Guildmasters Guide to Ravnica

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