Page 60 - Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

ITCHING FOR A FI G HT
GRUUL CHARACTERS
Gruul goblins live in colonies scattered at the edges of
Gruul territory and civilized neighborhoods. They fight Alignment: Usually chaotic, often neutral
fiercely when threatened, punctuating their attacks with Suggested Races: Human, centaur, goblin, minotaur
hisses and growls. When battle fury takes hold of a Gruul Suggested Classes: Barbarian, cleric, druid,
raiding group, it typically starts with the goblins, and after fighter, ranger
the battle, the surviving goblins are still frothing at the
mouth and looking for someone to hit. You might enjoy playing a character who belongs to
the Gruul Clans if one or more of the following sen-
tences are true:
Gravel Hide Clan. The Gravel Hide clan believes that
• You enjoy playing rage-mad barbarians and sav-
resilience is the truest measure of strength. Though
age druids.
a relatively new group, its members have already
• You want to throw off the shackles of civilization and
earned a reputation (almost certainly exaggerated) for
indulge your inner beast.
shrugging off devastating attacks. The clan's leader,
• You like being a force of chaos who keeps things
a hot-tempered goblin named Skorik Boulder Tooth,
moving in your adventures.
adorns himself with the shattered remnants of weap-
ons that he has rent to bits with his own jaws.
j OINING THE GRUU~ LANS
9
Zhur-Taa Clan. The Zhur-Taa clan advocates an ex-
treme interpretation of the Old Ways. Central to this You might have been born and raised among the Gruul,
view is its belief in the imminent awakening of an like many of the guild's members. Or you could be an
ancient boar god-Ilharg, the Raze-Boar-who will outcast, a refugee, or a fugitive from civilized society,
lay waste to the overcivilized world. Led by a centaur shunned for your violent ways or for fleeing the hand
druid called Nikya of the Old Ways, the Zhur-Taa pile of justice. As long as you are strong enough to survive
up skulls as offerings to this god, and their druids per- among the Gruul, you are welcome. no matter what se-
form guttural chants before and during battle that are crets haunt your past.
said to be in the language of the old gods. The Gruul "guild" is actually a collection of different,
Zhur-Taa druids are adept at summoning and train- independent clans loosely united under one powerful
ing beasts as war-companions and mounts, and the leader. When you decide to join the Gruul, you join a
clan's warriors wade into battle alongside giant boars, specific clan, not the guild as a whole. You can roll a d8
other beasts, and even wurms or hydras. or choose from the options in the Gruul Clan Options
Bolrac Clan. The most selective of all the Gruul Clans, table to determine your character's clan allegiance.
the Bolrac clan denies membership to the smaller
races. Its members are all enormous, lumbering GRUUL (LAN OPTI O NS
brutes, primarily cyclopes, ogres, and giants. The d8 Clan
clan's leadership changes frequently- sometimes
l Burning Tree clan
daily, since battles for supremacy are as common as
2 Ghor clan
meals. The Bolrac clan specializes in bringing down
massive structures using mauls and battering rams. 3 Scab clan
The only thing the Bolrac love more than destroying 4 Slizt clan
something smaller than them is toppling, overrun- 5 Gravel Hide clan
ning, and destroying something larger than them. 6 Zhur-Taa clan
Trogs. Some wandering hermits, known as trogs, find 7 Minor or new clan
even the company of a clan to be too suffocating,
8 Trog
so they spend their days alone in the wild places of
Ravnica. These individuals are fierce, independent The rites of becoming Gruul, whether you have come
warriors who traverse the rubblebelts as apex preda- from outside the guild or are marking your entrance into
tors. Trogs are notoriously short-tempered and impa-
tient around others. Occasionally, they heed the call of adulthood, center around being buried alive. When you
the guildmaster to join in riots or festivals, but more enter the shallow grave, the person you were before is
often they conduct their own ceremonies and celebra- dead. Your past wrongs and errors are forgotten, but so
are your past accomplishments. No matter how well you
tions in private.
proved yourself in battle before, when you rise from the
earth you are untested. The clan leaders recognize you
GOALS OF THE GRUUL
only when you earn glory in battle as a Gruul.
So far as any philosophy can be said to underlie the Most of the Gruu1 find their place among the fierce
Gruul way of life, it is about living in the now, with little warriors of their clans. If you are a fighter, ranger, or
concern for forethought, planning, or speculation. Im- barbarian, this is your natural role. Gruul fighters tend
pulse drives the actions of the Gruul Clans. They want to adopt the Champion archetype, Gruul rangers usually
to live their lives unimpeded, and they lash out when adopt the Hunter or the Beast Master archetype, and
something tries to stand in their way. Emotion and Gruul barbarians follow either the Path of the Totem
impulsiveness drive them as they seek to do what they Warrior or the Path of the Berserker. Whatever your
want, take what they want, and smash what they want. 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