Ravnica

Magic: the Gathering's Ravnica setting for a True20 game. (by TrueConvert)

THE SETTING

Ravnica

Ravnica is a plane, whose primary planet is covered by continuous, sprawling cityscape. This plane is separated from others in the multiverse, making it impossible for planeswalkers and ghosts to enter or leave. Ravnica is also the name of the plane's largest city, in which the ten guilds that signed a magical agreement known as the Guildpact vie for complete control.

The Guildpact

Ten thousand years before the current era, the plane of Ravnica boasted untold violence and brutality, with ten factions constantly waging war against one or more of the others. Realizing that this neverending war would ultimately destroy everything, a council between all ten factions was held, where the leader Azor suggested establishing a living, breathing enchantment that would end the violence and ensure the survival of all the factions. While some of the order-phobic factions had initial disagreements, the other nine leaders eventually concurred that such a pact was the best chance of survival. Each of the ten factions signed the Guildpact, and over time, these factions became the ten guilds of Ravnica.

The power of the Guildpact is subtle; it prevents any guild from dabbling into the business of any other guild or disturbing the stable power balance among the ten by twisting circumstance and coincidence to nullify the disruptive guild's actions. While the Guildpact is credited with bringing relative peace and prosperity to the plane, sporadic clashes between guilds do still occur. Despite any conflicts between the guilds at a particular time though, the anniversary of the Guildpact's signing is celebrated every year with a day-long festival, where all the people lay down their weapons and make merry. This celebration is called The Festival of the Guildpact.

Not all of Ravnica's citizens are a member of a guild; the vast majority have no attachment. However, the guilds are a required part of daily life, and their presence is felt everywhere on Ravnica.

Races

Many races common and unusual live on Ravnica. Among such races are: humans, goblins, angels, elves (of which there are three types - Devkarin, Silhana, and the third whose name has been lost to time and of whom Momir Vig is the last descendant), ogres, demons, viashino, loxodons, vedalken, faeries, among other humanoids. Humans have also been known to breed with other races on Ravnica, and so a large number of half-elves, half-demons, and other half-human species inhabit Ravnica.

Ghosts have also been known to remain on the plane for an unusual length of time, due to a problem in the fabric of time (as pointed out by the Izzet).

Environment and Wildlife

Being an urbanised plane, Ravnica no longer has any natural features. However, many features in the city itself do bear resemblance; towers resemble mountains, parks fill the role of forests, sewers can be like swamps etc.

Locations

Aside from guild-related places, Ravnica, being a huge city, also houses a lot of other places:

• Tin Street: A miles-long road hosting a marketplace. It is said to provide most, if not all, (legal) commodities to willing travelers and consumers.
• Utvara: The site of an Izzet bomb explosion that killed all in its immediate vicinity. Said explosion is now making strange (and secretly planned) results in the area. A plague lingers in this quarter.
• Rubblefield: A former wealthy suburb of Ravnica. It earned its name when a Selesnya Siege Wurm laid waste to the area.
• Moon Market: Ravnica's black market that convenes every fifth full moon.
• Gnat Alley: The longest street in Ravnica and host to several criminal elements in the city.
• The Parhelion: A flying ship that serves as the home of the Boros angels.
• Agyrem: A secret district known as the Ghost Quarter.

RACIAL BACKGROUNDS

Humans

• Ability Adjustments: none
• Bonus Feats: The hero gains one bonus feat at 1st level out of the list of feats available for the hero’s role.
• Bonus Skills: The hero gains one bonus known skill at 1st level, in addition to those gained for the hero’s role and Intelligence score.
• Favored Feats: Choose any two feats as the character’s favored feats. These feats are available to the hero regardless of role.

Elves

• Ability Adjustments: +1 Dexterity, –1 Constitution
• Bonus Feats: Night Vision, Talented (Notice and Search), Weapon Training
• Favored Feats: Choose one supernatural power (treat their total level as their adept level for this power).

Goblins

• Ability Adjustments: +1 Dex, -1 Cha
• Size: Small (+1 Combat, -1 Toughness, +4 Stealth -4 Grapple)
• Bonus Feats: Move-by Action, Night-Vision, Talented (Notice and Search)
• Favored Feats: Skill Mastery, Favored Opponent

Ogres

• Ability Adjustments: +2 Str, -2 Int
• Size: Large (-1 Combat, +1 Toughness, -4 Stealth +4 Grapple)
• Bonus Feats: Great Fortitude, Night Vision, Weapon Training -or- Armor Training
• Favored Feats: Rage, Tough

Viashino (lizardfolk)

• Ability Adjustments: +1 Dex, -1 Int
• Bonus Feats: Improved Initiative, Tireless, Track
• Favored Feats: Grappling Finesse , Spirited Charge

Loxodons (elephant-folk)

• Ability Adjustments: +1 Str, -1 Dex
• Size: Large (-1 Combat, +1 Toughness, -4 Stealth +4 Grapple)
• Bonus Feats: Benefit (prehensile trunk), Dedicated, Endurance
• Favored Feats: Scent, Tough

Vedalken (blue skinned humanoids)

• Ability Adjustments: +1 Int, -1 Cha
• Bonus Feats: Talented (Knowledge [any two]), Connected
• Bonus Skills: Knowledge (pick two)
• Favored Feats: Choose one supernatural power (treat their total level as their adept level for this power).

Faeries (small winged fae humanoids)

• Ability Adjustments: +1 Dex, +1 Cha, -1 Str, -1 Wis
• Size: Tiny (+2 Combat, -2 Toughness, +8 Stealth -8 Grapple)
• Speed: 15', Fly 30'
• Bonus Feats: Benefit (wings), Night Vision, Hover
• Favored Feats: Choose one supernatural power (treat their total level as their adept level for this power).

Color Magic Overview

White
Keywords: Order, Law, Healing, Light

• White loves systems of law and order. Cities and castles are often white, for example, because you need law and order to build and maintain a city.
• White is not “good.” Black is not “evil.” There's good and evil in every color.
• At its best, white is just and protective. At its worst, white is fascist and absolute.

Blue
Keywords: Knowledge, Logic, Deceit, Air

• Blue loves trickery and manipulation. Blue magic is sneaky, analytical, clever.
• At its best, blue is smart and progressive. At its worst, blue is treacherous and cold.

Black
Keywords: Self-Serving, Power-Hungry, Death, Darkness

• Black wants all the power for itself, regardless of the cost. Black magic is parasitic and corrupting.
• At its best, black is ambitious and unashamed. At its worst, black is enslaving and devouring.

Red
Keywords: Freedom, Action, Emotion, Fire

• Red is all about impulse and instant gratification. When red feels something, it acts on that emotion immediately.
• At its best, red is passionate and decisive. At its worst, red is destructive and short-sighted.

Green
Keywords: Growth, Nature, Adaptation, Life

• Green wants everything to be part of the natural order. Hunt, kill, eat, mate, sleep—to green, that's all there is and all there should be.
• At its best, green is instinctual and growth-centered. At its worst, green is vicious and unthinking.

Power Color Description Apport Blue Transport creatures or objects to different locations. Beast Link Green Perceive through an animal’s senses. Blink Blue You can teleport rapidly to avoid attacks. Bliss Blue Project blissful feelings to daze a subject. Body Control Green Exert mental control over your body. Calm White Drain intense emotion from others. Cold Shaping Blue Create intense cold. Combat Sense All Gain a temporary Combat bonus. Cure White Heal injuries by touch. Cure Blindness/Deafness White Remove blindness or deafness. Cure Disease White Remove a disease, preventing further harm. Cure Poison White Remove a poison, preventing further harm. Dominate Black Control a subject’s actions. Drain Vitality Black Drain vital energy by touch. Earth Shaping Red Shape and direct masses of earth and stone. Elemental Aura Blue, Green, Red* Surround yourself with a damaging aura. Elemental Blast Blue, Green, Red* Strike a foe with a focused blast of elemental force. Elemental Resistance Blue, Green, Red* Resist the effects of a particular element. Elemental Weapon Blue, Green, Red* Imbue a weapon with damaging elemental energy. Energy Shaping Red Shape and direct the flow of electromagnetic energy. Enhance Ability Green, Red, White Temporarily boost your Strength or Dexterity. Enhance Other Green, Red, White Temporarily boost someone else’s Strength or Dexterity. Enhance Senses Blue Temporary bonus to Notice, Search, and Sense Motive. Fire Shaping Red Shape and direct fire. Flesh Shaping Black, Red Shape and mold flesh like clay into other forms. Ghost Touch Black Touch and affect incorporeal creatures as if they were solid. Harm Black Inflict injury with a touch. Heart Reading Red, White Sense the emotions of other creatures. Heart Shaping Red Impose emotional conditions on others. Illusion Blue Create illusions that fool the senses. Imbue Life White Restore life to the recently dead. Imbue Unlife Black Create undead creatures. Light Shaping White Shape and direct light and illumination. Manipulate Object Blue Manipulate and handle objects at a distance. Mind Probe Blue Probe a subject’s mind for information. Mind Reading Blue Sense a subject’s surface thoughts. Mind Shaping Blue Alter a subject’s memories or behavior. Mind Touch Blue Establish mental contact with another mind. Move Object Blue Lift and move objects at a distance. Nature Reading Blue, Green Sense the flows and signs of the natural world. Object Reading Blue Read psychic impressions from place and objects. Pain Black Inflict stunning pain on a subject. Phase Black, Blue You can become incorporeal. Plant Shaping Green Shape living plants and wood and direct their growth. Psychic Blast Blue Inflict mental damage on a target. Psychic Reflection Blue Send a psychic attack back at the attacker. Psychic Shield Blue Shield your mind from psychic influences. Psychic Trap Blue Counterattack an attempt to bypass your Psychic Shield. Psychic Weapon Blue Create a melee weapon out of psychic energy. Scrying Blue Sense distant events as if you were present. Second Sight Blue Sense the use and lingering effects of supernatural powers. Self-Shaping Green Reshape your body into different creatures. Sense Minds Blue Sense the presence and location of other minds. Severance Black, Blue Remove the powers of others temporarily. Sleep Blue, Green Put a target into a deep sleep. Suggestion Blue Implant suggestions in the minds of others. Supernatural Speed Red Move at great speed in short bursts. Supernatural Strike All Overcome the damage reduction of supernatural creatures. Supernatural Weapon All Imbue weapons to overcome damage reduction. Teleport Blue You can move instantly from place to place. Truth-Reading White Sense when someone is lying to you. Visions Blue See visions of the future. Ward Blue, White Create interference with supernatural powers or creatures. Water Shaping Blue Shape and direct the flow of water. Weather Shaping Blue, Green Shape and direct weather conditions. Wind Shaping Blue Shape and direct the force of the wind. Wind Walk Blue, Green Walk on air. * This depends on the element used and the relevant prerequisite power.

REFERENCES

Original thread on True20 forums