USA: $5 - $10 UK: $5 - $15 EU: $13 - $29 Canada: $20 - $35 Australia: $12 - $28 South America: $40 - $80 Rest of the World: $70 - $150

Last updated: July 02, 2024 17:02

We are only offering the core module for this Kickstarter campaign. We have a lot of ideas for expansions and add-ons, but we want to gauge the level of interest in this project first. If we get enough support, our Stretch Goals will gradually unlock new Add-Ons, which can then be purchased in the pledge manager.

Last updated: July 05, 2024 08:59

This setting highly recommends running nautical campaigns at lower levels, since the “feel” of a seafaring campaign works best at levels 1-6. There are a variety of reasons for this, which are covered in the introduction to the book, along with advice for circumventing common pitfalls of nautical mechanics.

This book recommends ending a nautical campaign by level 10; however, it is possible to continue sailing all the way to level 20, if that’s what your group wants to do. There are no shortage of things to explore and do in this setting, but the encounters may have to be rebalanced if your party wishes to continue seafaring after level 10.

Last updated: July 07, 2024 07:37

The year 54 is filled with interesting characters and world events, but it is best summarized with the word “potential.” There is so much that is about to happen in the year 54 that hasn’t quite happened yet, which makes for a perfect setting for a ttrpg campaign. By dropping the player characters into a living world filled with so much potential, it allows them to not only learn the history, but feel like they have agency in imagining how the world may have turned out differently with only a few small changes. Although this is not an exhaustive list, here is some of the potential offered by an adventure set in the year 54.

Rome - Nero has risen to the seat of emperor, but the world has yet to realize the ruthlessness of this ambitious young politician.

China - All of China has been unified under the Hand Dynasty, allowing the empire - for the first time - to devote all of its resources and energy to trade and exploration.

India - As a powerhouse of worldwide trade, India is easily the wealthiest nation in the world, but internal power struggles and family drama threatens the stability of the Satavahana dynasty.

Africa - Following the death of their queen and collapse of Ma’rib, the empire of Sheba has withdrawn to the new capital city of Aksum, under the rulership of a new power-hungry king of dubious authority.

Parthia - Having assassinated his enemies and exiled the true heir, King of Kings Gotarzes rules with an iron fist. But his kingship lacks wisdom, and many wonder how long it will be until he is… replaced.

Celts - As Roman conquest reaches the shores of Britain, a rebel alliance of Celts has drawn a line in the sand. Rallying behind Queen Boudica, they are preparing to make their last stand against Rome.

Christians - The message of Jesus Christ is spreading like wildfire, but many powerful politicians feel threatened by this new religion. James has been assassinated, and rumor is spreading that the other apostles will be next…

Southern Islands - Led by their “Wayfinders,” the seafaring people of the Southern Seas continue their never-ending voyage, living in harmony with the ocean and its islands. But what will happen when the larger empires learn of this unclaimed territory and its fertile islands?

Last updated: July 07, 2024 07:37

Great question! Obviously a lot of the components to this adventure setting are fictional; however, they are ALSO historical! Part of the problem of studying historical accounts of people and places is that it is difficult to separate the stories of what really happened from the folk tales and mythology of its time period. The sailors of the Silk Road really believed in sea monsters, and the emperors of the first century really did employ sorcerers who claimed to wield powerful magic. There is no question that magic and monsters are scattered throughout human history; the challenge for historians is trying to sift through these stories to determine which events really happened and which were just folk tales.

Fortunately for us, we aren’t historians! We are just here to have fun with our friends playing a tabletop role-playing game. And monsters and magic are fun, so why edit them out? All monsters that appear in this module are based on real stories and regional folk tales from the era of the Silk Road. Although this places our book firmly in the realm of “fantasy,” we don’t feel like this creative choice is revisionist or dishonest with the truth of historical events.

Furthermore, every time we have made a creative choice in this book, it is accompanied by a sidebar that clarifies this choice and contextualizes it with facts and often offers sources for further reading. If your group wants to play a “realistic” game with no magic or monsters, you can simply choose to ignore this fantasy content.

Last updated: July 07, 2024 07:37

“The Adventurer’s Guide to the Bible” ends with the death of Jesus, and “Silk Road Guide to Seafaring” picks up 20 years later, in the same historical/fantasy setting. There are also numerous characters and connections between Silk Road and both of our previous titles. However, there are a few reasons that this book isn’t explicitly a “sequel.”

First, and most importantly, Silk Road highly recommends starting at a lower level to preserve the feel of the nautical adventure. Since AGttB ends at level 10, it probably isn’t a good idea to continue into SRGtS with the same characters. Second, this book has a much wider lens that covers everything (geographically) from Iceland to Japan. In terms of the Bible, this adventure takes place during the book of Acts, and accurately places all people and events from Acts into their proper locations for the year 54. However, SRGtS also takes into account just about everything else happening in the eastern hemisphere, so its content is much more broad than AGttB was.

Last updated: July 08, 2024 04:24