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.

 

[HammerMan]

We probably can't go there, but this isn't a widely held theory. I am not saying it is right or wrong, but it isn't the mainstream historical consensus.

if I were to do this I would run it tongue in cheek (I am and was raised Christian) I would base it more on Hercules the Legendary Journeys it is loosely based on the legends/myths... but not really,

 

[Odinsgrandson]

if I were to do this I would run it tongue in cheek (I am and was raised Christian) I would base it more on Hercules the Legendary Journeys it is loosely based on the legends/myths... but not really,

Yeah. I honestly can't see this going great if you try to do it all with a straight face.

I'm a bit surprised at the era this is set in. I was expecting a much older setting- Judges or Kings- or even maybe the Babylonian occupation. Especially with the lineages they've presented, I kind of think that 1st century AD is a bit late for all of this (and it is kind of after the parts in the Bible with all the exciting combat).

 

[Bedrockgames]

if I were to do this I would run it tongue in cheek (I am and was raised Christian) I would base it more on Hercules the Legendary Journeys it is loosely based on the legends/myths... but not really,

I could go in either direction. I was raised very religious, and would call myself religious presently, but I also think art, entertainment, and games serve very different functions than religion. But I also had phases of agnosticism and atheism and like engaging all the different arguments for and against the existence of God. I think I am pretty open minded on this stuff. So I could see taking an earnest approach to the biblical source material if everyone is on the same page, or taking a more light hearted approach (like that famous Last Supper scene from History of the Worlds). And I could see running it in a way that is totally secular as well.

 

[Odinsgrandson]

I still think that you need to go Old Testiment in order to find stuff that matches up with how RPGs work.

When you get a few decades into the AD, all you've got is protagonists going to various places and repeating what Jesus said to them and eventually getting themselves killed by the locals while maintaining a pacifist attitude. If you do run into some demons, you gotta evoke Jesus a bit and have a sort of faith duel, but you still don't get to use swords.

I really don't see how that could be as interesting as some of the giant slaying that goes on in the Old Testament. There was a one boss fight where the bad guy was so absurdly obese that his rolls of fat completely engulfed the rogue's dagger after a sneak attack.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You'd want a reaaal thorough and comprehensive session zero before having the DM roleplay Jesus as an NPC...

“In the beginning…”

 

[Bedrockgames]

I still think that you need to go Old Testiment in order to find stuff that matches up with how RPGs work.

When you get a few decades into the AD, all you've got is protagonists going to various places and repeating what Jesus said to them and eventually getting themselves killed by the locals while maintaining a pacifist attitude. If you do run into some demons, you gotta evoke Jesus a bit and have a sort of faith duel, but you still don't get to use swords.

I really don't see how that could be as interesting as some of the giant slaying that goes on in the Old Testament. There was a one boss fight where the bad guy was so absurdly obese that his rolls of fat completely engulfed the rogue's dagger after a sneak attack.

I think it would be interesting, it just wouldn't be like a standard D&D campaign. It would probably be more like Call of Cthulhu

 

[Weiley31]

"Rule of thumb, Hassan: You can't kill the Messiah."
-Kane

Why?
-Because he Auto-Rezzes and we're using Gritty Healing/Resting rules so It'll take an entire week for your Long Rests to refresh.

 

[ART!]

if I were to do this I would run it tongue in cheek (I am and was raised Christian) I would base it more on Hercules the Legendary Journeys it is loosely based on the legends/myths... but not really,

This would be a very tempting way for me to go with it, too:

Two-Fisted Tales of the Messiah!*

Look out for Jesus and His Twelve A-Posse!*

*I mean this all good-naturedly - I was raised Catholic. I'm seriously considering backing this, but more than partly because I like to support non-Eurocentric 5E supplements.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I'm seriously considering backing this, but more than partly because I like to support non-Eurocentric 5E supplements.

Is there anything in the initial info that says Jesus won't be painted as a white western European, though? You go accurate for the region and you know certain groups will be all riled up that he does not look like them.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My thoughts:

The goal for this setting is a D&D version of Ben-Hur, Quo Vadis? and other stories from the petlum genre where PCs run their adventures parallalel to historical facts.

Not only slavery and gladiator games in the Roman empire, but that is was allowed with child slaves.

Besides here but in all TRPG settings based in History the PCs aren't allowed to alter the timeline. What if PCs avoid Caesarion (Cleopatra and Julius Caesar's son) to be killed by Octavian?

Somebody says Jews were the 10% of Roman empire population in the times of August.

The players who wish to buy this setting want nothing by Mark Millar or Garth Ennis's fiction with religious elements.

I can't say Hindu mythology but Hindu religion. Do you undertand? Christian mythology is the tales from popular folklore with saints as characters.

This setting shouldn't be only for first century, but for more ages from History.