Ravnica Novels discussion (to familiarize ourselves with the Setting).

[gyor]

There are 6 Ravnica novels. I finished reading the first one and it's really helps draw you into the setting, brings it to life in a way basic descriptions of guilds and noting colours of mana don't.

I recommend reading these 6 books before getting the Ravnica Guildmasters Guide to really get a taste for the Setting. It's really deep and compelling and the first novels feel very D&D to me already, but with a more urban, modern feel.

I look forward to the second novel.

By the way the setting does have gods, for example Orgers have their own gods, although they aren't named.

 

[gyor]

Has anyone else here read any of the novels?

 

[maceo]

I just finished Guildpact: Ravnica Cycle Book I and II and will read Book III this weekend. The first book definitely did a good job describing the city district and the kinds of characters you could find there. I won’t go into too many details about the second book because you haven’t read it yet but I will say I found it had less world building type information than the first one (for me at least).

I know this thread is about the books but I found going through all the cards and reading the flavor text really helps describe the world too-not just the images on the cards but the way the world is described. I collected all the images and created a 200 page document of the races, classes, and creatures to use as a reference. There’s also a lot of concept art that shows how the different guilds look and what their armor and weapons look like. I really hope the Ravnica book that comes out in November emphasizes the different looks of each of the guilds.

If you want to read more fiction about Ravnica there are also short stories that were posted on the Magic website and are compiled on a wiki site. They are cool little stories to read that describe different characters and situations.

https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Magic_Story

 

[gyor]

I just finished Guildpact: Ravnica Cycle Book I and II and will read Book III this weekend. The first book definitely did a good job describing the city district and the kinds of characters you could find there. I won’t go into too many details about the second book because you haven’t read it yet but I will say I found it had less world building type information than the first one (for me at least).

I know this thread is about the books but I found going through all the cards and reading the flavor text really helps describe the world too-not just the images on the cards but the way the world is described. I collected all the images and created a 200 page document of the races, classes, and creatures to use as a reference. There’s also a lot of concept art that shows how the different guilds look and what their armor and weapons look like. I really hope the Ravnica book that comes out in November emphasizes the different looks of each of the guilds.

If you want to read more fiction about Ravnica there are also short stories that were posted on the Magic website and are compiled on a wiki site. They are cool little stories to read that describe different characters and situations.

https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Magic_Story

I would be vary interested in reading that document if you wish to share it please.

A
Nd thanks for sharing short stories link.

 

[maceo]

I sent you a PM so I can send you the pdf. I started the third book and it is really good-so far my favorite one.

 

[gyor]

I sent you a PM so I can send you the pdf. I started the third book and it is really good-so far my favorite one.

Thank you.

 

[Bacon Bits]

If you're going to talk about specific books, it might be useful to list those books by title an author to save everybody else the trouble of having to look up six different books.

 

[Yaarel]

By the way the setting does have gods, for example Orgers have their own gods, although they aren't named.

If a setting has a *culture* that has gods, whatever.

For me gods are a turn-off.

I dislike a gaming setting that makes gods *objectively* exist.

I want the core rules for the cleric class in the Players Handbook to mention nonpolytheistic religions as default legal, including monotheisms, animisms, cosmic forces, and philosophies.

I hope setting designers use Ravnica and Eberron as opportunities to diversify D&D 5e religious concepts, including core rules to support this diversity.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I don't know if there is any proof that gods "objectively" exist in Ravnica.

But I find settings that offer alternative belief systems to standard D&D polytheism more interesting.

 

[Zardnaar]

I tried Guildpact years ago and gave up. Back then MtG had a terrible reputation (worse than D&D ones) as I think there was literally only one good series (one of the Urza nes IIRC).

I usually just read the cards and the fat pact and MtG wikis. After Jace the Mindsculpter came out I stopped playing when the top 8 decks had 31 copies of Jace and a deck called mythic hit $1000 or so in standard.