About the Wood
Nestled between the mighty Crest mountain range and the vast marshes of the Mokk Fields, lies Humblewood, a mystical forest known that hums with the Great Rhythm of nature. It has been ruled for generations by the birdfolk who inhabit the Great Tree City of Alderheart. Humblewood has endured for centuries thanks to the industry and compassion of its people but now the fires have come, and the Woods have been thrown into chaos. Flames ravage the land and destroy the homes of the humblefolk, stoking a growing resentment against the birdfolk, whose cities have managed to avoid the worst of the fires so far.
Hatred burns in the hearts of those who have lost lives they cherished, and these once peaceful peoples now take up the sword and turn to banditry. The disaffected turn their gaze on Alderheart, and threaten to reduce an age of peace to ashes. Yet there is still hope. Even in these dark times, brave heroes can be found within the Wood. Only they can quell the raging flames that have been unleashed upon the land, and restore balance to the realm.
The World of Everden
Everden is vast, and filled with magic, mystery, and adventure. It is home to people who resemble the birds and animals of our world. Our story begins in one corner of this world, a land called Humblewood.
In the world of Everden, nestled between the mighty Crest mountain range and the vast marshes of the Mokk Fields, lies a mystical forest known as Humblewood that hums with the Great Rhythm of nature. It has been ruled for generations by the birdfolk who inhabit the Great Tree-City of Alderheart. Humblewood has endured for centuries thanks to the industry and compassion of its people.
But now the fires have come, and the Woods have been thrown into chaos. Flames ravage the land and destroy the homes of the humblefolk, stoking a growing resentment against the birdfolk, whose cities have managed to avoid the worst of the fires so far. Hatred burns in the hearts of those who have lost lives they cherished, and these once peaceful peoples now take up the sword and turn to banditry. The disaffected turn their gaze on Alderheart, and threaten to reduce an age of peace to ashes.
Yet, there is still hope. Even in these dark times, brave heroes can be found within the Wood. Only they can quell the raging flames that have been unleashed upon the land, and restore balance to the realm. Will you answer the call?
Humblewood Races
In Humblewood, players create characters based on various animals.
Birdfolk
The birdfolk races have ruled over Humblewood from their canopy villages and fortified cities for as long as anyone can remember. Play as one of the five core birdfolk races:
- The astute crow-like Corvum, who safeguard Humblewood’s knowledge
- The dignified fowl-like Gallus, who have faith in the power of community
- The aloof pidgeon-like Lumas, who use their gifts to bring joy into the world
- The agile hawk-like Raptors, who blaze new trails through the forest
- The powerful owl-like Strigs, who defend what they believe is right
Humblefolk
The humblefolk live in small villages throughout the Wood, but are occasionally found in birdfolk cities. Play as one of the five core humblefolk races:
- The hearty deer-like Cervans, who strive to achieve their goals
- The sensitive hedgehog-like Hedges, whose empathy lets them see what others cannot
- The brave mouse-like Jerbeen, who inspire those around them with deeds of heroism
- The resourceful raccoon-like Mapach, who can craft a solution to any problem
- The cunning fox-like Vulpin, who are always one step ahead of their foes
Wesfolk
Hailing from the greater continent of Wesden (of which , the Wesfolk don’t consider the difference between animal- and bird-folk to be as important. Play as one of six Wesfolk races:
- The curious toucan-like Seeta, who harbor a lifelong passion for discovery
- The wandering hummingbird-like Sylph, who are always on the move
- The independent goat-like Caprans, who share a rich oral tradition
- The cautious cat-like Elurans, who conceal their true strengths
- The determined weasel-like Mustels, who swear oaths to their patron god
- The charismatic lizard-like Tilia, who experiment with alchemy
Factions of Humblewood
Within Humblewood, various factions keep the peace, and others vie for power.
- The Birdfolk Council is located in Alderheart and serves as the main governing body in Humblewood.
- The guilds of Alderheart are organizations that support and train skilled folks of all sorts. Some guilds only wield power within the city, while others have offices across Humblewood and beyond! Regardless of their size, guilds work to regulate quality and fairness in their professions. Unaffiliated artisans, by contrast, have a hard time in the city, tending to be seen as untrustworthy by Alderites. There are too many guilds in Alderheart to cover all of them here, but the most influential ones are as follows:
- Cartwrights’ Guild
- Couriers’ Guild
- Firefighters’ Guild
- The Fortune Seekers
- The Gourmands’ Guild
- Inventors’ Guild
- Merchants’ Guild
- The Shapers’ Guild
- Smiths’ Guild
- The Order of the Inquisitors of Gesme is a reclusive, clandestine organization, whose members proclaim themselves the guardians of the true path and dispellers of false idolatry. Their leverage is bolstered by a network of militant informants and a few powerful members who can bend the law in their favor when needed.
- The Bandit Coalition is a loosely organized confederacy of crime. Its ranks have swelled with humblefolk displaced by the spreading fires who have turned to banditry to survive. Under the guidance of a new leader, they seek to exact retribution upon the birdfolk cities and sow discord throughout the Wood.
- The Tenders are wardens of nature, who use their gentle magic to mediate between the people of the Wood and the living forest itself, and to help the forest heal from natural disasters.
Monsters of Humblewood
Humblewood is rife with threats, from sticky oozes to elementals to necromantic entities.
Oozes
Deep within the murk of the Mokk Fields live several species of this most resilient life-form. Battle your way through caustic slimes whose touch is a deadly acid, sticky slimes that can suck a weapon right out of your hand, and the rare shifting slimes which feed on magical energies to become ever stronger.
Beasts
Humblewood is home to a variety of beasts whose size, strength, and abilities can only have grown thanks to the Wood’s magic. Face craggy skinned mountain lions whose roar can summon rockslides, hunt the deadly forest prowlers in their woodland lair, and tangle with the giant sea monster (art coming soon!) in a battle on the high sea!
Elemental Aspects
The most powerful elementals in Everden are called the aspects. These primordial beings are the purest expression of elemental energy, ferocity, and power. They remain mysterious. The emergence of the Aspect of Fire in Humblewood has caused more than one great calamity. The Aspect of Water has not been sighted in generations. Rumors swirl that the Aspect of Air resides in the storm-wracked Gasparian Isles far to the east of Wesden, while not even rumors have surfaced about the Aspect of Earth’s whereabouts. In their natural state, the aspects are part of the cycle of the world. Though they can be highly destructive, heralding forest fires, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, these are also part of the Great Rhythm. The aspects clear the way for change and renewal.
Fizzar Constructs
The Fizzar constructs are guardians made by the ancient Fizzars to guard their laboratory temples such as the Temple of Rime and Reason and the Temple of Naba. They were usually made from stone or metal and are powered by elemental hearts. Many Fizzars designed their constructs in forms that echoed the depictions of the Amaranthines, such as great cats, lizards or birds.
Undead
Deceased birdfolk granted a semblance of life through necromantic spells don’t have memory per se, but their skeletal bodies retain familiarity with tasks they performed in life. They also remain skilled with weapons they wielded in life, making them useful guards or servants. Cobblefrights are undead monstrosities created through dark necromancy. Rumored to have been originally devised by the mad necromancer Lathrus of the Night’s Call, cobblefrights are made by linking several birdfolk skeletons together to form one frightening creature with enhanced physical properties.
Adventures in Humblewood
The Humblewood Campaign Setting contains an adventure for players of levels 1–5. The story picks up again in Humblewood: Beyond the Canopy with a standalone adventure for players of levels 5–8. Additionally, Humblewood Tales offers five single-session “one-shot” adventures that range from levels 3 to 8 and can be added to your existing Humblewood game.
Adventure in the Wood
The first adventure in the world of Humblewood, Adventure in the Wood introduces players to the setting and offers a mystery for them to solve. There have been disturbing signs over the last few months, signalling that something is wrong in Humblewood. The troubles appear to originate from activity in the Scorched Grove, an ashen plain that was ravaged many centuries ago by a destructive fire. Whatever caused the fire has scarred the land with elemental magic, making it inhospitable to all but strange fire-based creatures. Of late, the Grove has begun to expand. At first, it was hard to notice the slow expansion, but those in tune with nature (especially the Tenders) could see the imbalance in the elemental forces of Humblewood. For many common folk, this imbalance has been experienced as unseasonal dryness, which has led to crop failure and an increased frequency of forest fires. There have also been a number of
unusually aggressive emberbat clouds reported far outside of their natural ranges. What is causing the forest fires, and what can the heroes do to save the Wood?
Heart of Ice
The sequel to Adventure in the Wood, Heart of Ice can be found in Humblewood: Beyond the Canopy. It can be played as a direct continuation of the story from the first book, or can be enjoyed as a standalone adventure. Heart of Ice takes players to the continent of Wesden for the first time, where abandoned technology, unexplored wilds, and magical storms await.
Long long ago, the continent of Wesden was different than it is now because of the work of a now-defunct group of scientists called the Fizzars. These arcane engineers created extraordinary engineering marvels, shaping nature to their design. They achieved great feats but also caused great harm. Some Fizzars were content to use Everden’s abundant ambient energy to power their creations. However, others found that they could generate even more power by transforming elementals into batteries. While this technique unlocked evergreater technological progress, it also destabilized Everden’s connection to the Great Rhythm. Magical storms raged across the land, but the Fizzars didn’t change their ways. Instead, they built a network of protective shields to suppress the storms and safeguard their facilities.
Playing in Humblewood
In addition to a vibrant campaign setting, Humblewood also offers new player options, including subclasses, backgrounds, feats, spells, and magic items. Humblewood: Beyond the Canopy also introduces an entire new class with three subclasses: the Gadgeteer.
Class: Gadgeteer
The gadgeteers of Everden are inventors, crafters, and engineers who harness myriad power sources to create unusual and powerful technologies. It is said that gadgeteers are beloved by Gesme, the Amaranthine of innovation. Some believe that recent technological leaps mean that Gesme has turned her sharp eye upon the world more closely once again. There are three gadgeteer subclasses: the plant-shaping Cultivator, the metal-working Engineer, and the magic-weaving Fizzars.
Subclasses
Across the Humblewood books, nine new subclasses are available to players:
- Bard: College of the Road
- Cleric: Community Domain
- Druid: Circle of the Warden
- Fighter: Scofflaw
- Monk: Way of the Wrangler
- Paladin: Oath of Mysteries
- Sorcerer: Deep Roots
- Warlock: Predator
- Wizard: Leyline Magic
Backgrounds
Backgrounds flesh out who your character was before they started adventuring. The Humblewood series offers seven new backgrounds:
- Bandit Defector
- Grounded
- Stonesinger
- Warrenborn
- Wilderness Explorer
- Wind-Touched
- Wonderstruck
Feats
Feats are special abilities that your character can learn as they level up. Across the Humblewood series, there are nineteen new feats.
- Aerial Acrobat
- Arboreal Acrobat
- Bandit Cunning
- Beat in the Great Rhythm
- Choir Member
- Field Magic
- Flamewoken
- Forest Sage
- Frost Touched
- Heavy Glider
- Moonlit
- Odorous Defenses
- Opportunistic Thief
- Perfect Landing
- Plant Mender
- Speech of the Ancient Beasts
- Sun Touched
- Tunneler
- Woodwise
Spells
The Humblewood series offers new spells for all base 5e spellcasting classes. These range from the defensive spiny shield, available to druids, rangers, sorcerers, and wizards, to the thunderous stormslip, available to clerics, druids, sorcerers, and wizards.
More to Explore
Humblewood is an expansive world with many ways to immerse yourself in the setting and story. Other products that may enhance your experience include:
Accolades and Awards
The Humblewood line has been recognized across the tabletop roleplaying game community with four awards, an Indie Groundbreakers Award, two ENNIE Awards, and one IPPY Award.
Established in 2016, the Indie Groundbreaker Awards are a recognition of independent creators and their contributions to roleplaying games. Winners are selected by a panel of judges.
Established in 2001, the ENNIE Awards (or, the ENNIES) are the biggest awards in the tabletop roleplaying game community. Books are nominated by judges, then voted on by fans.
Established in 1996, the Independent Publisher Awards (or, the IPPY Awards) are a celebration of the best books by independent publishers around the world. Winners are selected by a panel of judges.
2020 Indie Groundbreakers Awards
Winner: Best Art, Humblewood Campaign Setting. The Humblewood Campaign Setting was recognized for its stunning illustrations. Leesha Hannigan served as art director for the book.
2020 ENNIE Awards
SILVER: Best Production Values, Humblewood Campaign Setting Box Set. The Humblewood Campaign Setting Box Set was recognized by fans for its high quality standees, reference cards, fold-out maps, and printed book.
2021 ENNIE Awards
GOLD: Best Free Game/Product, Humblewood: The Wakewyrm’s Fury. Originally produced for Free RPG Day, Humblewood: The Wakewyrm’s Fury is a short adventure for level 5 characters.
2025 IPPY Awards
SILVER: Best Graphic Novel/Drawn Book, Humblewood: For Want of a Nail. The Humblewood comic written by Gail Simone and illustrated by Sarah Webb was recognized for its strong characters and distinct art style.
