So, I've been thinking of starting up a guild geared towards smugglers. Obviously, I was going to rename all the guild ranks to something that invoked the smuggler theme. The problem is I can't think of anything. So I though I'd ask the forums. So what would an organization of smugglers refer to their leader, officers, and new recruits as:rak_02:

Look up mafia titles: Capo, Don, etc.

 

Or how about using Triad titles? Red Pole, etc.

 

Just pick your favorite organized crime syndicate and do some research on the titles they give to their captains!

Way back in the day, there was a tabletop RPG by West End Games that had some pretty good source material. There was a guidebook to the planet Socorro by Patricia Jackson that went into detail of the Black Bha'lir, a Corellian smuggling guild that had a well-defined code of honor. The ranks in the Bha'lir were:

 

Apprentice: This was the lowest rank a member could hold within the society, and where all members started out. Becoming an Apprentice was not easy, however. Most Apprentices were brought into the society by relatives, but others were approached by the Black Bha'lir because they had already demonstrated the honor the society expected of its members.

 

Forbidden by the society to own a ship of their own, Apprentices were usually expected to work under the tutelage of another member until they were promoted. In many cases, the Apprentice was made first-mate on a ship with a Bha'lir captain. There they learned the morality and responsibility expected of all members, as well as tricks of the trade.

 

Pilot: The rank of pilot was awarded to Apprentices that stood out from among their fellow members. Many members of the Black Bha'lir never made it beyond the rank of Apprentice not because they lacked the skill of a smuggler, but because they were found lacking in their understanding of the code.

 

Although they were not prevented from owning their own ships, Pilots often worked under a Master Smuggler and were assigned to one of the Master Smuggler's ships. Those who remained Pilots were often very skilled smugglers, but poor businessmen.

 

Prince: The rank of prince was a rare honor awarded to Pilots who had earned a reasonable degree of fame in the underworld. Princes almost always owned their own ship, and their skills as a smuggler were rarely matched by any Pilot. Both male and female members of this rank were called Princes.

 

Master Smuggler: Master Smugglers were most often minor crime lords or information brokers. They had proven themselves as Pilot or Prince and earned a less risky, but often more demanding life. The Master Smuggler usually owned more than one ship and kept several Pilots on their payroll.

 

Mentor: While all members of the society taught and learned from one another, members of great wisdom and skill were promoted to the rank of Mentor by the Tribunal. Mentors were tasked with teaching new generations of members the skills of the smuggler, and guiding them in their understanding of the code.

 

Old Guard: Only the most venerated members were promoted to the rank of Old Guard. Old Guards were most often Mentors who continued to serve as Master Smugglers or even Pilots. Once a member had obtained the rank of Old Guard, they were eligible to be on the Tribunal.

 

The Tribunal: The Tribunal was the ruling body of the Black Bha'lir. They were responsible for settling disputes within the society as well as preserving the ethical code that was central to the Black Bha'lir way of life.

 

The tribunal consisted of three members who were elected by a silent ballot open to all members of the society, but the identity of those who are elected remained a fiercely guarded secret among the highest ranking members of the society. Once elected, a member would serve on the Tribunal for life.

 

 

I'd use those definitions as a start - some of them might not work well in a guild setting, but some of them fit very nicely in traditional guild hierarchies. I'd probably drop Prince, and have probationary members as Apprentices, members at large as Pilots, officers as Mentors or Master Smugglers, and Guild Masters as The Tribunal. I'd probably have former officers/guildmasters as the Old Guard.

 

For more on the Black Bha'lir, check out Wookieepedia's write up: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Bha%27lir

Boss -- guild owner

Underboss -- guild leaders

Captain -- other people that can invite, or people in charge of certain activities/groups.

Runner -- regular members

Upstart -- junior members

Gofer ("go-for") - new recruits or members otherwise on probation

 

I tried to suggest more neutral and simple sounding terms, but the Italian mafia ones or the Bha'lir ones would be pretty neat too! Good luck with your guild.