Page 128 - Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

COMPLICATIONS RANDOM NO NPLAYER C HARACTERS
Any time you need an NPC for an adventure-for example,
An adventure that pits player characters against a single
if the player characters are sent on a mission to rescue a
guild is relatively straightforward, but adding another member of their guild-you can use the contacts tables in
guild can make an adventure even more interesting. chapter 2 to help flesh out the NPC. If you don't know the
The involvement of a second guild can be as simple as NPC's guild affiliation, you can roll on the Random Guilds
the appearance of a bumbling innocent who needs the table in this book's introduction to determine the guild.
characters' protection, or as complex as a second villain Then you can choose an appropriate stat block in chapter
who pursues an entirely separate scheme. The Second- 6 to represent the NPC's game statistics.
ary Guild Role table presents a range of options.
ALLIES AND RIVALS
SECONDARY GUI LD ROLE
A friendly contact can act as a patron, sending a char-
d8 Secondary Guild Role
acter on a mission or a side quest either as a formal
A rival pursues the same goal as the adventurers, assignment or as a favor. Friendly contacts also have
but is doing it "wrong." a knack for getting into perilous situations from which
2 One or more members of another guild are caught they need to be rescued, which can sometimes force
between the villain and the adventurers. characters into making difficult choices between saving
3 A group of NPC adventurers from another guild friendly nonplayer characters and capturing villainous
confront the same villain for different reasons. ones. In extraordinary circumstances, a friendly contact
might even join the adventuring party for a short time.
4 Someone is manipulating the villain for their own
Contacts who have a more antagonistic relationship
purposes.
with a character can hinder the adventuring party's
5 A known rival or enemy meddles in the adventure, efforts in a variety of ways. They might appear at incon-
hoping the adventurers will fail. venient times to delay the party, or catch the group in
6 A known rival or enemy can provide essential help the midst of some illegal activity. They might leak infor-
in stopping the villain. mation to the adventure's villain, subtly aid the villain's
7 A second villain's plot is unfolding at the same efforts, or even become villains themselves.
Contacts can complicate things even more when they
time but is otherwise unrelated.
interact with multiple player characters or with each
8 A second villain is in competition with the first one.
other. Consider what might happen when two people
who are friendly contacts for two different characters
GUILD INTRIGUE
are bitter enemies of each other, or when a single NPC
Intrigue in Ravnica most often involves interaction is a good friend of one character and a rival of another.
between two guilds, so you can use the Guild Intrigue The characters might have to navigate those complex
table to find the nugget of a plot. The villain tables in the relationships in order to achieve their goals.
guild entries can help you determine the nature and mo-
tivations of the individuals involved.
GUILD INTRIG U E
d6 Adventure Goal
Guilds are vying for influence over a prominent in-
dividual (who might be a player character).
2 Guilds are competing for control of a key site or
swath of territory.
3 Guilds are locked in a deadly feud but might be
open to a peace negotiation.
4 Villains from two or more guilds are forming
a dangerous alliance.
S A villain is trying to disrupt an alliance between two
or more guilds.
6 Splinter factions from two guilds are trying to
form a new guild.