Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Fighting for the Boros Legion - Class Options in Ravnica

Moving on from the Dimir to a guild that is more or less the direct opposite (they don't share any Magic colors, though that could also be said of the Selesnya and the Gruul,) the Boros Legion is one of the most visible guilds in Ravnica.

As an army on what is essentially a politically-unified plane, the Boros really act more as a police force - but one that is backed not only by a fully-armed military corps, but also flights of angels. The Boros are zealous in fighting evil, which of course means that they can sometimes become overenthusiastic.

Alignment:

The Boros are going to fit very strongly into the Lawful Good alignment. To what extent you want to skew lawful or good is up to you - at its best, Boros is the most classically "good guy hero" guild you can join in Ravnica. But being heavily-armed law enforcement also means that there's a potential for abuse and brutality.

In Magic, the Boros colors are White and Red. Boros' White affiliations - with law and order and moral fortitude - are pretty obvious, but it's important to remember the zealous passion that Red brings to the table, not to mention the destructive power that the Boros are willing and eager to employ against their foes.

The Classes:

As with any guild, some classes will probably make less sense with the Boros, though you and your DM will ultimately be the ones to decide whether it fits.

Barbarian:

The zealous nature of the Boros makes a Path of the Zealot Berserker (Xanathar's Guide to Everything) an obvious fit for the guild. But Berserkers also work quite well, as the Boros are happy to recruit anyone who wants a good fight.

Bard:

I'd flavor a Boros Bard as something like a military drummer or fife-player - someone who gets the troops riled up. Colleges of Valor, Lore, and Blades probably all work here to varying extents.

Cleric:

War domain is a pretty solid choice here, though I think Light and Forge domains also work quite well. The Boros are to a certain extent religious (they are led by Angels after all) and so Clerics are probably welcome members of any Boros platoon. While the Order domain, coming in Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, is probably more for the Azorius, it could probably fit here as well.

Druid:

Druids probably don't fit terribly well within the Boros Legion (mentioning the Magic colors again, this is probably going to be the case for any non-Green guild.)

Fighter:

Boros is a great place for Fighters, considering how much they value martial aptitude. The only ones I might not include are the magic-based Fighters - the Eldritch Knight and Arcane Archers. Boros magic is largely divine in nature, and these two are more arcane. Battlemasters are maybe the most appropriate choice here, given the Boros' emphasis on tactics and coordination.

Monk:

With the dedication to martial service, most Monks probably work very well for the Boros. In particular, I think that the Sun Soul path monks are very on-brand for this guild. But Open Fist, Four Elements, and Kensai probably all work for it as well. I'd stay away from Shadow and Long Death monks, though.

Paladin:

Much as Dimir is the Rogue guild, Boros is the Paladin guild. We're talking about marching armies led by angels. I'd say that most Paladin oaths work here, but Devotion, Vengeance, and the Crown (Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide) are probably the best fits. On the other hand, Conquest is probably too dark, Redemption might be too pacifistic, and Oathbreakers would probably have been kicked out of the guild.

Ranger:

I could maybe imagine a Ranger serving as some kind of special investigator or bounty hunter, but I think that a Dex-based fighter will probably fit better with the Boros than a Ranger if you want to fight with a bow.

Rogue:

Not exactly known for their subtlety, most Rogues are probably not going to fit terribly well with the Boros. If you want to play up the beat-cop angle of the Boros, Inquisitives might be a good option. Swashbucklers and Scouts could also possibly fit.

Sorcerer:

Generally I think Boros would steer away from most arcane magic, though I could see a Dragon Soul Sorcerer working, and certainly a Divine Soul one as well. Other types might fit better in other guilds.

Warlocks:

Generally, making secret deals with powerful entities is not really standard operating procedure for the Boros, but I could see a Celestial Patron providing assistance to a Boros Warlock. The other patrons probably don't really work as well.

Wizards:

Ok, maybe I'm not quite right about the type of magic. But in terms of what kinds of spells they cast, I do think the Boros are not very into subtlety. That means Evocation or Abjuration would both be great options for them. War Magic (Xanathar's) would also work quite well.

The Legion Marches On:

The Boros are probably the easiest guild in which to play a straight-up heroic good guy. But there's some nuance there that you can mine for interesting character choices. For one thing, are you a soldier or a cop? The Boros kind of blur the distinction there, and that can complicate matters.

The Boros seem to rarely question if they're right, and that can lead to catastrophic mistakes. Another element to consider is that if you're one of the Boros, you probably have a tight-knit relationship with your comrades in arms. You've fought alongside members of other races, and that might put you in unconventional pseudo-families.

Are you in it for glory, to do the right thing, or just because this is a more socially acceptable way to unleash your violent urges?

You can certainly play your Boros character as a bit Lawful Stupid, but there's also a lot of room for clever investigator types, or grizzled military veterans. You can even be something of a noir-ish detective. Your badge signifies authority, but you're expected to enforce that authority.

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