Ravnica Mixed Party Advice

[D3adgods]

Currently setting up a Ravnica themed adventure with 5 players; all of which are from different guilds. Any advice on how to build up a large scale campaign based on so many different viewpoints?
For reference we have: a Gruul minotaur barbarian, a Orzhov loxodon cleric, an Izzet human cleric, a Golgari goblin druid and a Simic veldalken fighter. (Very strength and wisdom heavy)

[Man_Over_Game]

Currently setting up a Ravnica themed adventure with 5 players; all of which are from different guilds. Any advice on how to build up a large scale campaign based on so many different viewpoints?
For reference we have: a Gruul minotaur barbarian, a Orzhov loxodon cleric, an Izzet human cleric, a Golgari goblin druid and a Simic veldalken fighter. (Very strength and wisdom heavy)

The factions were demanded to receive representatives for a mission, with multiple factions chosen to avoid any conflicts of interest. Some of these factions REALLY didn't want to participate (Gruul), so they sent someone that these factions didn't like within their own orgonization to represent them (and hopefully represent Gruul so poorly that nobody will bother Gruul again). Others (like Orzhov) felt that they had a need to play a part in the mission and volunteered.

Alternatively, there's a trial, and these players are either the randomly chosen jurors, or the witnesses to a crime that someone wants cleaned up. The crime syndicate is heavily incorporated into each faction (with a huge foreshadowing towards Dimir, since it's not represented by the group), and so each faction has threats that hinder the players and cause them danger. If a Dimir player joins, he knows nothing because a Dimir higher-up erased the player's memory before they were sent off to be a "fall guy" or a random juror (which would get people to not look at Dimir as the culprit for a little while).

[D3adgods]

I'm definitely trying to incorporate all guilds in some way, whether it be inner conflict in their own guild or the other 5 guilds (perhaps their rival contact switching sides) and making the campaign episodic. The Gruul party member seems like the hardest faction to rope in considering their disdain for modern society but only because I know this player is great at roleplaying his characters.

[Man_Over_Game]

I'm definitely trying to incorporate all guilds in some way, whether it be inner conflict in their own guild or the other 5 guilds (perhaps their rival contact switching sides) and making the campaign episodic. The Gruul party member seems like the hardest faction to rope in considering their disdain for modern society but only because I know this player is great at roleplaying his characters.

Sounds like Option #1 seems like a good fit.

Maybe Jace (The Living Guildpact, AKA the reason everyone in Ravnica doesn't kill each other) is in town, and has been commanded to create a "task force" to deal with issues while he's gone (which is ALL THE FRIGGIN' TIME. YOU HAVE ONE JOB, JACE). He is, begrudgingly, training this group of misfits to recognize and handle multiple types of threats, including those that enter from other realms (including the Eldrazi, should they show up).

Each faction has a representative, but the players make up the "Force" part of the Task Force, and they physically deal with threats while the other representatives are NPCs that handle issues between factions and the gathering of information/resources needed.

To stat Jace, make him a level 15 Enchantment Wizard, using the Bard spell list, instead of Wizard, and having every illusion spell available for his level as bonus spells.

[D3adgods]

Sounds like Option #1 seems like a good fit.

Maybe Jace (The Living Guildpact, the reason everyone in Ravnica doesn't kill each other), is in town, and has been commanded to create a "task force" to deal with issues while he's gone (which is ALL THE FRIGGIN' TIME. YOU HAVE ONE JOB, JACE). He is, begrudgingly, training this group of misfits to recognize and handle multiple types of threats, including those that enter from other realms (including the Eldrazi, should they show up).

Each faction has a representative, but the players make up the "Force" part of the Task Force, and they physically deal with threats while the other representatives are NPCs that handle issues between factions and the gathering of information/resources needed.

That was my orginal thought, I was going to have the story take place while Jace was "away" and the players would have to juggle the responsibilities of maintaining the guild pact from (at first glance) minor threats; while building their reputation with their own guild so they can gain more resources. I'm not sure if I should have a big bad guy or several surfacing conflicts.

[Man_Over_Game]

That was my orginal thought, I was going to have the story take place while Jace was "away" and the players would have to juggle the responsibilities of maintaining the guild pact from (at first glance) minor threats; while building their reputation with their own guild so they can gain more resources. I'm not sure if I should have a big bad guy or several surfacing conflicts.

Several minor ones would be really easy to implement. Gruul/Rakdos/Izzet creatures going rabid, Golgari rot farms generating intelligent and hostile oozes, Boros deserters becoming marauders and bandits, Orzhov and Dimir trying to one up one another illegally as they manipulate other factions into doing their dirty work.

Perhaps Jace has been gone so long that the effect of the Guildpact is wearing off, and now there's an underground version of each faction that's on the rise. Selesneya selling drugs, Dimir selling slaves, Izzet and Rakdos offering infinite power (at a cost), etc.

[NecroDancer]

Maybe there is someone or something killing high level guild officials and the guild make a team that’s dedicated to stopping it. Like imagine if an extremist group of guildless people are trying to destroy the guilds/corrupt the guildpact in order to destroy or conquer all of Ravnica.


Or maybe there are weird natural disasters that effect everyone equally. Flash fires are destroying the Gruul’s wilds, earthquakes are tearing down the city, and intense storms are flooding the undercity.

[Madfellow]

Maybe Jace (The Living Guildpact, AKA the reason everyone in Ravnica doesn't kill each other) is in town, and has been commanded to create a "task force" to deal with issues while he's gone (which is ALL THE FRIGGIN' TIME. YOU HAVE ONE JOB, JACE).

To stat Jace, make him a level 15 Enchantment Wizard, using the Bard spell list, instead of Wizard, and having every illusion spell available for his level as bonus spells.

Well he has two jobs actually, and he considers the Guildpact to be the lower priority. And it's hard to argue against him because his other job is to protect worlds from extra-planar threats.

I'd peg Jace as an Illusionist, rather than an Enchanter, though he does specialize in both. The wizard spell list is fine for him, but he doesn't know any evocation magic, which means he's kinda screwed whenever he encounters something that his illusions won't work on.

[Teaguethebean]

I personally would advise against Jace calling them together as his task force because of how that will create a type of chain one feel which usually drags games down

[DeTess]

Convince the simic player to play Azorius instead, and you've got representatives from each guild on team Bolas and work from there? \semi-sarcasm

One way of approaching this is to not look at what separates the PC's, but what combines them? For example, all 5 are from the less law-and-order leading guilds. Orzhov is technically lawful, but they're really a mob-bank hiding behind a church, so it still works. You could have a campaign focusing on these PC's working against the Azorius and Boros guilds respectively. Each player might have their own reasons why they're working against the law and order, but their overall goal would be the same.

An overall campaign-theme could be them working against an ascendant Azorius guild supported by Boros and Selesnya. Gruul obviously doesn't like anything related to order, Azorius widening influence stifles innovation for the Simic and Izzet guilds by regulating the crap out of what they want to do, an ever-tighter net of laws makes the exploitative work of Orzhov far more difficult, and as usual the Golgari get trampled over by the jackboot of the law.

[Spore]

Maybe there is someone or something killing high level guild officials and the guild make a team that’s dedicated to stopping it. Like imagine if an extremist group of guildless people are trying to destroy the guilds/corrupt the guildpact in order to destroy or conquer all of Ravnica.

That. People often forget there are guildless commoners and nobles and wizards etc. in town which might be displeased with the guilds.

They would do terrorist attacks on them, trying to provoke attacks on each others guilds.

[Vogie]

That was my orginal thought, I was going to have the story take place while Jace was "away" and the players would have to juggle the responsibilities of maintaining the guild pact from (at first glance) minor threats; while building their reputation with their own guild so they can gain more resources. I'm not sure if I should have a big bad guy or several surfacing conflicts.

It also depends on what level they're starting at. "Official Guild Business" relating to the guildpact would be given to level 12+ characters, who are awesome and well known. In a novel where they aren't the protagonists, these people have NAMES, even in the background.

If you're starting at level 1, these PCs are guilded, but they're nobodies. Their grandmother reminds them that they're special, but that's about it.

They would similarly start in a fairly normal, mundane way. They are all present when the bank or Department of Magical Vehicles they're in gets robbed, they are all in a Rakdos festival/performance that goes awry, or somesuch.

Alternatively, one of them is in trouble - The goblin overheard something about a rogue medusa who wants to overthrow the Golgari leadership while they were in a place they weren't supposed to be, then as they were fleeing, they got caught up in an arrest spree for a Gruul Raid or some other chaotic environment... They meet each other when they're in a jail cell awaiting the arresters and Wojek to figure out they weren't involved.