D&D 5E World of Alessia - Tell me about it, please!

Eilathen

Explorer
As the thread-title suggests, I am looking for people who have bought this (be it via KS or via normal channels) and read and/or played it. It's a science-fantasy setting if i understood it correctly and it is for the DnD 5e rulesset. The art looked very nice on the KS page but I wasn't really into 5e when it hit KS. So now i am wondering if it is worth a purchase.

I think there are too few Science-Fantasy settings out there for PnP RPGs and this looked nice.

So please, tell me about it (strengths and weaknesses) and what you have done with it!

Thanks in advance!

E.
 

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Weiley31

Legend
I think it's pretty neat. It's by the same talented people of the Studio(Storm Bunny) that did the ever awesome Mists of Akuma.

I'm still waiting for my Hardcover to come in, but the PDF is pretty lengthy. One of the neat things they do is that races get special synergies with each other. Kinda like small unity bonuses.

The Race section is pretty large. Aside from getting sci-fi humans, elves, DragonSWORN, and stuff;you also get Yokai such as Kitsunes, Nekomata, Rabbits , Tengu(called Fengu) and some others.

It's suppose to have a big Science Fiction Wuxia feel to it. One way they try to replicate the Wuxia aspect is via the Stunts system. Basically these are special skills that are supposed to allow ya to do special tricks via the use of a kind of Inspiration style resource called Resolve. Some of the Stunts grant you a bonus to Saving Throws, while others allow you to do stuff like create a Shadow Double of yourself.

The Setting itself is VERY Anti-Murder Hobo. To the point where one entire faction and Class, if your a member of it, deals Non-Lethal damage by default.(So you have to declare and choose to do lethal damage, but it's considered out of character/or due to EXTREME measures, to justify it.) It also promotes a message of being Inclusive and Unity.( Hence the race bonuses). It's less "Let's stomp the door down and steal the monster's treasure" and more "Let's lift each other up/Sci-Fi Wuxia adventures."

It's nice overall. My only major complaint is that I feel like the Stunts system isn't pushed far enough. Also the art gets repeated a bit. And they do HP a bit weird: an example being The Seer class gets 2D4(So a chance for 8 hp each level olif ya roll for it? Why not just say 1D8 then?) per Seer level. Yet another class gets 1D10.(I guess getting 20 HP per level would be too much for a class and that's the reason why.)

Also it's divided into Chapters and each chapter of the book has its own index page. Say you wanted to check out the Kitsune Race right off the bat, you have to reach chapter two, which is the race section basically, and find the page number in that index. Chapter one's Index won't list the Kitsune page.

I would say it's worth checking out.
One thing I plan on doing is combining it with Esper Genesis, the idea that Alessia is the first half of the Campaign. Then at the mid point of the story, the Alessia PCs find a space ship, and fly it to the Esper Genesis portion of the Campaign.
 
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Voadam

Legend
For reference the Alessia Campaign Primer can be found here. This is advertised as a bright and inclusive 5e future fantasy with energy blades and skyships, not a dark dystopian 5e future fantasy.

Looked interesting but I have not gotten it. I enjoyed the themes of one of the publisher's other big settings, the D&D Norse Rhune Dawn of Twilight.

The publisher has some experience with 5e in their Mists of Akuma eastern fantasy noir steampunk setting.
 

Rellott

Explorer
I got it and read through it. It has a lot of neat ideas, but in reading several of their products, Storm Bunny is still working to really get into a 5e mindset. They keep tacking on systems and adding things in. I participated in an adventure design boot camp they ran a while back, and their design mentality seemed to filter everything through Pathfinder first, then convert to 5e. They’re great people, and great designers (for PF), and I wish them the best, but I don’t intend to purchase more of their products anytime soon.
 

The Setting itself is VERY Anti-Murder Hobo. To the point where one entire faction and Class, if your a member of it, deals Non-Lethal damage by default.(So you have to declare and choose to do lethal damage, but it's considered out of character/or due to EXTREME measures, to justify it.) It also promotes a message of being Inclusive and Unity.( Hence the race bonuses). It's less "Let's stomp the door down and steal the monster's treasure" and more "Let's lift each other up/Sci-Fi Wuxia adventure."

I'm not into sci-fi settings (I prefer very small settings, not gala tic ones), but this is a very cool idea.
 

Weiley31

Legend
Looked interesting but I have not gotten it. I enjoyed the themes of one of the publisher's other big settings, the D&D Norse Rhune Dawn of Twilight.
Funny you say that as the book mentions Rhune: Dawn of Twilight when you reach the Giant race (IIRC in Alessia they are called the Jotun.) Even offers advice on either making the two settings connected in a way and if the Jotun race is related to Rhune's equivalent.
 

Eilathen

Explorer
Thanks for the input so far. It seems not a lot of people have read it/play it as of yet. I'd be interested in more opinions and stories, of course.
 


Rellott

Explorer
Wait, you have it?

I missed the Kickstarter, but I pre-ordered some of the books through the website, and I haven't received anything. Is it actually available at this time?

I got it as a PDF. I’m not sure about the physical editions. Those are probably still being shipped.
 

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