D&D 5E (2014) [Let's Read] Devabhumi: Heroic Indian Fantasy Setting for 5e and Pathfinder

[RealAlHazred]

The Indian subcontinent is so dense, both with peoples and with cultures, that I've often wondered if you could combine the various "Fantasy India" settings into one massive, super-dense, setting. There have been several interpretations in D&D over the years.

• Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel (2022, D&D 5E) is a linked series of thirteen adventures. There are two gazetteers in the back, covering two of the founding civilizations of the citadel; one of them, the Tayyib Empire, is based on India.
• Kaladesh (2016), the 72nd Magic: the Gathering expansion, takes place in the plane of Kaladesh (now known as Avishkar). The design of the plane draws inspiration from Indian culture. In 2017, Wizards of the Coast released a free supplement, Plane Shift: Kaladesh, which provided D&D 5E material for gamers who wanted to use it at the table.
• Against the Dark Yogi (2014, Saga Machine) is a game by Tab Creations, that uses 8 familiar-looking stats and should be feasible to convert. It takes place in Bhurloka (by sapiento), a thinly-veiled Fantasy India. There are a number of products for it:
  • Against the Dark Yogi: Campaign Options (2014)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: Consequence Cards (2014)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: Ready-Made Heroes (2015)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: GM Screen Inserts (2014)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: The Amitra Gemstone (2016)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: The Serpent's Brood (2018)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: Bhurloka Poster Map
  • Against the Dark Yogi: Zone Consequence Cards (2014)
  • Ganjifa: Indian Playing Cards (Print & Play)
• Arrows of Indra (2013, OSR) is a game produced by RPG Pundit. It takes place in the northern region of a fantasy India ("the Bharata lands,") just south of the mountains, and the map is fairly dense with cities.
• Devâstra (2009) [French] is a game which was developed by Le 7ème Cercle. There was a second edition Devâstra - Réincarnation (2012) which the publisher released for free, and the current edition is Devâstra - Transcendance (2025) from Antre Monde Editions. It calls its Fantasy India Prithivî; the new edition map is GORGEOUS.
• Bhāratavarṣa (भारतवर्ष) (2008, d20), [French} which was being developed by an indie studio, looks pretty cool. It doesn't seem to have continued development, however. Might be some material to scavenge. It uses the whole Indian subcontinent -- Bhāratavarṣa is an old name for it.
• Folkloric - Sahasra, The Land of a Thousand Cities(2005, d20), which was an OGL India product from Dog Soul Publishing. It takes place in the eponymous Sahasra which duplicates the Indian subcontinent; though it claims 1,000 cities, there are far fewer on the map -- eight. Here's a map where someone has combined Sahasra and Mahasarpa locations. There are a decent number of supplements for it, though:
  • Sahasra: Items of Magic and War (2006)
  • Sahasra - The Spirit In the Spice Groves (2006)
  • Sahasra: The Map of the Yakshini Palace (2006)
  • The Books of Faith: Sikhism (2008)
  • The Books of Faith: Jainism (2007)
  • The Books of Faith: Hinduism (2007)
• Mindshadows (2003, d20), the Green Ronin Fantasy India supplement, takes place in Naranjan, a Fantasy Sri Lanka. It's isolated by dangerous cities, but it's a fantasy pulp-action game so that makes sense. No supplements were produced.
• The Mahasarpa Campaign (2001, D&D 3E), from Wizards of the Coast, takes place in Mahasarpa, an inland area which used to be unified in an empire but has fragmented. It was a free web enhancement for Oriental Adventures.
• Ravenloft: Realm of Terror (1990, D&D 2E), from TSR, mentioned the Island of Terror Sri Raji, which is based on India. The Island was later greatly expanded in RM3 Web of Illusion (1993, D&D 2E), an adventure wholly set in Sri Raji, and then the basic information repeated in Ravenloft Campaign Setting, Revised, Boxed Set in the Domains and Denizens book (1994, D&D 2E). Additional material for it was in MC15 Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix II: Children of the Night (1993, D&D 2E). The location was updated in the Ravenloft Campaign Setting (2001, D&D 3.0E) put out by Arthaus (an imprint of White Wolf) where it was linked to other Asian-themed Domains of Dread; it got a mention in Secrets of the Dread Realms (2001, D&D 3.0E) but no further updates there. A realm of Kali-worshiping thugs, it somewhat resembled a stereotype of the British Raj. In Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (2021, D&D 5E), Sri Raji was revealed to always be a pseudonym for the Domain of Kalakeri, which is somewhat less stereotypically British Raj, with a deep background. There are several third-party products which expand on it.
• The Star of Kolhapur (1988, D&D 2E), from TSR, takes place in the city of Kolhapur which, based on the map on the back cover, is supposed to be in a Fantasy India.

I don't actually own all of these, but I picked up the Sahasra material because I liked the religions books as being more realistic-feeling than, say, Deities & Demigods.

 

[Voadam]

The Indian subcontinent is so dense, both with peoples and with cultures, that I've often wondered if you could combine the various "Fantasy India" settings into one massive, super-dense, setting. There have been several interpretations in D&D over the years.

• Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel (2022, D&D 5E) is a linked series of thirteen adventures. There are two gazetteers in the back, covering two of the founding civilizations of the citadel; one of them, the Tayyib Empire, is based on India.
• Kaladesh (2016), the 72nd Magic: the Gathering expansion, takes place in the plane of Kaladesh (now known as Avishkar). The design of the plane draws inspiration from Indian culture. In 2017, Wizards of the Coast released a free supplement, Plane Shift: Kaladesh, which provided D&D 5E material for gamers who wanted to use it at the table.
• Against the Dark Yogi (2014, Saga Machine) is a game by Tab Creations, that uses 8 familiar-looking stats and should be feasible to convert. It takes place in Bhurloka, a thinly-veiled Fantasy India. There are a number of products for it:
  • Against the Dark Yogi: Campaign Options (2014)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: Consequence Cards (2014)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: Ready-Made Heroes (2015)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: GM Screen Inserts (2014)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: The Amitra Gemstone (2016)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: The Serpent's Brood (2018)
  • Against the Dark Yogi: Bhurloka Poster Map
  • Against the Dark Yogi: Zone Consequence Cards (2014)
  • Ganjifa: Indian Playing Cards (Print & Play)
• Arrows of Indra (2013, OSR) is a game produced by RPG Pundit. It takes place in the northern region of a fantasy India, in the mountains, and the map is fairly dense with cities.
• Devâstra (2009) [French] is a game which was developed by Le 7ème Cercle. There's a new edition Devâstra Réincarnation (2012) which the publisher released for free.
• Bhāratavarṣa (भारतवर्ष) (2008, d20), [French} which was being developed by an indie studio, looks pretty cool. It doesn't seem to have continued development, however. Might be some material to scavenge. It uses the whole Indian subcontinent -- Bhāratavarṣa is an old name for it.
• Folkloric - Sahasra, The Land of a Thousand Cities(2005, d20), which was an OGL India product from Dog Soul Publishing. It takes place in the eponymous Sahasra which duplicates the Indian subcontinent; though it claims 1,000 cities, there are far fewer on the map, six IIRC. There are a decent number of supplements for it, though:
  • Sahasra: Items of Magic and War (2006)
  • Sahasra - The Spirit In the Spice Groves (2006)
  • Sahasra: The Map of the Yakshini Palace (2006)
  • The Books of Faith: Sikhism (2008)
  • The Books of Faith: Jainism (2007)
  • The Books of Faith: Hinduism (2007)
• Mindshadows (2003, d20), the Green Ronin Fantasy India/Sri Lanka supplement, takes place in Naranjan. It's isolated by dangerous cities, but it's a fantasy pulp-action game so that makes sense. No supplements were produced.
• The Mahasarpa Campaign (2001, D&D 3E), from Wizards of the Coast, takes place in Mahasarpa, an inland area which used to be unified in an empire but has fragmented. It was a free web enhancement for Oriental Adventures.
• The Star of Kolhapur (1988, D&D 2E), from TSR, takes place in the city of Kolhapur which, based on the map on the back cover, is supposed to be in a Fantasy India.

I don't actually own all of these, but I picked up the Sahasra material because I liked the religions books as being more realistic-feeling than, say, Deities & Demigods.

You can add that Ravenloft since 2e on has had an Indian domain called Sri Raji and in 2e had full module set there RM3 Web of Illusion.

 

[RealAlHazred]

You can add that Ravenloft since 2e on has had an Indian domain called Sri Raji and in 2e had full module set there RM3 Web of Illusion.

I'll be honest, I'd looked at it and wasn't sure just how "Indian" it was, but I'll add it!

 

[RealAlHazred]

You can add that Ravenloft since 2e on has had an Indian domain called Sri Raji and in 2e had full module set there RM3 Web of Illusion.

I've added it, and mentioned that in 5E, it transforms into Kalakeri, a newish version, in case you were unaware.

 

[RealAlHazred]

I just went in and posted links to the maps. Like I said, I think you could make a really dense setting by combining the cities of the various settings; I'm not even sure if any overlap.