What do you think?
Rate this book
Humblewood Campaign Setting
The hardcover Humblewood Campaign book contains over 200 pages of adventure, setting details, playable races & a bestiary. Humblewood is a campaign setting for 5e that includes new birdfolk player races, new monsters, compelling adventure and more!
224 pages, Hardcover
Published June 1, 2019
16 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 28, 2023
A fun cozy campaign setting with beautiful artwork that really brings the world to life. The region is not large, and is likely not appropriate for a long or high level campaign, but I don't think that's really what you want for a cozy setting like this. Which brings me to my one complaint about the book. The campaign given could easily be run in a normal 5e setting, and there isn't anything about it which really plays on the setting. I would have much preferred a campaign that does a better job leaning into the coziness of the setting. Don't get me wrong; the short 1-5 level campaign isn’t bad, it just isn't particularly good at utilizing the attributes that make the setting so very quaint.
There also isn't really much in the way of expanded mechanics aside from the new races. I was anticipating a whole slew of magic items and stat blocks that fit in the setting, but the only ones that are included come directly from the campaign, and comprise only a few pages' worth (with an overabundance of description, meaning quantity is very low).
Honestly though, I bought this book at a ridiculous discount since the ink was apparently less bright than the final version (I don't know what the final looked like, but my copy is beautiful muted colours or no), so it was well worth the money I spent on it.
There also isn't really much in the way of expanded mechanics aside from the new races. I was anticipating a whole slew of magic items and stat blocks that fit in the setting, but the only ones that are included come directly from the campaign, and comprise only a few pages' worth (with an overabundance of description, meaning quantity is very low).
Honestly though, I bought this book at a ridiculous discount since the ink was apparently less bright than the final version (I don't know what the final looked like, but my copy is beautiful muted colours or no), so it was well worth the money I spent on it.
Read
October 21, 2024How? Library.
What? It's a campaign setting where you play anthropomorphic animals in a forest. The book includes some new character species, some mythology for the world, and then a lot of campaign where you have to fight a fire monster to save the peace of the forest. Like: there's a few location details in the chapter on the setting, and then in the adventure portion, there's more details of the locations, to the point where I thought: maybe this shouldn't even have a setting chapter?
Yeah, so? I almost bought this on the strength of the cover art and the idea of playing a crow person (and it helped that what I was looking at was a damaged piece on sale). But after going through it, I'm not sad that I didn't. Like: I get why people like playing animals and D&D is popular, so it makes sense to combine the two. And these are such popular flavors that it makes sense to do the, uh, let's say first idea version of this. Or in other words: "only you can prevent forest fires" is a fine idea for a campaign, but it's not the idea that would make me jump up.
(What would? Hmmm, well, I'm a sucker for making subtext into text, so: maybe the monster breaking through is just from an anthropocentric world, i.e., a human. Or there's something threatening to reduce animals to their animal states. Or a different form of consciousness is arising. Any of those would've gotten my attention. But let's say you don't want to get into that notion of meta-ness. OK, well then: maybe some animal nation has advanced weaponry and this has upset the balance of power.)
What? It's a campaign setting where you play anthropomorphic animals in a forest. The book includes some new character species, some mythology for the world, and then a lot of campaign where you have to fight a fire monster to save the peace of the forest. Like: there's a few location details in the chapter on the setting, and then in the adventure portion, there's more details of the locations, to the point where I thought: maybe this shouldn't even have a setting chapter?
Yeah, so? I almost bought this on the strength of the cover art and the idea of playing a crow person (and it helped that what I was looking at was a damaged piece on sale). But after going through it, I'm not sad that I didn't. Like: I get why people like playing animals and D&D is popular, so it makes sense to combine the two. And these are such popular flavors that it makes sense to do the, uh, let's say first idea version of this. Or in other words: "only you can prevent forest fires" is a fine idea for a campaign, but it's not the idea that would make me jump up.
(What would? Hmmm, well, I'm a sucker for making subtext into text, so: maybe the monster breaking through is just from an anthropocentric world, i.e., a human. Or there's something threatening to reduce animals to their animal states. Or a different form of consciousness is arising. Any of those would've gotten my attention. But let's say you don't want to get into that notion of meta-ness. OK, well then: maybe some animal nation has advanced weaponry and this has upset the balance of power.)
December 4, 2022
The Humblewood Campaign Setting is really two parts: one part is an excellent campaign setting for having an explicitly more bird-focused addition to the usual set of D&D funny animal species/culture supplements. This part of the book is amazing. There’s lots of original takes on various kinds of forest creatures, drawing mostly from American and Western European animals and folklore. There’s a well thought out patchwork of interesting social dynamics and “what if’s” involving having a long history of a forested area ruled more from the forest canopy than the forest floor. The art throughout is fantastic and really adds to a mood somewhere between classic Robin Hood and more recent adventure fantasy comics.
I especially appreciated the focus on making the bird species feel distinct but each having a both social and ecological role within the larger society of Humblewood. The emphasis on verticality and glide powers for PCs helps make this feel far more like a living wood full of perches than the typical Redwall, Nimh, or Mouse Guard inspired setting. I also enjoyed the emphasis on different ways of farming and an approach to religion and culture that’s distinct from both humblefolk (the setting’s term for ground dwellers) and other D&D worlds’ typical inhabitants. This feels like a setting that has hooks for all sorts of groups, even if this ends up just being a region of a larger world rather than the focus of a setting.
The second part of the book is an adventure path within the larger setting. Personally, I feel like this is where the book struggles a bit more. The adventure itself is good, but I’d rather see more of an emphasis on running your own adventures in this setting rather than having to work through the adventure to pick out lots of little details and insights into how the world works as a campaign setting. DMs and players looking for new monsters and encounters will find them sprinkled through here, but the emphasis is definitely on lower level play with newer characters as opposed to having something where existing campaigns can visit.
I think this deserves 5/5 for originality and more like 4/5 for not having enough about either the humblefolk nor hooks for existing groups to come through and explore. Definitely worth a read and it’s also been a delight at the table for my playgroup, but still feels a little more like a side-adventure setting than someplace that an existing group with established characters will want to visit.
I especially appreciated the focus on making the bird species feel distinct but each having a both social and ecological role within the larger society of Humblewood. The emphasis on verticality and glide powers for PCs helps make this feel far more like a living wood full of perches than the typical Redwall, Nimh, or Mouse Guard inspired setting. I also enjoyed the emphasis on different ways of farming and an approach to religion and culture that’s distinct from both humblefolk (the setting’s term for ground dwellers) and other D&D worlds’ typical inhabitants. This feels like a setting that has hooks for all sorts of groups, even if this ends up just being a region of a larger world rather than the focus of a setting.
The second part of the book is an adventure path within the larger setting. Personally, I feel like this is where the book struggles a bit more. The adventure itself is good, but I’d rather see more of an emphasis on running your own adventures in this setting rather than having to work through the adventure to pick out lots of little details and insights into how the world works as a campaign setting. DMs and players looking for new monsters and encounters will find them sprinkled through here, but the emphasis is definitely on lower level play with newer characters as opposed to having something where existing campaigns can visit.
I think this deserves 5/5 for originality and more like 4/5 for not having enough about either the humblefolk nor hooks for existing groups to come through and explore. Definitely worth a read and it’s also been a delight at the table for my playgroup, but still feels a little more like a side-adventure setting than someplace that an existing group with established characters will want to visit.
March 13, 2022
An interesting supplement for 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons. You get new player options in the form of several animal-based 'humblefolk' (be a humanoid owl! or fox! or deer!), new class options (e.g. Community Domain & Night Domain for Clerics), new backgrounds, creatures, NPCs, feats and spells! The world is well thought out with plenty of lore and maps, especially regarding the gods and religion of the Humblewoods. You also get a prepared adventure that will take your players from level 1 to 5.
Basically, if you're looking for a 'fables' inspired setting for D&D, this is the book for you!
Basically, if you're looking for a 'fables' inspired setting for D&D, this is the book for you!
January 3, 2024
So I've had my eye on this for a while and saw Hit Point Press had an "imperfect" version on their website for ten bucks plus abnormally high shipping so I finally grabbed it. I haven't run a campaign in a couple decades at this point and since three of my prospective players grew up on Disney and the other is a furry, this seemed like a resource that would get some use.
First off, some of the character races are adorable. Just check out the Strig knight on the cover! The Birdfolk and their Humblefolk neighbors don't seem overpowered compared to the standard 5e races aside from the Vulpin's charm person ability. The Mapach seems inspired by Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy but who the hell cares, honestly? That's probably how I'd want to play them. No complaints on the new PC races. I would have no qualms about including the races in this book in a Planescape or Spelljammer campaign to flesh out those settings.
I like the background of the world but I'd like more detail on that. The campaign area isn't that large and a lot of the book is devoted to a series of adventures rather than fleshing out the setting a bit. Alderheart, the main city of the setting, doesn't get as much detail as I'm accustomed though not ever city needs to be detailed as much as The Rock of Bral or City of Greyhawk, I guess.
The presentation is up to 5e standards for the most part. Some of the art is iconic. I have the imperfect version and it's pretty damn good.
So who would most like this? I think if you're group is into stuff like The Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, Disney's Robin Hood, Redwall, and/or Mouseguard, you'd probably get a kick out of this. Who hasn't wanted to run Sir Didymus from the Labyrinth? I think if you'd want to run a campaign just based on what's here, you'd have some work on your hands. You could also probably add Harengon, Tabaxi, and Tortles from the other D&D books for additional races.
First off, some of the character races are adorable. Just check out the Strig knight on the cover! The Birdfolk and their Humblefolk neighbors don't seem overpowered compared to the standard 5e races aside from the Vulpin's charm person ability. The Mapach seems inspired by Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy but who the hell cares, honestly? That's probably how I'd want to play them. No complaints on the new PC races. I would have no qualms about including the races in this book in a Planescape or Spelljammer campaign to flesh out those settings.
I like the background of the world but I'd like more detail on that. The campaign area isn't that large and a lot of the book is devoted to a series of adventures rather than fleshing out the setting a bit. Alderheart, the main city of the setting, doesn't get as much detail as I'm accustomed though not ever city needs to be detailed as much as The Rock of Bral or City of Greyhawk, I guess.
The presentation is up to 5e standards for the most part. Some of the art is iconic. I have the imperfect version and it's pretty damn good.
So who would most like this? I think if you're group is into stuff like The Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, Disney's Robin Hood, Redwall, and/or Mouseguard, you'd probably get a kick out of this. Who hasn't wanted to run Sir Didymus from the Labyrinth? I think if you'd want to run a campaign just based on what's here, you'd have some work on your hands. You could also probably add Harengon, Tabaxi, and Tortles from the other D&D books for additional races.
March 23, 2020
Humblewood bills itself as a campaign setting. The full title on the front of the book is “The Deck of Many Presents Humblewood Campaign Setting.” But upon finishing my read, I can’t help but wish there was more setting at the expense of campaign.
There seems to be competing interests in whether this book was supposed to flesh out the world the adventure takes place in or be a setting book for a GM to run their own campaign. Both models are supported, but neither very well. Information is sometimes found in the adventure and sometimes outside. It's like they couldn't decide. If the adventure comes first, embed the details, stats, and tables in the adventure, don't make me page flip to the appendix. If the setting comes first, give all the location details in the location chapter and reference them in the adventure. Instead we get a mix of both. Locations have more details in the adventure and monster stats require page flipping.
View my full let's read thread here: https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threa...
There seems to be competing interests in whether this book was supposed to flesh out the world the adventure takes place in or be a setting book for a GM to run their own campaign. Both models are supported, but neither very well. Information is sometimes found in the adventure and sometimes outside. It's like they couldn't decide. If the adventure comes first, embed the details, stats, and tables in the adventure, don't make me page flip to the appendix. If the setting comes first, give all the location details in the location chapter and reference them in the adventure. Instead we get a mix of both. Locations have more details in the adventure and monster stats require page flipping.
View my full let's read thread here: https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threa...
October 27, 2024
This is a well written partial players' guide and a great introductory adventure but it's not really a campaign setting. There are no story seeds, the regional overview offers no indication of who leads the communities, even though we can tell there are likely frictions. The pantheon is fleshed out, but places of worship or traditions are left unidentified.
Do you want to play anthropomorphic animals on the provided adventure in a magical forest land, a la Root? This is your huckleberry. Do you want to have a larger or different, or even just _another_ adventure based on the land, communities, or other elements? Yeah, then you are going to be doing all the heavy lifting.
The five part adventure is well documented, and looks pretty supportive based on my reading, but an adventure isn't a campaign setting. If you want an adventure and a light sketch of a land you can mostly flesh out on your own, then this a five-star choice. If you want a realm where the utility is in place and waiting to get used, then keep moving
Do you want to play anthropomorphic animals on the provided adventure in a magical forest land, a la Root? This is your huckleberry. Do you want to have a larger or different, or even just _another_ adventure based on the land, communities, or other elements? Yeah, then you are going to be doing all the heavy lifting.
The five part adventure is well documented, and looks pretty supportive based on my reading, but an adventure isn't a campaign setting. If you want an adventure and a light sketch of a land you can mostly flesh out on your own, then this a five-star choice. If you want a realm where the utility is in place and waiting to get used, then keep moving
July 26, 2024
7/26/2024 Meditating over how to review this, especially since I didn't read through the campaign part just in case someone else volunteers to run it. Will definitely have a better idea after running an official one-shot tomorrow tho. When I do write my review, it'll come out at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
December 16, 2024
I've loved everything Hit Point Press has put out so far and this sourcebook was no different! It was a really good base sourcebook with great content for getting a Humblewood campaign off the ground. I really enjoyed how customizable it is and the complexity of the worldbuilding. I've been enjoying the playtests currently coming out and looking forward to 2.0!
January 21, 2020
One if the best source books I've read in years. The adventures is well written and thought, while the supplemental material is in credibly interesting. The lore of Humblewood is a fun read, and now all I want is to play its campaign.
July 15, 2024
Vivid and deeply thought out setting, a joy to play and interact with the humblewood.
November 24, 2019
Currently reading, enjoying it so far. Like the new race's and world creation story. And the new races.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews