Ravnica Table of Contents & More

Thank you.

 

[Parmandur]

Which is why I was asking [MENTION=6706188]MonsterEnvy[/MENTION]. He knows the Guilds so the answers should be apparent.

He knows whatever the merchant Guild is, so he should know what the caravan would be holding, where it is going, and who is trying to steal it.
To say nothing of what the city looks like and how to describe the journey...

As pointed out, there is no "Merchant Guild," anymore than there is a "truck caravan" Megacorp in a Cyberpunk game.

 

[Jester David]

There is more then one Merchant guild.(Well to be correct none of them are merchant guilds) Were it would be going and who would try to steal it all depends on the guild. @Rossbert gives a good answer.

On what the city looks like and how to describe it, it depends on which guild is in charge of the area. And we are going to get coverage over the most notable area in Ravnica the 10th District.

Again, we’re getting 20 pages on the 10th District. Less tha Waterdeep receives in Dragon Heist or Sharn gets in the Wayfarer’s Guide.
That’s an anemic amount of pages to describe a setting.

If I have to spend all my time inventing locations and settings details, I might as well use a homebrew world....

 

[cbwjm]

How much do you really need? It's a giant city covering an entire world, do you really need detailed locations for everywhere you might go? If you playing FR do you only play in city's that have a detailed layout or do you create locations as needed. I mean if you need a tavern in Waterdeep, you could go with the Yawning portal, or you could just create your own in a different location. I won't know for sure until I get the book, but I'm sure there will be more than enough to run a Ravnica game in there.

Personally, I recently finished the game Enslaved: Odyssey to the west. I'm planning on using imagery from that game for abandoned city locations as "Untamed wilds" of the city.

 

[Parmandur]

Again, we’re getting 20 pages on the 10th District. Less tha Waterdeep receives in Dragon Heist or Sharn gets in the Wayfarer’s Guide.
That’s an anemic amount of pages to describe a setting.

If I have to spend all my time inventing locations and settings details, I might as well use a homebrew world....

So, enough description to be sufficient to play in the locao. But, location doesn't matter in this setting: the Guilds matter, neighborhoods and locations within a neighborhood can be procedurally generated with the Tenth District as an archetype, which is why they spend so much time on the Guilds: that's where the story is.

 

[SkidAce]

But it wouldn't tell me what was in the caravan, where it was going, and likely not who would try and and hijack it.

I don't need it to tell me those things.

 

[Kramodlog]

It's not surprising MtG is mentioned since this is the origin of Ravnica, but this book is still not part of the MtG meta setting, it's been adapted for use for DnD and the DnD meta setting so yes, this is not a MtG product, it's a DnD product.

Yes, I know. It is a D&D product that adapts MtG material as it is advertized. Yet the MtG content is lacking. It just containt guilds that will be forgotten soon. This book is a missed opportunity to enrich D&D and player experience with MtG iconic spells, magical items, monsters, NPCs and location. Just like how D&D IP turned into MtG cards would enrich MtG.

 

[Kramodlog]

Then you clearly don't know much about Ravnica. The Guilds are the world.

Designers aren't limited to MtG formats when making books. They could have used Ravnica as a setting and added a tonne of iconic MtG spells, magical items, monsters, NPCs to make this book worthwhile. That is what makes a MtG D&D cross-over interesting. Not guilds.

I do not recall anyone demanding more guilds in D&D or even Ravnican guilds in D&D. I do recall demands for a campaign setting, but you only have 24 pages of that in this book. Even on that level the book is a wasted opportunity to expend the D&D multiverse. Guilds are what people demanded. This reminds me so much of 4e's designer telling us what we really wanted in D&D.

 

[Kramodlog]

I don't need it to tell me those things.

You'll just escort of caravan if someone proposes to you? You're probably the easiest player to DM I've seen.

 

[SkidAce]

You'll just escort of caravan if someone proposes to you? You're probably the easiest player to DM I've seen.

You misunderstand.

If I am DMing, I will figure those things out.

If I am playing, the DM will figure those things out.

 

[Jester David]

So, enough description to be sufficient to play in the locao. But, location doesn't matter in this setting: the Guilds matter, neighborhoods and locations within a neighborhood can be procedurally generated with the Tenth District as an archetype, which is why they spend so much time on the Guilds: that's where the story is.

I disagree.
Because you could procedurally generate Guilds as well. Heck, you can procedurally generate an entire setting. I have a 2nd Edition book dedicated to just that.

But that’s not what I want from a campaign setting. I want established lore that makes me want to use cool evocative locations. Iconic signature locations with ties to the history of the setting.
I want to read about an ancient cathedral with a mysterious pillar in the heart. A statue dedicated to an individual that appears in no history books. A famous inn built into the tower of a famous wizard. Stuff that gives me ideas for stories.

Random tables? Yaaaawwn.

I don't need it to tell me those things.

I do.
I value that sort of thing, and being able to populate a caravan with interesting items rather than just muttering “ummm it’s full of boxes of generic trade goods.” Knowing what a region produces and where it would sell well.