Thursday, October 18, 2018

Laying Down the Law with the Azorius Senate - Class Options in Ravnica

In the eyes of the Azorius Senate, they are the most important guild in Ravnica. They are the lawmakers and the judiciary, the bureaucrats who make sure that the city functions, and who have the power and authority to grind it to a halt when it's necessary. They are the government, the ultimate authority within the city.

In practice, they are a massive and byzantine bureaucracy that yes, does allow the city to function with some semblance of order, but also creates mazes of red tape and confusing forms with an indifferent disregard for exceptions that might be needed for moral reasons - they are ultimately tough but fair, though you might argue that the labyrinthine legalise in which they set the rules makes it difficult for the average Ravnican to even know whether they are breaking the law or not.

Alignment:

Maybe more than any other guild, the Azorius have a clear D&D alignment in Lawful Neutral. A collection of courts, bureaus, and legislative bodies, the most fervent of Azorius probably get very excited about filling out various forms and applications - if you watch Acquisitions Incorporated: The "C"-Team, Omin Dran and Walnut Dankgrass would both probably be very happy in the Azorius Senate.

In Magic, Azorius' colors are Blue and White. From White, it gets its love of order and law, while Blue gives it its sense of intellectual and cerebral superiority. The result is the ability to literally weave magic through confusing fine print and lock down anyone who they believe threatens the order of the city.

The Classes:

Barbarian:

The very notion of a Barbarian is probably anathema to the Azorius, so you'd have to argue pretty hard with a DM.

Bard:

The use of spoken word and song to subdue foes is pretty on-brand for the Azorius, and Bards' spells that charm or otherwise lock down foes would probably be useful. College of Lore seems like a good choice here.

Cleric:

In Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, Clerics get the Order domain, and this is clearly the top choice for the Azorius. Not a terribly spiritual guild, the Azorius nevertheless value the structures of society. I could also see Light, Knowledge, and Arcana domains working pretty well.

Druid:

With its emphasis on the regimented structure of civilization, Druids are probably not going to figure prominently in the Azorius Senate.

Fighter:

While the Boros are the primary police force on Ravnica, the Azorius have their own law enforcement officials - indeed, some judges will actually patrol the streets and rule on situations that they happen upon. Most fighter types can work here, but I think an Eldritch Knight with a strong emphasis on Abjuration magic is a strong fit for this.

Monk:

Personal discipline is certainly something that the Azorius value, so I could see several Monk types fit here. Way of the Sun Soul could work pretty well cosmetically.

Paladin:

Paladins who come down strongly on the Lawful side of things work well here. Oath of the Crown is a very good option (Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide) but Devotion is also a good call. Oath of Conquest might work as well, if you take it more of a Lawful Neutral direction than a Lawful Evil one. Oath of Redemption's pacifistic leanings actually work pretty well too, given that the Azorius would much rather arrest people than slay them.

Ranger:

I could imagine a Monster Slayer or Hunter being employed as a bounty hunter to take in some lawbreaker, but the Azorius are generally too fastidious to really be into all that muddy nature survival stuff.

Rogue:

Inquisitives are a great option here, as the Azorius have many investigators independent of the Boros that can go and look into all manner of malfeasance and criminality.

Sorcerer:

I could maybe see a law-aligned Divine Soul sorcerer at work here, but the improvisational aspect of Sorcerers is probably going to be way less appealing to the Azorius than Wizards.

Warlock:

There aren't really any patrons that jump out to me as Azorius. That being said, contracts are probably a very popular thing amongst them, meaning that any could work. Celestial patrons might work the best cosmetically. Frankly, I wish there were some sort of "Great Machine" patron (think Primus, the ruler of the Lawful Neutral plane of Mechanus) that would be a perfect fit for these guys.

Wizard:

Wizards might actually be the most Azorius class, as a Wizard is going to love a well-organized yet inscrutably-labeled archive like the kind you'd get with the Azorius. In particular, I think Abjuration wizards make the most sense, though Enchantment and Transmutation wizards would also work quite well.

Living it Up, Senate-Style:

You might be tempted to play your Azorius character as the ultimate Lawful stupid arrogant prick. This is a perfectly valid option. Frankly, I think that extremely lawful characters have more comic potential than those on the chaotic side of things, and playing up an Azorius character as a total square is probably going to be a lot of fun.

That being said, as arrogant and infuriating as the Azorius might be, the city does need some semblance of law and order if it is to operate, and the Azorius do serve an important role. While the organization is clearly Lawful Neutral, there's room for idealistically Lawful Good people within it.

At the same time, you might get petty bureaucratic tyrants that are practically Lawful Evil - and even some ambitious actual tyrants who might wish to truly dominate the city.

The Azorius Senate is very unlikely to ever admit to a mistake, which means you could easily have a plot involving a cover-up that spirals out of control into a true disaster.

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