So I got bored with my nord barbarian and re-rolled a Bosmer archer. Long story short, I joined the thieves guild and started smashing through those small burglary/shiv/sweep/etc jobs.

I just wondered if anyone knows whether or not doing these missions actually brings about any changes to the guild. There seems to be hints towards some kind of long term reward - paraphrased, much of the thieves guild dialogue goes like this - "the thieves used to be bigger/better/stronger than it is now. If you do these jobs, you help out the guild by providing us with money. Money is good. Money will make us bigger/better/stronger again".

Does this have any end result?

They do. Do enough of the small jobs, and it will eventually trigger four "special" ones, each of which adds a new merchant to the Ragged Flagon as the guild gains influence in other cities.

Yes it does.

When you reach the end of the Thieves Gild Main Quest, you will not be made Guild Master unless the guild is back to full strength.

You need to do five side jobs in each of the following cities:

Windhelm

Markarth

Solitude

Whiterun


Once you done five in a city, you'll get a special job. When the job is complete, the guild changes.

Ah awesome. Thanks for your responses.

The HQ gets a few upgrades. primarily cleaned up and decorated, but some merchents are also added to the Ragged Flagon. Mostly selling more interesting items than Tonnia(?) has.

Fences have increased gold.

You get additional choices for dealing with guards that attempt to arrest you. One that gives you ammnesty and lets you go (But doesn't clear your bounty) and another that allows you to pay off your bounty regardless of the crime involved and the value of the bounty. In addition, you aren't moved to the jail (As you normally are when you pay a fine) and stolen goods aren't confiscated.

Finally, caches are hidden at each of the five major cities. Three in each, random contents.

That seems so much more rewarding that the Companions' side quests ... or have I missed something there too?

You also get additional fences in some of the city's that you gain favor in.

The most useful thing about getting the TG up to full status is that you get a fence in each city brought under the influence and for each city the fence gets a 1000 septims. So if you do the full set of quests each fence will have 4k with which to buy your loot. Tonila also gets extra dosh per city up to the same limit.

do the side missions you do during the quests add to the special job count, or only the ones you complete after the TG questline is complete (between returning the key and becoming guildmaster)?