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.

 

[Mecheon]

Also, weren’t the Nephilim the same thing as the Giants in the Bible?

Nephilim are complicated, but the best explanation I've found is the original intention was it was a grab-all term for mythic heroes of other cultures. Your Hercules or Gilgamesh and the like, of not quite human but not quite something else

Mind, that seems to have been the original idea and people have dragged that in every way or direction in the centuries since

 

[humble minion]

On the other hand, the campaign seems to be about finding the missing Wise Men. Most of the action (but I haven't seen it obviously) should be before Jesus becomes active. It might end with a "happy ending" when the 3WM can reach Betheem and find Jesus, but notable characters could be in the background.

From the FAQ, the campaign is set between 26AD and 30AD, when Jesus was an adult but before he started off on his public preaching career (for want of a better word). But it does seem to be about investigating the disappearance of the Three Wise Men - but that timescale would place their visit to Jesus 25 years back. So I'm not sure what's happening there. Maybe the 3WM returned home and disappeared later? Seems more likely than nobody noticing they were gone for quarter of a century.

Also from the FAQ, the campaign climax seems to be

Spoiler

fighting an ancient demon on the top of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

, which is as classically D&D as you could hope for.

 

[Yaarel]

The approach to magic of "some magic is good and some is bad" is out of tune with the Bible.

In the Bible, the good guys use "magic". Dream interpretation, mandrake amulets, divination cups, omens, Urim and Tumim divination, healing, resurrection, parting the reed sea, and so on. The only difference is, the good guys do magic by means of God, while the bad guys do magic by means other gods.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

This is a bard, or no deal.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

When I saw the headline, and before reading the article, the first thought I had was "what is NuTSR up to now?" lol

 

[Storyteller Hero]

People will soon be able to battle Jesus Christ then loot his body for Roman coins and sanctified magic blood.

Kidding aside, this project could go either way from being harmless fun to bad enough to trigger violent extremists. May the grace of God be with the developers.

 

[RangerWickett]

I'm reminded of the Stone Age game I ran where the PCs were all members of tribes with their own local gods, and they were called together to figure out why it'd been raining in the desert several days in a row. Cue one grand adventure culminating in battling God's prophet on the deck of an ark, trying to stop the Almighty from flooding the world.

 

[Mallus]

I kind of wonder if it'll have all the infanticide, incest, slavery, rape, and genocide that the source material has ...

Admittedly, what I wrote was in poor taste. I’ll remove it.

 

[Lucas Yew]

Cultural Victory, indeed.

 

[doctorhook]

The summary painted a different picture than the product's title first elicited. I was half expecting the new lineages to be Tomato-kin, Cucumber Folk, Gourdians, and Brussel Sprouters.

I would play this unironically…

…while all the songs flood my brain and slowly drive me mad.