(RPG PDF Spotlight) Beyond the Woods Core Rulebook (5e)

RPG PDF Spotlights is our daily look at a recent release for a new tabletop roleplaying game, supplement or scenario, or solo journaling game, that has caught my eye.

Beyond the Woods Core Rulebook (5e)

Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Rulebook by Old Oak Games

The leaves have begun to fall…

The Golden Oak is dying. The Sluagh watch from the darkness, waiting for its light to fade, growing closer each day. We must leave. We must journey into the shadowed lands of Tír Nascath. We must discover what lies Beyond the Woods…

Discover the shadowed lands of Tír Nascath, an unforgiving dark fantasy world inspired by ancient Irish myth and legend. You and a band of unlikely allies must leave the safety of Céad Darach, the last great city, to explore ancient ruins, uncover long-forgotten magic, and face the terrifying Sluagh — a spectral legion of the accursed dead who devour anything in their path.

Beyond the Woods brings classic open-world fantasy roleplaying and exploration to 5th edition. The Core Rulebook allows you to play a classic hex-crawl or West Marches style campaign using the 5e rules you know and love. You can use these rules to explore the ancient and mysterious lands of Tír Nascath or with any other fantasy setting of your choice — all you need is a map and a hex grid! The Core Rulebook includes:

• Exploration: New rules for travel, resting, and hexcrawl exploration, plus a completely reimagined inventory and encumbrance system inspired by classic survival horror videogames like Resident Evil.

• Survival: Intuitive resource dice to track hunger and starvation, along with new rules for healing and dying, mean that the risk of death is very real.

• 6 New Classes: Play as a Channeller, Draoi, Hunter, Mage, Warrior, or Storyteller — a unique class inspired by the Irish seanchaí and the grand tradition of oral storytelling.

• 5 New Lineages: Choose from the shape-changing Púca, who bring both good and ill luck to their companions; the ethereal Aos Sí, faerie folk from beyond the mountain; the fearsome Baloran, cursed with the blood of the legendary fomorian Balor; the stalwart Daoine, who endure against all odds; or the forsaken Changeling, fae creatures who were switched at birth.

• Lifepath Character Generation: Beyond the Woods uses a narrative-driven lifepath system to generate your character’s origin and define their life in Céad Darach before the adventure begins. Roll to see how your experiences and life in the city influence your skills and abilities and lead you down a path to your true calling!

As well as the Core Rulebook, you also get a bunch of extra downloads, including:

• Map and Tokens: A beautifully illustrated map of Tír Nascath, created by legendary cartographer Jared Blando (Storm King’s Thunder, Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, Acquisitions Incorporated, Magic: The Gathering), plus a collection of digital tokens to customise your map and track your journey.

• GM Screen: Features stunning art by renowned fantasy illustrator Álvaro Jiménez. The screen is packed with useful tables and quick references for all the new travel, exploration, and survival rules. 

• Custom Character Sheet: Illustrated by Samantha Rustle and designed specifically for Beyond the Woods, this Irish-inspired character sheet lets you track everything about your character.

Beyond the Woods Core Rulebook (5e)is available through DriveThru RPG in PDF.