Unique Gameplay
While Empire of the Undying sun is based on the game mechanics from the Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition (published and owned by Wizards of the Coast), it employs custom game mechanics to make the game more enjoyable. The following are just some of the additions you’ll find in this campaign guide:
Wargaming: The original D&D came as an offshoot of the Chainmail wargaming system. Chainmail was considered an integral part of early table top gaming history. Somewhere along the way wargaming fell out of favor, but Empire of the Undying Sun brings it back.
As players progress through the game they will have the opportunity to control NPC units. Using favor earned with factions through heroic deeds, or just a lot of money, players can turn these NPCs into armies.
Dream Realm: The Dream Realm takes the Astral Plane and turns it to 11. Players can access the Dream Realm at night when the sleep, through magical items, through imbuing various substances. Gods, spirits and other entities can contact your players or be contacted by them.
These mechanics can lead to players finding clues to solve puzzles they wouldn’t have access to in the real world, but they might also meet malignant entities. One wrong move and a Freddy Kruger like monster may haunt your players dreams, or your players might be someone else’s boogyman.
Naval mechanics: While all of the stats for ships are consistent with the 5e rule set, there is a supplemental set of rules that keep naval battles from bogging down. Ship movement requires skill as much as luck as the weather affects movement speed. Ships can make use of geography in order to aid in attacking and evading. When a ship is stopped combat switches to more traditional rules to repel boarders.
Talent Trees: Skills in D&D 5e strike a moderate balance between not requiring proficiency in a skill to perform an action and giving bonuses for skill proficiency. Unfortunately this leaves things a little flat, for example when all a character has to do is pass a Religion check and they have information about every religious figure, scripture and ceremony that has ever existed.
These talent trees allow players to receive bonuses for leaning into a certain role playing, play style. For example the enhancements to the Religion skill have three paths players can choose: the prophet, the inquisitor or the heretic. The prophet gets advantages when trying to convert others to worship his god. The inquisitor receives no bonuses to her religion, but have enhance knowledge of opposing gods. The heretic has secret knowledge of his own religion, but will be shunned by the general community.
