Birthright (campaign setting)
In 1994, Rich Baker and Colin McComb began work on a project that would change how players viewed their role in fantasy worlds. They created Birthright for TSR, releasing it to the public in 1995. This setting introduced a unique mechanic where player characters became rulers of nations rather than just adventurers. Matthew Pook from Pyramid magazine later called this the first campaign to support characters as true leaders. He noted the game focused heavily on diplomacy, politics, trade, construction, and war. Michael J. Tresca stated the design drew inspiration from Tolkien's Middle-earth universe. The creators wanted to build a world profoundly influenced by bloodlines, nation building, and war. Witwer and other chroniclers saw the ability to command armies as a return to Dungeons & Dragons wargaming roots. The development team aimed to make domain creation as important as character creation.
The river Maesil forms a great highway through the heartlands of Anuire. This region sits in the southwest portion of the continent Cerilia. Its climate resembles Western Europe with no direct historical analogy. The culture blends elements of medieval England, imperial Rome, and Gondor from The Lord of the Rings. In the northwest lies Rjurik, dominated by large expanses of sparsely settled pine forests. The climate there is modeled on Scandinavia and the Celts. Brechtür occupies the central north of Cerilia. The Great Bay almost separates the landmass in half. These mountainous realms prefer travel by ship over overland routes. Their concept mirrors the Hanseatic League. Khinasi stretches across the southeast as the warmest region of the continent. It features arid plains, rugged mountains, many islands, and deserts. The people are seafarers who fear magic less than others. This area draws conceptual inspiration from Moorish Spain and Arabia. Vosgaard stands in the northeast known also as the Heartless Wastes. The land remains frigid and unforgiving while populated by dangerous creatures. The prevailing culture resembles that of the Rus.
On the slopes of Mount Deismaar, gods met in battle against Azrai. The other gods defeated their enemy only by sacrificing themselves. A colossal explosion destroyed both the mountain and the land bridge connecting continents. Divine power shot out and entered those present at the battle. Champions closest to their patron received the most power and became new gods. Other combatants found this power resided within their blood. They realized a scion could have his blood strength stolen if killed by a blow piercing his heart. Scions form connections to their people and land, drawing strength from them. In times of need they return that strength to perform great deeds. Some possess divine powers like long life or the ability to detect poison. Those with the blood of Azrai become powerful abominations called awnsheghlien. Corrupted by dark blood, their bodies twist to reflect inner corruption. Examples include the Gorgon with stone skin and petrifying gaze. The Sphinx is an insane half-cat lover of riddles. The Spider was once a goblin-king who fought at Deismaar. The Vampire was once a young hero who killed the Sinister and became corrupted himself.
Regents collect regency points based on population levels of provinces they control. Provinces average roughly thirty to forty miles across in size. Population levels range from one to ten and determine maximum holding levels. Law holdings represent legal authority while temples and guilds cover religious and economic aspects. Source holdings contain magical energy within the natural environment. Domain actions are month-long activities with wide ranging effects. Players can increase population, create holdings, wage war, conduct diplomacy, trade, or handle random events. Regents may build castles, muster troops, issue decrees, or establish treaties. Both priest and wizard characters utilize holdings to cast realm spells. Realm spells affect entire provinces but cost gold and regency. War Magic uses War Cards to simulate large-scale combat. This system allows players to manipulate events in and around their domain using power gained through regency.
Elves of Cerilia call themselves the Sidhelien and live in ancient forests. They remain generally antagonistic to humans and most other Cerilian races. Unlike elves elsewhere, these creatures are chaotic neutral and immortal. Half-Elves bridge the gap between elves and humans without immortality. Though elves accept their rare offspring completely into society, humans treat them with superstition. Halflings fled to Cerilia when evil corrupted their Shadow World homeland. They bear taint allowing easy crossing into that plane of existence. Dwarves weigh 250 to 300 pounds despite averaging four feet tall. Their bodies are twice as dense as other creatures. Goblins face less hatred than in other fantasy settings. Several large realms exist where they trade with human populations. Orogs are fierce militaristic race living primarily underground. They engage in endless war with dwarves and almost every other race. No Orcs or Half-Orcs appear anywhere in this setting. Kobolds and Gnomes exist as monsters but not playable character races.
TSR published twenty-five roleplaying products and five novels during a four-year run. A computer game by Sierra On-Line also appeared before the line was suspended. By the time Wizards of the Coast bought TSR, they had cancelled the entire campaign line. The company released free web versions of unpublished products for the tenth anniversary in 2005. Only the first few releases were actually published online. Richard Baker III wrote the novel The Falcon and the Wolf for this occasion. An official fan site constructed a version compatible with Third Edition rules. This group project received recognition from Wizards of the Coast. Birthright won the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Supplement of 1995. The boxed set 3100 Birthright Campaign Setting launched the initial product line. Subsequent accessories included Player's Secrets for various regions like Roesone and Endier. Adventures such as Sword and Crown and Warlock of the Stonecrowns expanded the lore. The line remained active until cancellation despite its critical acclaim.
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Common questions
Who created the Birthright campaign setting for Dungeons and Dragons?
Rich Baker and Colin McComb created the Birthright campaign setting for TSR in 1994. They released the project to the public in 1995.
What regions make up the continent of Cerilia in the Birthright setting?
The continent of Cerilia contains Anuire, Rjurik, Brechtür, Khinasi, and Vosgaard. Each region features distinct climates and cultural inspirations ranging from medieval England to Scandinavia and Moorish Spain.
How did the gods meet their end on Mount Deismaar during the Blood War?
Gods met in battle against Azrai on the slopes of Mount Deismaar and defeated their enemy by sacrificing themselves. A colossal explosion destroyed the mountain and scattered divine power into those present at the battle.
What unique mechanic allows player characters to rule nations in the Birthright campaign?
Player characters become rulers of nations through a system where they collect regency points based on population levels. This mechanic focuses heavily on diplomacy, politics, trade, construction, and war rather than just adventuring.
Which races are playable in the Birthright campaign setting instead of standard fantasy creatures?
Playable races include Elves called Sidhelien, Half-Elves, Halflings, Dwarves, Goblins, and Orogs. No Orcs or Half-Orcs appear anywhere in this setting while Kobolds and Gnomes exist only as monsters.