PDA

View Full Version : Ideas for Ravnica Setting



Mezmote
2010-08-24, 03:30 AM
I'm planning to get my group together for a mini campaign, set in the plane of Ravnica (a realm from Magic the Gathering). The idea is to set it some few hundred years before the decamillenia (for those unfamiliar, check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravnica_%28plane%29). I want to be able to switch around between campaigns and have a few sessions once in a while where we can return to Ravnica.

So my first ideas for the setting was to, most fittingly, creating or find a map of the City of Guilds. Either way, if you guys know any good samples or fragments that I could use or draw inspiration from, links would be much appreciated.

Secondly I would confine character classes to specific guilds. Nothing too narrow though, as each guild can muster at least 3-5 different core classes, and other source supplements are allowed. Everyone needs wizards. But I'm gonna encourage the players to specialize or conceptualize around a theme fit for the guild (necromancy for Golgari, abjuration for Azorius ect.). Prestige classes from core and supplements will be discussed if the players want to use them, otherwise I'd hope to create a few that are guild specific.

I'm gonna implement 11 new knowledge skills (might be too much). 1 for each guild, and a general catch-all skill (knowledge the guilds, maybe). House Dimir isn't gonna be a playable guild, and I would consider Rakdos a bit too prone to create conflict within the group.

Gonna be 5 players. Point buy 28. Starting at level 10. Races from core book and other sourceswill be used as we see fit. I might wanna use other races, like minotaurs.

So far it is just a setting. I'm formulating the adventures and encounters in the time coming, but i want the setting completed first. One idea for a higher level adventure would be to collect the ten artifacts that are central to each guild in order to prevent and unnatural disaster (might be the awakening of Rakdos, or the return of the Nephilim).

So what do you think? I know there is gonna be plenty of work in creating a setting from scraps, so if you got any kind of ideas or tidbits of info that might prove useful, please post it. When the setting goes live, I'll post the specifics in here for your benefit.

All help is much appreciated.

Math_Mage
2010-08-24, 03:48 AM
Well, you know what Ravnica has to say about maps (http://magiccards.info/rav/en/176.html)...:smallwink:

Here's a start on classes:
Boros: Knight
Izzet: Factotum, Beguiler
Orzhov: Dread Necromancer
Selesnya: Ranger
Golgari:
Gruul:
Simic:
Azorius: Paladin

Cleric: Any white
Wizard: Any blue
Barbarian: Any red
Druid: Any green
Fighter: Any

Random suggestion: Have your players make a Magic card for each of their characters. More like Jaya Ballard, Task Mage than Autochthon Wurm, one hopes.

endoperez
2010-08-24, 04:43 AM
Info about the guilds in general would be Knowledge: Local, wouldn't it?

If you want to cut down the knowledge skills, why not have five knowledge skills based on the M:tG colours? Knowledge: Black Arts would get you information about Golgari, Dimir, Orzhov and Rakdos (the guilds with black color), while Knowledge: Nature would get you information about Golgari, Selesnya, Gruul and Simic.

Blue might be Knowledge: Arcana, white could be either Knowledge: Religion or a new skill. Red might need a new skill. Or five new skills for each color; that'd still cut the number of new skills in half.

AslanCross
2010-08-24, 04:48 AM
The Eberron book "Sharn: City of Towers" is a great resource for running a game in a highly urbanized setting (though Ravnica has its own political climate).

Cityscape helps too.

Mezmote
2010-08-24, 06:31 AM
Reading through Cityscape as of now =)

I'll cut down the knowledge skills to Knowledge The Guilds, and remove knowledge the planes entirely. Ravnica is a plane shut off from the rest of the multiverse, and only one or two beings in the plane knows that fact.

I'll tell my players that I'll reduce the DC by 5 for knowledge checks concerning information of their own guild. That should solve some management issues. Also, I would consider all classes except barbarians to have Knowledge the guilds as a class skill.

That's my initial thoughts at least.

Stompy
2010-08-24, 11:33 AM
If I believe correctly, there is someone running a Ravnica-based Play-by-Post DnD game on these boards. Perhaps you can find it, see how it's going, and PM the DM for helpful tips. (There goes the hyphen and abbreviation quota for today.)

n00b killa
2010-08-24, 11:45 AM
World's Largest City (From the makers of world's largest dungeon) might be what you need.

I haven't read the book, though.

Mezmote
2010-08-24, 12:39 PM
Here is the class mock up so far:

Boros: Knight, Paladin, Fighter, Cleric, Warmage.

Golgari: Dread Necromancer, Ranger, Druid, Scout, Wizard, Rogue.

Selesnya: Druid, Cleric, Scout, Ranger.

Dimir: Rogue, Wizard, Hexblade, Spellthief, Beguiler.

Orzhov: Dread Necromancer, Cleric, Wizard, Fighter.

Izzet: Wizard, Sorcerer, Bard (might be too few).

Gruul: Barbarian, Scout, Ranger, Sorcerer.

Azorius: Cleric, Archivist, Paladin, Wizard.

Rakdos: Barbarian, Rogue, Warlock, Sorcerer.

Simic: Cleric, Druid, Wizard, Archivist.

There may be room for more classes somewhere. Other ideas are welcome. If you have trouble comprehending my choices, I'll be glad to discuss them, but right now I'm tired =).

Vantharion
2010-08-24, 12:49 PM
So you're going to have a Knowledge (Dimir)...
That I hope is a joke. (Make some sort of Prereq to taking points in that)
I would suggest the creation of Knowledge skills for individual districts or something, Knowledge (Local) could be VERY powerful if you don't do that.)
Good idea overall.
I would make sure you have good information on how players join up with each individual guild, initiations, fees, practices.
Also keep in mind how you'll do dungeons within the city if you want. There won't be any 'Worn and forgotten' dungeons.
Nephilims would make for a fun high CR encounter.
Also... Niv-Mizzet FTW

Haltehk
2010-08-24, 12:59 PM
I would set out this Guild/Class restrictions like this

Boros: Paladin
Golgari: Necromancy Specialist Wizard
Celesnia: Ranger
Dimir: Rogue
Orzhov: Cleric
Izzet: Divination Specialist Wizard
Gruul: Barbarian
Azorius: Enchantment Specialist Wizard
Rakdos: Evocation Specialist Wizard
Simic: Transmutation Specialist Wizard

Any White Hybrid: Fighter
Any Blue Hybrid: Generalist Wizard
Any Green Hybrid: Druid
Any Red Hybrid: Warlock
Any Black Hybrid: Ninja

I realise there are a lot of specialist Wizards, however, I feel they best represent the guild views.

grarrrg
2010-08-24, 01:05 PM
Maybe consider light alignment restrictions for "guild membership"?

I believe Mark Rosewater went over this in one of his daily columns a while ago but...

The basic breakdown is this:
W Good
U Lawful
B Evil
R Chaotic
G Neutral

Then just mix and match for the guilds (adjust the Good/Evil and Law/Chaos guilds of course)
Azorious (WU) LG
Orzhov (WB) LE
Boros (WR) CG
Selesnya (WG) NG
Dimir (UB) LE
Izzet (UR) CN
Simic (UG) LN
Rakdos (BR) CE
Golgari (BG) NE
Gruul (RG) CN

I'd look up the article again, but this is close. Maybe impliment a "1 step away for membership" rule, like Cleric deities.
Also, Gruul isn't likely to contribute a PC either, they hate organized society.
So no Gruul, Dimir, or Rakdos

Vantharion
2010-08-24, 02:20 PM
Maybe consider light alignment restrictions for "guild membership"?

I believe Mark Rosewater went over this in one of his daily columns a while ago but...

The basic breakdown is this:
W Good
U Lawful
B Evil
R Chaotic
G Neutral

Then just mix and match for the guilds (adjust the Good/Evil and Law/Chaos guilds of course)
Azorious (WU) LG
Orzhov (WB) LE
Boros (WR) CG
Selesnya (WG) NG
Dimir (UB) LE
Izzet (UR) CN
Simic (UG) LN
Rakdos (BR) CE
Golgari (BG) NE
Gruul (RG) CN

I'd look up the article again, but this is close. Maybe impliment a "1 step away for membership" rule, like Cleric deities.
Also, Gruul isn't likely to contribute a PC either, they hate organized society.
So no Gruul, Dimir, or Rakdos

I agree with this.
Players can be the less extremes of the guilds if the player REALLY wants.
You can have someone who is a 'democrat' but doesn't necessarily believe heavily in all democratic ideas. [Please no political discussions, just an example]
I would give loose class restrictions. Just because Boros has knights, fighters, police offers doesn't mean they won't have people processing paperwork and janitors.
I think you might make more progress picking classes and saying they are more likely members and picking class that are more likely NOT members...
Druids aren't too likely to be Golgari, Clerics probably aren't Izzet... etc
Good project ideas overall :)

vicente408
2010-08-24, 02:43 PM
There absolutely need to be Izzet artificers.

You could actually justify pretty much any race in Ravnica, since the plane has an incredible diversity of species amongst its inhabitants, thanks to its history as a planar hub before it was sealed off.

Selenir
2010-08-26, 11:40 AM
Izzet: Divination Specialist Wizard
...Divination? Seriously?

Izzet is 50% mad science, 50% explosions. They're definitely Evocation.


Azorius: Enchantment Specialist Wizard
Azorius is totally Abjuration. They don't do much enchanting - it's all barriers, wards, and tap effects.


Druids aren't too likely to be Golgari

I can't think of anyone who is MORE likely to be Golgari than a druid.

Also, this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162571).