Dungeons and Dragons: How To Start Your Adventure in Theros
Fans of the Sword Coast are likely already looking forward to their coming adventures in Icewind Dale this fall and winter, but there's still plenty of time for Dungeons and Dragons players to kick off an adventure in Theros if they haven't done so yet. Whether tabletop gamers are fans of Magic: The Gathering or not, there's no denying that the Theros campaign setting is a great place to take adventurers who are looking for a campaign full of meddling Gods and heroic feats.
Unlike the Sword Coast setting which has tons of books and adventures published already, Dungeon Masters looking to kick things off on the plane of Theros will have a few less resources. There are two sets of Magic: The Gathering cards to look to for inspiration, but the main source of lore is going to be the latest D&D book: Mythic Odysseys of Theros. The campaign setting sourcebook provides tons of lore, maps, locations, and hooks to set the tone for a full campaign in the Greek-inspired setting.
Dungeon Masters who really want to ground the campaign in the spirit of Theros have some very interesting decisions to make during character creation. Luckily a pretty important and established pantheon of Gods is already recommended, but there will be the opportunity for many players to forge stronger relationships with those deities both in their backstories and throughout the game as it progresses. The connection between people and gods is very important to the world of Theros and many Dungeons and Dragons DMs may even decide to make a specific God (of a group of Gods) the big bad enemy of the whole campaign.
First, let's break down the basics about how to get started in Theros...
Mythic Odysseys of Theros is a new campaign setting book designed to prepare players and GMs for games that take place in Theros. It's full of a ton of new content for D&D players to explore.
"Legends walk the lands of Theros, a realm shaped by deities and the deeds of heroes. From the temples of omen-speaking oracles to the five realms of the Underworld, the champions of the gods vie for immortal favor and a place among the world’s living myths. Choose a supernatural gift that sets you on the path of destiny, align yourself with one of Theros’s fifteen gods, then carve a tale of odysseys and ordeals across the domains of mortals, gods, and the dead. What legends will you challenge—mighty heroes, inevitable prophecies, or titans imprisoned by the gods? Where will destiny and immortal schemes lead you? And what tales will you leave behind, celebrated in the pantheon of myths and writ among the eternal stars?"
Heroes in Theros are a bit more powerful than the average starting DnD level 1 character. To help drive home just how special they are, the character creation section of the Mythic Odysseys of Theros sourcebook recommends that DMs allow each player to have a Supernatural Gift. These should be selected during character creation and connect to a character's backstory.
"Most heroes of Theros have some kind of supernatural aid to help them achieve their goals. Often this aid comes from the gods, but some heroes might find their support from other beings, such as the sphinx Medomai, an oracle like Atris or Kydele, or a repository of mystical knowledge. Some heroes are born with supernatural power or born as a result of supernatural events."
Keep in mind that some players may want to take a feat as a substitute for the Supernatural Gifts. This is mentioned in the sourcebook and should be something each DM rules on for their own table. In general, as long as it fits the spirit of the Supernatural Gifts and makes sense for the campaign that is being planned, this seems like a safe substitute.
Although DMs can obviously open up a game to any races that they think are appropriate for the setting, there are some new races that will be very familiar to fans of the Magic: The Gathering inspired setting and will help ground the story more in the new locations. The primary races of Theros include Human, Centaurs, Leonin, Minotaurs, Satyrs, and Tritons. These are some great options and can really help PCs connect to the world of Theros and put down roots before the campaign even begins.
Obviously not every player should embrace one of the new Theros subclasses or the new background, but if your play group has a bard or a paladin, it may be a good idea to point out the new subclass options for them. And the Athlete background may be a perfect fit for the fighter class in your group depending on the direction they want to take the character.
"At the outset, choose which of Theros’s three major poleis—Akros, Meletis, or Setessa—you want to start near. Alternatively, you might allow the players to choose the polis based on their character backgrounds. While choosing a polis allows the group to get a glimpse of their potential “hometown,” this setting serves as a backdrop only briefly, with much of the adventure taking place far from the safety of civilization."
Unlike The Explorer's Guide to Wildemount which came jam-packed with a level 1-3 adventure for each of the major regions of the continent, this book only contains one fleshed out starting adventure. That said, it is a pretty cool one. The adventure is designed to take four to six starting level characters up to at least level 2, but could likely be stretched out to level 3 depending on what kind of trouble the group gets into. This is a perfect little mystery and dungeon run to get players immersed in the world of Theros and offers DMs some nice guidance about where to start on the map. The course of the adventure also provides plenty of good spots to drop in hooks for longer term adventures that the players can explore once they solve the initial mystery and reach the conclusion of the pre-written adventure.
This should be everything players need to know to prepare to start their first campaign with the Mythic Odysseys of Theros. The campaign setting is sure to be another popular one and it will be interesting to see if WotC continues this trend of books that line up with current or recent Magic settings. Could there be an Ikoria book coming sometime in the next year, as well? We'll have to just wait and see what happens as D&D continues to announce its upcoming product line after Icewind Dale.
Be sure to check back in the near future for more Dungeons and Dragons strategy guides, news, and updates.
Dungeons and Dragons: Mythic Odysseys of Theros is available now digitally on DnD Beyond and release in book and game stores on July 21, 2020.
Reviewed by Unknown
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July 10, 2020
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