Highpass

Take to the skies, explore the peaks of frigid mountains and navigate the treacherous Aethersea in this setting for D&D 5e.   For thousands of years, Highpass has been nothing but a realm of snow and cold drifting down from the mountains. Life here was hard and cruel. But as small pockets of civilisation gather in earnest, men, dwarves, halflings and other races have begun to tame the land with agriculture and industry.   Those that see Mother Nature as an ally are now being dragged into an industrial revolution against their will, sparking an inevitable conflict. Meanwhile, bands of heroes that seek adventure in the frozen north, or even beyond the Aethersea, can find it on the prow of an airship.  

What to expect from a Highpass campaign

  Highpass should be considered traditional D&D with Nordic, Germanic and Anglo-Saxon influences. The landscape draws heavily from the mountains, fjords and snows of the north, while viking-style cultures are thrust into an unfamiliar world at musket-point.   Players should be ready for harsh environments and (relatively) advanced technology to influence their style of play. Flintlock firearms are changing warfare as bands of gunfighters clash with armoured brigands. Navigating the world brings challenges: even travelling by airship runs the risk of running into a stormfront.   There are no formal schools or colleges of magic: the arcane arts are unpredictable, considered as volatile as a snowstorm up a mountain. Wizard's Towers create loose networks between practitioners, but casters are lone explorers in the pursuit of knowledge rather than an organised caste.   This guide not only contains the lore of Highpass, but new items, background variants, feats, spells, subraces and character options. The Monks of Kord, Metalborn and Artefact of Transformation pages contain setting-specific subclasses, but further player options can be found by browsing through this wiki.