Picking a Ravnica guild, race, and class?

[Zhentarim]

I'm rolling up a new character for a 5e game, and I have the early part of their backstory done:

Aaverick Froz was born into the Cult of Rakdos and was initially just as gleeful making chaos as the rest of his family. Growing up, however, Aaverick saw the poor of Ravnica and thought that these people needed to be built up, not torn down through mockery. Aaverick studied the magical arts to protect people from those who would keep the people from achieving true equality, as well as help them fight the good fight against those who would concentrate wealth and power into the hands of the few rather than rightfully surrender their privilege in the pursuit of a truly egalitarian society. Aaverick Froz is somewhat of a radical for his guild, and is always pushing the envelope to make Ravnica a better place for everybody.

[MoiMagnus]

Possible Guilds:
+ Boros legion (W/R). Pro: you're literally using your might to protect peoples. Cons: you're also protecting the established order.
+ Selesnya conclave (W/G). Pro: that's usually the place for idealists, pacifists, etc. Cons: might be a little too much "tree hugging" for your taste, and there is also some tendencies to get rid of agitators as the goal is harmony, not revolution.

[Sception]

Sounds fine to me, though as of modern Ravnica lore the Rakdos don't 'tear down the poor' through mockery. "Ridicule the Powerful, Empower the Ridiculous" is their motto, they specifically work to subvert the plans of the leaders of any other guild that looks to be on the verge of becoming powerful enough to enforce its will on the rest of Ravnican society.

Basically, if you're playing in modern Ravnica, the characters philosophy an methods aren't so much a break from the rest of the guild, apart from the 'egalitarian' and 'building up the people' part. Rakdos is a bawdy, rowdy, sometimes violent (but only if you're into that) non stop party that exalts the common rabble and relentlessly mocks the elite and powerful, but mostly only interferes with the other guilds in so far as to subvert the ambitions of anyone who might bring that party to an end. A robin-hood-esque figure kind of fits right into that without much if any friction.

If you're game's set more in the original Ravnica block times, then yeah that Rakdos is much more cultish, cruel, & oppressive, with ambitions towards world domination. But after the spectacular failure of those ambitions, the guild mostly moved on from them.

[Zhentarim]

So far, all three suggestions could work. I suppose that if I really wanted a character ark in my backstory, Orzhov syndicate is probably farthest from what my character has become. Orzhov roping people into debt and upholding a tiny elite at the expense of the most vulnerable in society is as far as I can get from my concept.

So far, I think I'm leaning towards Selesnya, but my character's radical utopian ambitions might cause some friction with the others in the guild and the guild leadership.

[Quietus]

I would stay Rakdos, for sure. Either rogue (arcane trickster) or Bard. Classic Rakdos, but fully lean into being their version of Anonymous, doing what you do for lolz and to take the wealthy and powerful down a rung or three.

[Spriteless]

Dimir Changeling Aberant Mind Sorcerer - what do you mean that's got nothing to do with your concept?

Okay, if you're leaning for Selesnia, then that's probably the most stereotypical fit for your character's philosophy. I can suggest some other possibilities.

A Simic who wants to bring healing to all, with only accidental random mutations given to patients. "Look I know you don't like webbed feet, but I used salamander essence to regenerate your arm. I think it's still a net win, don't you?"

A Golgari necromancer who makes friends with people the system already has killed. The most goth of goodguys.

An Azor who works as a social worker defending those too poor to afford their own lawyers.

A Dimir librarian, who found ancient histories detailing how the Orhzov used to be about redeeming vampires, not enabling them, so hopes to help Kaya restructure the guild.

An Orhzov who found ancient histories detailing how the Orhzov used to be about redeeming vampires, not enabling them, so hopes to help Kaya restructure the guild from within. And is certainly not a Dimir plant.

[enderlord99]

I'd say the Golgari would be a good fit... but if you want them to be really anti-establishment and really uplifting of the voiceless, there's this group called the "Gateless Movement" that they might be interested in...

[Zhentarim]

I would stay Rakdos, for sure. Either rogue (arcane trickster) or Bard. Classic Rakdos, but fully lean into being their version of Anonymous, doing what you do for lolz and to take the wealthy and powerful down a rung or three.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VisyUF1zu4g

Your post made me think of several different groups, but a group that both shares Rakdos's color scheme and wants to knock the wealthy and powerful down off their high pedestal is the IWW. In the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica splatbook, Rakdos has a bond, ideal, and flaw in its tables that fit my character. I'm thinking that while my character concept is chaotic good, I think using the options from the splatbook is going to make me kind of a darker and more violent chaotic good character, even if they retain a lot of their idealism.

The two personality traits I picked are:

#2 "When violence breaks out, I lose myself in a rage, and its sometimes hard to stop."
#7 "I throw my weight around to make sure I get my way."

The ideal I picked is:

#5 "Equality. I want to see Ravnica remade, with no guilds and no heirarchies."

The Bond I picked is:

#3 "I'm secretly hoping that I can change the cult from the inside, using my influence to help rein in the wanton violence."

The flaw I picked is:

#4 "I resent the rich and powerful."

I'll be updating my backstory soon. Odds are, I'll be born and raised in Rakdos, and I'll fabricate a different reason for seeing the rich and powerful as evil, and wanting a more equal world. I picked these contacts:

2 in-guild contacts:

#4 (Ally) "My parents brought me into the guild and taught me my trade."

#8 (Rival) "Rakdos himself has watched me perform."

My out-of-guild contact:

#9 "A Selesnya healer attends my performances regularly."