Ravnica Update: Focus on Five Guilds

Do you want to explore the undercity of Ravnica as guest or enemy of the Golgari Swarm? What challenge does the leader of the Selesnya Conclave face? Do you want a large d10 with a guild symbol on each face? Here is an update on what we know about D&D Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica.

Do you want to explore the undercity of Ravnica as guest or enemy of the Golgari Swarm? What challenge does the leader of the Selesnya Conclave face? Do you want a large d10 with a guild symbol on each face? Here is an update on what we know about D&D Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica.


On Sept 27, the Dragon Talk Podcast with Ari Levitch and Greg Tito provided a new preview about Ravnica. Daily MTG provides additional details on five guilds.

The Guildmasters’ Guide opens right after the events of Return to Ravnica for Magic the Gathering. The guildmasters are the same, but dangerous events are in motion and life is becoming precarious. Jace the Planeswalker has left Ravnica taking the enforceable peace of the Guildpact with him.


The Golgari take the long view—all institutions both physical and society will all crumble away eventually. Sometimes they speed things along—assassins to create instability and proclaimers to plant the spores of future revolution. With Jace away, these plans may come to fruition.

Ravnica is ancient. Layers and layers deep. The Beneath the streets is the vast Undercity where the Golgari dwell. Dungeon delves are possible as the Undercity dives deep. Exploration into its depths will take out the comforts of city civilization from player characters.


In the Guildmasters’ Guide, the Undercity is not always depicted as grubby or muck covered but is an actual kingdom beneath the streets, an otherworldly sometimes beautiful place. But with fungus. The Golgari Swarm embraces life and death as a cycle. They appreciate the entire spectrum.


The Swarm is home to many elves, which are like the drow of other worlds. Some Golgari are findbrokers that collect trash from the surface and extract valuables from them. Recyclers, including necromancers, raise fungus zombies to shambling unlife with spores. Death and necromancy can combine with druidic magic since death is part of the cycle of life. The spore druid embraces this ideal. Proclaimers are ready to reclaim the surface for when the Golgari return to the surface and take over.

Their Guildmaster is Jarad, an elven lich lord. Ambition to pursue personal goals is part of this guild and leadership cycles through many guildmasters. Assassination or political maneuvering leads to a change of leadership—cutthroat like the natural world. Savra, Jarad’s sister, used to run the guild before she was killed by Szadek who took over leadership. Jarad took the life of Szadek along with his leadership.

The Selesnya Conclave follow Mat'Selesnya the World Soul. The guild believes that society and nature should co-exist. They want to build a city that curbs the natural world but keeps it growing as well. The massive world-tree Vitu-Ghazi serves as the focus and guildhall of the guild. The Guildmaster is Trostani, a dryad connected via one tree trunk to three bodies representing harmony, life, and order.


The Selesnya are home to elves, like wood elves on other worlds, and the elephant loxodons. Elves ride wolves as Ledev Guardians. The serve as emissaries and evangels of the faith and make excellent soldiers as well.

Trostani used to speak in one voice, but now there is disharmony between the three voices. They may be hearing different things that the World Soul is saying. Perhaps a quest to restore harmony is needed.

A set of Ravnica dice will be sold in a decorated tin with the seal of all ten guilds on it. The oversized D10 has a guild symbol on each side so you can randomly roll a guild when needed.

D&D Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica releases November 9 game stores and November 20 everywhere.

This article was contributed by Charles Dunwoody as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program.We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
 

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Charles Dunwoody

Charles Dunwoody

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Elderbrain

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For those who are worried, the contents page shows all ten Guilds included with rules and info for each.
 

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