Synopsis:

Homeward Bound by Jan Sielicki is a new set of Simple rules to use for any of your Dungeons and Dragons games that can give your adventuring party something more to aspire to rather than being a bunch of MurderHobos.  They could finally have a home and just continue to be Murderers if you like.  😉

“There comes a time in the lives of Player Characters when they start wondering about the point of adventuring and accumulating wealth and experience. Of course, some mercenary types do so for the sake of doing so, entering the vicious circle of killing monsters only so they can kill more powerful monsters and eventually die a horrible death in a forgotten tomb, their bodies eventually looted by some other adventurers. Yet, other players want their alter egos to actually achieve something in their lives, have a place to return to between adventures, something to protect and care about. A home.”

My Perception Check (Overall Impressions):

In my campaigns that I have played in or have Dungeon (Game) Mastered myself, the party always seems to be aloof, whether it be figuring out a mystery, or burying an axe in some ancient undead creature risen back from the grave.  But seldom, does it ever seem like there is down time or a place that our characters can truly have pride in calling home or protecting.  This always seemed to be a gap and a missing piece of my games.  So when I read through Homeward Bound, it made so much sense to incorporate these rules with ease into my upcoming campaign.

This brings a whole new element for your characters that may make the group want to “check in” on their new found home.  And this is a DM’s dream to already have stuff so easily built in to pull from.

There are even ways for your manor to earn your characters wealth. The land around your home can produce things such as milk, timber, wool, etc and provides great roleplaying opportunities for your group to negotiate these trade agreements with the nearby village.

On top of this, you can even use the wealth acquired from adventuring or trading to make upgrades to your home for bonuses.  This can be anything from adding fortifications, a vault for your treasures, to a very lavish garden.  Each of which have their own bonuses to your party.

“Vault Bonus: Should any thief make it to the vault, bypassing the lock without the password is a DC 20 task. There is one deadly trap or 2 dangerous traps or 3 setback traps. See “Dungeon Master’s Guide,” page 121 for details on traps.”

And this didn’t turn out to be just a Rulebook either.  There are even plot hooks, encounter ideas, and local places that deal with your stronghold itself and playing sessions in or around your new home.

“Baron Henig Zandro and his family own a swath of land beyond the river…He does not want much – only to become the sole owner of all the lands between his castle and Splendid, and eventually own the town as well.”

Also, the artwork in this book is really good as well in my opinion.  Some people might have an issue that it doesn’t have a consistent theme and jumps around from real world images to impressive fantasy images, but I think it adds to the charm of the product. When I play my own games, I try to imagine the world as close to reality as possible, versus imagining everything in the cartoon images that are prevalent in a lot of modules.  So to me this is a refreshing bonus.

This product is rated 5 Stars on the Dungeon Master’s Guild and I think that it is well worth it.  I think that anyone who is running a D&D campaign, whether it be AD&D, D&D 3.5, 4e, or 5e, that this will bring a more memorable experience to your campaigns.

Ok, Blogmaster McGee, where do I find it already?

You can find this awesome product over at the DM’s Guild Website HERE

Inside you will find:

• a customizable description of such a home for players: The Sleeping Manor
• over 15 possible upgrades to the house that provide in-game benefits
• a number of locations surrounding the Manor
• list of 40 random events that occur when PCs are away, adventuring
• ideas for an over-arching plot involving the Manor, the PCs and their evil neighbor
• a hand-drawn map of the area

Also you can find the author’s other works HERE.

I don’t think anyone who purchases and uses this item will be disappointed.  Happy Gaming friends!