Ten guilds rule Ravnica. Although the Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica doesn’t release until November, details on some of those guilds along with class options are available now.
The Golgari Swarm embraces the idea that death is an essential part of the life cycle. They encourage feeding the soil with the dead and spreading plague in order to foster regrowth. These dedicated cultivators and killers commit themselves to perpetuating the growth cycle and supplying food to any who desire it while at the same time murdering those who oppose them. They eagerly combine death and life into something bigger than the sum of its parts.
The Gruul Clans were originally appointed to speak for and protect the people who lived in the harsh natural environments of Ravnica. As the city built over the land some of the other guilds appointed themselves nature's defenders. The Gruul fractured into different clans, all bent on destroying civilization. Some do it for revenge, others simply because they like to destroy things, and others join for social freedom and release from the frustrations of civilization. With a penchant for cunning, they make skilled hunters and respected shaman.
The Boros Legion is a militaristic guild which acts as enforcers of order between the guilds on Ravnica. The Boros Legion is epitomized by the actions of the Wojek League, which enforces the Guildpact, the law of Ravnica which gives each guild its place. Courageous in battle and tenacious in pursuit, the Boros Legion pursues a vision that Ravnica should be a peaceful place for all. To make that vision a reality, they use their combined might to deal with every single issue perceived as a threat to the Guildpact and to Ravnica, no matter how small.
The Selesnya Conclave is a quasi-monastic order whose members are zealously dedicated to keeping life in balance. The Conclave disapproves strongly of individuality, believing that the good of the whole is always more important than the good of the one. The Selesnya Conclave claims to be the voice of Mat'Selesnya which they preach is the conscious manifestation of nature itself. All within the guild are considered mouthpieces of that manifestation’s singular voice. They seek to expand their guild by evangelizing their message and recruiting members.
The Simic Combine's original role was to protect and preserve what was left of Ravnica's natural ecosystems. Despite their best efforts they failed and there is no place completely natural left on Ravnica. They spend their resources creating new and frightening species of creatures that not only survive in the stone jungles of Ravnica but also thrive. They believe in combining and mutating species, like the chimera, to adapt to growing urban threats. Perhaps the owlbear is another of their creations, now escaped to many D&D worlds
Two Unearthed Arcana articles provide rules for three subclasses and the order domain. The brute subclass works well with any tough fighters in Ravnica.
A spore druid uses halo of spores to kill a foe. That foe is then the target of fungal infestation so the glowspore shaman can animate it into a rhizome lurcher. The Izzet League would welcome wizards from the school of invention. A vedalken wizard in his arcanomechanical armor invents a new spell and tries it out. His friend Bori Andon, blastseeker, approves. The loxodon likely has the order domain. His power is directly tied to the followers he commands.
The Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica will be filled with further details on the guilds. Coupled with the benefits and challenges of joining a guild, the new rules for characters will help any player create a character from Ravnica.
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!
The Golgari Swarm embraces the idea that death is an essential part of the life cycle. They encourage feeding the soil with the dead and spreading plague in order to foster regrowth. These dedicated cultivators and killers commit themselves to perpetuating the growth cycle and supplying food to any who desire it while at the same time murdering those who oppose them. They eagerly combine death and life into something bigger than the sum of its parts.
The Gruul Clans were originally appointed to speak for and protect the people who lived in the harsh natural environments of Ravnica. As the city built over the land some of the other guilds appointed themselves nature's defenders. The Gruul fractured into different clans, all bent on destroying civilization. Some do it for revenge, others simply because they like to destroy things, and others join for social freedom and release from the frustrations of civilization. With a penchant for cunning, they make skilled hunters and respected shaman.
The Boros Legion is a militaristic guild which acts as enforcers of order between the guilds on Ravnica. The Boros Legion is epitomized by the actions of the Wojek League, which enforces the Guildpact, the law of Ravnica which gives each guild its place. Courageous in battle and tenacious in pursuit, the Boros Legion pursues a vision that Ravnica should be a peaceful place for all. To make that vision a reality, they use their combined might to deal with every single issue perceived as a threat to the Guildpact and to Ravnica, no matter how small.
The Selesnya Conclave is a quasi-monastic order whose members are zealously dedicated to keeping life in balance. The Conclave disapproves strongly of individuality, believing that the good of the whole is always more important than the good of the one. The Selesnya Conclave claims to be the voice of Mat'Selesnya which they preach is the conscious manifestation of nature itself. All within the guild are considered mouthpieces of that manifestation’s singular voice. They seek to expand their guild by evangelizing their message and recruiting members.
The Simic Combine's original role was to protect and preserve what was left of Ravnica's natural ecosystems. Despite their best efforts they failed and there is no place completely natural left on Ravnica. They spend their resources creating new and frightening species of creatures that not only survive in the stone jungles of Ravnica but also thrive. They believe in combining and mutating species, like the chimera, to adapt to growing urban threats. Perhaps the owlbear is another of their creations, now escaped to many D&D worlds
Two Unearthed Arcana articles provide rules for three subclasses and the order domain. The brute subclass works well with any tough fighters in Ravnica.
A spore druid uses halo of spores to kill a foe. That foe is then the target of fungal infestation so the glowspore shaman can animate it into a rhizome lurcher. The Izzet League would welcome wizards from the school of invention. A vedalken wizard in his arcanomechanical armor invents a new spell and tries it out. His friend Bori Andon, blastseeker, approves. The loxodon likely has the order domain. His power is directly tied to the followers he commands.
The Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica will be filled with further details on the guilds. Coupled with the benefits and challenges of joining a guild, the new rules for characters will help any player create a character from Ravnica.
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!
