Dungeons & Dragons takes inspiration from places like mythology and history. It’s fun to imagine living in a world similar to our own hundreds of years in the past. Players often love to dig out details from the time period to make their characters feel more real.
As the calendar turns to fall, many of the D&D faithful are heading back to school as students and teachers. I’ve collected a few books for this article that offer elements of actual history that can be used at the gaming table for Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons sessions. These books can be used anywhere from small bits of flavor to full on campaign set during time periods other than ones that emulate the medieval era.
Historia
Mana Project Studios is home to Historia, a dark fantasy Renaissance setting. The world of Vesteria stands out because its inspired by Europe from the 14th to 17th century instead of the Middle Ages of the 6th through 16th cdnturies. Instead of elves, dwarves and other creatures of fantasy, the characters are all anthropomorphic animals like cats, dogs, aarvarks, birds and more.
The world was created and illustrated by Mirko Failoni. The art looks like classical paintings except animals are the ones lavishly rendered in detail. The world offers dark magic, deep intrigue and adventures for animal lovers and fantasy fans alike.
Historica Arcanum
One of the joys of studying history is learning about moments that shaped the world we live in now. Historica Arcanum, from Metis Creative, offers a story where secret occult history clashes with the real world as players rub elbows with real life historical figures to keep the world turning. Setting books include the Silk Road, Victorian-era Istanbul and the Crusades.
The Crusades-era books are available in a deal on Bundle of Holding through September 16th, 2024. The bundle offers many of the materials at a discounted price and includes things like soundtracks, 3d-printable minatures and more. Fans interested in the latest offerings should check out the upcoming Echoes of Renaissance Kickstarter for books set during the Grand Carnival of Venice in 1521.
AD&D Historical Reference Series
Earlier editions of Dungeons & Dragons tackled this idea head on. The Historical Reference series offered seven books with rules and advice for running Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in real world historical eras. The books covered Vikings, Charlemagne, Celts, Musketeers, Rome, Ancient Greece and the Crusades.
The books can be found in a digital format individually or a complete bundle at DriveThruRPG. The mechanics may not be compatible but there’s still a lot of inspiration to be found for any edition of D&D. Many can also be found used on the secondary market.
Nations & Cannons
Many D&D settings downplay firearms because the concept often clashes with action scenes built around the clash of swords and armor. Nations & Cannons make firearms central to the setting because it’s set during the American Revolutionary period. Guns during the time can be just as deadly to the operators as they can to the target.
Should that musket misfire, don’t look for the cleric. The book focuses on a purely histroical setting without magic or fantasy creatures at all. The company also offers easier access to the book for educators and librarians who want to use it as a teaching tool.
