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.

 

[Umbran]

To some degree, the story about the human Jesus is an allegory of the immaterial Deity. Then the story of the animal Aslan is an allegory about Jesus.

Perhaps we could worry less about the classification, and more about what the story means to readers and the author?

 

[LongTimeLurker]

I always wonder, once a kickstarter has exceeded every stretch goal by a hefty amount, where does the extra money go to? Salaries?

Remodelling your kitchen, fancy vacation, sports car?

 

[Steven K]

Actually, it was probably Rachel who talked Leah into doing that wedding night stunt. Compare the quick-thinking of Rachel to hide the household idols.

Rachel is an awesome trickster, and she uses her powers for good.

I have a problem with you calling her a trickster, as opposed to just someone tricky or shrewd, because that is a well-defined mythological figure of a type that she is most definitely not. But words aside, yeah, it's possible Rachel was involved in the deception as well. It's also possible she was given something to knock her out on the day of the wedding and spent the night asleep. There's no evidence either way. But Laban definitely orchestrated the whole thing, and Leah executed it, regardless of Rachel's involvement. Unless you want to claim Rachel was the one who suggested it to Laban, came up with the plan, and coached Leah through it, but that goes well beyond the textual evidence.

In fact, it might stand against it. Rachel and Leah didn't like each other, once they were both married to Jacob. The primary reason was they were competing over his affection, a possible secondary reason is that Rachel was not in on the scam and it strained relations between the pair. What is not viable is to see them as co-conspirators attempting to manipulate Jacob towards their own ends, since they are not portrayed as acting that way at all. Likewise, Rachel stole Laban's household gods and used her menstrual period as an excuse for why she couldn't get up for her bags to be searched. That, to me, implies some degree of hostility to her actions, as well as shrewd tactics. She had no need of the household gods, it's not like Jacob wasn't wealthy or anything. It seems more like she wanted to defy and inconvenience Laban just for the sake of it. That hostility, perhaps, had good reason.

 

[Yaarel]

I have a problem with you calling her a trickster, as opposed to just someone tricky or shrewd, because that is a well-defined mythological figure of a type that she is most definitely not. But words aside, yeah, it's possible Rachel was involved in the deception as well. It's also possible she was given something to knock her out on the day of the wedding and spent the night asleep. There's no evidence either way. But Laban definitely orchestrated the whole thing, and Leah executed it, regardless of Rachel's involvement. Unless you want to claim Rachel was the one who suggested it to Laban, came up with the plan, and coached Leah through it, but that goes well beyond the textual evidence.

In fact, it might stand against it. Rachel and Leah didn't like each other, once they were both married to Jacob. The primary reason was they were competing over his affection, a possible secondary reason is that Rachel was not in on the scam and it strained relations between the pair. What is not viable is to see them as co-conspirators attempting to manipulate Jacob towards their own ends, since they are not portrayed as acting that way at all. Likewise, Rachel stole Laban's household gods and used her menstrual period as an excuse for why she couldn't get up for her bags to be searched. That, to me, implies some degree of hostility to her actions, as well as shrewd tactics. She had no need of the household gods, it's not like Jacob wasn't wealthy or anything. It seems more like she wanted to defy and inconvenience Laban just for the sake of it. That hostility, perhaps, had good reason.

Rachel and Leah love each other.

They are highly competitive about who has more children.

This rivalry explains how Jacob ends up with thirteen kids.

The rivalry is also poignant because Rachel is unable to have children during much of her life, and she dies giving birth to her second child.

Both Rachel and Leah utilize surrogate mothers.

 

[Yaarel]

By the way, in my eyes, for both Jacob and Rachel, the trickster archetype applies.

Especially in the sense of surviving by wits and trickery.

 

[AnotherGuy]

As to meeting Yeshua, the book/film The Robe does a great job of telling a fictional story where the PCs are the the household of the Roman Centurion who oversaw the crucifixion (and won the dice game to possess Yeshuas robe).

The book is truly inspirational and cannot recommend it enough.
I still have to start The Big Fisherman.

 

[Yaarel]

The descriptions of the two sisters are terse.

"The eyes of Leah are soft" (וְעֵינֵי לֵאָה רַכּוֹת).

This phrasing describes someone who is nonjudgmental, nonenvious. Leah is kind, gentle, and compassionate.

Regarding her actions in the text, she feels unloved by her husband, but she doesnt resent her sister.

These dont feel like trickster qualities.



By contrast, her sister Rachel is sexy and edgy. In her actions she employs trickery, such as saying she is menstruating to prevent a search of the camel she is riding. She rivals her dad, such as taking his household idols (apparently either to do magic or to prevent her dad from doing magic). Her desire is intense. This relates more to a trickster archetype.

 

[humble minion]

My PDF copy of this arrived today. Happy to do a first impressions/let’s read if there’s interest.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

My PDF copy of this arrived today. Happy to do a first impressions/let’s read if there’s interest.

I would love to hear overall what the monster stats look like

 

[Ulfgeir]

When the KS was active, I showed my friend from the US who is a pastor and who plays D&D the link to it. His response was basically "Hell no. He wouldn't touch this game with a 10' pole..." I don't recall his reasoning for it though.