Editing Golgari Swarm (section)

==Dungeons & Dragons==
Like all of the ten guilds, the Golgari Swarm appeared in the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, a [[splatbook]] for [[Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition]]. Here, it was handled as a combination of Background and Faction, with the player choosing the "Golgari Agent" background to certify they have membership, and being able to earn Renown. This is a new system to 5e, and basically is a kind of abstractified experience; you start off as a general worker (Renown 1), and as you complete missions for the Guild or do things that get you noticed, your Renown increases, giving you increased abilities. Of course, if you publicly screw things up for your guild, your esteem will drop and you can lose Renown.

Characters from the Golgari Swarm are most likely to be [[Human]]s or [[Drow|Devkarin Elves]] - because of COURSE WotC wouldn't be so cool as to let you play something monstrous like a kraul, troll or gorgon. The most iconic classes associated with this guild are the [[Druid]] (Circle of Spores or of the Land - Forest/[[Swamp]]/[[Underdark]]), [[Fighter]] (Champion), [[Ranger]] (Beast Master with insect/reptile companion or Gloom Stalker), [[Rogue]] ([[Assassin]] or [[Thief]]) and [[Wizard]] ([[Necromancer]]). Theoretically, the [[Warlock]] with the Undying patron makes perfect sense here too, given the Swarm's association with powerful [[lich]]es in leadership and tutelary roles, but all SCAG subclasses are not mentioned here at all.

===Golgari Agent Background===
Your skill proficiencies are Nature and Survival, you gain Tool Proficiency (Poisoner's Kit), learn Elvish, Giant or Kraul as a bonus langauge, start with the following gear: a Golgari insignia, a poisoner's kit, a pet beetle or spider, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp worth of mixed coins, and have the Undercity Paths feature:

You know hidden, underground pathways that you can use to bypass crowds, obstacles, and observation as you move through the city. When you aren't in combat, you and companions you lead can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your speed would normally allow. The paths of the undercity are haunted by dangers that rarely brave the light of the surface world, so your journey isn't guaranteed to be safe.

To further represent the Guild's training and philosophical impact, spellcasters (that is, anyone with the Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature) gain bonus spells to their spell list based on the guild. For the Golgari Swarm, that's the following:
::Spell Level	Spells
::Cantrip	dancing lights, spare the dying
::1st	entangle, ray of sickness
::2nd	protection from poison, ray of enfeeblement, spider climb
::3rd	animate dead, plant growth
::4th	giant insect, grasping vine
::5th	cloudkill, insect plague

Golgari magic is often accompanied by a sickly green glow and a rotting stench.

===Golgari Swarm Renown===
Officially, the Golgari don't have a proper hierarchy as such; they're more meritocratic than that. In practice, everybody knows that the people who stand out will get more attention from the people who have power - the higher your Renown, the greater the guildmaster's knowledge of you, his confidence in your abilities, and his interest in your activities.

''Agent (Renown 3)''
::You're starting to get noticed at this level. Your name isn't known, but the fact you can be trusted is; as such, leaders will pass on specific tasks for you, and offer you reasonable support.

''Monstrous Favors (Renown 10)''
::At this level, your reputation is such that even the more monstrous denizens of the Undercity are starting to learn about you - the [[troll]]s, the kraul, the [[Medusa|Ravnican gorgons]], whatever else your DM believes is lurking down there in the dark. When undertaking an official mission for the Swarm, such a monster will be willing to hear you out if you ask for some reasonable assistance, though they will expect a favor in return. Additionally, such is your renown as an agent that you will always be entrusted with a Golgari Charm when you begin a mission for the Swarm.

''Special Roler: Ochran (Renown 10)''
::Having earned a sufficient level of trust, you can petition a Golgari leader to accept you into the ranks of the Ochran, the closest thing the Golgari have to a dedicated military branch. Duties as an Ochran include playing bodyguard to people important to the guild and being sent on missions of assassination, theft, and sabotage.

''Advisor (Renown 25)''
::At this point, you've become a leader in pretty much everything that matters. Lower members of the Guild will often look to you for advice and treat you with respect, although you have no official power yet. The High Chancellors know you by name, and will regularly seek you out for missions or even to ask your opinions - and you can bet that whatever you say will pass to the Guildmaster's ears.

''High Chancellor (Renown 50)''
::Now you're an official leader in the Swarm, the highest rank you can get until the Guildmaster dies (or you bump them off). This gives you direct access to the Guildmaster, in which role you serve as an adviser and convey their instructions to the "body" of the Swarm.

''Special Role: Matka (Renown 50, Devrakin Elf, Spellcasting ability)''
::The second-most powerful member of the Swarm is the Matka, the Devkarin high priest; whilst "officially" equal to the other High Chancellors, the racial loyalty that the Devkarin feel to the Matka means that even High Chancellors who are Devkarin will often submit to the Matka's will. Of course, there can only be '''one''' Matka, and assassination '''is''' a legitimate means of advancing through the Swarm's ranks, meaning that the current incumbent will not be planning on stepping down without a fight...

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