Second time with Burning Wheel - A City of Thieves

Burning Wheel First Reading
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Hi!

I’ve already posted a few questions on these forums in the past year, and it’s been immensely helpful. My first foray into Burning Wheel was a short campaign centered around trade and raiding in a medieval England in the year 1012. We mostly used the basic systems, with a little with of the Resources.

I’m now planning a second experience with the game. This time with four players instead of two. I’d like to share a bit of what I have in mind, what systems I think I should touch upon more and gather any insights from more experienced players.

So, I’m planning to create a fairly unoriginal low-fantasy setting of a large medieval fantasy city where multiple guilds of thieves fight for power, and where other factions (like the Crown, merchant guilds, maybe a Church) are using each other to secure influence in this City of Thieves. I’m mostly interested in the political, stealthy and dramatic strand of the Thief guilds scheming against each other.

Immediately the Circles, Reputation and Steel systems (which I barely touched in the first campaign) come to mind. Am I right that I should delve into this a bit more?

Are there other systems or rules that you would refresh or focus on if you had to explore that type of story?

Any experience (mistakes, successes) with similar-ish type of stories?

Thank you!

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If you have the Anthology there’s a faction system in there. There’s also the Duel of Wits which sounds like it could come up a lot in a high politics game!

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Where do the players’ characters fit in?

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Duel of Wits was on my list. I do have the Anthology, I’ll look up the faction system. Did you use it yourself?

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It’s not set in stone, because I have to talk with them about it.

But my general idea was that they would be ruffians part of one of the guild. Just some poor chaps that are finding a way out of the lower class poverty in this aristocratic city. I don’t know yet what kind of guild, if it’s a dominant one or an underdog.

I think interpreting their lifepaths through the lens of them now being part of a thief guild to be interesting.

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I have not yet used the faction system, my current campaogn predates the Anthology and back bolting the faction system on feels daunting to us unfortunately.

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