I have loved the turn-based digital RPG called Thea for as long as I have had it in my Steam library, so of course when this folklore inspired tabletop RPG popped up on my Kickstarter of course I had to heed the call. This one will be rich in both Slavic and Balkan folklore, including cautionary tales from the designers' own grandmas.
Zamanora: Ballad of the Witch will not only be compatible with one of the best tabletop RPGs around – D&D 5e (2024) – it'll also come with support for the most anticipated TRPG of 2025, Legend in the Mist. That's because it comes from the same publisher: Son of Oak, whose docket consists of heaps of top-selling tabletop goodies.
Rife with its own twists on these game's popular mechanics, Zamanora: Ballad of the Witch will also include new magic mechanics such as Poppet spell imbuement, and rules that allow you to hold Ceremonies in order for non-magic users to produce magical effects.
Set in the misty lands of Zamanora "where spirits linger, shadows whisper, and stories come alive", the book is set to contain 10 distinct adventure locales filled with rural communities across a dark countryside, such as the undead-infested Mirkshade homestead. Each of these places "tells a tale of survival, sacrifice, unbreakable bonds, and dangers lurking just beyond the edge of candlelight."
Players will be able to play as fantasy creatures such as Chorts and wraith-like Huants, and take on one of 20 new local subclasses such as the Bogatyr Fighter, Skycaller Paladin, Guslar Bard, Druid of the Long Night, or Hearth-domain Cleric. As for monsters, you can expect to be battling the leshy, baba yaga, and kikimora among others you will be familiar with if you're a Witcher fan.
Zamanora: Ballad of the Witch just launched on Kickstarter, so if all that sounds like something you'd be interested in, why not jump in and back it.
For more recommendations, why not check out the best D&D books or see what the Son of Oak lead has to say about D&D's magic system?
