D&D 5E The Bible Is A New 5E Setting

The Adventurer’s Guide to the Bible is a 5E setting and adventure set in the first century AD.

The 350-page book, created by Bible enthusiasts, included four new lineages, a range of subclasses, and an adventure for character levels 1-10, along with a full first-century AD setting with locations like the Library of Alexandria and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, NPCs, and monsters such as giants, seraph serpents, angels, and demons. The adventure itself involves a search for three missing Magi.

It's $25 for a PDF, or $39 for a hardcover.

The Adventurer's Guide to the Bible for 5E

A fifth edition campaign setting with new rule options for players and GMs, and a full adventure for characters of levels 1 - 10.

www.kickstarter.com

Cleopatra is dead. Rome and Parthia struggle for control of the Fertile Crescent in a bid for world domination, while local politics in the Middle Kingdoms become increasingly divisive. The prophecies of the so-called “Messiah” have long been forgotten, and an ancient Evil lurks in the shadows, corrupting the hearts of humankind. Three of the wisest mystics known as the “Magi” travelled to Bethlehem following a star they believed to be a sign. They never returned. Hope grows dim as the world descends into darkness. What we need are answers... and those brave enough to seek them.

This isn’t the first biblical era setting for D&D, although it might be for 5E. Green Ronin released Testament: Roleplaying in the Biblical Era for 3E over a decade ago.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I don't think that this is actually true - Latin was the common tongue of Rome and the area around Rome, but for the areas that Rome conquered they didn't become Latin speakers just because the Romans showed up. Greek was a "lingua franca" all up and down the eastern Mediterranean coastline and the Koine dialect had been the language of trade in the area for a long time before the Romans showed up there. ("Koine" even means "Common" in Greek - it was the "common" dialect of trade and communication).

In fact once the Romans left the backwaters of Rome behind and moved their capitol to Constantinople they fairly quickly (i.e. within a few centuries - quickly on a historic scale) ditched Latin and took up Greek as their language for administration and religious texts - leaving Latin translations for just the Roman branch of the Church. Greek was just too useful and widespread compared to Latin in the near East to displace.

It would heavily depend on the area. Remember, Italy, France, Spain, and Romania all speak languages which are derivatives of the 'vulgate' common to the latins of which Rome was a part. Latin/vulgate elements were also incorporated into other languages to a degree, so clearly a considerable number of people did speak some form of it. Colonization was also a thing. OTOH this is clearly more a factor in the west vs the east. Still, some kind of vulgate would have been likely spoken in a lot of places, and been the language of pretty much all colonists, anyone serving in the legions, and those administering the provincial governments of the Empire.

 

[Yaarel]

Alexander the Great in the context of "Hellenistic" policies founded new Greek-speaking communities across the known the world. To some degree, Rome too embraced this international use of the Greek language.

Nevertheless, around the time of the events in the New Testament, it is the indigenous languages that dominated locally.

For example, most people in Israel spoke Hebrew. There were several Hebrew dialects within "Classical" Hebrew going on simultaneously. The features of these Hebrew dialects correspond roughly somewhere between Late Biblical Hebrew and Early Mishnaic Hebrew. But the phonetics and sometimes the vocabulary differed noticeably.

Most people are speaking Hebrew. Nevertheless, a significant minority are still using Aramaic as the international language because of prominent connections to communities around Babylon. To a lesser degree, a smaller minority is using Greek as international language. Most interactions with the Roman Empire are in Greek.

Interestingly, the names of the students of Jesus reflect this multilingual community. Bar-Ptolomai (Bartholomew) is an Egyptian Aramaic name. Andreas (Andrew) is a Greek name. The names of Jesus and his own family are Hebrew, including Yhoshua, Yaakov, Miryam, and Yosef. I agree with an archeological opinion that Jesus spelled his name with a traditional (bibilical) Hebrew spelling (probably with the letters he and more than one vav יהושוע), but pronounced it according to the Jerusalem dialect, more like Yeshua (because of the softening of guttural sounds and the palatalization of the sh-sibilant).

Anyway, the situation in Egypt was similar, with most speaking the indigenous Egyptian language (surviving today in the form of Coptic). Mostly Aramaic was the international language, but communities like Alexandria were prominent Greek-speakers.

Heh, generally, almost no one in these areas spoke Latin − maybe not even the Romans themselves who tended to switch to Greek.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Sounds like they did a decent job of converting a work of historical fiction into a gaming book, or at least a better attempt than other works of fiction have gotten.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Sounds like they did a decent job of converting a work of historical fiction into a gaming book, or at least a better attempt than other works of fiction have gotten.

Mod Note:

Nobody is asking you to be a Christian, but calling the central text of one of the biggest religious belief systems in the world “a work of historical fiction” is needlessly divisive and inflammatory. Going forward, if you decide to discuss this or similar products, please do so without trolling.

 

[Zarithar]

To some degree, Rome too embraced this international use of the Greek language.

I'd say they did... after the fall of the Western half of the Empire Greek became the official language of the Roman Empire - replacing Latin. So yeah, Greek was the lingua franca of the (later) Roman world.

 

[Davies]

Just an update -- this is now available from DriveThru.

 

[Voadam]

The medieval platemail crusader knight looking guy on the cover is a bit jolting for an ancient world setting book.

 

[Tallifer]

Flag me or report me for discussing religion, but honestly I have to say that I separate my religion from my roleplaying. I do prefer as a Christian to play paragons of virtue or souls struggling with their inner demons to obtain redemption But in the end, my Calvinism forbids finding anything edifying in games or sports, and my humanity cannot but enjoy the same. I think therefore that this entire Christian roleplaying exercise is misguided. It neither edifies God nor converts the Heathen.

Also, I seriously question the historiographical credentials and decisions of this game. Numerous flaws have been pointed out by previous posters. Furthermore, the designers are mealy-mouthed about even their Faith. Straightforward Puritanism demands that "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," "I will not suffer a woman to teach," and "Blessed is he that dasheth thy little ones against the stones." Not much market for that. LOL I am not sure about the separation of church and state (believing as I do in the establishment principle), but I certainly believe that Dungeons and Dragons should steer well clear of spiritual reality.

As Tertullian said, "What Athens to do with Jerusalem?"

Now excuse me while I figure out how to play and occasionally win "Nemo's War."

 

[Weiley31]

Well: time to base my Bible 5E games more like El Shaddai now.

 

[Weiley31]

And then the other half of the coin to go along with it:

Inferno - Dante's Guide to Hell for 5e

Inferno is the first original Dantesque Campaign Setting for the 5th Edition of the most important RPG ever created.

www.kickstarter.com