Ravnica(MTG) as a Pathfinder Campaign help and ideas

[Deadkitten]

So I have been slowly over time been planning a campaign setting based of the Plane of Ravnica from Magic the Gathering. So far I have a few Ideas about how I want to run it and was looking for general input on it from anyone who can help. It would be Gestalt, because to anyone who knows about Ravnica, this makes sense to do.

1: I have been thinking of not giving the 10 guilds alignments. some are just too tricky to pin down satisfactory and each alignment combination would not be equally represented.

2: Divine magic will be limited to worshiping concepts or ideals, with the exception of Rakdos and the Selesnya conclave. Orzhov would probably function more like the Church of Razimir from Pathfinder

3: I am probably gonna restrict the availibility of certain classes based or what guild each player joins. Such as Simic not having druids, Izzet divine casters, and Grull wizards.

4: I have been thinking that the story would involve either Phyrexia, or New Phyrexia from Mirrodin invading Ravnica and the guids having to unite to defend themselves. However, I have writers block as to how I would get that particular idea started.

5: While I have played Magic the Gathering, it is kinda hard to get sufficient information regarding the fluff of the setting such as the temperament and purpose of the guilds. i know some of the back-story of some guilds but I don't know much about others. Info or a short explanation in your view would certainly help!

Any input on any of these points would certainly be appreciated.:smallbiggrin:

[atemu1234]

Well, I'd base it off Eberron, they're both kind of magitekish.

[Chronos]

3: I am probably gonna restrict the availibility of certain classes based or what guild each player joins. Such as Simic not having druids, Izzet divine casters, and Grull wizards.
Do you want to be the one to tell Niv-Mizzet that nobody's allowed to worship him?

And it's my understanding that most of the population of Ravnica is unguilded, so you might not want gestalt for absolutely everyone.

[Vhaidara]

First, consider this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?157001-Alignment-Replacement-The-Color-Wheel-3-5-PEACH)

Second, consider allowing the Planeswalker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?189767-3-5-The-Planeswalker-%28WIP-PEACH%29) Homebrew class

Third, Simic could totally have druids. They are evolution-focused. All of the Green-affiliated guilds could have druids. Selesnya are NG, Simic are N/LN, Gruul are CN, and Golgari are NE, to put them in normal DnD alignments.

Sadly, I am also relatively ignorant of MtG lore, so cannot really help you with points four and five

[GoldfishBowl]

I did something very similar once as a novice DM. I'll have to dig up my old notes to give you any specifics, but I'll give some feedback on your points.


1: I have been thinking of not giving the 10 guilds alignments. some are just too tricky to pin down satisfactory and each alignment combination would not be equally represented.
That's fine. While some can seem pretty cut and dry (I don' think many will argue that Azorius is Lawful Neutral) some could vary greatly.
But, other than description, what would labeling them with an alignment do? If the answer is 'not much' don't stress on it. There's a whole lot else to do.


2: Divine magic will be limited to worshiping concepts or ideals, with the exception of Rakdos and the Selesnya conclave. Orzhov would probably function more like the Church of Razimir from Pathfinder
One thing I toyed with was treating a Guild somewhat like a deity, granting their divine casters access to a bunch domains that made sense with their goals along with a perk or two. In effect, the caster would be drawing power from the part of the Guildpact that defined the Guild and its role in Ravnican society. Unguilded casters could still pick domains, but would miss out on the perks in exchange for greater freedoms.


3: I am probably gonna restrict the availibility of certain classes based or what guild each player joins. Such as Simic not having druids, Izzet divine casters, and Grull wizards.
It makes a lot of sense, but don't go too far.m I would suggest not having more than one or two restricted classes for any given Guild. No Wizards or Arcanists in Gruul makes sense, But Izzet having no divine? Niv-Mizzet is exactly the sort of arrogant megalomaniac that would grant 'divine' power to his followers, and think himself a God. Maybe just no Druids.
I restricted the Gunslinger at the start and ran a storyline where guns were invented by the Izzet. And subsiquently stolen by the Orzhov, as the players had it.


4: I have been thinking that the story would involve either Phyrexia, or New Phyrexia from Mirrodin invading Ravnica and the guids having to unite to defend themselves. However, I have writers block as to how I would get that particular idea started.
Story is all you. But don't feel like you need to go all the way to Phyrexia or the Eldrazi right away though - those are some massive heavy hitters.
Ravnica is incredibly rich in story potential. Every guild has the potential to be good guys or bad guys in any situation. Consider having the players be prominent Unguilded who have to manage their relationships with the Guilds.

[GoldfishBowl]

5: While I have played Magic the Gathering, it is kinda hard to get sufficient information regarding the fluff of the setting such as the temperament and purpose of the guilds. i know some of the back-story of some guilds but I don't know much about others. Info or a short explanation in your view would certainly help!
http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Ravnica
Start here. Click links and search for terms Ad Nauseum (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=ad+nauseam), until you've got what you need. Feel free to edit certain aspects as you feel the need, especially if your players aren't dedicated Vorthos.

As I ran my setting most bits lined up, but I did change a not insignificant amount. Here is how my guilds looked...

The Guildpact was created to magically enforce a peace between warring factions over the rapidly dwindling resources and territory on the tiny plane of Ravnica. The ten most prominant factions were rebuilt as Guilds, each with an important task to perform in upholding Ravnican society.

Boros: Standing police force, never really got away from their militaristic desires. More concerned with the justice than the letter of the law. Led by Angels and their elite mortal lieutenants.

Azorius: The legislative body, Azorius oversee the creation of laws and the punishment of the convicted. Obsessed with the law as it is written, believing justice to be the natural result of strict adherence.

Orzhov: Tasked with cultivating the economic health and stability of the endless city. Naturally, they believe this involves them at the top, but they still do at least a passable job keeping the economy flowing. Their church, unsurprisingly, revolves around the worship of money and trade. "The only unavoidable things in life are Death and Taxes - And we hold the keys to both."

Selesnya - With their Druidic Heritage (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=152556), they are tasked with feeding the ever growing population. Doing so with so little actual farmland has necessitated some ingenious planting techniques, such as claiming the rooftops of tenement buildings for public gardens, and nearly every window sporting a hanging fruit bearing vine of some sort.

Golgari - Believers in the cycle of life above all else, they manage the other side of things, claiming the dead and recycling them into the fragile ecosystem. They run waste management, and the sight of great skeletal beasts of burden hauling night soil carts is a common one.

Rakdos - Though none were a fan of including the cult of the Demon Lord Rakdos into the pact, his power and influence was undeniable. In the millennia since, the cult has fully adopted its role in managing the entertainment industry. Originally simply legalized carnariums to sate the demon's hunger for slaughter, the cult has learned to bask in the decadence of less sanguine, even family friendly affairs. Theaters, Arcades, Carnivals, Casinos, Brothers, and Drug Dens all pay homage to the Rakdos these days.

Gruul - Originally the guardians of the remaining Ravnican wilds, their role destroyed by the city's expanse to cover the entire land. Left with no purpose, the guild dissolved and eventually became gangs of thugs and anarchists bearing a grudge against society. Inhabiting the forgotten slums and crumbling ruins of abandoned districts, the presence of the warring gangs keep more civilized folk out of their Stomping Grounds (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=96896). Ironically, this upholds the Guildpact's clause requiring them to protect the most wild expanses of Ravnica.

Dimir - (Big changes here) A guild of secrets and shadows, the Dimir are many things at once. On the surface, they are neutral diplomats to be called on to settle inter guild disputes. Beneath that mask though, they use their Privileged Position (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83720) to spy on the guilds, fostering mistrust and selling their secrets. They do this all for their secret purpose: To protect the Guildpact. By hamstringing and backstabbing the other nine guilds, maintain the precarious Balance of Power (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=10580) that keeps the magical document binding.

Simic and Izzet - Innovation rarely comes about without conflict or hardship. These guild were given the same role, Education and Infrastructure, to foster rivalry and competition. The Izzet are fanatical artificers, led by the supremely powerful, arrogant, and mercurial Niv Mizzet (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=96952). The Simic are tinkers of a different sort, specializing in biomancy and genetic engineering. (Depending on era, they could be led by Zegana or Momir Vig). Though their approaches are wildly different, both hold that knowledge is power and maintain colleges and academies on all subjects.

[Deadkitten]

Well, I'd base it off Eberron, they're both kind of magitekish.

That was pretty much what I had in mind. I plan to write up each guild like the dragonmarked houses.

[Deadkitten]

Do you want to be the one to tell Niv-Mizzet that nobody's allowed to worship him?

And it's my understanding that most of the population of Ravnica is unguilded, so you might not want gestalt for absolutely everyone.

The players are REALLY interested in playing members of certain guilds.

And as for Niv-Mizzet... I can consider him actually having divine casters. In the event I did allow divine casters, I would probably only allow partial or 2/3 casters for Niv-Mizzet. I don't exactly see him having full casters worshiping him. my stance is not set in stone though.

An Inquisitor of Niv-Mizzet would be interesting though....

[Deadkitten]

Thanks for all the help guys!!!

[Deadkitten]

First, consider this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?157001-Alignment-Replacement-The-Color-Wheel-3-5-PEACH)

Second, consider allowing the Planeswalker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?189767-3-5-The-Planeswalker-%28WIP-PEACH%29) Homebrew class

Third, Simic could totally have druids. They are evolution-focused. All of the Green-affiliated guilds could have druids. Selesnya are NG, Simic are N/LN, Gruul are CN, and Golgari are NE, to put them in normal DnD alignments.

Sadly, I am also relatively ignorant of MtG lore, so cannot really help you with points four and five

Big thanks on the color wheel. I am probably going to actually use that.

My main argument on the simic not actually having druids is that their goals and experimentation would MAYBY be considered a perversion of the natural order. A lot of their experiments could be considered similar to aberrations.

[Vhaidara]

My main argument on the simic not actually having druids is that their goals and experimentation would MAYBY be considered a perversion of the natural order. A lot of their experiments could be considered similar to aberrations.

Like I said, CN druids. These are your crazy druids.

Remember, not all druids are about protection of nature. Some of them are about becoming one with nature (apex predator style). These are druids who are trying to combine things to discover what could eventually happen. Bear in mind, 3.5 even contained a feat called Aberration Wild Shape. It was horrifically overpowered because of aberration special abilities, but it was still a thing.

[Troacctid]

The Simic Combine already has druids in canon. (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&mark=+[%22Simic%22]&subtype=+[%22Druid%22])

[Deadkitten]

You guys probably just swayed me on simic druids.

[grarrrg]

1: I have been thinking of not giving the 10 guilds alignments. some are just too tricky to pin down satisfactory and each alignment combination would not be equally represented.

There are actually a few places where the guilds have been nailed down to at most 2 possibilities each (one on the actual Wizard's MtG page no less).

But if you aren't happy with it, I'd at least advise restrictions.
Azorius should NOT have Chaotic members.
Gruul should NOT have Lawful members.
That kind of thing.