WHISPERS OF

PLANEGEA

5E
Discover a world of kinetic action, primordial horror,
& mystic awe in this preview of the prehistoric campaign
setting for Fifth Edition roleplaying adventures

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WELCOME
TO PLANEGEA
The oozing jungle shakes with the thunder and roar of the barbarian atop
the awakened mammoth. He whirls his enchanted bone axe, signaling
the sorceress soaring above. She folds her wings and dives, ablaze
with magic. Tonight, her spells and his rage will at last lay waste to
the slimy lair of the tentacled tyrant-lizard and its corrupted brood!
Still vibrating with star-magic, the translucent elf scavenger—her
edges dreamlike and indistinct—holds her breath. She carries her
flint dagger in one hand and her offering of blood in the other as she
descends, trailed noiselessly by her ever-silent halfling companion,
into the cave of the bear-god.
His stony beard glittering with gemstones, the dwarvish fighter and
saurian spellskin bow their heads to receive the clan blessing as they
prepare to track the fire-giant slave-raiders. The great clanfire claws
at the night sky and the shaman sings of rescue and dawn, but the
rocky heart of the dwarf beats only with the drum-song of revenge.
T
HIS IS PLANEGEA—A PRIMORDIAL FANTASY
campaign setting for Fifth Edition, where a
dungeon means the curse-painted caves of a
cannibal clan, and a mindless, monstrous dragon
is as likely to eat you as look at you. Gone are the
safe hearths of taverns and libraries, kingdoms and cathe-
drals. Planegea is a place of utter wildness, where survival
is the only law and it must be carved from the world by
force of might and magic.
Here, you must eat or be eaten. Fashion your own armor
from fur, feathers, bone, and stone. Shatter your hand-
carved blades on the backs of your enemies in savage
combat. Hunt primordial beasts, hold your breath as you
hide from massive predators, and seek safety in numbers as
you journey through an epic world before myth—a land of
smoke, song, blades, dreams, blood, and magic.
UNFAMILIAR EVERYTHING
Nothing is as you expect in Planegea. Elves are shimmer-
ing dream-walkers, dwarves are half stone, humans are
beast-tamers, halflings are silent stalkers, gnomes are filthy
scavengers, and dragonborn are just a heartbeat away from
their draconic ancestors.
There are no great, universal gods—only a patchwork
quilt of local deities, often appearing in the shapes you least
expect, with powers that are bought with offerings and
strange favors.
In Planegea, the planes of existence have not yet sepa-
rated, and a great warrior can travel by foot from the Sea
of Stars to the infinite, volcanic peak of Blood Mountain;
but along the way, that warrior must battle everything—
from cold alien intelligences to the genie caravans—from
the four empires of the giants to the monsters that hunt
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the howling peaks and roaring oceans that ring the Great
Valley—from the cold, bony fingers of the Nightmare
World to the terrifying jaws of the jungle known by as the
Venom Abyss—every step of the journey is plagued with
danger and death.
A WORLD OF BONE & FIRE
Planegea is primal fantasy roleplaying. Whatever you want
to explore in Fifth Edition—slaying monstrous creatures,
navigating political intrigue, exploring ancient ruins,
crafting enchanted weapons, infiltrating evil cults, battling,
building, casting, carousing—it’s all here. Planegea rises
out of our earliest ancestral memory, a world we can barely
recognize, which holds all the adventure we can imag-
ine. You won’t find limitations on class or race in these
pages; rather, they are filled with ideas and inspiration for
running a long and glorious game set before written words,
hammered ore, and plowed fields.
Drawn from the traditions of sword & sorcery pulp
adventures, infused with the blood-pounding thrills of the
Fury Road, and caught in the jaws of primordial dreams,
Planegea has adventures for everyone who ever felt the cold
wind raise a chill of hunt and hope on their raw skin.
THE CLANFIRE IS SACRED
Life begins and—if you’re lucky—ends at the clanfire.
Every clan keeps a fire burning as hot and high as they
can; the bigger the fire, the greater the strength of the clan.
Neighboring clans compete to build the greatest fire, and
daring young hunters make dousing raids on the fire of
their enemies.
For wanderers, the clanfire has even more significance—
the light acts as a signal-fire, a place to gather and rest. It is
a great tradition that strangers are welcome without ques-
tion at the clanfire between sunrise and sunset, as long as
they leave their weapons outside the firelight.
The clanfire is the heart of clan life; food, strong drink,
stories, songs, ceremonies, disputes, judgments, dreams,
and more are all shared around it.
The clanfire replaces the tavern. When looking for a
place to rest and spend the night, seek out the nearest clan-
fire. You’ll have to leave your weapons behind, but strong
tradition will keep you safe until morning... probably. It’s
also a great place for rumors, advice about the landscape
and local gods, and to barter goods and favors.
EVERY PLACE HAS ITS GOD
Planegea exists in an age of proto-gods, where divine
beings are only beginning to gather their power and under-
stand what it is to ascend to rule the cosmos. There are no
great universal gods with dominion over entire aspects of
reality. Instead, Planegea is an animistic place, with power-
ful spirits reigning as gods over local environments.
Many powerful spirits can become gods, in a mysterious
process that is unknown even to the wisest of shamans.
Creatures, plants, rivers, places—even objects and weather
patterns—all of them can develop into divine spirits over STONEPUNK
time. But a few principles unite these proto-gods:
Gods are tied to a place. Once a spirit becomes a god, it Let your imagination run wild within the limits of the
is restricted in its movement to its sacred place—a forest taboos. Build cities on the backs of mammoths, hang
glade, a cave, a bend in the river, and so on. They cannot wooden temples from giant trees, craft great hang-glid-
leave this place, which is called a hallow, so they call on ers that soar on volcanic heat—whatever can be made
mortal agents to enact their will in the world. with skill and simple tools, bring into your vibrant Stone
Gods barter with power. Since they are limited to Age world.
their hallows and hungry for glory, gods are more than
willing to help mortals—even strangers—in exchange
for offerings and favors. The hallows of gods can take the
place of a magic shop, blessing food and drink, crafting
totems, and even enchanting weapons, armor, and other In These Pages
wondrous items... for the right offering.
Gods consume gods. Some gods are content to remain in The material before you is not a stand-alone game—it is
their hallows and commune with their followers, but many meant to be played with other resources in Fifth Edition
desire to grow their power and influence. Gods will often roleplaying games. But it does contain hints of a Stone
incite those within their influence to conquer neighbor- Age world ready to be discovered, saved, or conquered...
ing areas, destroying what is sacred to them (damming depending on what you bring to the table.
rivers, cutting trees, hunting animals, etc) in an attempt to Clanfire & Wilderness. The next section introduces you
weaken them so that the conquering god can extend their to the wandering world of Planegea, with glowing clan-
range to the defeated god’s hallow and devour their essence. fires and dangers in the ever-shifting land. Discover the
themes of Planegea, explore clan life, with its patterns and
rhythms, its full days, magic nights. And step beyond the
THE BLACK TABOOS edge of the firelight to find a world on the move, and learn
The people of Planegea are no fools. They are intelligent,
the basics of wilderness survival.
curious, and possessed of a strong will to survive. Yet they
Prehistoric Characters. What is it like to grow up in a
are locked in the Stone Age by powers beyond the reckon-
primordial land? Sharpen your senses so that you can step
ing of gods or mortals. Still, the mighty minds and spirits
into the world of Planegea with open eyes—because what’s
of Planegea fight against these bonds, being as clever and
lurking out of sight is already watching you.
inventive as possible under the constraints they face.
Races. In Planegea, the familiar races of Fifth Edition are
There is a force in the cosmos known as the Hounds of
strange and primal. Dwarves are half-stone, elves are half-
the Blind Heaven. Nobody knows where they come from,
dream, and monsters are mixed in strange and unpredict-
or the origin of their curse... but one thing is certain:
able combinations to frighten and bewilder even the most
breaking the so-called Black Taboos rouses their wrath,
seasoned of adventurers.
and means certain death. The Black Taboos are these:
Classes. The traditions that will someday become classes
Writing is death. The dark magic known as “writing”
all begin in Planegea, from the divine shaman making
summons the unthinkably horrible and merciless Hounds.
offerings to local gods to the arcane spellskin drawing
Anyone who forms a written word will instantly be
her tattoos with magic to the martial fighter shattering
pursued until dead by awful beings, which seem to know
a bone sword on the back of a monster. Though the roles
the moment a glyph is shaped anywhere in the world.
are familiar, they are also altered by countless epochs, and
Pictures and patterns do not seem to rouse the Hounds’ ire,
have strange and unexpected aspects in prehistory.
but any abstract symbology that can be used to communi-
Equipment & Trade. Planegea is a world without metal—
cate meaning over distance is a breaking of the First Taboo.
it simply does not exist. And since coin is forbidden by the
No number after nine. Holding up both hands and count-
Black Taboos, all is barter and swap. Yet even with such
ing the fingers there ends in “many.” Every number above
limited means, the brilliant crafters and builders of Plane-
nine is many. A family of more than nine is many. An
gea create items of stunning grace and utility; and they’re
endless sea of herd animals that stretches from horizon to
willing to trade it to you, for the right deal.
horizon is many. A journey of countless miles is many.
Spells. Magic is new and raw in Planegea. Races guard
For mechanical purposes of movement, range, combat,
their arcane secrets, and the gods and Death itself punish
etc., numbers still have meaning. But in roleplay and
those who encroach on their domains.
conversation, anything numbering above nine is ambig-
Locations. Here at the beginning, all the planes exist in
uous and mysterious, and doing any calculation of high
a single world, where a wanderer can travel by foot from
numbers is fraught with peril from the Hounds.
Blood Mountain at the center to the outermost Sea of Stars.
No wheels, crops, or money. Writing is not the only
This chapter describes the cosmology of the world and its
taboo that summons the Hounds. So too do wheels on axles,
wide and strange landscapes.
agriculture, and creation or exchange of currency of any
Factions & threats. For those wandering souls who dare
kind. Whatever the Blind Heaven is, wherever the Hounds
to tread on ancient ruins or forbidden places, they will
come from, they seem utterly committed to keeping Plane-
find no palaces of elven lords or ancient dwarven king-
gea in its most primitive form.

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doms. The desolate places of the world hold dungeons, but
not made by mortal hands. Great powers move and shake
the world, and this chapter suggests their outlines DM, to
shape an adventure perfect for your party.
Answer the Howl
For those who rise to the call, for those heroes who can
hear clan-drums and star-song, Planegea offers endless
adventure. Will you escape the slave-pits of the giant
empires and lead the Great Valley to revolt? Will you
survive the Venom Abyss to find the heart of the world in
Blood Mountain? Will you reach into the Sea of Stars and
slay the Hounds of the Blind Heaven who hunt those who
dare to rise above their destiny?
If you dare—if you’re strong enough, hungry enough,
wild enough—Planegea is calling you with an echoing,
untamed, fire-blackened howl.
CLANFIRE &
WILDERNESS
W
HEN YOU SET FOOT IN PLANEGEA, YOU
enter a wilderness world. This is a place of
darkness and light, beauty and terror, death
and the raw will to push back death to survive
just one more day. Planegea is a world without
famed heroes—to live is heroic enough. Yet never has a
land been in more need of those with heroes’ hearts: those
ready to fight the powerful to defend the weak, risk impos-
sible odds to stave off darkness for one more night—these
qualities are essential when entering a primal world of
prehistoric fantasy.
And what a world it is! Filled with strange monsters,
secret mysteries, untouched landscapes, swirling stars,
living forests, magical volanoes, writhing seas, giant
empires, doors to dream and nightmare—Planegea is a
world that crackles with possibility for adventure.
This section will serve as an introduction to basic
survival in the world, focusing on the center of mortal life,
the clanfire, as well as the wilderness that lies just beyond
its light. Use it as a guide to begin getting acquainted with
life in a magical Stone Age, to spark ideas for adventure,
and orient you for all that lies ahead.
Prehistoric Fantasy
For many of us, our first voyages into fantasy were set in
a medieval world, full of knights and castles, royalty and
wizards. Those fairytale lands gave way to stranger stories
as we grew, but our grounding was always in that middle-
time of iron swords and besieged battlements.
Planegea falls backwards through history to a much
earlier era, before the bronze age of sword and sandal into
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a world without any idea of metal whatsoever. Medieval
fantasy talks about “a time before memory” and “the dawn
of the world.” That’s exactly where Planegea exists.
When you enter a world of prehistoric fantasy, you bring
some things with you and leave others behind:
What you bring. Bring your sense of possibility, your
appetite for adventure, your ingenuity and wit. Bring
your curiosity, your daring, your thirst for a good story
and a good battle. Bring your instincts for friendship and
mistrust of too-friendly strangers, and bring above all
your sense of discovery—there’s far more in Planegea than
meets the eye, for those willing to encounter it.
What you leave behind. Leave behind your ideas of stabil-
ity and predictability, confidence in the established order
of things and a hierarchy of kings and nobles. Leave behind
images of dusty temples and ancient religions—all is new
here at the start of the world. Leave behind scholars of
ancient histories... you are living the first stories, the ones
that will be told in stars and tomes in the eras to come—if
you are brave enough to change the world by your will.
What you find again. There are many elements of classical
fantasy that still exist in prehistoric fantasy, slightly altered
to fit a world without writing and ore. Us the prehistoric
fantasy table below to suggest how you might encounter
familiar tropes in a new way in the world of Planegea.
THE FIVE SENSES
Planegea is no drab place of brown furs and dull grunts—
it’s a sensory world, alive with color and noise, scent and
feeling. In Planegea, you might...
• See brightly-painted tents adorned with dyed fur and
patterned feathers, swirling stars overhead in infinite
dancing patterns, or a herd of towering beasts on the
move in the mist, each the size of a fortress.
• Hear drums and the music of pipes and harps, songs
and stories, wind and rain, choruses of birds, whispers
of stars, and howls of hunger from the echoing wild.
• Smell the intoxicating scent of giant flowers, the
comforting smoke of the clanfire, the tang of magic, and
the purest of fresh air, mingled with the musk of beasts
on the prowl and rot on the wind.
• Taste smoked meat fresh off the bone, salt on the lips,
blood running from a fresh wound, sweet and tart fruits
growing in abundance, and bitter herbs ground between
teeth in divine ceremony.
• Feel worked leather and knapped stone blades, warm
furs and icy winds, shimmering heat rising from volca-
noes and geysers, dizzying magic both arcane and divine,
the pounding of your pulse as you hunt and are hunted.
THE SIX ABILITIES
Every ability comes into play in prehistoric fantasy, not just
the physical ones. You’ll need all your cunning, intuition,
and charm to survive. In Planegea, you’ll use...
• Strength to grapple monstrous beasts, outrun volcanoes,
scale cliffs, plunge into dark depths, wrench bone from
bone, and carry the clan on your back.
• Dexterity to leap from height to height, dance out of with parts that can be used in all manner of surprising
harm’s way, hide from hungry predators, stalk unsus- combinations, from the simplest knife to elaborate flying
pecting prey, and scavenge what you need to survive. constructs built from driftstone, leathery wings, scav-
• Constitution to withstand bitter winter wind and enged ribcages, and arcane gems. It’s a make-do land,
volcanic heat, poisonous plants and stinging megafauna, where cunning and ingenuity are as valuable as brawn and
endless days, deadly nights, and potent venomwine. stamina, and every hunt is an opportunity for invention.
• Intelligence to read the secrets of the stars, remember Make friends & enemies. Only a fool dwells trustingly
the shape of an ever-moving land, rediscover forgotten with the enemy. With powerful clans, dangerous raiders,
songs and stories, recognize the familiar in the bewil- unstable gods, ravaging monsters, and the ever-present
dering, and study the ways of gods and monsters. threat of the Giant Empires looming on all sides, it’s essen-
• Wisdom to read a stranger’s intent, harvest kills and tial to make allies you can trust—and to know who your
heal wounds, scout the land ahead, smell danger on the enemies are. Many forces move through the world, some
wind, track your quarry, intuit the elements, and find unmissable, some unseen. Keeping a watchful eye on the
food and water to stave off starvation for one more day. secrets in a stranger’s eyes in the firelight may mean the
• Charisma to talk your way out of trouble, intimidate difference between life and death—or worse.
mortals and monsters alike, dance and sing the rites
and rituals of gods old and new, and forge friendships to Wilderness
stand between you and death.
Out there, beyond the light cast by the clanfire, is a world
of fear and hope, danger and promise, deadly monsters and
Clanfire divine miracles. The wilderness is all around you, full of
secrets, silence, beasts, wonders, screeches, roars, things
Wherever you go in Planegea, you find adventure. But
forgotten and things that have never been glimpsed by
it isn’t always the snarling teeth of a saber-toothed cat.
mortal eyes. The wilderness defines the world, it is every-
Sometimes it’s the false smile of a lying advisor, their eyes
thing, and the clanfires are small sparks in its infinite,
glittering with subtle malice. Sometimes it’s in a tense
untamed, unforgiving sprawl.
negotiation between clans on the brink of all-out war.
And yet survival requires mortals to grit their teeth, grip
And sometimes—rarely, but every now and then—life in
their blades, and set out into the wilderness with squared
Planegea is good, peaceful, and worth fighting to protect.
shoulders and flint in their eyes. As you step into the
As you take your seat around the clanfire, you’ll discover
unknown, here’s a taste of what you’ll need to do to survive
these key aspects of life in Planegea:
in the wilds of Planegea:
Protect the clan. Mortals in Planegea—humans, elves,
Read the world. The spoor of prey. The signs of predators.
dwarves, orcs, and other folk—live in nomadic hunt-
The movement of the stars and land. The safety or danger
er-gatherer groups called clans. These clans roam the land
of a pool of water. The hint of magic—all of this and more
in search of food, water, fuel for their fires, and a safe place
is what a mortal needs to take into account when traveling
to lay their heads at night. A clan is the closest family a
into the wilderness. Planegea is constantly changing, and
mortal can have, and survival depends on knowing that the
the skilled wanderer understands how to interpret those
others in your clan would die for you, and you for them.
changes to predict what lies ahead.
Honor the clanfire. The clanfire is the heart of clan
Hunt food & magic. Hunters venture into the wild to
life—a symbol of vitality and survival. This large fire is
pursue prey, so that they can feed themselves and their
usually found at the center of a mortal camp. It burns low
clans. Shamans venture into the wild to encounter gods
and hot during the day, used for crafting and cooking, but
and wrestle blessings from their selfish whims. And those
as night falls, it is raised to a roaring bonfire around which
with an eye towards the arcane venture into the wild to
the clan gathers to eat, talk, perform rituals and magic, and
find strange new magics and undiscovered spells which—if
tell stories. To extinguish a clanfire is an act of war, a death
tamed—might mean the difference between life and death.
threat against every member of the clan. The fire is kept
Gather resources. Gatherers fan out from the clanfire,
burning above all, and honored by those who keep it.
creating patterns of exploration as they seek nuts, berries,
Appease the gods. Gods in Planegea are not distant
roots, grasses, bark, edible insects, fish, and all other good
abstractions—they are the great bear in the cave, the lion
things to eat. They also search for the goods and materials
on the hill, the whisper in the dark in the dead tree you
that will sustain and prosper the camp. But they’re not
dare not approach. Gods are powerful, but local, bound to
alone in the wilderness, and must remain vigilant; for raid-
their divine lair, called their hallow. As clans travel, they
ers and monsters, mortals are mere goods to be gathered.
move between divine domains, and seek to curry favor
Find safety. Mortals travel through the wilderness in
with the local gods, relying on their shamans (and those
search of shelter: an unoccupied cave, a grove of sleeping
the shamans recruit) to do all it takes to earn the favor of
trees, a defensible hilltop. Often, the only escape from
the nearest, most powerful god.
danger is through other dangers, and unlucky clans lose
Craft what you need. In this primal world, mortals make
their weakest members as they travel through the wilder-
what they need from a hunt’s harvest or what they can
ness in search of a newer, safer encampment.
gather from the land. The land and its monsters bristle

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 Encounter others. Beasts and monsters aren’t the only
creatures in the wild. Out there, a mortal is as likely to run
into others of their kind as not—lone wanderers, scouts,
traders, or even an entire clan on the move. Or one might
fall in with even stranger company, such as a forbidden
druid’s grove, secretive spellskins, scavengers, or other
strangers whose ways stir up trouble at the clanfire, and
find it easier to remain in the sharp-toothed wilderness
than smile where they are unwelcome.
RACES
A
LL THE RACES OF FIFTH EDITION CAN BE
found in Planegea, though they may not look or
act the way you know them from their distant
descendants. Here they are primordial, less alike
than ever yet unburdened by millennia of tradi-
tion and legacies of xenophobia.
Survivors, not legacies. Beings band together to stay
alive in Planegea. The world is hostile and hungry, and
the mortal races have not been in the world long enough
to create hard divisions between the races. Many clans
welcome any able body who is willing to work. Some keep
to their own kind, but this is usually due not to racial prej-
udice but rather a shared ethos for the methods of survival.
Stories, not histories. The world is new, and races have
not yet written their great histories of ancestors and
bloodlines. Kingdoms have yet to be built, mortal empires
are unformed. Ask an elf the history of her people, and
she’ll tell you the tale of her parents or her clan. The stories
people know and tell about where they came from are
personal, not shrouded in the depths of the past.
Life in all its forms. In later eras, humans, elves, dwarves,
and other warm-blooded creatures will fill the land, but
Planegea is still new, and other, non-mammalian races
compete alongside everyone else. Humanoid plants, oozes,
dinosaurs, and even elemental beings of pure energy all
live and breathe and eke out their corners of survival.
Primordial races. These are the earliest forms of races
that walk the world in later eras. Here are dwarves, elves,
men, and others that are familiar from 5E, but each is
altered by the span of uncountable years, distinct from
their tavern-drinking, castle-dwelling descendants. Use
these pages to inspire your primordial character, and
remember how much of history is yet unwritten.
Dwarf
Still half-stone, dwarves were born of rock, and only
recently carved their way out of the deep places of the
world. Their skin and hair glitters with minerals and
gemstones. Dwarves consider other races—softskins, as
they call them—strange and mercurial, full of whimsy
and change. To be a dwarf is to live with crystal clarity and
stony certainty.
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Outcroppings. Almost all dwarves have some visible
element of stone or crystal in their skin or hair, growing
naturally from their bodies. This might be as subtle as a
patches of pebbly scales, or nearly cover the body in rocky
shards and spines.
Stone quirk. Thanks to their mineral roots, Dwarves
are unlike all other races—although they share a distant
kinship with the waste-children of earth. Use this table to
inspire how your stony background manifests.
d6 Quirk
1 Once you’ve made up your mind, no force in Planegea
can change it
2 You love showing off your stony nature, challenging
other hunters to break their weapons on your skin
3 You are very slow to make any promise, for a promise
once made is utterly binding
4 You sleep sitting up, motionless as a stone, and have
been mistaken for a rock on many occasions
5 Change confuses you, and you have a hard time
recognizing even close friends if they change their
clothes or appearance
6 You are embarrassed by your rocky outcroppings, and
do all you can to conceal them, preferring to pass as a
human when possible
Ruin builders If you see an abandoned cliff-fortress or
menhirs set high on a hill, you can be almost certain it was
once dwarvish. Obsessive builders and carvers of stone,
dwarves have been known to build a fortress for genera-
tions, only to abandon it overnight when the last stone is
mortared, ready to start anew. Their industry is ferocious,
their dedication to craftsmanship eternal. Many a wander-
ing dwarf can be tracked by an unconscious habit of piling
pebbles into little cairns wherever they go.
Industrious & competitive. A losing endeavor is called
a “dwarvish bet,” because those who live beside dwarves
know that once they set their mind to a task or challenge,
nothing can stop them. Their tirelessness and dedication is
respected by those around them, yet with every generation,
dwarvish elders grow a little more suspicious of a growing
love for ale and the ease of life on the banks of the Three
Brothers.
Friends of giants. It is known that the giants greatly
admire the dwarves for their natural cunning with
stone, and that dwarves are often invited into their high-
walled cities as guests, counted as friends and advisors in
construction, building, and crafting projects of all kinds.
Some, however, believe the giants are a little too welcom-
ing, and worry that there might be some larger, darker plan
that the empires have for their stone-working allies.
HEWN DWARF (HILL DWARF)
Not all dwarves are born—some are carved from rock and
given life with secret magic only known to the dwarves.
These hewn dwarves are more rock than skin, and often
look at the softskin world with a mixture of confusion,
contempt, and curiosity.
BORN DWARVES
Dwarves that are a few generations removed from the
mines and quarries of their kind quickly develop their own
ways of adapting to a soft-skinned world. These dwarves—
born rather than carved—represent the other forms that
dwarves take throughout Fifth Edition.
Elf
Semi-translucent, elves have indistinct edges, with some-
thing not-quite-real about them. You can see the sun rise
through an elf, as through the end of a dream. Originating
in Nod, the world of dreams and nightmares, elves never
quite sleep, always seeming only partly attached to Plane-
gea, their thoughts ever wandering far away...
Graceful translucence. You can see moonlight through
an elf’s hand. They have a quality of not-quite-there-ness,
born of their origin in the mists of Nod. They are a slender
people and are known to move with a dancer’s step, their
eyes seemingly focused on something just out of reach.
Wandering minds. Elves are known for being in a state
of distraction. They usually seem either a step behind or
two steps ahead of the conversation, as if their thoughts
are wandering on quite a different path than that of other
mortals. Yet when they arrive at their destination and
choose a course of action, they are both brilliant and intu-
itive. Use this table to inspire how your wandering mind
manifests.
d6 Wandering
1 You lose focus quickly, distracted by the next
interesting thing you see
2 You have a habit of interrupting the conversation with
an unrelated observation or question
3 You reject the binaries of black and white, yes and no,
life and death—there’s always a third option
4 You don’t like walking in a straight line, and create your
own detours
5 There are always two or three problems or mysteries
you’re working on solving in the back of your mind
6 Wherever you go, you trace, draw, and paint swirling,
abstract patterns that reflect your inner state
Eternal beauty. Elves remain in the prime of their life an
unthinkably long time... in a world with no number over
nine, they are believed to simply be immortal. Although
many elves enjoy the company of other races and find their
perspectives interesting, they can be aloof in distracted
immortality. Some elves prefer to live with their own kind,
to avoid the pain of getting attached to such short-lived
companions. Such elvish clans are almost never permanent
encampments, preferring to wander in search of places
of great natural beauty. Elves are known for their work
in feathers, beads, colorful paint, and weaving, and their
textiles are highly sought, especially for feasts and festivals.
The call of Nod. Elves don’t sleep, and don’t dream—the
world of dreams and nightmares is real to them, and they
must travel through doorways or by magic to go there....
and it never stops calling to them. Whether born in Nod or
Planegea, an elf always feels the draw of the dream world,
and rare is the elf who does not at some point in their long
life seek a way to at least gaze into their former home.
EXILE OF NOD (HIGH ELF)
Many lifetimes ago, by mortal measure, a great crime or sin
was committed by a clan of elves from the world of dreams.
These elves were cast out, banished forever from Nod, and
have dwelt in Planegea ever since. Exiles of Nod are less
translucent than their kin, and have spent their outcast
generations learning how to survive. Because of this, they
tend towards more practicality and skill with both magic
and weaponry than others of their kind.
No human—and few elves—know why they were
banished, but the oldest of the exile elves know, and some
say they are still working towards some larger plan for
return or revenge.
ELVES OF NOD
Those who cross from the World of Dreams or Nightmares
have other forms, more insubstantial, more curious. Some
are formed of darkness or the wilderness or the sea. Their
ways are varied and strange, and represent the diversity of
elves across Fifth Edition.
Halfling
Called silentfolk or quietkin, halflings are unseen until
it’s too late. A secretive people who hunt by ambush, they
are eerie and unsettling, yet highly valued as hunters and
allies, if other races are able to befriend them.
Small and deadly. Halflings are known by their small
stature and quiet step. Because of their size, they are
natural prey for many hungry beasts, and so halflings have
learned the art of hiding, and striking first from the shad-
ows. They tend to wear dark natural colors, and are known
for elaborate striped face painting or tattoos as an art of
camouflage.
Not seen, not heard. Halflings are capable of speech, but
their culture is built around silence, and their clan tongue
is an elaborate sign language created for stalking large
prey. It’s hard to get a halfling to open up, but it’s said that
on the rare occasions when they feel safe and secure, they
are clever and bright companions, full of all the jokes and
insights they’ve been holding back until it was time to
speak. Use this table for inspiration on how this tradition
of silence affects your character.
7
 d6 Silence
1 You sneak up on people without meaning to, often
startling your companions by appearing behind them
without warning
2 You don’t speak until spoken to, but once you start
talking, you can’t stop
3 You bottle up grudges—literally. Your belt has skins and
jars that hold objects that remind you of who you’re
going to get back at
4 You consider flamboyance of all kinds a great sin and
personal offense, and instinctively distrust anyone
who attracts attention
5 You love a good jump scare, and will go out of your way
to startle your companions for a laugh
6 You often forget that other races don’t know halfling
sign language, and slip in and out of your native dialect
without realizing it
Kill or be killed. Somewhere in the halfling people’s
past, they realized that, thanks to their size, they could
be easy prey or become predators, and decided on the
latter. Halflings keep to their own kind more than most
other races, largely because they find others too noisy and
clumsy to survive in the halfling way. Their clans tend to
camp in hidden places and live their days in total silence,
considering it a great offense to make more noise than
absolutely necessary.
But when halflings feel safe—when sentries are posted,
the tents are well-hidden, and the land and sky are empty
of threats or intruders–it’s said that there isn’t a sound
in all of Planegea to match the joyful uproar of halflings
letting loose.
The three favors. There is an old story about a halfling
who wandered through the jungle so silently that it snuck
up on Death, who was trapped under a fallen tree. Twice,
Death asked the halfling for help, and twice the halfling
refused. On the third request, the halfling agreed, but only
in exchange for three favors from Death in days to come.
Death agreed, and ever since, halflings have been a people
touched by preternatural luck, which they rely on and
count as their well-deserved birthright.
QUIETKIN (LIGHTFOOT HALFLINGS)
Most halflings are from clans that have long kept quiet and
kept to themselves. Some leave their clans because curios-
ity draws them into the world, others are sent out as long-
range hunters or scouts and then—through misfortune or
curiosity—never find their way home.
WALKAWAY HALFLINGS
There are those who refuse the way of silence and make
homes among the other clans. These halflings—called
walkaways by the quietkin—are represented by many of
the other types of halflings found in 5E.
8
Human
Known for their remarkable adaptability, humans are
unparalleled as beast-tamers. They can be found every-
where in Planegea, both as servant and master of mighty
beasts of all kinds, equally likely to have tamed a creature
as to have been subjugated by it.
A dazzling array. Humans in Planegea come in all shapes
and sizes, every shade and color—including tints of blue,
purple, and green from elvish or orcish ancestry. Humans
are known for their diverse tastes and ability to alter their
appearance and culture to whatever landscape they find
themselves to a degree considered remarkable by others.
Infinite adaptability. Humans thrive in nearly every
environment across Planegea, from the stormy plains
of Thunderverge to the soaring pinewood pillars of the
Towering Weald, from the mold-huts of Ghostmire to the
dinosaur-back villages of Lastwater Wilds. Use the follow-
ing table to inspire your diverse origin.
d6 Origin
1 You grew up on the houseboats of Fishgather,
watching traders come in from across the Raiding
Plains and down from the Skyfang Mountains.
2 You lived in the tree-villages of the Slumbering Forest,
gathering nuts and fruits from the sleeping trees and
learning at the feet of the Shamans of Seerfall.
3 You were trained as a young hunter by the mighty clans of
The Brothers river valleys, where game was plentiful and
you camped wherever the prey wandered.
4 You built mosshouses as a child in the Cult Riverland,
with a sharp stone dagger your first possession and an
oath to never let a godless neck go unsliced.
5 You lived in a dinosaur-back village that roamed across the
Dire Grazelands, running along the bridges from platform
to platform as your beasts wandered wide.
6 You started life as a proud citizen of Free Citadel, in
the vast stone palaces of giants built by mortal hands,
breathing icy mountain air that was clear and wild.
Consummate survivors. It seems that humans will do
anything to survive. Humans can be found worshiping
anything, partaking in strange and bewildering rituals and
traditions, adapting their dwellings, their clothing, all aspects
of their life simply to eke out a few more years of breath.
Natural allies. Of all races, humans find it easiest to
cooperate with other kinds of beings—for good or for
ill. Human encampments are remarkable for the range
of other races and beasts they mingle into their societies.
Sometimes, of course, it is the humans who are mingled in,
and many a powerful monster has its share of human pets.
Dragonborn
Arising from the Venom Abyss, soaring up the Unfalls in
great bamboo rafts, these draconic mortals are the newest
race to appear in the Great Valley. They are a gregarious
people, known for their showmanship, insane fearlessness,
and overwhelming pride, declaring with fierce joy their
rightful place as the hatchlings of the Worldheart Dragon’s
own brood and the harbingers of the will of Blood Mountain.
Powerful predators. The dragonborn are a towering,
dominating people, full of hunter’s pride and conquering
strength. They laugh easily and loudly, kill for sport, and
are unafraid to speak their mind. They vary in hue from
white to black, and all chromatic shades in between. The
metallic scales of dragonborn that will someday walk the
world are nowhere to be found among them.
Heirs of the world. According to the dragonborn, they
are the direct descendants of the Worldheart Dragon,
hatched of her eggs on Blood Mountain. They say they
cut down mighty trees of the Venom Abyss, lashed them
together with poisonous vines, and sailed up the Unfalls to
bring the Worldheart’s will to Planegea. This confidence or
pride is a hallmark of their people. Use the table below to
inspire how that plays out in your dragonborn character.
d6 Confidence
1 You are always certain you will succeed, no matter
what the odds or your skill level
2 You believe fear is a weakness, and look down on those
who express it
3 You love a good laugh, even at another’s expense
4 You have a habit of giving counsel and advice when it’s
not asked for or wanted
5 You’re the first to volunteer for any task, especially the
dangerous ones
6 You always eat last and take care of others first,
convinced that you don’t need help
Boastful athletes. When the dragonborn sailed up the
Unfalls in their catamarans, they announced that they had
arrived to enact the will of the Worldheart. However, it
became clear in time that they had no fixed purpose or
clear way forward, nor any way to return to their birth-
place on Blood Mountain. In the years that have passed
since they arrived, some dragonborn have joined with
other clans as hunters or makers, while most have kept to
their own kind and live in a state of perpetual hunting,
feasting, and challenging each other to feats of strength or
courage. Dragonborn camps are raucous, dangerous places,
which most other mortals take great pains to avoid.
A dubious birthright. Dragonborn are not long-lived, and
several new generations have been born in the Great Valley
since their arrival. The oldest of their kind are passing away,
and none have ever told the full story of their origin, keeping
to the same vague generalities. Some of the young drag-
onborn raised among other clans have started to wonder
whether their old ones are telling the truth... if they were the
children of the Worldheart, wouldn’t she have told them their
purpose? Wouldn’t they know what to do?
CHROMATIC ANCESTRY
None of the dragonborn in Planegea are metallic, as it is
a world without metal. The chromatic colors—black, blue,
green, red, and white—are present. Although the people of
the Great Valley don’t know it, the inherent alignment of
chromatic dragons towards selfishness and violence runs
deep in the scales.
Godspawn (Tiefling)
There are those whose stories are tangled even more fully
with the gods than most. Godspawn is the common name
for those with divine ancestors or whose ancestors were
forever altered in form by an interaction with a divine
encounter. Whether a blessing or a curse, their appearance
marks the godspawn as other, and their stories are eagerly
coveted around clanfires, if they’re willing to tell.
Marked by the gods. Godspawn appearance varies widely,
depending on the nature of the god who affected their
ancestry. Some touched by animal gods have hooves or
tails. Most have skin of an unusual hue, such as the blue
child of a river god or the bright red skin of one touched
by divine fire. Almost all, however are touched with some
sort of mark on the temples or forehead—most commonly
horns or antlers—which mark them unmistakably.
Forever other. There’s no hiding your nature as a
godspawn, although some have tried. Whether intended
as a blessing or a curse, or simply an unintended conse-
quence of a union between god and mortal, a godspawn’s
appearance makes them an outsider, set apart from the rest
of the clan. Some godspawn use their difference to their
advantage, leaning into the attention their appearance calls
to gain favor and power. Others attempt to conceal their
origin as much as possible, proving their value lies outside
whatever their forebears may have done to please or anger
the gods. Use this table to inspire your godspawn’s origins,
and then consider whether that’s something they try to
hide or leverage.
d6 Origin
1 Your ancestor was guilty of such an awful offense
against a god that death wasn’t enough—he and all his
offspring were marked for his crime
2 Your mother’s tribe crossed a winter god’s domain
without an offering, and the spiteful deity lashed out
and struck your mother at random with a curse
3 It was so long ago that nobody in your family even
remembers what god you crossed, or how... only that it
was all a misunderstanding
4 Your grandparents were on the verge of death when
they stumbled into a hallow for shelter, where the god
preserved their lives and marked them as blessed
5 A distant ancestor was a legendary hunter, and
provided such a great offering to your clan’s god that
she was marked as a blessing and reward
6 Your mother was the chosen high shaman of a kind god,
and you were raised by both your parents in the hallow
of your father
9
 Stories to tell. It’s said that a godspawn is welcome at
every clanfire but its own. Though often rejected by those
who knew the family before their stories intertwined with
the gods, these marked ones obviously have stories to tell.
Other clans are eager to hear them, to learn how to please
or avoid angering the gods, and to understand a little more
about the world around them. Many godspawn become
chanters or traveling performers, their appearance suffi-
cient to draw a crowd of eager listeners.
Unfinished business. It’s said that those who are marked by
the gods are forever bound to them in fate and fortune. Most
godspawn know exactly which god is responsible for their
appearance through family lore, and those who don’t—or
whose god is long since dead—are still entangled in the busi-
ness of those whose power far exceeds their own.
Gnome
Every race hates these little scavengers. Gathering like rats
after a kill, beggar-gnomes fashion clever trinkets, which
they attempt to trade for food, but would as soon cut a
throat as make a deal. They are dishonorable, tricky, too
small to hunt, and always seem to have something up their
sleeves. Little do those who reject them know of gnomish
cunning, courage, or the beauty that’s to be found just out
of sight in their scavenged society.
Small and quick. Gnomes stand at about half the height
of most other mortals, taller only than the quietkin. Their
fingers are long and clever, their eyes large and luminous,
their hair drifts as if defying gravity around their pointed
faces. Gnomes move with the air of prey, habitually check-
ing around, above, and over their shoulder for danger.
Despised cunning. The tallfolk, as gnomes call them,
reject and despise the gnomish people for their willing-
ness to pick over kills, scavenge in trash piles, and steal
what they need to get by. Gnomes, however, know better.
They are survivors in their own right, more clever than
the brutish races that must use brawn to get by. Gnomes
are clever, inventive, and find—or make—a way through
the world where none exists. Use this table to inspire your
gnome character’s cunning scavenger nature.
d6 Cunning
1 You’re always absentmindedly gathering materials and
making things without realizing it
2 You hate to leave anything behind, preferring to gather
everything in case it someday might be useful
3 You are unwilling to accept things at surface value,
always seeking a deeper meaning or significance
4 You ask “why” a lot... too much, according to your
companions
5 Curiosity will always get the better of you
6 You study other creatures in order to be able to
perfectly mimic them
Hidden treasures. Gnomish scavenger-camps can be
found at the fringes of larger hunter-gatherer societies.
10
Their huts tend to be made of unwanted bones covered
in gnomequilt—pieces of hide too small for others to use,
stitched together in strange patchwork patterns. They
arrange their huts in a tight circle, and in front of each
they place found or fashioned trinkets and tools for sale;
each gnomish camp is as much a marketplace as a dwell-
ing-place. The inside of their huts—too small for tallfolk
to enter—are covered in wonders of invention, art, and
beauty... tiny oases of craftsmanship and light in a dark and
violent world.
Star whisperers. The gnomish people have a deep affin-
ity for the stars—something about their small brilliance,
their clever dances across the sky—there is a kinship.
Gnomish star-shamans are known for their remark-
able understanding of the rumors of the heavens. And
some even say that the darkest of the gnomes have secret
communication with the unfathomable, ancient minds that
lurk and spiral in the dark Sea of Stars...
SCAVENGER GNOMES (ROCK GNOMES)
These gnomes are those commonly seen in the Great Valley,
living in bone-and-gnomequilt huts encircled by crafted
goods for trade, fashioned from the cast-off waste of other
clans.
Mender’s Lore (Artificer’s Lore). Whenever you make an
Intelligence (Story) check related to magic items, alchem-
ical objects, or stars, you can add twice your proficiency
bonus, instead of any proficiency bonus you normally apply.
Crafter. You have proficiency with artisan’s tools. Using
these tools, you can spend 1 hour and 10 ps worth of
materials to craft a Tiny magical device (AC 5, 1 hp). The
device ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend
1 hour repairing it to keep the device functioning), or when
you use your action to dismantle it; at that time, you can
reclaim the materials used to create it. You can have up to
three such devices active at a time.
When you create a device, choose one of the following
options:
• Kinetic Toy. This toy is a moving animal, monster, or
person, such as a frog, mouse, bird, dragon, or hunter.
When placed on the ground, the toy moves 5 feet across
the ground on each o f your turns in a random direc-
tion. It makes noises as appropriate to the creature it
represents.
• Fire Starter. The device produces a miniature flame,
which you can use to light a candle, torch, or campfire.
Using the device requires your action.
• Song Jar. When opened, this jar plays a single song at a
moderate volume. The jar stops playing when it reaches
the song’s end or when it is closed.
FAVORED GNOMES
Rarely, gnomes are able to escape the stigma of their
scavenging ways and are elevated into favored status with
a clan. These are usually the sorts represented by other
gnomish subraces in Fifth Edition, their peculiarities seen
as advantages by the clans that adopt them.

Half-Elf
Often called Twilight or Dawn Children, these descendants
of humans and elves share traits from both bloodlines, yet
are fully understood by neither, often forming their own
caravans or raiding parties and keeping to their own half-
kind. Still, their natural grace and understanding of two
perspectives makes them skilled performers and negotia-
tors, when they can find a listening ear.
An uneasy mix. Elvish and human blood doesn’t mix
evenly, and the children of these unions are often a mottled
mixture—translucent and blue in some patches of skin,
sometimes with one pointed ear and one rounded, or
differently-colored eyes. These combinations often settle
into graceful patterns, like the stripes or spots of a hunting
cat or swirls and loops that remind one of clouds, water, or
leaves. Regardless, they stand out no matter where they go,
unmistakable as a people of strange blood.
Oil and water upbringing. This union of two backgrounds
can make for curious outlooks on the world. Some half-
elves turn violent and cruel as they’re rejected by both
lineages. Others enjoy the best of both worlds, literally.
Whatever your upbringing, use the table below to inspire
how it shaped your half-elf character.
d6 Upbringing
1 I was abandoned as an infant, left to die by parents who
rejected me outright. I’ve hated both humans and elves
ever since
2 My human parent raised me, and never spoke of elves
or allowed me to go near their encampments
3 My elvish parent raised me and would spin endless
tales of Nod, while attempting to ground my feet firmly
in the practicalities of life in Planegea
4 I was born to half-elven parents, who had already found
each other in a performing caravan ... I never thought of
myself as strange, and still don’t
5 My elvish parent was from the World of Nightmares,
and I have been told since I was young that my destiny
is to one day find them there and bring them back
6 As the child of a shaman and a lord of Nod, I traveled
fluidly between the two worlds, learning all that each
had to offer—the beloved heir of magic and power
Raiders and performers. When half-elves separate from
other clans—by choice or rejection—they usually either
form vicious raiding parties or colorful caravans of enter-
tainment. There is great unease when a band of half-elves
is sighted, for sometimes raiders pretend to perform or
performers put on mock raids to gather a crowd. Either
way, the striped half-folk certainly have a flair for dramat-
ics and showmanship.
Blood Dancers
It is said that some half-elves have a unique ability to
suppress either of their ancestries, appearing as fully
human or fully elvish at will. Such beings have the power
to live two lives, being accepted by both kinds without
suspicion—as long as their ruse goes undiscovered.
To play a blood dancer half-elf, replace the Skill Versatil-
ity feature with the ability to use an bonus action to change
between your elf aspect, your human aspect, or your
mixed aspect. You are recognizably yourself in each aspect,
retaining similar features such as eye color, face shape, and
so forth. However, while in your elvish or human aspect,
a stranger meeting you is unable to discern from your
appearance that you are of two worlds.
Orc (Half-Orc)
Orcs are among the mightiest, feared, and honored races in
Planegea, hailed as conquerors and warlords. Their people
often lead clans and win great glory as hunters. Few doubt
the future of the race as the rightful rulers of the land,
although some resent it and will do all they can to oppose
orcish might for as long as they can.
Majestic might. An orc is awe-inspiring—taller than a
man, green skin that blends with grass and trees, mighty
tusks that can gore with no need for a knife. They are
considered a beautiful and blessed people, and much
admired throughout the world of Planegea.
Spiritual unrest. The orcs have long been a reverent
people, with deep roots in the worship of the gods of the
land. Yet something has changed in the last few genera-
tions. Their power has grown, and some have started to
doubt whether their fate is always to bend the knee to the
gods. They are mighty, and some believe that the way of
survival is one led not by spirits in their hallows, but by
the hand of the hunters who risk their lives at spearpoint.
This tension with the divine can play out in many ways—
use this table to inspire how it affects your orcish character.
d6 Unrest
1 You see worship as suffocating, and desire to have as
little to do with the gods as you can
2 You respect the old traditions, and believe that the
gods have their uses, but see them as a means to an
end—and the end is orcish power in Planegea
3 You believe balance is necessary, and think that
the interests of the gods and the orcs can co-exist
peacefully... if only your clan could see that too
4 You fear the wrath of the gods, and have chosen to
serve them, though some of your brethren brand you a
coward for your worship
5 You are on the hunt for a god worthy of worship—one
who awes you more than the natural might and glory of
the orcs ... and so far, you haven’t found one
6 As far as you can see, the only good god is a dead god ...
makes room for more unclaimed land for the orcs
Proud hunters. The orcs live as nobility in Planegea. Their
numbers are not great—orcish life is hard, and many do not
survive the brutal upbringing of a clan hunter. But those
who reach adulthood are hunt-scarred, the strongest of the
strong, warrior-poets who have been groomed to lead.
11
 Enemy-makers. The powerful make powerful enemies.
Through their pride and conquest, the orcs—though feared
and admired by most—have more than their share of
opposition. There are gods who conspire for their down-
fall, clans dedicated to their destruction, even some giant
empires who think the green mortals would do better if
they learned a lesson in humility. The orcish elders laugh
at warnings of such dangers, however, daring all to come
from any direction.
PLANEGEAN ORCS
Orcs in Planegea use the racial features of the Half-Orc in
Fifth Edition. But they are no half-orcs, they are the orig-
inal race: a proud and noble people much closer to their
human and elven peers than brutish orcs of later eras.
There does exist in Planegea a race known as The
Doomed, or monsterblood orcs. These clans once lived
alongside other races—but in their pride and thirst
for power, they devoured beings they should not have
consumed. In doing so, they gained great physical power,
but had their minds darkened with murderous rage.
They are half-orc, half-monster, and though they still
retain vestiges of their former nobility, the pounding
of war-drums never ceases beating in their ears. These
monsterblood orcs use the racial features of Fifth Edition
orcs, both as a monsters and as a playable race.
EXOTIC & MONSTROUS RACES
Time and pages do not allow us to tell of all the won-
drous races of Planegea. We cannot speak of the birdfolk,
catfolk, lizardfolk, fishfolk, turtlefolk, the half-giants
gentle or warlike, or the reincarnated spirits of the dead
that dwell in stone bodies. We will have to leave aside
the elemental wastewalkers, the blessed children of
greater gods, the half-beasts, the goblinfolk in all their
many shapes, and the scaled ones who revere or defy
the dragons of Blood Mountain. If only the clanfire could
burn all night, we could speak of every bloodline under
the stars—but since our time is short, remember that
every race in Fifth Edition has a place in Planegea, if you
only know where to look.
CLASSES
T
HE CLASSES OF PLANEGEA ARE THE EARLIEST
roots of future adventurer classes. Though the
niche they occupy in the world may be differ-
ent, the martial, divine, and arcane powers that
these archetypes wield is a common thread from
the prehistory of Planegea to their distant descendants.
Mechanically, the classes are the same as in Fifth Edition
12
(with minor adjustments assumed for the starting equip-
ment and any features having to do with any of the taboos).
Some DMs might choose to add or remove classes based
on their preference and the story they’re telling in their
own Planegea. But as written, each of these has its place.
These are the earliest forms of what will become the
archetypal 5E classes in the future. Many of them have
different names, to fit a world without monasteries, ancient
religions, or magical universities. In your game, you can
use the traditional class names or the Planegean equivalent
as you prefer. For most classes, their role in the world is
also quite different from their later heirs—take a moment
to read the descriptions of the classes to discover what
martial power and arcane or divine magic look like in a
primordial world.
Ascetic (Monk)
In a land of primal survival, most live at the edge of star-
vation, eating whenever they can, which is rarely enough.
Some harness this scarcity, turning struggle into discipline.
Ascetics challenge themselves beyond the limits of most
mortals, straining their bodies through extreme rigors in
order to unlock great physical, mental, and spiritual power.
Anyone can become an ascetic, and many young hunters
boldly claim they’ll follow the path of self-discipline and
self-abnegation, but it is a long and difficult road to truly
rise above hungers of any kind.
Self-denial. The way of the ascetic is through denying
what you want in order to find what you need. This may
take the form of denying yourself unnecessary food and
water, romantic relationships, or performing an act of
dedication such as wearing a blindfold or a year or sleeping
outside, on your feet. What did you deny yourself and why?
How did that shape you?
Honored mystics. Ascetics are rare, but when one arises
within a clan, they are usually revered for their discipline
and focus. Chieftains, elders, and shamans will take coun-
sel with even a young ascetic who truly shows dedication
to the path. How did your clan treat you? Were you ready
for that place of honor, or was it confusing? Why do you
now adventure instead of living a celebrated life as a spiri-
tual leader of a clan?
Vows and pilgrimages. Not all ascetics commit to life-
long pursuit of self-denial. Some take ascetic vows until
some task is complete, such as revenge, redemption, or a
quest they have set for themselves. Others deny themselves
until they complete a journey of repentance, enlighten-
ment, or other spiritual significance. How long will your
commitment to asceticism last? Is there a vow you made or
a journey you need to complete? If so, to what do you hope
to return when your self-discipline ends?
Barbarian
Fear is a constant when the land is filled with giant pred-
ators, and finding ways to rise above fear is a key part of
survival. Some do so through honor or moral codes, others
keep out fear by their cleverness. Barbarians survive
through sheer rage. A barbarian feels a burning anger deep
within them, simmering just below the surface. When that
anger is unleashed, they are capable of great and terrible
things. Barbarians are a familiar archetype in this primor-
dial world, and canny travelers cautiously search the eyes
of those they encounter for the spark of primordial fury.
Uncaged anger. The world is brutal and unjust, and there
is much to be angry about. Barbarians funnel that rage into
violence—usually directed towards the quarry of a hunt.
But there are times when the hunting is lean that the anger
still simmers over. How do you deal with the anger outside
the hunt? Do you bury it, soothe it, or express it through
other forms of activity? Do you lose yourself in the rage, or
do you feel most yourself when you’re most furious?
Leaders or outcasts. Barbarians are typically lead hunt-
ers, head raiders, or in other positions of power because
of their martial ability. Young hunters aspire to unleash
the kind of fearless fury that characterizes a barbarian.
But once unleashed, that fury is hard to tame, and many
barbarians have tragic tales of the times they went too far.
Some wander the world as pariahs, having turned in their
rage on their own kind. Have you been able to keep your
rage within the boundaries of the hunt? Are there times
you lost yourself that you regret? If so, how far would you
go to make it up to those who got in your way during your
black rage?
A river of rage. Some say of barbarians that they are in
an endless current of anger, a river of rage. In a river, you
must swim with the current or against it. Most swim with
the current, hurtling towards the rocks of violence. Some,
however, swim against the current, seeking to quell the
anger that never stops roaring through their veins. Are
you pursuing your anger, nurturing and cultivating it? Or
are you seeking to find peace? What initially ignited your
anger, and is it something that can ever be set to rest?
Chanter (Bard)
When stories cannot be written down, songs have great
power to shape culture—and reality. Those who find their
identity in the telling of stories and singing of songs are
upheld by the clan, their long memories and powerful
words seen as vital to the continuation of the clan’s iden-
tity. But some, called chanters, go beyond the role of mere
storyteller. They reshape the world through their songs
and stories, focusing power through their instruments and
performances to sing not only of what is, but what could be.
And in the primordial dawn of Planegea, singing of what
could be has a great and terrible power. True chanters are
both feared and loved, for the ability to remake the world
with your voice is not to be taken lightly.
Truth-sayers. Those who have access to a chanter’s
arcane force of will are held to a higher standard than
most, expected to sing the exact truth, lest they casually
reshape the world with a misplaced note. The pressure of
this power is enormous, and causes many chanters to flee
their clans or even go mad. Some, however, are less scru-
pulous and believe reality is whatever they say is. How do
you reconcile your ability to bend the world to your will? Do
you hold to a strict code of honesty? Do you avoid speaking
at all lest you say the wrong thing? Or are you glib, believ-
ing that the world should be whatever you speak?
Deadly honor. Chanters are revered by their clans—as
long as they keep to the exact truth and speak only in
accordance with the will of the shaman. If they behave in
such a way, they are given lives of ease and places of honor
at the clanfire. But those who break faith and are caught
twisting minds, hearts, or memories are outcast, and often
branded for their misdeeds. Did you leave your clan by
choice or by force? Are you scarred for a lie you chanted
into truth, physically or emotionally? Do you hide your
power, trying to conceal your identity as a chanter until
it’s absolutely necessary to reveal it? Or are you a chanter
still revered by your clan on an honorable journey for some
greater good?
Chanter traditions. In Planegea, Fifth Edition’s Bardic
Colleges are called Chanter Traditions. These traditions—
such as the Tradition of Lore—are expressions of how a
chanter channels their arcane will through an instrument
or performance. When practitioners of the same tradition
meet, they eagerly exchange knowledge and techniques...
and some whisper to each other of the existence of a
greater body of chanters, the Worldsingers, who travel
under secret identities and work to reshape the world into
a better form. Did you learn your chanter tradition from
someone, or stumble into it through raw talent? Have you
heard of the Worldsingers? Do you welcome a chance to
meet other chanters or, knowing their power, do you seek
to avoid or silence any others you might encounter?
Druid
If druids merely guarded and nurtured plants and beasts
and soil, they would be a welcome part of any clan. All
of Planegea lives in close relationship with nature, and
one who can understand and enhance the power of life
should be welcome at any clanfire. But not so; druids
are hunted, feared, hated, and driven off, utterly outcast
and reviled. The reason for this rejection is that druidic
power saps the strength of the gods, drawing from the
same magical essence of nature that powers the hallows
the gods themselves. To be a druid is to set oneself up in
opposition to the gods, to claim their very magic as your
own. And for the clans who follow shamans and look to
gods for their survival, there can be no greater betrayal or
threat than a druid, a god-leech, a parasite of divine life
and strength. Because of this, druids live in hiding, build-
ing secret groves and sanctuaries on the fringes of domains
unclaimed by powerful gods. Here they can practice their
rites and tend to the earth in safety... at least until the
shamans discover them and send their guardians with fire
and blade.
Divine power. The gift to draw magic directly from
nature is sacred, given mysteriously by nature itself. But
it is a great struggle to live in opposition to the gods, who
jealously covet every pulse of power that goes through the
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 world. How did you discover your druidic powers? How
long were you able to hide them before a god or shaman
discovered you?
God-leeches. There is nothing the clans hate more than
a druid. If discovered, they are put to death, brought to
the god for judgment, or cast out to die in the wild. Many
outcast druids have started their long and lonely lives
drawing strength and comfort from the very wilderness
that was meant to kill them. How do you see the gods? Are
you bitter towards them? Dismissive of them? Or do you
see them as misguided peers or elders—greater druids who
have forgotten their origins?
Secretive sanctuaries. Hidden in groves and glades and
caves throughout Planegea, just out of sight of the clanfires
and hallows, circles of druids thrive and cultivate nature.
And there, in hushed places, they nurture a great secret:
the ability to hide ideas in nature itself. They have worked
out the unimaginable; a way of speaking while one is not
present by leaving behind certain signs such as a bent
branch or pattern of leaves or circle of stones. They call
these signs Druidic, and those who have the gift of nature’s
power can interpret these symbols and divine their mean-
ing intuitively. Have you ever encountered a sanctuary
or a hidden Druidic symbol? Or do you travel the world,
following signs in search of such a place that you might
someday be able to call home?
Fighter
The way of a fighter is pure—Planegea understands the
fight, the fundamental struggle of strength versus strength
to survive. The hunter or warrior, who pits their knowl-
edge of body, armor, weapon against their enemy or quarry,
is an essential role. Whether they bend bows or swing
swords, whether they hunt animals or enemies of the clan,
fighters are central figures in any clan. Happy is the clan
with a fighter whose abilities exceeds that of most mortals,
with honed senses and greater gifts of strength and speed,
who understands weapons and armor better than they
understand their own souls. Such fighters live in harm’s
way, sent out constantly on dangerous hunts, raids, and
battles. This is the way of the fighter.
The way. Gifted with extraordinary strength or grace,
fighters are shaped by their ability to challenge the world
to single combat and come out on top. Have you honed
your physical prowess through years of discipline, or does
your body simply do whatever you ask of it? Are you proud
of your prowess, or has confronting so many life and death
situations granted you humility and wisdom?
Hunters and warriors. Most fighters serve the clan as
hunters, warriors, or both—those who fight beasts, those
who fight mortals, or those who simply fight. If you were
raised in a clan, were they warlike or did they avoid battle?
Do you seek out violence and see it as giving you reason
and purpose, or are you a peaceful soul who fights only
when necessary? What reminders of past conflicts do you
carry with you, and why?
14
Weapon masters. Fighters uniquely understand the
value and balance of weapons and armor, and choose their
equipment with great care, seeking out more powerful
arms where they can be found. There are tales of fighters
who have embarked on great hunts or journeys to find
legendary weapons or armor, or to hunt and harvest the
monsters to fashion such equipment. What legendary
weaponry do you dream of wielding, and how far would
you go to get it?
Guardian (Paladin)
Sometimes, in an act of sober commitment or a moment
of desperation, a mortal will make an oath that changes
everything. They will swear, witnessed by a god, to uphold
an ideal, accomplish a goal, or defend what they value
most. And sometimes the force of will, the pure intent of
such a mortal unlocks the favor of the gods and creates
an outpouring of divine power. These are the guardians—
those who are so strong in their beliefs and commitment
that the gods themselves have no choice but to grant them
gifts. Guardians act as the leaders of smaller clans, and
in larger clans, stand at the right hand of the shaman as
their sword and shield. Some guardians feel the call to
journey outwards to range far from their clanfire to keep
their oaths, and woe to the mortal or monster who stands
between a guardian and the object of their will... a will so
strong that they wrestled the very gods themselves into
opening up their vaults of power.
Sacred oath. A guardian’s oath defines them. Although
they have had some inkling of divine blessing in the days
leading up to their oath, the moment they take the oath
defines them. The oath is taken at third level. If you’re
starting at first level, do you realize you stand on the verge
of such a moment? Or have you been building up to this
commitment your whole life? What is your oath, and why
is it worth dying for?
Shaman’s sword. In many clans, guardians are culti-
vated from a young age, with devout, athletic children
being raised as acolytes by the shaman. A great clan might
have many guardians who have been focusing on nothing
but the day of their oath from infancy. The guardian is
usually the keeper of the clan’s magic weapon and acts as
the shaman’s bodyguard and, when necessary, executioner.
Was there a shaman who shaped your life, for good or for
ill? Since you took your oath, how has your relationship to
clans and shamans changed?
Wild oaths. Not all guardians make oaths that keep them
close to home. There have been guardians who stumbled
unwittingly into the hallow of a god and bargained for
the power to survive. Some make oaths to hunt down and
destroy the enemies of a god, or to defend innocence every-
where. Once committed to their path, a guardian is fueled
and driven by what they have sworn, going to any lengths
to uphold their word. What lines have you crossed in honor
of your oath? What enemies have you made to pursue it?
What would it take to get you to break your oath, and lose
everything that you have become?

Ranger
Above all, rangers are gifted survivors. These prodigies
of the wilderness have mastered the ability to thrive in
untamed lands, drawing together magic and might with
cunning to not only stay alive, but protect others. What
sets apart a ranger is their power to give the gifts of
survival to those they choose—be it an animal companion,
a band of trusted friends, or an entire clan. A ranger who
walks alone does good to no one, selfishly hoarding their
life-giving skills. But such loners are rare... rangers are
usually found in the company of others who rely on them.
To trust a ranger for survival, however, is to run the risk
of angering gods and their followers; rangers draw their
uncanny abilities by skimming off divine magic coveted by
deities. Most operate at a low enough level that the gods do
not deign to notice them, but the greatest of rangers have
been hated and hunted by the gods as much any druid.
Natural connection. Rangers are naturally gifted with
a bond to natural magic. For most, it is an instinctive
connection felt since birth, enabling them to thrive where
others struggle. Did you always sense the magic in the
world, or did a particular event awaken you to it? Is draw-
ing up on that magic as natural as breathing to you, or does
it require focus and attention? To what do you attribute
your gift—fate, chance, blessing, or something grander?
Divine thieves. The divine magic used by rangers is
the same magic that empowers the gods. When rangers
cast their spells, the gods see them as stealing from their
resources, robbing from the powerful to give to the power-
less. Some gods treat rangers with a grudging respect,
while others send out their faithful to wipe them out with
the same hatred directed at druids. How do you view the
gods? Do you revel in stealing their power, or simply see it
as an accident of circumstance? Do any gods have a partic-
ular grudge against you for your thieving ways?
Guides of the godless. For those clans without a strong
connection to a god—by choice or by accident—a ranger
can be a lifesaving force. Orcish clans, which are more
likely to scorn the gods, are often led by rangers, as are
clans that scrape by in the lonely wildernesses where there
isn’t enough worship to sustain deities. Have you ever been
in a position of leadership? Are you allied with any godless
clans or groups who see you as a protector? Or do you turn
away those who seek your aid, focused on a higher call-
ing—or perhaps just yourself?
Scavenger (Rogue)
Not all who hunt do so by force of might. Some keep quiet,
staying to the shadows, waiting and watching for their
moment to strike and take what they desire. These are the
scavengers—the lowest of the low, hated by mortals and
monsters alike. A scavenger preys the weakest moments of
others, coming along after the kill to claim their bounty, or
ambushing unsuspecting prey with a sneak attack that has
no honor or hunter’s glory. Every society has scavengers. In
large clans, they walk unseen, taking what others work to
gather or create and slipping back into the shadows. In the
wilderness they watch and wait for the moment when a
powerful hunter is fatigued after a kill, slipping unseen to
strike and steal.
Shadowy survivors. To become a scavenger, one must be
desperate or selfish enough to throw off all hope of being
accepted at the clanfire, choosing instead a life of scorn and
secrets. But scavengers know that the line between a sneak
attack and a noble hunt is much thinner than the line
between starvation and survival, and once you cross that
line, it’s hard to go back. What tipped you over the edge
into taking the shadowed way? Do you hide your scaveng-
ing nature, trying to pass as a clan member in good stand-
ing, or have you thrown off any attempt to conceal your
chosen path? If you were caught scavenging, do you bear a
brand or scar to mark you for your crime?
Reviled vermin. There’s nothing a clan despises more
than a scavenger. In the face of such rejection, those who
steal often band together, forming nocturnal raiding
parties and shadow clans of their own. Some clans even
have shamans in the service of gods who care little for
honor. Over the years, there has come to be a kind of code,
passed down from one thief to another... certain scratches
or arrangements of bones or phrases that indicate a ripe
mark for ambush or theft. Who taught you this code—
called Thieves Cant? Do you use it to seek out other scaven-
gers or to avoid them?
The king’s tithe. The mark for the Tithe is throughout
Planegea, hidden in plain sight. Wherever the Tithe appears,
it signals a place where a certain portion of stolen goods is
to be left for the Rat King, the High Lord of a hidden league
of thieves known as Scavengers Vow. Such Tithe marks are
not to be ignored, for the Rat King’s cutthroats come quietly
for scavengers who don’t pay homage to the Vow. Have you
ever run afoul of the Rat King, or do you aspire to meet
him? How closely connected are you with Scavengers Vow,
and is that by choice or by force?
Shaman (Cleric)
In a time before temples and religious hierarchy, shamans
serve as intermediaries between mortals and gods.
Shamans are leaders of clans, and hear personally from
local deities. They are vital to the clans for their ability to
channel divine magic, interpret dreams, lead ceremonies
crucial to clan life. Most shamans have a foremost deity
they revere, and it is not uncommon for a clan to be given
over to the worship of one god or goddess above others
thanks to the influence of their shaman. However, the
migratory nature of many clans means that shaman must
be fluid in their reverence, able to act as a go-between to
the many gods whose lands the clan may traverse.
Canny reverence. Shamans derive their power from
the gods and lead their tribe in acts of worship and cere-
mony. But the gods are fickle and limited, and the best
shamans are those who understand how to work with the
gods without losing themselves in an overabundance of
awe. Some elder shamans, forced to travel each year and
15
 interact with an array of gods, have secret insight into
the small-mindedness of divine beings confined to their
hallows, and work with the gods as a kind of advisor as
much as a servant. What is your relationship to the gods?
Do you hold them all in high regard? Or has your proxim-
ity to divinity left you jaded to their ways? Do you have a
favorite god?
Divine ambassadors. Shamans are essential to clan life,
and are generally the most respected and senior members
of any clan. They often work with a chieftain in a partner-
ship—the chieftain takes care of the mortal side of survival,
the shaman focuses on the gods and their gifts. Most small
clans have one shaman, but larger clans may have a hier-
archy of acolytes and lesser shamans led by a high shaman.
Of course, there are those who revere the gods as shamans
yet choose to walk alone, having found their divine
connection in secret or been separated from their clan.
How did you discover your divine connection? Are you a
clan shaman or a lone wanderer? If you were the shaman
of a clan, why have you left them to pursue adventure?
Local deities. When shamans travel, they sense and
can connect with the gods of their new location, paying
homage and forging connections. Many shamans prefer to
follow certain types of gods, seeking out deities of a similar
domain. A shaman must draw their power from a nearby
god or divine force, as there are no universal gods supply-
ing power equally throughout the world. Do you pursue a
single domain, or do you prefer to revere the most power-
ful god in a new area? The ways of the gods are strange and
sometimes frightening—how far would you go in pursuit
of the favor of a new god?
REGIONAL DOMAINS
The power of a god is limited by its location. When ad-
venturing shamans travel outside of their god’s domain
there are a few options to explore:
• Different god, same domain: Regions can have more
than one god (although one is usually dominant), so
the new region might have a god with similar values
and blessings, although pursuing the favor of a lesser
god might displease the more powerful one.
• Divine alliance: Gods are able to communicate with
each other within a certain distance, and a god who
favors a shaman might reach out to a neighboring god
and ask that their power be allowed to flow through
them into their region.
• New god, new domain: Sometimes there is no
alliance or similar god to be forged, and instead the
shaman must source their power from a different
type of god altogether. In this case, the shaman may
change their subclass and divine domain, setting aside
all features from their old domain and adopting all
features from their new domain at their current level.
Work with your DM to decide if this is a good fit for your
character and campaign.
16
Sorcerer
Planegea bristles with primordial magic, and it is the most
natural thing in the world for that magic to slip into the
blood of mortals. Sorcerers are everywhere in Planegea, by
far the most common arcane spellcasters. Untaught, unre-
strained, operating by instinct and natural gifts, a sorcerer
is magic in its simplest, most primal, most elemental form.
Even a clan of modest size might have one or two sorcer-
ers, and they are woven into the fabric of society without
distinction. Sorcerers make excellent members of a hunting
or gathering party, even though their magical abilities tend
to sap their physical strength, their talents for bringing
down prey or finding bounty from a distance are regarded
as highly useful to a clan. To be a sorcerer in Planegea typi-
cally means to be well-liked but not especially respected on
the merits of your magical abilities. A sorcerer must earn
their reputation not by the mere existence of their magic,
but rather how they use it.
Primal magic. Sorcerers have magic at their fingertips,
and can feel the pulse of power that goes through the
world. A sorcerer is given no guidance by a god, no ethos
from the land—they simply have access to magic and must
decide what to do with it. How do you ply your magic? Do
you use it to impress and charm, or as armor and weap-
onry? Does your magic define you, or do you think little
about it, finding your role in the world through another
aspect of your identity?
Useful talents. In the life of a clan, sorcerers have no
place of particular honor because of their magic. Rather,
they are integrated into the work of various work parties
such as the hunters, gatherers, crafters, or builders. A
person’s talent as a sorcerer might be the third or fourth
thing mentioned about them, almost as an aside, unless
they are particularly powerful or have earned a reputation
through their individual use of magic. Do you make your
magic power known as soon as you meet someone, or do
you prefer to interact with others as a person first and a
sorcerer second? Have you ever wished that others would
respect you for your talents more? Have you ever been
tempted to do something ill-advised to demonstrate the
extent of your abilities?
Unmeasured potential. Most sorcerers in Planegea have
modest power, casting only cantrips, 1st-level, or 2nd-level
spells. When a more powerful sorcerer does arise, it is
cause for comment and—sometimes—alarm. Without
the governance of gods or the discipline of spellskins, an
unchecked sorcerer represents a possible threat to anyone
they encounter. As your talent expands, how will you use
it? Without limitations or mentors, will you pursue selfish
ends and reshape the world in your image, or will you find
others who will help keep you from losing yourself in your
growing power?
Spellskin (Wizard)
In deep caves, thickets, or hide shelters, spellskins mutter
and trace the shapes of magic. Creating patterns and
designs that echo the mana of living things, spellskins use
natural dyes and clays to paint powerful creatures, real or
imagined. Then, once the shape of a creature and its magic
is fully understood, the spellskin copies its form onto their
own bodies. Powerful spellskins are covered in tattoos, and
can call forth the magic they have wrestled into their skin
at will. To pursue the way of the spellskin takes an uncom-
monly brilliant mind, able to hold and remember many
incredibly complex concepts at the same time. However,
here is great danger in the spellskin way. The paintings
created by the practitioners of these arts hew ever closer
to writing, putting them always only one small slip away
from being pursued by the Hounds of the Blind Heaven.
Planegea is littered with empty caves and canyons with
unfinished paintings where a spellskin crossed the line and
brought the Hounds upon themselves.
Hunted genius. To be a spellskin is to court disaster with
brilliance. Spellskins are often obsessive, unable to pry
themselves away with searching deeper into the underly-
ing magic of the world, even if it means their paintings and
tattoos grow in complexity and meaning to a dangerous
degree. Why do you continue to investigate magic, know-
ing that with every brush stroke, every tap of the tattoo
mallet, you could slip into disfavor with the hounds? Why
don’t you walk away?
Sanctums and conclaves. Because of the danger inherent
in spellskin work, most clans avoid such spellcasters. They
are not rejected outright, but it is forbidden by most chief-
tains and shamans to create the paintings required to work
out a spell within sight of the clanfire. For this reason,
many spellskins have their own hidden sanctums where
they reason out spells in secret. Some, who have found
it simpler to leave clan life behind, seek out other spell-
skins and form conclaves where they share sanctums and
knowledge, using their magic to provide for their physical
needs so that they can remain in one place and continue
the work of developing their arcane insights. What was the
first place you painted a spell, and what tattoos do you have
to call that spell to mind? Are you in good standing with a
clan, or have you chosen to leave all that behind, in pursuit
of your own research or in search of a conclave where you
could learn more?
Spellgraves. There are empty, echoing places in the
world where great spells were cast in the past—until some
spellskin went too far and the Hounds came. Such places,
called spellgraves, may be the sanctums of lone casters or
entire conclaves. They are regarded by spellskins as great
caches of knowledge. There are those who spend their
whole lives wandering, seeking spellgraves to expand their
knowledge and power. What whispers have you heard of
spellgraves? Do you have a clue to the location of a hidden
cache of wondrous lore? What would you do to find it?
PATTERN TATTOOS
Rather than carrying a book, spellskins tattoo the shapes
of magic onto their skins. These shapes are not writing—
rather, they are a symbolic set of shapes, particular to
every spellskin, which defines the shape of magic as the
spellskin comprehends it. This tattoo is a kind of short-
hand for the larger symbols the spellskin has painted
or carved into a wall or flat surface requiring 10’ square
for each spell level. (Thus a 4th level spell requires a 40’
square surface.)
In order to learn a new spell (either their own spell or
a spell copied from another spellskin’s wall), a spellskin
must create the spell on a space equal to 10’ square
or more per spell level. Thus, high-level spellskins are
known for their huge walls covered in intricate paintings
or carvings. A spellskin must only create the spell on the
wall when first learning it. After they have created their
mana tattoo, they can prepare their spells by studying
their tattoos, envisioning the wall, repeating incanta-
tions made while creating the wall, and so on.
One spellskin who encounters another cannot copy a
mana tattoo from their body, as it is a mere shorthand
for the spell’s full shape. If a spellskin discovers anoth-
er’s painting or carving, they may copy one spell from
it in a process that takes 2 hours and causes 1/2 level of
exhaustion per each level of the spell. If the process of
copying it is interrupted, the copying fails, and the spell-
skin must begin again.
Warlock
The gods are not the only powerful beings in Planegea.
There are many things in shadowy corners and secret
places that resonate with magic and the ability to empower
those that they choose. The warlock is the emissary sent by
a clan to strike a deal with such a being. They are marked
by their otherness—such powers might be a dreamlike
archfey of Nod, a bloody idol from the Cult Riverlands, or a
mind-numbing presence from beyond the stars. Unlike the
gods and their followers, whose power arises from Plane-
gea, warlocks and their patrons are fueled by strange and
alien abilities that fall outside the natural order. Warlocks
enter into bargains with such beings, gaining the favor of
the being on behalf of the clan in exchange for strange and
particular services.
Sacrificial pacts. Warlocks are chosen by their clans as
sacrificial emissaries, giving up their freedom to secure the
good of the clan. How did you come across your patron?
Why did your clan decide it was necessary to strike a
bargain with it? What are the exact terms of your pact? Are
you trying to undermine your patron, or curry its favor?
Chosen ones. The pacts of a warlock are public cere-
monies, known to all the clan and carefully negotiated by
the clan leaders. Often, warlocks are groomed from birth
as emissaries and ambassadors, taught the ways of diplo-
17
 macy to serve as the link between a clan and a non-divine
power. Shamans and warlocks live in mutual respect, as
the intermediaries between the clan and their divine and
arcane overlords. Who were you before the pact? Were you
groomed to act as an emissary or stumbling into it? How
did your life change when you met your patron? Do you
have regrets, or are you eager to go further?
Pactbound. The warlock’s bargains are never a gift with-
out terms and conditions, and patrons are rarely forthcom-
ing or reasonable. By forging a pact with something other
than a god, a warlock reaches into something larger than
themselves, and possibly hostile to their very existence.
What does your patron want you to do? How much do you
know of its greater agenda—or even its true nature?
PACT OF THE SCAR
In Planaegea, Pact of the Tome becomes Pact of the Scar,
with patterned scarring in place of the Book of Shadows.
If other scars or wounds hide your pact scars or magic
heals them, you can create new scars to replace the old
ones in 1 hour. The Book of Ancient Secrets becomes
Scars of Ancient Secrets, and is mechanically identical,
except that instead of 50 gp worth of rare inks, you re-
quire a ceremonial knife with 50 hp of blood spilled on it
or worth an equivalent of 50 sp in the Great Valley.
EQUIPMENT
& TRADE
E
VERY ITEM IN PLANEGEA IS MADE BY HAND OR
by magic. There is no mass production here—every
knife, bowl, water skin, and rope is the result of
careful and individual attention by craftspeople, or
else summoned into existence by powerful magic.
As a result, even common objects tend to have names,
histories, and quirks unique to them. When you barter for
a sword, its maker might tell you about the monster whose
teeth line the edge. When you are given a talisman, the
spellcaster who prepared it may introduce you to it as to an
old friend.
Name what matters. Every sword, shield, and cloak can
be named—but most especially weapons and armor that
save your life. Take time when making trades or during
rests to become familiar with the quirks of your gear, and
call them by names that are true to their nature.
18
Things have histories. There’s no such thing as “a shield”
in Planegea. One adventurer might use a giant shell, green
from scum where its old turtle lay for seven years at the
bottom of a pond. Another might take a stone-studded
wood lattice, its wood gathered from a haunted forest
and the stones from the side of a yeti-infested mountain
gathered at great peril. Know the stories of the gear you
carry—it may save your life, or open up strange new roads
that you had never considered before.
Languages
Planegea uses the languages commonly found in 5E with-
out their written aspect. If a feature, ability, or spell allows
you to read or write a language, disregard that aspect.
DIALECTS
You may speak a dialect belonging to a larger family of
languages. Creatures that speak different dialects of the
same language can communicate with one another.
Divine. This new language encompasses the tongues of
both good and evil-aligned gods. It has three dialects: Abys-
sal (spoken by the winter gods), Celestial (spoken by most
good-aligned or neutral gods), and Infernal (spoken by the
idols of the Cult Riverland).
Common. Common is divided into four regional dialects:
Stonespeech, Airspeech, Firespeech, and Stormspeech.
Each dialect is spoken in the region surrounding its corre-
sponding giant empire as a shared trade language, and each
dialect has similarities with its corresponding dialect in
Primordial.
Barter
Planegea is a world without coin, and barter is the most
common form of exchange. However, if you don’t want to
haggle over every purchase, salt is commonly accepted as a
standard form of trade, since it’s useful for preserving and
flavoring all kinds of food. A useful rule of thumb is that 1
coin-sized portion of salt is equal in value to 1gp in other
5E materials. This coin-sized portion of salt is written as
1ps (portion salt). That said, in regions where salt is plenti-
ful or extremely scarce, salt loses almost all value and other
exchanges are more common.
Names & scars. Some rely not on their goods alone to gain
advantage in bartering, but also on their reputation or appear-
ance. Work with your DM to determine what names and scars
you have earned, which may act as a passive modifier to your
amount of wealth with some trading partners.
ARMOR IN PLANEGEA

Armor Cost Armor Class (AC) Strength Stealth Weight

Light armor
Padded 5ps 11 + Dex modifier — Disadvantage 8 lb.
Leather 10ps 11 + Dex modifier — — 10 lb.
Stone-studded leather 45ps 12 + Dex modifier — — 13 lb.
Medium armor
Beasthide 10ps 12 + Dex modifier (max 2) — — 12 lb.
Heavy fur 50ps 13 + Dex modifier (max 2) — — 20 lb.
Bone or shell 50ps 14 + Dex modifier (max 2) — Disadvantage 45 lb.
Wooden chestpiece 400ps 14 + Dex modifier (max 2) — — 20 lb.
Wood 750ps 15 + Dex modifier (max 2) — Disadvantage 40 lb.
Heavy armor
Monsterhide 30ps 14 — Disadvantage 40 lb.
Stone & leather 75ps 16 Str 13 Disadvantage 55 lb.
Stone & wood 200ps 17 Str 15 Disadvantage 60 lb.
Stone 1,500ps 18 Str 15 Disadvantage 65 lb.
Shield
Shield 10ps +2 — 6 lb.

STONE AGE ARMOR & WEAPONS

To protect combat balance, Planegea does not alter the
bonuses or penalties of armor or weapons in any way.
Mechanically, they are identical to published weapons.
Thematically, the assumption is that combat is relative,
and that as most creatures are using natural materials
for both attack and defense, the overall scale of damage
should be similar.
If you want to alter these numbers, to advantage
natural armor and weapons, be aware that this will make
almost all monsters deadlier and harder to kill. To imple-
ment this option, make the following changes:
• On all edged or bladed weapons, decrease the damage
by 1 die size (d6 becomes d4 etc), to a minimum of 1
point of damage
• On all armor that was made of metal in Fifth Edition
(chain shirt, scale mail, breastplate, half plate, ring mail,
chain mail, splint, plate), decrease AC by 2.
Armor
Armor is handmade and can vary greatly in appearance and
construction. Still, the basic materials used in the armor’s
construction offer a common amount of protection, as
shown on the Armor in Planegea table.
Weapons
The weapons list is identical to the list in Fifth Edition, but
the weapons are handmade with stone tools. Knives are
made of knapped stone, axes are stone knives affixed to
wooden shafts, and swords are usually poles, bats, or clubs
with sharpened objects lining the edges, such as knapped
stone, obsidian, or the teeth of monsters.
Adventuring Gear
Most items in Fifth Edition can be used as they are by
simply describing them as made of bone, wood, stone, hide,
rope, etc. A few particular items are a bit more specifically
modern, and are converted to Planegea in the Gear Conver-
sion table. Where metal is called for in equipment, armor,
weapons, or spells, use the Metal Conversion table.

19
 GEAR CONVERSION METAL CONVERSION

Medieval Stone Age Metal Equivalent

Abacus Counting sticks Metal (any) Stone, bone, antler, or wood
(any)
Ball bearings Smooth pebbles
Adamantine Divine ivory*
Bottle, flask, tankard, Skin or jar (made of clay, wood, stone,
or vial bone, etc.) Copper Wood
Caltrops Knuckle-bones or vertebrae Gold Glass
Chain Knotted rope studded with wood, Iron Granite
stone, or bone
Lead Black clay*
Crowbar Lever
Mercury Oil
Hourglass Notched, slow-burning stick
Mithral Gemweave*
Ink Paint
Platinum Dragon tooth*
Ink pen Paintbrush
Silver Polished wood
Lantern Skull
Zinc Clay
Lock Knot, specialized, with stone needles
or other complications worked in *See notes below.

Magnifying glass Crafting hoop* Divine ivory. The bones of a god are the hardest substance
Paper Smooth hide known in all of Planegea and are exceedingly rare and diffi-
Parchment Rough hide cult to obtain. They can only be cut or shaped by magic.
Black clay. Whether naturally obtained or created
Pot, iron Pot, stone
through the infusion of dyes and darkening agents, black
Spellbook Spellskin’s sanctum* clay has the rare property of blocking magical percep-
Spikes, iron Tusks tion. In order for this to work, though, the clay must be
pure and profoundly black, which generally requires a
Spyglass Scouting hoop*
rare natural source or else a skilled and patient crafter to
*See notes below. prepare.
Gemweave. A fine mesh of cord and tiny gemstones,
Crafting and scouting hoops. Glass is rare and crude knotted intricately after the dwarven fashion. Gemweave is
throughout most of Planegea, usually only formed by light, yet offers great protection and beauty.
volcanic or elemental forces. Magnifying glasses and Dragon tooth. Dragons are rare in the Great Valley,
spyglasses, while theoretically possible to create given but their teeth can be found where they have roosted or
proper time and tools, are much easier obtained as attacked, as they have many and some are lost in attacks
common magic items, usually in the form of wood or bone or grooming. They are extremely precious and usually
hoops enchanted by spellcasters or gods to aid in crafting reserved as the personal talisman of chieftains or shamans.
or scouting.
Spellskin’s sanctum. Spellskins use large areas to design
TOOLS
their spells, then transfer those spells as tattoos onto their
Many of the artisan’s tools from 5E need adjustments in
bodies. The only way for another spellcaster to learn a
order to make sense in prehistoric fantasy. Use the table
spellskin’s spell is to locate the place where their spells are
below to convert them into the following more common
painted, which is usually secret and often guarded.
tool sets. It’s also still possible that the original tool sets
could exist in the world, although with primitive materi-
als. If your character concept requires one of the original
artisan’s tool sets, talk to your DM about converting it to fit
the world of Planegea.
Most tool sets are made of specialized implements, typi-
cally made from wood, antler, or ivory, into which stone

20
blades can be fitted in various specialized assortments, as

SPELLS
well as stones or containers of particular shapes or quali-
ties and ingredients such as powders, spices, salts, liquids,
scales, or other consumable materials.

T
Artisan’s Tools Stone Age Variant HE WORLD IS STILL LARGELY UNFORMED AND
Alchemist’s supplies Ceremonial supplies* unknown, with magical essences unleashed
across the land, sea, and air. But just as animals
Brewer’s supplies Winemaker’s supplies
can be tamed, so can spells, and many of the intel-
— Butcher’s tools* ligent races of Planegea have coaxed one kind of
Calligrapher’s supplies Artist’s supplies magic or another into a more or less predictable pattern.

Carpenter’s tools Woodcrafter’s tools

Altered Spells
Cartographer’s tools Mapmaker’s tools
Some spells in Fifth Edition refer to metal specifically. In
Cobbler’s tools Bootmaker’s tools a world without metal, use the Metal Conversion table
Cook’s utensils — for alternate components. Additionally, use the follow-
— Gatherer’s supplies* ing guidelines for other spells that may be altered by the
setting:
Jeweler’s tools —
Heat Metal. Since there is no metal in Planegea, this spell
Leatherworker’s tools — can be substituted with a heat stone spell, which works in
Mason’s tools Stonecrafter’s tools exactly the same way, but targets stone instead.
Commune and other divine spells. Spells that call upon
Painter’s supplies —
the power of gods may have one of two effects outside the
Potter’s tools — range of your primary god: they can extend the range of
Smith’s tools Bonecrafter’s tools your primary god to your current location, or they can
compel a local god to respond. Work with your DM to
Tinker’s tools Mender’s’s tools
determine which effect comes into play for your spells.
Weaver’s tools — Planeshift and other planar spells. The planes of this
world are all geographically linked, but they’re still sepa-
*See notes below.
rate realms. You can use planeshift to travel from the mortal
realm (the Great Valley and Giant Empires) to the Elemen-
Ceremonial supplies. These are sets of implements
tal Wastes, the Sea of Stars, Nod, the Kingdom of the Dead,
commonly used by practitioners of divine magic to prepare
or other locations at your DM’s discretion, including the
and enact various rites and rituals. The contents of the
hallows of some gods.
toolkit can vary depend on the worship practices, but they
Resurrect and other necromancy. Spells that bring the
often include such materials as blindfolds, candles, paint,
dead back to life are considered a personal affront by Nazh-
glass or ceramic chimes, incense, and feathers.
Agaa, and should only be undertaken with extreme caution.
Butcher’s tools. A butcher’s toolkit is used to harvest
There are no mechanical limitations or alterations to these
a kill, preserving every part of the animal for use later.
spells, but be warned that the King of the Dead is not to be
This includes specialized hooks, knives, and shears, salt,
trifled with.
small bowls and bags, a water skin, a wooden slab, a small
Goodberry and Create Food and Water. Certain spells,
hammer, and clean, broad leaves.
invented by druids and rangers, are considered heretical
Gatherer’s supplies. The supplies used by a gatherer
by most gods and shamans, since they circumvent the
include a large satchel with many sections, a knife, a
need for mortals to seek divine provision and protection.
digging blade, hand-wraps, dried leaves and berries, a
Spells such as goodberry and create food and water are liable to
grinding bowl and stone, and a scraper.
attract the anger of the gods, who may send their agents—
both mortal and spiritual—to punish those who cast them.
Transformation and the god tag. Gods have a new crea-
ture tag: “god.” You cannot use polymorph, wildshape or
any other transformation spell (including wish) to trans-
form into a creature with the god tag, even temporarily.

21

Blood Magic
Not every hunt in Planegea is for food. Shamans often
send seasoned hunters into the wild to bring back certain
components that have been spilled with the blood of prey,
which the shamans use for the magic power inherent in
the blood of living things.
Many higher-level spells in Fifth Edition have a material
cost listed in gold pieces (gp). Since gold doesn’t exist in
Planegea, when a spell calls for gp as part of a material cost,
you can instead use blood. Where the object lists a worth in
gp—e.g., “10 gems worth 100 gp each”—substitute spilled
with hp—e.g., “10 gems spilled with 100 hp each.” This means
that the objects have been spilled in the blood of one or more
creatures equivalent to 100 hp of damage. This might be the
blood of 1 creature with 100 hp, or 100 creatures with 1 hp
each, or any other combination totaling 100 hp.
Such magic requires spilling liquid blood, and there-
fore cannot be fulfilled with constructs, oozes, elementals,
spectral undead, or other non-bleeding creatures. It is not
required that the caster be the one to have spilled the blood,
or that the blood be spilled at the same time, only that the
object in question has been touched with the requisite
amount of hp’s worth of blood. An object can be reused for
such magic as long as it is not consumed by the spell.
NAMED SPELLS
In Fifth Edition, some spells are named for their so-called
inventors. Little do the wizards of the great cities of the
future know that their most famous works were not
invented at all—merely rediscovered. You can cast acid
arrow or hideous laughter or tiny hut without reference
to other wizards. There’s time enough for them to redis-
cover and name such spells in the far future.
DM ADVICE
W
ELCOME, DUNGEON MASTER. THIS IS
your section, filled with tools, ideas, and
resources to make running 5E in Planegea fun,
exciting, and easy. In this chapter, you’ll find
guidance on how to prep and run Planegea
adventures. The rest of this book covers locations, factions,
threats, treasures, monsters, and NPCs... everything you’ll
need to develop an unforgettable campaign in the setting.
Your Own Planegea
Everything that follows in this chapter and the rest of the
book is designed to enhance your experience at the table.
Planegea is a living, breathing world with an unwritten
history, and although this book lays out a wide array of
people, places, and things you might find there, you are
22
encouraged to make it your own. Every group explores
their own Planegea, and no two Planegeas are identical.
Use what’s here as a starting place, and change it as you
see fit to be the most fun for you and your players. As the
DM, you are the maker of your own Planegea. Don’t worry
about whether changing elements will change the setting—
it’s your setting to do what you want with! So get in there,
get messy, and have fun.
Break the World
Adventures in Planegea are best served raw, cracked at the
edges, blood-caked and sunburned. This is not a world for
timid plot-lines and careful balance—when developing a
campaign for Planegea, be bold and aggressive. Smash the
land with a tidal wave, overrun it with dinosaurs, blot out
the sun, kill all the humans—do whatever it takes to set
yourself free to explore a wild and dangerous world full
of unexpected twists and turns, where nothing feels safe,
sacred, or guaranteed.
Themes
Every table is different, and whether your group likes
big laughs, heartbreaking drama, intense scares, or your
particular combination of all three, Planegea is designed to
be a great place for all kinds of campaigns.
This section offers guidance for some themes that work
well in Planegea, to get the most out of the primordial,
pulp-inspired setting. But remember: You’re discovering
your own Planegea. So if your group is exclusively interested
in the small politics and personal intrigues of village life in
a quiet corner of the Great Valley, as long as you’re having
fun, that’s perfect.
That said, here’s our advice for how to have big, primal
fantasy adventures:
KINETIC ACTION
Planegea is full of opportunities for wild, extreme, over-
the-top combat and action. When fighting, Planegeans
don’t simply fight a dinosaur. They fight a pack of dinosaurs
during a wildfire, leaping from back to back on a herd of
thundering mammoths headed for a bottomless cliff. And
then the meteors start falling. Villains in Planegea don’t
organize tidy coups—they consume minds, they shatter
clans, they swoop on their armies of undead pterodactyls
and unleash the tendrils of the star-horrors to grapple their
prey from above. Environments in Planegea aren’t simply
caves or forests—they are the gullets of great stone beasts
or swarmed by hallucinatory spirits, they are filled with
bone cages from which celestial birds sing or streaked with
the blood of primordial things that glows different colors
according to the deeds of those who walk by.
The best way to plan adventures in Planegea is to come
up with an idea and then ask, “How can I make this one
level more extreme? And then two more levels after that?”
That’s usually a pretty good start to unleash your inner
wildness and discover primordial fantasy.

PRIMORDIAL HORROR
Balancing the bright colors and ferocity of wild combat
is the shadowed eeriness of a world without edges or
certainty, a land which owes and offers no explanation for
its strangeness and violence. Planegea is a perfect setting
for campaigns with horror elements, weaving in unsettling
themes of menacing spirits, dark omens, hungering meta-
morphosis, and other horror themes. Great horror doesn’t
answer every question, and as the DM, you don’t need to
either. Sometimes the things that touch your ankle in the
darkness recede into the night unseen and unexplained,
and the slime that’s left behind is a threat that does not
cease to linger.
If you are playing with horrific themes, be sure that
everyone at your table is on board before you begin. Horror,
when enjoyed by everyone, is a fantastic genre that can
be cathartic and unforgettable. Just make sure that it’s
contributing to the fun for each player, even as you bring
the scares. There are a lot of great tools in the RPG commu-
nity for making sure that games don’t veer into troubling
territory. We recommend having a conversation to set
expectations before the first session, as well as frequent
open communication between the DMs and players. And
always be willing to stop a session and adjust plans if it
becomes clear that any player is uncomfortable.
MYSTIC WONDER
Planegea is a world without fixed boundaries, where planes
blend into each other and one can stumble into the hallow
of a god or a world of dreams by simply crossing a stream.
It’s a natural world, filled with vibrant wildlife, unspoilt
vistas, and primordial promise. Here gods deal directly
with their mortal followers, giants construct ziggurats that
scrape the skies, and beauty and death coexist side by side
in equal measure. A thunderstorm, a swarm of spirits, or a
herd of dinosaurs can all be equally miraculous.
To infuse your Planegea with wonder, use descriptions
that involve all five senses, and play with scale and time.
When the characters enter a cave, think about how it
smells, sounds, and how the air feels. Describe towering,
gargantuan ferns and tiny volcanoes, no bigger than ankle
high. And when the party talks with a god, describe days
passing while they converse, or no time at all. These vivid
and disorienting descriptions create an environment where
anything is possible, and the mysterious is everywhere.
PLACES
I
N THE BEGINNING WAS BLOOD MOUNTAIN, AND
from its fires spewed forth the world of Planegea.
The land continues to stretch outward, pushing
creation’s sprawl further and further. The edges of
the world are old, alien and cruel, and its center is
new, burgeoning with life and chaos.
What follows are brief introductions to the landmarks,
regions, and people of Planegea. This chapter isn’t intended
to be all-encompassing. What’s written here is just the edge
of all that wanders and skulks, tunnels and soars through
the world. There are a great many places unexplored, broad
horizons unwritten. You never know what you’ll find in
Planegea. A sudden drop in the land may reveal an ancient
stone temple, a cave might offer passage to a hidden king-
dom, or a mysterious encampment could lead to untold
wonders of discovery.
Each Planegea is different. Make the land your own, fill it
with adventures, monsters, and locations that breathe your
life into it.
Cosmology
At a high level, Planegea is one world. A wanderer can walk
from the heart of the world through various planes to its
outer edge, crossing by foot over the borders between lands
that will someday shatter into separate realities.
Worldheart. All the world has a single origin—the
Worldheart Dragon, who sleeps in the molten rock at of
Blood Mountain, at the center of creation. It is by her power
that the world expands, and each explosion or magma flow
from the mountain expands reality further out into the
darkness beyond.
Unified planes. The land and seas that the Worldheart
caused to be is one. Four great elemental wastes—fire,
water, earth, and air—hem in the Great Valley, bordered by
giant empires that sit halfway between mortals and genies.
All the world is unified, but even now, the lands seem to
strain against each other, pulling reality ever farther apart.
Nod. Hidden just out of sight, throughout the world, lie
doorways and passageways into the twin worlds of Nod:
the World of Dreams and the World of Nightmares. These
doorways allow fey and mortals to pass back and forth
between realms—as well as other, more fearsome beings.
The Sea of Stars. Encircling the world is the drifting,
gleaming Sea of Stars. This infinite reach of light was the
first creation of the Worldheart. There is no ground in the
Sea of Stars, and few mortals, if any, have ever drifted in
its singing spaces. The Sea is where the stars rest at night,
and where things that have no name lurk and whisper in
slowly-expanding pockets of shadow.
The Kingdom of the Dead. There are only two ways into
the Kingdom of the Dead—the Dark Door and the Long
Way. The Dark Door is only seen by those who have passed
beyond life, and the location of the Long Way is a secret
known only to the most powerful and most ancient beings
who live. The Kingdom of the Dead is a lightless place of
inevitability, where souls build an endless necropolis until
they fade, forgotten in the living lands.
The Sky
There is no single sun in Planegea. Rather, at the end of
each night, as they complete their constellation dance, the
stars begin to swirl overhead, swooping and streaking
towards each other in an attempt to knock the others out of
23
 the sky. As they battle, victorious stars grow brighter until
only three or four heavy stars glow like lanterns above.
Then the winner of the duel rams its opponents from the
heavens, taking on the full brilliance of the Day-Star, and
parading from east to west in its full glory all day.
The defeated stars spend the day recovering their
strength, siphoning light from the Day-Star until it is weak
enough for them to rise in shining fountains from the
horizon, to begin again their constellation dance and the
endless cycle of night and day.
Between the stars and above the land drift a scattering
of moons, traversing a life-cycle from birth to death. New
24
moons are being formed roughly once every thirty days,
born of a violent eruption of ash and smoke at the mouth
of Blood Mountain. Each moon begins small and dark, then
grows as it waxes until it is full. Afterwards it begins to die,
waning until its husk turns to dust and disappears into the
Sea of Stars. This entire process takes thirty days. Because
of this cycle, there are never the same number of moons in
the sky at any given time—sometimes there are many, and
sometimes none at all. Rarely, a twin moon will be born of
the ash, an event which is heralded joyfully as a good omen
for all who dwell below.

Blood Mountain
At the center of Planegea, visible for countless miles in all
directions, an impossibly tall spire of rock, fire, and smoke
rises from the tangled mass of a primordial jungle. All of
Planegea wheels around this central axis, which equally
creates and destroys life with primal power.
This infinitely high volcano crawls with dragons both
cunning and feral. It is said that in the center of its fire
lives the being that made all things: the Worldheart Dragon,
an incredibly massive, ancient, and powerful creature who
is dreaming reality into existence, and her five consorts,
the legendary Sacred Dragons, whose scales glitter with
colorful sheens of an impossibly smooth, strong material,
like nothing else seen in the world.
The Venom Abyss
Blood Mountain sits in an enormous chasm, roughly
circular in shape, and filled with a writhing jungle full of
dinosaurs, apes, and gigantic poisonous crawling beasts of
all kinds.
Everything about the Venom Abyss is alive and growing.
Twisted poison vines, enormous carnivorous plants, things
that are half-plant, half-monster... the jungle crawls with
danger, most of it mindless and instinctual.
Canopy. There is an entire world in the treetops of the
Venom Abyss, creatures who live and die without ever
touching the jungle floor. Arboreal villages gather fruits
and nuts, hunt birds, monkeys, lizards, and other small
prey (and avoid their prey’s larger, predatory cousins).
The Below. In the emerald darkness below the treetops
is an entirely different world, untouched by wind or sun.
Here, the air is thick and wet, full of mists and insects and
plants that curl their tendrils to sting and devour. Only the
fierce and ferocious survive here—and even then, it seems
that more creatures die than live.
The Unfalls. Five great rivers flow in reverse from the
Venom Abyss, surging upwards in great eternal fountains
that pulse as if pumped by the great heart of the world
itself. Terrible monsters often wash up these fountains
and—finding themselves in the Great Valley—fall to
devouring the beasts and clans of that fertile land.
The Great Valley
Most of the mortals in Planegea make their home in the
Great Valley—a wide and well-watered land, rich in rivers,
good hunting, and plentiful plant life. Existing in a band
between the violence of the Venom Abyss and the tyranny
of the giant empires, the clans of the Great Valley live in
a world of constant change, always only a few steps away
from death.
The Brothers. Three fertile slopes of three rivers in the
north of the Great Valley—the Bear, the Ape, and the Lion—
are jealously guarded in the warm seasons by three power-
ful, warring clans. Each seeks to destroy the other two
and rule as the preeminent power in the valley. Although
weather and migrations force the clans to leave their rivers
every year, they linger as long as they can and seasonally
fight to reclaim what they have built with proud fury.
Wintersouth. In the southern arc of the Great Valley lie
wide, sparse grazing lands with hearty grass, uneven hills,
and little forests and pools of water. This land, drier and
tougher than the nothern arc, is the seasonal refuge of
herd animals and the clans that depend on them for food.
This land is unwelcoming, and its little hills and valleys are
claimed by countless minor deities known collectively as
the Winter Gods, whose spitefulness, petty aggression, and
limited power makes them an object of reluctant worship
for the shamans forced to make camp in their lands.
The Eel. The Eel River is the only major river of Planegea
that does not have it source at Blood Mountain, running
instead southwards from the Skyfang Mountains to the
Fang of Salt & Slime. Many consider it an accursed river,
but that has more to do with the wild and fearful lands of
its course than the actual waters themselves, which are
remarkably cool and fresh, even in the swamps.
The Undershore. Far from the smoking center of Blood
Mountain, at the edge of the great dark oceans of Plane-
gea, a distant coastline is home to a world all of its own.
This place of waves and storms, fishing villages and sea
monsters is cut off from the rest of the Great Valley by the
great War-Way of the Sea Empire.
The Cult Riverlands. Elders and elves tell of a time within
memory when the Cult Riverlands was known as the Eagle
River, a grand and glorious land known for its excellent
fruit and flowers. But smoke and fire took the land after
a terrible eruption in the Fang of Rock and Flame, and
darkness spread downriver, drying its waters. As the land
fell to thirst, wicked gods sprang up, preying on the people
to establish their power. Now, the gulches and gullies are
carved into a warren of battling cults, each sharpening
its knives for the blood of the other, while an even darker
power lurks just out of sight in the ash and smoke of the
worldfang’s edge.
The World-Fangs
Shamans say that Planegea is a wide mouth opened in a
roar with four great teeth at its corners—the World-Fangs.
These regions of devastation are the meeting places of the
Elemental Wastes, and are too inhospitable for any mortal
to make permanent residence—or any giant for that matter.
The Fang of Rock & Flame. A volcanic land, hotter than
many clanfires, the air full of choking ash and smoke. The
peaks and crags of this sulfurous oven are inhabited by
all creatures who love flame and despise anything that is
consumed by burning.
The Fang of Sand & Wind. A searing desert, where
constant sandstorms choke and bite and rip the flesh off
of mortals or giants foolish enough to wander into them.
If a storm is not blowing, the sun can reduce a traveler to
dizzy weakness in a matter of hours—after that, it’s the
skull-scarabs that will finish them off when they fall.
The Fang of Shadow & Thunder. Darkness and towering
cliffs, illuminated only by the blinding flashes of lighting,
where the constant roar of thunder reverberates off every
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 cliffside, triggering endless avalanches and rockslides into
the bottomless pits and dark waters of the rainwater lakes
of that unlivable land.
Saltfang & Slimefang. A coastal nightmare where great
tentacled things from the sea and great oozing things from
the swamps wrestle in the mucky silt and sand where black
waves devour black shores with endless, mindless, gnawing
hunger.
The Giant Empires
Woe to those captured by a giant raiding party. The great
giant empires, with their mighty ziggurats and dark
rituals, are merciless in their worship and brutal in their
sport. The Sea Empire, Fire Empire, Air Empire, and Stone
Empire are set between the four world-fangs, and they are
at all costs to be avoided by mortals.
The Stone Empire. The mountain region known as
Skyfang is home to two types of giants: the crafting stone
giants and the raiding frost giants. These two clans live in
peace by dividing the Skyfangs into “above” and “below.”
The caves and caverns and hollow places below the moun-
tains belong to the stone giants, who carve their endless
symbols, chant, and dream, while the peaks, crags, and
icy slopes belong to the frost giants. It is the latter who go
forth and raid the Great Valley for captives to enslave, who
terrorize the mortals, but it is the stone giants who gaze
into the secret oracle-pools deep in the roots of Skyfang
and lead the Empire with their powerful portents of days
to come.
The Fire Empire. The highly organized and regimented
Fire Empire looks down on all other empires as weak,
decadent, or barbaric. In the minds of the fire giants, only
they possess the strength, discipline, and passion to rule
as it should be. As such, they frequently send messengers—
wanted or not—to other empires, which are usually seen as
meddling at best and declarations of war at worst. But the
Fire Empire welcomes such conflict, eager to show their
prowess and might against any enemy, not least of all their
giant cousins.
The Air Empire. The Air Empire is the least violent of the
four giant empires, but perhaps the most manipulative and
corrupt. Clothed in refinement borrowed from the elegant
and powerful djinn, the Air Empire prefers to watch the
world from the towers of its soaring cities, only acting
when the occasion suits and the Empire cannot lose.
The Sea Empire. Mighty are the storm giants, and mighty
is their burden. For they alone among the empires must
contend not only with upholding their own civilization and
pacifying the genies of the wastes—the Sea Empire never
ceases to struggle with the kraken, aboleths, and the other
gods of Saltfang, ever summoned forth by their foolish
worshipers from the Cult Riverlands. The Sea Empire has
attempted to stamp out these cults time and again, but they
rise and rise tirelessly, ever calling out to the great alien
things beneath the waves.
26
STONE AGE SLAVERY
Modern enslavement and resulting social injustice is a
human rights tragedy. We recognize that certain groups
may wish to exclude themes of enslavement from their
game. Our intent is not to offend, but to explore historic
and mythic archetypes. The enslavement depicted here
is intended as economic and political captivity explicitly
depicted as evil, and is not based on race or heredity.
However, if you do not wish to include enslavement as
a theme in your game in any way, we completely support
your world-building. Perhaps in your Planegea, the giants
have no need of enslaved mortals, building their empires
with magic and their own hands. Perhaps giant raiding
parties are simply for sport, to capture prisoners for in-
formation or entertainment. Perhaps the giants keep to
themselves and actively bar smaller races from entering
their empires. It’s your Planegea, make the choices that
will lead to the most fun at your table.
Farther Reaches
Beyond all these lands lie even stranger places, which defy
the logic and magic of mortals.
The Elemental Wastes. These desolations of earth, air, fire,
and water are the first lands spewed by Blood Mountain, the
domain of the cruel and corrupt caravans of genies, the final
edges of the world—the last place a mortal can set foot before
falling into the endless Sea of Stars. The border of each waste
is guarded by the empire it touches, its giant guards deter-
mined to ensure nothing travels in... or out.
The Sea of Stars. It’s said that when Blood Mountain first
erupted, it didn’t spew forth flame, but stars. Those stars
surround the world, and if you walk to the very edge of the
elemental wastes, you can fall into the stars’ infinity. Yet
even the bravest hunter would be wise to stay away... for
there are things among the stars that mortals have long
forgotten—and that we can only hope have forgotten us.
Nod. Nod is not one place but two, and these twin worlds
drift in and out of existence, their underground thresholds
in places of great beauty or terror. Elves and other, stranger
beings travel between Planegea and their worlds, but they
carry with them some aspects of that shimmering, translu-
cent place.
The Kingdom of the Dead. In the cold grip of the dirt,
beyond mortal sight, the terrible skull-king Nazh-Agaa
rules the invisible world of those whose death broke
taboo—the murdered, the lost, the unmourned. It is said
that there are secret ways for the living into Nazh-Agaa’s
kingdom, but that once you find your way in, you can
never again depart.

FACTIONS
& THREATS
W
HEREVER THERE IS THE WILL TO SURVIVE,
there are leaders who bring others into their
calling. Whether for good or evil, chaos or
order, the strong gather those willing to follow,
organizing them into factions. From the mortal
clans of the Great Valley, banded together in the worship
of one or more gods, to secretive and far-ranging groups
like Scavenger’s Vow or the Council of Day, Planegea is full
of complex, proactive factions who care little for the will
of any adventuring party, and are ready to act as allies or
antagonists in your campaign.
Less ambiguous but equally diverse are the threats—
those world-spanning terrors that lurk under and lour over
the land, posing a challenge that can drive a single encoun-
ter, an adventure arc, or a full campaign.
Use this section to inform the world of Planegea as your
party experiences it. A note of caution, however: There are
too many forces in the world to include all of these equally
in a single campaign. It’s best instead to choose a handful
with whom your players will interact.
Factions
There are many forces at work in the world, trying to shape
at least a corner of it into the way they wish it to be. These
factions can represent allies or enemies, opportunities or
hazards, depending your party’s point of view.
The Brother Clans. Three clans lead the Great Valley in
times of peace and strife. The strong Bear Clan, shrewd Ape
Clan, and fearless Lion Clan worship powerful gods, and
their influence casts a long shadow over neighboring gods
and clans. Together, they are called the Brother Clans, and
although each maintains its own values, rites, and secrets,
more unites than divides them.
The Council of Day. Wherever leaders seek to establish
peace, carve out stability, or promote order, the Council of
Day is there to help, advise, and defend. The Council is a
secretive network of accomplished elders and spellcasters
who seek to shore up legitimate authority and strengthen
centralized power throughout the Great Valley.
Direstaves. Born under the open sky, riding on the
towering backs of great beasts, the Direstaves are the
masters of mighty creatures. Hailing from the Dire
Grazelands, these herders of titans are bold, independent,
and bow the knee to no clan or empire, trusting only in the
wide lands and massive hearts of their livestock, as well as
the heft of a trusty spear, to keep body and soul together.
Free Citadel. Carved from the very mountainside near
the mouth of the Eel River, a city built by the Stone Empire
gleams like a beacon of freedom. Free Citadel is built at
the top of a great cliff, with its western wall formed by
the mountain itself, deep chambers tunneled into the rock
below, and soaring towers that look out over the valleys
below. Everyone has heard of the slave uprising that slew
the giant overlords of a Stone Empire city and claimed it as
their own domain. Free Citadel is a place, but it’s also an
idea—that tyranny can be shattered, cages can be broken,
and empires can fall.
Kraia’s Children. Kraia’s Children are a menace, a
promise, a creed, a cult, a rumor, or an inspiration—it all
depends on who you ask. They are the scattered faithful
of a shared ethos: That power is a threat, and those who
gather it should be undermined.
Scavengers Vow. Wherever scavengers cogregate to
scheme of theft, whispers of Scavenger’s Vow arise. The
Vow is an alliance of the desperate, a confederation of
survival and greed ruled by a single figure—the myste-
rious and covetous Rat King, who rules and exacts tithes
from the safety of his secret lair. Savvy scavengers know
that good things come to those who pay the tithe, and as
for those who don’t... well. They’re likely to meet an unfor-
tunate end, one way or another.
Seerfall. Deep in the Slumbering Forest, where the
Bull River tumbles through dwarvish ruins in a series of
breathtaking cascades, dwells the community of Seerfall.
This sanctuary of shamans, ascetics, philosophers, and
sorcerers is held in great regard throughout Planegea as the
greatest gathering of the wise.
The Sign of the Hare. Almost nobody knows that the sign
of the Hare exists. They are a secret society of spellskins
dedicated to the idea of developing and sharing magic.
Their influence is subtly felt across Planegea, but they
depend upon remaining undiscovered to stay alive. The
Hounds of the Blind Heaven hunt those who break the
Black Taboos, and the spellskins of the Sign of the Hare
(called Hares) study, teach, bend the taboos—and run from
the Hounds.
Venomguard. Based in the clifftop city of Edgegather,
where the venomwine flows and the music never stops, the
Venomguard are an elite force of monster hunters dedi-
cated to keeping vulnerable people of the Great Valley safe
from its worst and most monstrous predators.
The Whale Clan. Far from the winter winds and dusty
hunting grounds of the Great Valley, in the azure water
and emerald islands of the Scattersea, dwell water-faring
folk. Lyrical, daring, and restless, the Whale Clan roams
from island to island, an archipelago of families spread
throughout the region, all under a single shared devotion—
the worship of the whale god, Mala Long-Song, eldest and
wisest.
The Worldsingers. Chanters are feared and admired
across Planegea—their ability to remake the world with
song or story is seen as a powerful, dangerous gift. Many
with such abilities are kept under close scrutiny by their
clans, held to impossible standards of scrupulous honesty
or silence unless they are performing. But not all chanters
are content to dwell under such bindings. Some wander
the world, seeing all they can, and using their magic to do
27
 good. Such are the Worldsingers, and although they oper-
ate in secret, they are dedicated to the end of misery and
the creation of joy wherever they go.
Threats
Great powers and primal forces are at work in Planegea,
trying to shape it into the world they envision it to be.
These forces are ominous and powerful, and can represent
a threat to your party from 1st-level all the way up to their
final session.
To use these threats, choose one or two to build a
campaign around. It’s unlikely any single narrative can
explore all these dangers in a satisfying way, and to do so
might leave players feeling overwhelmed and defeated,
rather than heroic and triumphant.
The Giant Empires. Giants! The very word, said rightly,
makes the hearer tremble through ancestral memory,
passed down from the time when we knew how small we
are and how might so rarely comes with mercy or restraint.
The four giant empires of Planegea—Stone, Fire, Air, and
Storm­­—are natural threats for parties of adventurers.
Each has their own environmental region full of obstacles,
dangers, treasures, and monsters. The empires are cruel
and callous, built by mortals but not designed for them. In
those echoing halls one can witness all the decadence and
barbarous pageantry of mighty powers given over to vanity
and selfish ambition. (With the possible exception of the
Sea Empire, whose cruelty is driven by a nobler, yet more
terrible design.)
The Brood. Blood Mountan, the birthplace of the world,
writhes with the scaled bodies of countless dragons. The
greatest of these, and the worst, are the Worldheart’s
brightly-colored children, the shining terrors known as
the Brood. These five ancient dragons, each awful in their
power and magic, have survived countless eras by leeching
off the Worldheart’s life-giving power, yet each desires
nothing more than to devour her, thereby consuming her
power and—presumably—taking her place. Not even the
Brood knows for sure what would happen if the World-
heart were to be eaten by another dragon, but in their pride
and ambition, the Brood believes that it is better to destroy
the world than to sit in the shadow of their mother for
eternity. To that end, the Brood is amassing power, seeking
agents who will deliver them aid in their quest to grow
strong enough to challenge their mother, or even attack her
directly to test her defenses. They are masters of intimida-
tion and manipulation, and the ripples of their plots extend
to the furthest reaches of the world.
Kelodhros Ascendant. Something terrible is spawning in
the Venom Abyss. The Kelodhros people, new to creation,
arose from somewhere deep in the jungle only in the last
few generations. But in that time, they have begun to build
a powerful and spreading empire, its influence gripping
the jungle and pushing outwards and upwards into the
rest of Planegea. Kelodhros Ascendant is an empire built on
ritual sacrifice. The Kelodhrosians have a mystical process
which they call the Embrace—an elaborate ceremony
ending in the slaughter of a victim. The Kelodhrosian who
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performs the sacrifice steals part of its victim’s physical
form, transforming itself and becoming more powerful in
the process. A Kelodhrosian in its natural state is slender,
pale, and fragile. But by the rite of the Embrace, they take
many forms—great snake-people, apish monstrosities,
half-dinosaurs, and more—and with the power stolen from
their sacrifices they are strong, deadly, and relentlessly
dedicated to the growth of their empire.
Fiendish Gods. Despair. Desperation. Desire. These are
the favorite tools of the fiendish gods known collectively
as the Winter Gods and the idols of the Cult Riverlands.
Wherever food and water are scarce, these powerful beings
are waiting to take advantage of those in need. Like all gods
of Planegea, these beings began life as mortal creatures,
mundane elements, or inert places. Yet over time, as they
grew in significance and influence, they took on greater
and greater power until they achieved divine status. Some
were originally scavengers, predators, cursed objects or
blighted places. Whatever their origin, there is something
dark and twisted about them, and they are all fiends now.
Their methods, motivations, and influence may vary, but
it may be said of all Winter Gods and Cult Riverland idols
that they are universally evil, and eager to expand their
influence just a little bit farther... no matter how many
mortals perish in the process.
Vyrkha the Shepherd. Other threats rely on magic,
ancient knowledge, or immortal lifespans to shape Plane-
gea to their will. Not Vyrkha the Shepherd. This conquer-
ing warlord was born a mortal, and looks forward eagerly
to a mortal death, covered in as much glory and power
as he can get in his short lifespan. Vyrkha is only a man...
but he is a brilliant tactician, a master of diplomacy, battle,
rhetoric, and espionage. Other threats lurk in the dark-
ness, plotting their eternal schemes. Vyrkha the Shepherd
marches into the light at the head of an army and takes
what he wants—which is everything.
Duru. Before any mortal creature walked Planegea, there
was Duru. This ancient tree-spirit is one of the oldest and
mightiest things in all Planegea, and his hatred for the
animal kingdom is total. Duru sees all creatures with blood
as his enemies, and works slowly but steadily to destroy
them. Duru is the epitome of patience and determination,
and his plans creep to fruition while little mortals are busy
about their plans of conquest and glory. Duru has all the
time in the world—and Duru does not forget or change his
mind.
The Recusance. High in the Starstep Cliffs, where the sky
is so close it can almost be touched, a sanctum of spell-
skins devoted to the destruction of the Hounds of the Blind
Heaven plan and conduct terrible arcane experiments. Led
by brilliant leatherwing spellcasters, this cabal, called
the Recusance, works tirelessly to manipulate reality and
break the bindings of the Black Taboos. The ripple effects
of their experiments are felt throughout the world. They
care nothing for the value of life, safety, or justice; they are
single-mindedly devoted to their goal and nothing—not
the Hounds or clans or gods or heroes or the pleas of their
innocent victims—nothing will dissuade them from their
research.
 The Gift of Thirst. Life is short and dangerous, and the SILENCE REGARDING THE BLIND HEAVEN
people of Planegea must fight every day to survive. Some
see death as an escape, some as a natural cycle, but for most, You may be surprised to reach the end of the threats
it is a thing to be feared and to fight against. To the stron- section and find no description of the Blind Heaven.
gest, most cunning, and wisest of those who fear death, However, on some subjects, even this book dare not
the Gift of Thirst comes in the darkness with whispers speak. If you seek to integrate the Hounds of the Blind
of immortality. The Gift of Thirst is a secret aristocracy Heaven into your campaign, you must do so on your own.
of vampires and their thralls. Their numbers are small by It would be better, however, to leave the Blind Heaven
choice—only the truly worthy are given the prize jewel alone, for inquiring into the Hounds is the work of fools
of endless life—and few ever learn of them and live. Yet and the obsessed.
their influence stretches from the fiery halls of Stoneblood If you refuse to heed this warning, you are encouraged
Shrine to the foam-flecked waves of Scattersea, and their to find the most terrible monster your imagination and
dark ambitions extend to the very crown of death itself. research can conjure, and express it as the Hounds in
Craven of the Kraken Coast. Deep is the sea, and dark your campaign. If you use some other creature for their
its secretes. On the Kraken Coast, where the waves of the stats and abilities, perhaps the Hounds will pass you by
Saltfang endlessly lick the shore, mortals whose minds are and not chase you down.
not their own serve the will of aberrations—the lords of Enough. Even now, the sound of howling prickles the
the deep called aboleths. The aboleths, however, are ancient nape of the neck. No more will be said on this.
and cunning, and do not reveal their presence even to their
slaves. Instead, they have erected false cults of kraken-wor-
shipers called the Craven of the Kraken Coast, who enact
dread rituals to summon the weather-shaping titans of
the Brinewaste. The aboleths lurk in the deep, allowing
mortals and monsters to act for them, shaping their patient
plot to subjugate all life and extend their watery dominion
across the world. —
Throne of Nightmares. When you close your eyes tight,
you can see shapes swirling in the blackness. The Throne of Thank you for checking out this free introduction
Nightmares is the reality behind those shapes—amorphous to the upcoming Planegea setting for Fifth Edition.
forms of terror with the power to speak, curse, maim, and If you liked what you read, keep an eye out for
kill. The Throne of Nightmares, based in the Nod’s dark
world, is built on the fear of mortals, and grows stronger THE STAR-SHAMAN’S SONG OF PLANEGEA
through their dread. The Throne is unpredictable, illogical,
and ever-changing. Yet its power is real, and only grows A full setting book with original class options,
stronger as the shadows lengthen. backgrounds, spells, magic items, monsters, and
The Crawling Awful. The fishers of Bitewater have many tons of lore and DM guidance for running any
tales to explain the green-gray lights that glow dimly in the Planegea game, coming later this year!
depths of their troubled lake. But none of their legends is as
terrible as the truth. For deep below Bitewater—and many In the meantime, please join us at Planegea.com
other unnoticed places in Planegea—lurk the alien beings where we’ll be ready to greet you with a seat
known collectively as the Crawling Awful. These aberra- at the fire and stories to share of the wonders
tions are cold, hostile to life, and wait in the darkness for a and perils we’ve faced together. (As well as a lot
sign, a signal, a call that will bring them out of their torpor more free material!)
and back into the full mantle of their horrible power.
Deepthought. Between Howlgrove and Sorrows Edge, —David Somerville, author
in a wide, grassy plain, the solitary monument known as
the Eyestone sputters and burns. This towering monolith —
of unknown construction has a great hole in its center,
where a suspended light glows endlessly. The Eyestone is a
great mystery to spellcasters across Planegea. Little do they
imagine that it conceals the strange and powerful artifact
that calls itself Deepthought, and which is utterly deter-
mined to know all that can be known.
Nazh-Agaa, the King of the Dead. Inevitability. Entomb-
ment. The Utter End. Nazh-Agaa, the King of the Dead, is
the final terminus of all life, all hope, all light. The great
titan of death is neither god nor lich nor elemental. He is
Death itself, a fundamental law, the collective embodiment
of entropy, decay, and this single, simple fact: In the end,
everyone is forgotten.
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