Odyssey of the Dragonlords (for 5e)

If you like Dungeonsand Dragons: 5th Edition, and you love Greek myth, then go ahead and buy Odyssey of the Dragonlords. I doubt you will be disappointed.

Odyssey of the Dragonlords is a mega-campaign set in an ‘undiscovered’ continent that can be dropped into any D&D world. It’s a bronze-age place, filled with centaurs, satyrs, minotaurs, etc. It is also a land on the brink of crisis. Essentially, the non-aggression pact between two sets of gods is about to come to an end and all hades is about to break loose!

Each of the players becomes one of the heroes prophesied to save the land, and this is more than a mere narrative tag. Each hero basically has a specific background (whether they know it or not) that ties them into the greater story, and gives them specific objectives during the campaign. It’s a neat, but not overly-intrusive system. The heroes start as low-level adventurers, who are essentially wandering-around, looking for ways to increase their wealth and reputation by fighting monsters in the classic Greek myth style. However, they are slowly drawn deeper and deeper into the looming war of the gods.

Over the course of this long, sprawling campaign, they will make a journey of exploration like Jason and the Argonauts, descend into the shadowy underworld, and eventually battle the gods themselves.  It’s EPIC with a capital everything!

I have no doubt that this book could provide years of gaming, but for those of us who are unlikely to play such a thing, it is also just a great read, filled with numerous cool ideas that could be used in other games and other campaigns. The writing is excellent, the editing is good, and the artwork is lovely. It’s the kind of book that just makes you want to pick up some dice and fight some monsters!

It really is an excellent gaming book that captures the spirit of Greek myth without just rehashing all of the stories we already know. It’s a great addition to a gaming library.

[Disclaimer: Odyssey of the Dragonlords is published by Modiphius who also publish my own Rangers of Shadow Deep: Deluxe Edition. That said, I only reviewed this book because I thought it deserved it.]