Page 84 - Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

can be an individual, a family, an organization, or even common with the Gruul and the Golgari; all three
an abstract concept. Examples of blood witches include guilds have a desire to topple the structures of power in
the judge of the judges, who targets the Azorius guild- Ravnica. Of course, the guilds disagree about what (or
master; the Tormentor of the Wojek, who confounds who) should replace the existing structures.
Boros military intelligence efforts; and the Disintegra- Making the powerful look ridiculous lies at the heart
tor of Law and Order, who undermines all efforts to of the Rakdos performance philosophy. The bulk of the
uphold law. guild's aggression is directed toward guilds that have
power and abuse it or guilds that make blatant bids for
STAR PERFORMER power. That's particularly true when powerful guilds-
Prerequisite: Renown 25 or higher in the Cult of Rakdos especially the Azorius- try to use their power to sup-
At last, you have the opportunity to display your genius press the Rakdos.
to the masses. When you perform, you're the star of the Making the ridiculous powerful is the flip side of the
show, the climax of a night of revelry. The rest of the Rakdos philosophy. Usually, this means elevating the
guild regards you with admiration and more than a little status of the Rakdos-and yourself- at the expense of
envy. since crowds pack whatever venues you choose others, but circumstances might lead you to cooperate
for your shows. Rakdos himself might even come to with members of other guilds in pursuit of a common
watch. You can count on the support of your ringmaster, goal. For example, a power struggle in another guild can
and you can call on the aid of other performers in your be an opportunity for you to install a sympathetic (or in-
troupe- just be careful not to turn your back on the ones effectual) leader in that guild. Beyond that, other chaotic
who would kill in return for a moment in your spotlight. guilds have grudges against the law-enforcing guilds
You can bring 2d4 Rakdos performers and ld4 Rak- and would be happy to join your efforts to strike a blow
dos lampooners (see chapter 6 for these stat blocks) against them.
with you when you're going on stage or heading out to
riot on the streets. THE RA KOOS VIEW ON O THER GU I LDS
The Cult of Rakdos serves a demon lord who is feared,
RINGMA STER if not respected, by most citizens of Ravnica. Its cultists
Prerequisite: Renown 50 or higher in the Cult of Rakdos express their zeal through riotous, bloody, and deadly per·
formances and revels. To other guilds, they are a fearsome
The show is yours to command. You determine what threat to the city. To the Rakdos, the other guilds invest too
performers take center stage and when, and you design much effort in a vain search for meaning and might.
the exciting and bloody final act of the show-meaning
that you decide who lives and who dies. You might adopt Azorius. "Insufferable killjoys, and every artist's eternal
an ominous or overwrought title, such as Choreogra- enemy. Everyone thinks we are the guild of ultimate evil,
pher of Flame or the Dramaturge. A troupe of 3d10 + but we're not the ones who want to monitor, legislate,
20 Rakdos performers is at your service, and you can and control your every move."
call on 2d4 blood witches to aid you with their magic Boros. "We love a parade, but their demonstrations always
come across as stiff. They're the deserving straight man
(see chapter 6 for these stat blocks). You're probably also for our every punch line."
considered a significant public enemy by the Azorius, Dimir. "They crave secrets, but there's nothing they can
but they can't arrest you if they can't catch you. get by eavesdropping that we won't freely scream at the
top of our lungs. They lurk in the shadows trying to look
ENEMIES AND ALLIES mysterious, practically inviting our mischief."
A cult of demon worshipers doesn't make a lot of Golgari. "We know they're tired of being the downtrodden,
friends. Ideologically, the Rakdos have the most in misunderstood misfits. If they're truly ready to anger
the powers that be rather than lick boot soles, we invite
them to run away and join our circus."
Gruul. "Our well-meaning cousins in chaos! We want to
take society down a peg, and they want to raze civiliza-
tion to the dirt. That's practically common ground!"
lzzet. "Every performance benefits from prop masters and
pyrotechnicians. They can be useful backstage, but they
lack the charisma for the spotlight."
Orzhov. "The more the Orzhov try to coerce free people
to act against their desires, the easier it is for Rakdos to
gain recruits."
Selesnya. "Such crowds! They would scarcely notice if they
were missing a few by night's end. They'd make the per·
feet audience, if only they had a better appreciation for
bleeding-edge art."
Simic. "Imaginative creators who nevertheless fail to
appreciate the meaning of their living creations-nor
do they appreciate the tragic irony of not knowing how
funny that is."

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