Thieves’ Guild 7 (1982) introduces the notion of inborn talents and weaknesses, which is fun and can result in weird powers like psionics. There is also a thorough expansion of the lockpicking rules, accounting for strange locks and a variety of traps. This is a good example of the sort of rules that depend on context. In a mixed class campaign, this level of nuanced rules for lockpicking would be a drag (similar to hacking in Cyberpunk or Shadowrun) but in a group where everyone is a thief, they kind of work. Maybe. This maybe pushes things into the too heavy for my taste category.

The first adventure is a bit tortured — an incognito dwarven smith hires the players to rob his shop, specifically of a sword, and deliver it to the guy who commissioned it. He does this largely because he doesn’t want to make the trip, but also needs to test the people who would deliver it for him? It isn’t the greatest. I do like the idea of a dwarf acting mysterious and walking on stilts though.

The second adventure involves stealing a magical artifact. The item in question is in the possession of a person who is part of a particular caravan, but no one know who, so the party has to figure it out. I love the framework here, but the staging is a little less than sexy. Still, a good social heist.

Can’t stress my love of Gamelords in general though. One of my most satisfying old school discoveries — there is a wealth of bright ideas in these books for the OSR and other indie designers to play with. Dig in!