Guildmasters Guide to Ravnica

(Nancy Kaufman) #1
I tching for a Fight

Gruul goblins live in colonies scattered at the edges of
Gruul territory and civilized neighborhoods. They fight
fiercely when threatened, punctuating their attacks with
hisses and growls. When battle fury takes hold of a Gruul
raiding group, it typically starts with the goblins, and after
the battle, the surviving goblins are still frothing at the
mouth and looking for someone to hit.

Grave l Hide Cla n. The Gravel Hide clan believes that
resilience is the truest measure of strength. Though
a relatively new group, its members have already
earned a reputation (almost certainly exaggerated) for
shrugging off devastating attacks. The clan's leader,
a hot-tempered goblin named Skorik Boulder Tooth,
adorns himself with the shattered remnants of weap-
ons that he has rent to bits with his own jaws.
Zhur-Taa Clan. The Zhur-Taa clan advocates an ex-
t reme interpretation of the Old Ways. Central to this
view is its belief in the imminent awakening of an
ancient boar god-Ilharg, the Raze-Boar-who will
lay waste to the overcivilized world. Led by a centaur
druid called Nikya of the Old Ways, the Zhur-Taa pile
up skulls as offerings to this god, and their druids per-
form guttural chants before and during battle that are
said to be in the language of the old gods.
Zhur-Taa druids are adept at summoning and train-
ing beasts as war-companions and mounts, and the
clan's warriors wade into battle alongside giant boars,
other beasts, and even wurms or hydras.
Bolrac Clan. The most selective of all the Gruul Clans,
the Bolrac clan denies membership to the smaller
races. Its members are all enormous, lumbering
brutes, primarily cyclopes, ogres, and giants. The
clan's leadership changes frequently-sometimes
daily, since battles for supremacy are as common as
meals. The Bolrac clan specializes in bringing down
massive structures using mauls and battering rams.
The only thing the Bolrac love more than destroying
something smaller than them is toppling, overrun-
ning, and destroying something larger than them.
Trogs. Some wandering hermits, known as trogs, find
even the company of a clan to be too suffocating,
so they spend their days alone in the wild places of
Ravnica. These individuals are fierce, independent
warriors who traverse the rubblebelts as apex preda-
tors. Trogs are notoriously short-tempered and impa-
tient around others. Occasionally, they heed the call of
the guildmaster to join in riots or festivals, but more
often they conduct their own ceremonies and celebra-
tions in private.

GOALS OF THE GRUUL

So far as any philosophy can be said to underlie the
Gruul way of life, it is about living in the now, with little
concern for forethought, planning, or speculation. Im-
pulse drives the actions of the Gruul Clans. They want
to live their lives unimpeded, and they lash out when
something tries to stand in their way. Emotion and
impulsiveness drive them as they seek to do what they
want, take what they want, and smash what they want.


Gruul Characters


Alignment: Usually chaotic, often neutral

Suggested Races: Human, centaur, goblin, minotaur

Suggested Classes: Barbarian, cleric, druid,
fighter, ranger
You might enjoy playing a character who belongs to
the Gruul Clans if one or more of the following sen-
tences are true:


  • You enjoy playing rage-mad barbarians and sav-
    age druids.

  • You want to throw off the shackles of civilization and
    indulge your inner beast.

  • You like being a force of chaos who keeps things
    moving in your adventures.


j OINING THE GRUU~ 9 L ANS
You might have been born and raised among the Gruul,
like many of the guild's members. Or you could be an
outcast, a refugee, or a fugitive from civilized society,
shunned for your violent ways or for fleeing the hand
of justice. As long as you are strong enough to survive
among the Gruul, you are welcome. no matter what se-
crets haunt your past.
The Gruul "guild" is actually a collection of different,
independent clans loosely united under one powerful
leader. When you decide to join the Gruul, you join a
specific clan, not the guild as a whole. You can roll a d8
or choose from the options in the Gruul Clan Options
table to determine your character's clan allegiance.

GRUUL (LAN OPTIO N S
d8 Clan
l Burning Tree clan
2 Ghor clan
3 Scab clan
4 Slizt clan
5 Gravel Hide clan
6 Zhur-Taa clan
7 Minor or new clan
8 Trog

The rites of becoming Gruul, whether you have come
from outside the guild or are marking your entrance into
adulthood, center around being buried alive. When you
enter the shallow grave, the person you were before is
dead. Your past wrongs and errors are forgotten, but so
are your past accomplishments. No matter how well you
proved yourself in battle before, when you rise from the
earth you are untested. The clan leaders recognize you
only when you earn glory in battle as a Gruul.
Most of the Gruu1 find their place among the fierce
warriors of their clans. If you are a fighter, ranger, or
barbarian, this is your natural role. Gruul fighters tend
to adopt the Champion archetype, Gruul rangers usually
adopt the Hunter or the Beast Master archetype, and
Gruul barbarians follow either the Path of the Totem
Warrior or the Path of the Berserker. Whatever your
class, as a Gruul warrior you are devoted to tearing
down the edifices of civilization, both physical and

CHAPTER 2 I GUILDS OF RAVNICI\ 59
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