Explore the Bloodmire — New Setting and Subclass

Psst! Files are at the bottom: scroll down!

The Syre Wood was once a verdant forest on the Material Plane. It was a home away from home for the fey on the Material Plane, and was blooming, singing, and bursting with life.

Then the Clash began: a centuries-long battle for dominance between the fey and fiends that bled through and ravaged the planes.

The Syre Wood was overrun by fiends in a surprise attack by the Crimson Legion: a devilish legion led by Malfuriel, a fallen planetar. In a fierce, final battle, the Wood's lord and Malfuriel clashed. Both fell, releasing curses that doomed both the fey that lived there and the fiends that invaded.

From the bloodmire phiale's flavor text:

The bloodmire bog used to be teeming with life, back when it was called the Syre Wood. The fey that lived there would come to visit, you know? They were mischievous, of course, but they were special.

After the war it changed. The forest turned dull and gray, and all the songbirds up and left. Our old homeland was changing, and we didn't know why.

Then the blood came. So, so much blood. Roaring tides of it swept through the undergrowth, tearing up roots and drowning woodland creature and person alike. The fey were gone. Whatever drove them off was evil, for sure.

Years have passed since I lived there. I did visit, though, maybe 50 years ago. It had changed. What was a lush wood was now a swamp of blood. The trees have grown to lift themselves out of the bog, and what few patches of ground there are to walk on are muddy with red.

The people seemed to return, though. Villages of all sorts of odd folk made their way as best they could through the bloody quagmire, making ends meet. While they didn't like the murk, it seemed they'd made their peace with it.

Can you uncover the source of this once-verdant forest's curse and save it? Riches, power, and fame await you, but only a path fraught with danger will see you through to the end.

Welcome to the Bloodmire, heroes: keep on adventuring!

What's included:

• Extensive new lore and setting details

• Encounter tables

• Unique environmental effects

• Suggested dungeons

• Example settlements

• 5 new monsters, including a fiendish CR 10 commander!

• Maps by Cze and Peku, + bonus map from The MAD Cartographer!

• New Rogue subclass: the Grim Surgeon!

Credits

I was responsible for direction, art, design, and additional editing for this setting. However, this couldn't be possible without extra help. If you like this setting, consider supporting these other incredible 5e content creators:

Ty Christensen — Writing, editing

TheArenaGuy — Monster creation, editing

Cze & Peku — Maps

Fabian Saravia — Subclass illustration 

What comes next?

As patrons, you can help decide what setting and subclass come next! Vote in this poll during the setting's first week of its exclusive release and choose what comes next!

This will be a freely accessible post after 1 week of being patron-exclusive. Thank you for your support, heroes, and for letting me make this content for you and the rest of the community!

Subclass updates: v1.1

• Allowed the rogue to use a Healer's Kit using a bonus action as opposed to an action

• clarified that you can only get the transfusion temporary hit points once a round, rather than turn.

• Changed the level 13 feature to be a debuffing, enervating effect rather than a damage steroid.

• These changes help keep the rogue in line with other ones (whoops at that first level 13 feature) and pushes it more towards the gruesome medic it's intended to be.

May 21, 2021 — Added the bonus Bloodmire map provided by The MAD Cartographer! Be sure to check out their awesome Patreon campaign and show them some support for their generosity and high-quality maps!