In a big city - and there's no city bigger than Ravnica - it can get lonely. It's an irony - despite being surrounded by people, an individual can fall into the cracks. The Selesnya offer belonging and community. They are united by a common purpose - to do the will of the world's spirit (a being they call Mat-Selesnya) and to ensure harmony and communion.
Practically, the Selesnya maintain the parks and gardens of the city, which serve an extra-important purpose given that this plane-sized city has no true rural areas to grow crops to feed people. Not only are the Selesnya's parks and public spaces crucial to give people some respite from the daily grind, but they also allow nature to harmonize with the city itself.
Alignment:
Generally speaking, the Selesnya are going to skew toward Lawful Good and Neutral Good. While not particularly focused on the bureaucratic aspects of Law, they do place a very strong emphasis on community, to the point where one's individual needs are always going to be secondary to the need of the collective.
At its creepiest, the Selesnya begin to resemble a sort of cult in which individual thoughts are subsumed by the guild's consensus, but generally speaking, it's mostly just a welcoming and inclusive organization that tries to do right by its members. That being said, the Selesnya are far from being pacifists, and maintain a military-like force to protect their sacred spaces.
In Magic, Selesnya is the Green and White guild. Both of these colors often tend toward the good and heroic side of things, and I think that this is a good choice of a guild if you want to play a good guy. Its Green aspects focus on its respect for nature and harmony, and its White aspects highlight its focus on the community and the collective, with little room for selfishness or personal greed - though White also gives it its regimented structure - this is not an anarcho-syndicalist commune, even if its members are the most hippy-like, because they do believe in authority.
The Classes:
Barbarian:
Barbarians of a more spiritual bent will likely do well in this guild. Totem Warriors and Spirit Guardians are both probably pretty good choices.
Bard:
Given their tendency to help others in the party, Bards make good sense for the Selesnya as well. Glamour college bards would fit well, given the guild's psychic communion elements, but Lore and Valor are also pretty good options.
Cleric:
This is a pretty Cleric-heavy guild, and Life and Nature domains are both quite appropriate options. I could also see Grave domain Clerics working - not that there's an obsession with death, but more that they're there to ensure the cycle of life continues. Light and Tempest are probably also decent choices here.
Druid:
Likewise, this is a pretty Druid-heavy guild as well. I think just about every Druid circle could work here, and you could play the more benevolent, conventional Druid as Selesnya. The new Circle of Spores (in Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica) is probably the one Druid circle that really doesn't work for them (we'll see the guild that that's built for later.)
Fighter:
While peace-loving, the Selesnya do have some military-like forces at their disposal to protect their grounds. In particular, the Cavalier option works well here, given the Selesnya's famous wolf-riding knights, though Arcane Archers could also work pretty well, given the elvish, tree-based environments they have.
Monk:
Monks actually fit quite well into the Selesnya vibe, with their communal living and emphasis on the good of the collective. As a more light-side guild I might steer away from Shadow or Long Death monks, but the others are all probably pretty good (Four Elements might not totally jive with their magical style, though.)
Paladin:
This is basically the guild that Oath of the Ancients was built for, with its emphasis on protecting nature. Oath of Redemption is also a pretty good fit for the guild, while Devotion, being kind of the "standard" Paladin oath is also not a bad idea. I might steer away from Vengeance, Conquest, and Oathbreakers.
Ranger:
Finally, we've got a guild where Rangers make a ton of sense. Someone's got to patrol the parks and safeguard the green spaces of the city. Just about every Ranger type makes sense, though I'd say the Hunter and Beast Masters are the best fits.
Rogue:
The Selesnya are not the types to go in much for assassination and subterfuge, so I'd say you're better off with Scouts or possibly Swashbucklers.
Sorcerer:
Wild magic is a pretty good fit here, and I'd say good-aligned Divine Soul sorcerers make sense as well. While there are other guilds that fit Storm Sorcery a bit better, I'd allow it here.
Warlock:
Archfey and Celestial patrons make pretty good sense here, but I'd steer away from the other patrons for this guild.
Wizard:
While likely not big on arcane magic, I could see Abjuration wizards helping to protect people or maybe Conjuration to bring in various elementals (like Saprolings) to aid the guild. Enchantment might also work.
Convocations of the Conclave:
Selesnya is a great option for an optimistic, good character, not to mention naive ones. You don't have to be naive to be Selesnya, though, as their purpose in the city is very clear.
If you want to play up the more sinister angle of the guild, you can focus on its collectivist demands, where individual freedom and even individual thought has to kind of take a back seat to your responsibilities to the Conclave. You might be a rebel, straining your relationship with your community, or perhaps you're trying to recruit more, believing that it's just that those who haven't joined are sad fools who don't realize how great it is.
Given the acceptance that the Selesnya have for anyone who wants to join, it's possible you have a dark past you're trying to leave behind. What drew you to the Conclave, and what secrets might you have kept out of fear of rejection?
No comments:
Post a Comment