As a Dungeons & Dragons player and a DM, I have a certain fondness for a lot of the 3rd Party content that has been created under the OGL and I’m a firm believer that it’s simply served to make the game more fun. After all, Wizards of the Coast can only do so many big releases in a year and as a business, they have to focus on what they feel is in the most demand. However, there’s some awesome homebrewers out there that have created campaign worlds and games that should get just as much credit, and Kickstarter is a great way for them to put their material out there. Since I also have a soft place in my heart for all things pirate and nautical, I was definitely intrigued when I heard about Songs of the Spellbound Sea, an upcoming campaign book being Kickstarted by So Many Robots. Luckily, I was granted access to a sample of its contents pre-launch.

What is Songs of the Spellbound Sea? 

Songs of the Spellbound Sea is a Dungeons and Dragons 5e compatible setting created by So Many Robots. Like many campaign settings, it contains character class options, a new species, spells, new locations, magic items, monsters, some play rules ship etc. It is being launched via Kickstarter where backers can opt from buying copies of the book to add-ons like dice, DM screens, and spell cards. The book will also include Spell That Don’t Suck,  a So Many Robots project that reworked some of the 5e spells in a manner that felt far better balanced.

What is in the Book?

As I only had access to a sample, I will describe some of what I saw but note the other things that were listed as being included in the full version. So Many Robots aimed for 200+ pages of content, with about 3/4 of it being player options and the rest fun goodies for the DM. Here’s a look at some of what I got to see:

New Species

Ever want to play as an Axolotl? Now you can, and this species features some fun new regenerative abilities.

New Character Options

The finished product will have 3 new character classes and dozens of subclasses. I got to look at the Troubadour which most would say sounds like a Bard, but is build a little differently and with abilities that aren’t the same as the Bards you’re use to. Never fear though, there’s also the College of Bravura for those Bards who are a little more refined around their edges. I also really liked seeing seafaring options for Barbarians and Rangers as well since it can be really nice to have just the right subclass to help your character fit into a campaign setting. I definitely saw options that I think my players might have picked in the campaign I run as well as things my fellow players would have selected in the campaign I play in. When I see players I know in these options, I absolutely feel like it’s a book I should have.

New Spells

There was a little sampling of new spells for me to look at, and as usual, I ask myself, would the players I know want to cast these.  The answer is absolutely yes.  The pure chaos that is Infectious Jig would delight the kids I DM for but let the more seasoned adult players thrive in the strategy of where to let that spell loose. Sorcerers, especially the Wild Magic ones, will love the unpredictable madness of Chaotic Vortex,  and Acid Jet is absolutely vicious if I fail a Saving Throw as a DM (the dice hate me, odds are in favor of the players). I absolutely want to see more of these spell selections as I think they’ll be a lot of fun for people who play Spellcasters.

New Ship Rules

There’s a set of rules for ships using more of a hexagon grid style map. It pulls in some more realistic notes for situations for ships including including how a ship is positioned to fire, what kind of things would and wouldn’t damage a ship, and the tendency of a ship to not fight until it’s sinking as that would be a death sentence to all aboard.

Other Items

The full version will also include some drop-in islands, monsters, and magic items. These were not included with the sample I saw but will appear in the full version.

Why You Should Buy Songs of the Spellbound Sea

If seafaring, swashbuckling adventures are for you, then Songs of the Spellbound Sea is a great 3rd Party addition to your game. Players will absolutely love a wealth of new options including new character classes or lots of sub-classes for their favorite traditional character classes. Axolotls will be fun for players that want to play something just a little different. The spells look like so much fun and make me a little jealous that I don’t traditionally play Spellcasters. Luckily, the part of my heart that loves Rogues feels like there should be lots of things that would be extra fun for me to play so no one is going to lose out here.

From what I can see in the sample, these are veterans of the homebrew that really worked hard to create a full package of options for Players and DMs alike. As someone who has always been fascinated by naval history (my wedding trip to England included stops at The Golden Hind replica as well as the National Maritime Museum), I really like the ship rule details that feel like they have some historical accuracy to back them up, and I can’t help but to feel like they were created by someone who shares that interest level with me. 

The drop-in islands are something I really look forward to because I want to extend out a game or throw in some new fun things, and these are absolutely perfect for doing that.

One of the hardest challenges for a multi-group DM like me is how it can be tricky to find things someone hasn’t already played yet especially if it was released in the earlier days of 5e. Add in that not every campaign setting is something you or your players like and it can quickly feel like the list of what Wizards of the Coast alone is offering is not quite enough. I love backing these 3rd Party Homebrewers because it’s fresh, it’s new, and there’s still surprises for veteran players while new players still get to have a fun adventure. I feel like So Many Robots really worked hard to put together something that gives me fun options for something to run unless the other DMs in my house beat me to it in which case I still win because this looks like something I would love to play in.

The Kickstarter campaign can be found here and pledges run from a digital copy of the book at $25, a digital and physical book bundle at $55 ($5 discount on first day)  to a full set with all add-ons at $100. If that’s not enough for you, a $300 pledge lets you work with So Many Robots to add some custom content to the book.