

Each character registered with a guild has a visible record showing:

Current rank and S level (if applicable)
Total tasks completed at each rank
Exam attempts and outcomes
Current points (S only)
Last qualifying completion date (S only)
Any notable commendations or failures

The record is visible to the character, the Guildmaster, and the Examiner. It is not public by default, but S-rank characters may choose to make their record visible on the guild board.

adventurers-guild.md — Adventurers Hall work orders, exam format, and Qualification Trial
crafters-guild.md — Crafters Hall work orders, exam format, and Qualification Trial
../social/guilds-clans-and-town-control.md — Player-owned guild system
../../world/villages.md — Village guild branches and local work orders