INDEPENDENT RESEARCHER (SPECIAL ROLE)
Prerequisite: Rank 1 and renown 10 or higher in the
Izzet League, Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature
Not every researcher chooses to advance through the
ranks of management to become a supervisor. As an in-
dependent researcher, you can use the resources of your
laboratory to conduct any kind of experiment. Assisting
you in your research are 2d6 competent attendants (use
the commoner stat block in the Monster Manual, and
give them proficiency in the Arcana skill).
In addition, you can create your own Izzet charm (de-
scribed in chapter 5), given 5 days of work and access to
your laboratory. When you do so, any other charms you
have created vanish.RANK 3: DIRECTOR
Prerequisite: Renown 25 or higher in the Izzet League
You oversee a laboratory and all its personnel. In addi-
tion, as a di rector, you are eligible to join the Izmundi,
the Tzzet board of directors, as a representative of your
laboratory. You must have the approval of Niv-Mizzet,
and a position on this board usually becomes available
only if a vacancy opens up. If you assemble your own
laboratory, you can be added to the board as an addi-
tional member.
It's up to the Izmundi to assemble the correct team
to carry out the guildmaster's directives. The Izmundi
decides which laboratory should have primary responsi-
bility for any given project, and the director of that labo-
ratory is responsible for assigning people to the team.
Within the bounds of Niv-Mizzet's directives, you
have wide latitude in directing the activities of your
laboratory. That means you can steer the researchers of
your laboratory toward the creation of particular items
or effects.
Between adventures, you can maintain yourself at a
comfortable lifestyle as a member of the Izmundi.RANK 4: ADVISOR
Prerequisite: Rank 3 and renown 50 or higher in the
Izzet League
As one of the most famous members of the guild, you
are eligible to join the ranks of the Izmagnus. The deci-
sion to include you on this board is solely Niv-Mizzet's.
The number of members on the board isn't fixed, so you
don't need to wait for a vacancy.
As a member of the Izmagnus, you have the ear of the
dragon guild master. You can never be fully aware of the
scope of his plans, but you know more about them than
anyone aside from the other members of the board. The
guildmaster listens to your opinion, even though you're
not an ancient dragon with thousands of years of accu-
mulated knowledge and wisdom. Ultimately, Niv-Mizzet
tells you what to do- and you (along w ith your peers) tell
the rest of the guild how to do it.
As a member of the Izmagnus, you can maintain your-
self at a wealthy lifestyle between adventures.70 CHo\l'TER 2 I GUILDS OF RA\'N!CA
ENEMIES AND ALLIES
The Izzet have difficulty relating to the concerns of other
guilds. The closest affinity they feel for another guild is
their respect for the scientific minds of the Simic- but
from the Izzet viewpoint, the Simic efforts lack passion.
Conversely, the Izzet can appreciate the passion of the
Boros, Gruul, and Rakdos, but they don't agree with the
goals those passions are directed toward.
The Izzet have a reputation for unprovoked aggres-
sion, spurred by the ambition of Niv-Mizzet. From your
perspective as a guild member, the ancient dragon hasa good reason for everything he does. If you are sent
to test a new weapon against a suspected Dimir safe
house, a Gruul camp, or a deceptively peaceful Selesnya
enclave, those must s urely be dangerous foes of the
Jzzet. You are also bound to oppose the Dimir when they
steal the secrets of your laboratory's research, the Gruul
when they smash the delicate equipment that supports
your life's work, and the Boros and the Azorius if they
decide that your work presents a danger to the city or
breaks some obscure law.
Sometimes members of other guilds can help advance
your research, intentionally or otherwise. The Izzet are
intelligent enough to recognize their weaknesses, and
adventuresome souls from other guilds can offset those
weaknesses. The healing spells of Boros clerics can be
an invaluable aid, and if a cyclops isn't available to lend
its brute strength to your work, a Boros minotaur or a
Selesnya centaur can fill the need nicely.THE IZZET V IEW ON OTHER GUILDS
To the lively intellect of the lzzet, the members of Ravnica's
other guild s seem s low, dull, and utterly lacking in the
spirit of scientific inquiry and experimentation.
Azorius. "The Azorius create regulations for everything,
including freedom. What dull, shackled lives they lead."
Boros. "All too often when we're on the verge of setting off
a little explosion o r a s pell that tears a hole in reality, the
Boros show up to s poil the fun."
Dimir. "The less we see of the Dimir, the more we know
they are monitoring us."
Golgari. "They keep to themselves and clean up our
messes. As long as they stay out of sight, it's hard to
view them as a threat."
Gruul. "They're even better at wrecking our laboratories
than we are!"
Orzhov. "Progress means taking risks. But when you gam-
ble with the Orzhov, you always wager more than coin."
Rakdos. "Steer clear of these senseless riot-fiends. Their
enthusiasm is best appreciated from a distance."
Selesnya. "These zealots run with beasts and worship fig-
ments o f the past. They would be wiser to embrace the
wonders of the future."
Simic. "The Simic are inventive, but their creations are
bereft o f soul and fire. They tin ker with life but lack the
inspiration to b reathe t rue spirit into their inventions."