Dungeons and Dragons is often thought of as a rival to every other tabletop RPG in existence, so much so it's easy to forget it inspired half of those competitors. Daggerheart and Pathfinder are among the most notable of those rivals, each directly tied to creators who adore the classic game. One of the most underrated benefits of this connection is the surprising ease with which supplements for one game work for another.
And this upcoming pirate campaign is a perfect example.
Beyond the Golden Horizon by Amarik is a pirate campaign setting for Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder and Daggerheart. That's three of arguably the biggest fantasy TTRPGs out right now, fully compatible with this adventure. So whether you're used to DnD races or prefer the rules of Pathfinder, this adventure is wonderfully adaptable. A huge aspect of why that works is the sheer universality of how cool pirates are.
You'd be hard pressed to think of any TTRPG where pirates wouldn't work to some degree. The combat-heavy crunch of Pathfinder and D&D are perfect for raiding parties while the sea shanty-filled exploration fits Daggerheart's narrative focus to a tee. Whatever table you have, it's nigh-impossible not to have people be hyped for pirates.
The creators did more than just put peg legs on a generic adventure campaign and call it a day. They went deep on the history of pirating, with a particular focus on ship navigation and combat. The ships are as customizable as DnD classes, each sail or armament deciding how you sail the seas. They gave particular praise to the channel Gold and Gunpowder, a YouTube channel dedicated to historical piracy.
The campaign may not rock the boat, but it's certainly seaworthy for any tabletop. It's one of those books that reminds us TTRPGs may compete, but ultimately, we as players have a choice. Whether that's DnD or Daggerheart, we all want to spend a few hours swashbuckling. Where we choose to do so is part of the fun.
You can support Beyond the Golden Horizon on Kickstarter here.
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