Is this a thieves' guild build?

Closer to a fence/fixer/operator build than a stealing build. The Velvet Hand isn't about taking items from other players — its capabilities target civic state (writs, prison sentences, raid declarations). The build needs Stealth and Hiding for moving unseen during operations, Lockpicking for the Cell capability, and combat utility for the moments when stealth fails.

Can I be in the Velvet Hand and the College at the same time?

In principle yes, but it's awkward. The College's civic-blessing path supports warrant absolution; the Hand's writ capabilities directly oppose it. Most players settle on one institutional identity. The Hand also has internal access rules that make membership in directly-conflicting Orders difficult to maintain.

Do I need PvP skill for the Velvet Hand?

Some — but not as the primary focus. Operations sometimes go wrong; combat is a survival skill, not the build's core. The template includes Resist Spells and basic combat backup (typically Magery utility plus Wrestling). Pure PvP players should consider the PvP Mage or PvP Warrior build instead; Velvet Hand is operations-leaning, not combat-leaning.

Velvet Hand Build Guide · Immortal Realm

An operations build calibrated for Velvet Hand play. The Hand's mechanical purpose is interfering with the realm's bounty, civic-justice, and prison infrastructure. Members move quietly, work in shadows, and handle civic disruption as deliberate craft. This build supports that lifestyle.

For the Order itself, Velvet Hand. For the broader civic layer the Hand counters, Civic Orders.

Quick Facts

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table

Role	Civic operations, stealth, counter-bounty work
Skill total	700
Difficulty to play	Hard (timing + risk management)
Difficulty to train	Medium
Training time to working	50-80 hours
Time to grandmaster	100-200 hours
Pairs with	Velvet Hand, PvP play, civic disruption work

Skill Template

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
Skill	Target	Why
Stealth	100	Move while hidden
Hiding	100	Hide on demand; Stealth gate
Lockpicking	100	Cell capability + treasure access
Snooping	80-100	Container reconnaissance
Magery	80-100	Recall, basic combat, escape
Resist Spells	80-100	Survive when caught
Wrestling	60-80	Defense in close combat

Total: 600-700 depending on combat-skill targets.

Training Order

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
Stage	Push To	Notes
1 — Trainers	Hiding 30, Stealth 30, Magery 30, Resist 30	NPC trainers
2 — Stealth core	Hiding 80, Stealth 80	First "real Hand" feel
3 — Lockpicking	Lockpicking 60-80	Practice on chests
4 — Snooping	Snooping 60-80	Reconnaissance work
5 — Magery	Magery 60-80	Recall + Cure + utility
6 — Hand admission	Find a Hand-flavored NPC in any city; accept the Code	Initiate rank starts here. Order drops Code book + 12 lockpicks to your pack
7 — Resist + Wrestling	Both 80+	Survival when caught
8 — Grandmaster	All cores 100	Top operational capability

The Hand uses the same OrderRegistry.JoinPlayer plumbing as the College and the Ledger — the only mechanical gate is single-Order membership. The flavor frames it as selective; the code does not. See How to Join Civic Orders for the practical approach.

Stats

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
Stat	Target	Why
DEX	100	Stealth, Lockpicking, casting speed
STR	75	HP and weight
INT	50	Mana for Magery utility

DEX-first prioritizes the stealth/lockpicking/timing core.

Gear

Starter gear:

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
Slot	Item
Body	Studded leather (light, decent AR)
Pack	Lockpicks × 100, dagger, Recall scrolls
Other	Smoke bomb consumables (when available), reagents

Mid-game:

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
Slot	Item
Body	Magic studded with stealth-friendly attributes
Tools	Magic Lockpicks, Dagger of Crown
Other	Bag of holding, reagent reserves

Late-game:

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
Slot	Item
Body	TimeWoven augmented suit (light)
Other	Hand Initiate-tier through Open Hand regalia

The Hand has a post-operation stealth buff: completing a Hand civic action (prison disruption or writ disruption) applies a temporary Hiding/Stealth bonus that scales with rank — +10/+10 at Reach, +15/+15 at Whisper, +20/+20 at Sleeve and above — for 5 minutes. The buff is action-triggered, not a passive membership perk; planning operations back-to-back is how the Hand keeps the lift active.

Velvet Hand Order Progression

The Hand's rank ladder. Each promotion is gated on service points (1 per completed operation) plus an exam, and ranks above Walker also require a minimum hold-time at the previous rank:

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
#	Rank	Gate	Capabilities
1	Initiate	Entry on join	Membership; training-lane assignments
2	Walker	5 SP + Walker exam	Bribe the Guard, Writ Smoke
3	Reach	15 SP + 3-day Walker hold + exam	Lockpick the Cell, Name Scrub
4	Whisper	35 SP + 7-day Reach hold + exam	Smoke Bomb Escape, Target Redirect
5	Sleeve	70 SP + 14-day Whisper hold + exam	Craft Raid Deed
6	Open Hand	120 SP + 21-day Sleeve hold + exam	Senior operations standing
7	The Hand	200 SP + 30-day Open Hand hold + exam	Top of the Order

Total minimum held-rank time from Walker to The Hand is 75 days (3+7+14+21+30) on top of the operation grind. Each rank exam carries a 24-hour retake cooldown on a failed attempt.

Promotion is service-driven through completed operations. The Hand maintains VelvetOperationRecord entries — date, member, target — that feed the promotion path.

Gold Strategy

How to fund this build:

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
Stage	Income Source
Early	Lockpicking practice on starter chests; sell magic items
Mid	Operations fees (Walker+ rank: paid services for clients)
Late	High-tier operations, Raid Deed crafting (Sleeve+, 2,000g per deed)

The Hand's mid-tier capabilities have published in-game gold costs the operating member typically passes through to a client: Writ Smoke 200/300/500g (by Walker/Reach/Whisper+ rank, for +15/+20/+30 minutes claim window), Name Scrub 1,000g (Reach+, 24h cooldown), Target Redirect 1,500g (Whisper+, 24h cooldown, target within 3 tiles). Filing fees are not refunded if the Hand scrubs the writ — that's the cost the original placer pays.

Operations Tracks

The build supports specialization across three tracks:

Prison Disruption

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
Capability	Rank	Use
Bribe the Guard	Walker	Pay gold; reduce sentence
Lockpick the Cell	Reach	Crack cell; protected release
Smoke Bomb Escape	Whisper	Fast escape; no protection timer

Writ Disruption

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
Capability	Rank	Use
Writ Smoke	Walker	Add time to claim window
Name Scrub	Reach	Remove writ from board
Target Redirect	Whisper	Swap writ to consenting target

Raid Deeds

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
Capability	Rank	Use
Craft Raid Deed	Sleeve	Target seated relic guilds

A specialized member picks one or two tracks and goes deep.

Weaknesses

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
Weakness	Mitigation
Low solo combat power	Stealth + escape skills; don't engage when you can hide
Mage one-shot risk	Resist Spells 100 + suit attributes
Tracking by hunters	Stealth + Hiding mitigates; broken by attack
Civic record burden	Hand operations leave traces; manage exposure
Single-Order membership	Like all Orders, you must leave any other Order before joining the Hand

How This Build Connects to Systems

Velvet Hand Build: Operations, Stealth, and Counter-Civic Play reference table
System	Connection
Velvet Hand	The Order's home; primary target system
Bounty Hunting	Counter-relationship — Hand disrupts the board
Civic Justice	Counter-relationship — Hand disrupts prison
Relics	Raid Deed structure plugs in here
Mortal Shock	Operations failures pile up stacks
PvP	Hand operations often happen alongside PvP

When to Respec

This template stays viable long-term. Consider a respec when:

You want to add Poisoning for combat utility.
You want to specialize toward pure PvP (see PvP Mage Build or PvP Warrior Build).
You want to drop Hand membership and pivot to a non-Order combat build.

Common Mistakes

Treating Hand admission as a gauntlet. The mechanic is plain: find a Hand-flavored NPC in any city, accept the Code, you're in. The flavor frames it as selective; the code is OrderRegistry.JoinPlayer like the other Orders. Don't burn time on theatrics that aren't required.
Going to civic events as a Hand member with active operations. Records track you; civic NPCs may treat you cautiously.
Trying to operate without Stealth/Hiding GM. Operations require movement unseen; low Stealth is operational suicide.
Engaging in pure PvP without combat focus. A Velvet Hand build is operations-leaning. Use PvP builds for pure PvP.
Failing operations carelessly. "A failed operation is a confessed operation" — the Hand's Code applies.

Where to Read Next

For the Velvet Hand Order page, Velvet Hand.
For the practical joining flow, How to Join Civic Orders.
For the builds hub, Immortal Realm Builds.
For the bounty system the Hand counters, Immortal Realm Bounty Hunting.
The download page is the on-ramp when you're ready.

Velvet Hand Build