You might be asking:

Why do we need another TTRPG, let alone another one based on 5e?

Fair question. Here’s my honest answer.

Living in the Shadow of Castles

It’s kind of hard to live in central Portugal, surrounded by Templar castles, with literally six within a 100km radius, and one just up the hill from me in my town, without feeling the weight of history. See my post on the Templars in Portugal for a detailed look at their history.

Ávila

The stone towers, forgotten chapels, and battlefields breathe inspiration. Some of the stories are legendary, the kind you feel in your bones when walking the old walls at dusk. I wanted, actually, I needed to create a low-fantasy setting using this history and these places.

As George R. R. Martin drew on the Wars of the Roses for Game of Thrones, I’ve been drawing on Iberia’s medieval frontier: the castles of Almourol, Tomar, Castello Branco, Monsanto, and others.

Finding the Right System

Writing adventures and building settings has always been the fun part for me, it’s where I feel at home. Worlds like Legends of Barovia and Legends of Saltmarsh almost write themselves once I sit down. That part feels natural. Check out my post Connecting the Dots, how I create adventures for Legends of Saltmarsh.

The rules, though… that’s where things got messy.

I tried dozens of systems over the years, some of my favorites are: Shadow of the Demon Lord, Into the Odd, Cairn, Shadowdark, 2400, Sword & Sorcery, Heirs of Heresy, Warhammer: The Old World, Mythras, Lion & Dragon, Low-Fantasy RP, and probably a few I’ve forgotten. Each had its charm, and some came very close, but none of them quite gave me what I was looking for.

What I wanted was something that captured the grit, the faith, and the fragility of medieval life, without slipping into over-the-top superhero fantasy. I wanted rules that supported that tone and still ran smoothly, without burying the table in crunch.

One big sticking point for me was levels. After writing so much for 5e, I started to see how level-based systems shape the way you design adventures. A forest with level 1 to level 10 encounters just does not mix well. You end up building “stepping stone” areas by level, which can be fine, but it also feels restrictive. When I thought about my own setting, I wanted players to be able to wander anywhere without bumping into invisible walls made out of level ranges. (Though to be fair, I did come up with a level solution later that I really like. Problem solved!)

So, after circling around and never finding “the one,” I finally admitted what maybe I should’ve known from the start: if I wanted a system that really fit my vision, I was going to have to design it myself. Foolish? Maybe. But it also felt exciting.

The big question was where to start? Every approach has its strengths and drawbacks. In the end, I narrowed it down to three paths worth exploring:

  • d20 – a familiar 5e/OSR-style, level-based system
  • d100 – skill-based, leaning on Mythras and Warhammer
  • 2dX – my own experiment, inspired by Heirs of Heresy, Into the Odd, and 2400

And that’s where the real work began.

Building Three Systems

I wasn’t in any rush, so my plan was simple: work on all three systems, see what clicked, and figure out what didn’t. I started this back in 2021 as a little side project.

Working in Tallinn

d20: The first draft I wrapped up was the d20 system. I’ve been playing D&D since the 1980s, so it felt like home. I know the system inside and out, and I’d already written plenty of adventures for it. The core mechanics came together quickly, what really took time was tinkering with the classes and adding a few special rules. I even dabbled with some Foundry work in 2022 (big thanks to Blair for helping me there). My own style leans more OSR, rulings over rules, but I designed it so the dial could shift anywhere from classic OSR to modern 5e with very little effort. Still, I kept wanting something looser, something less tied to classes and levels.

d100: Next came the d100 system. This one was functional and skill-based, and honestly, I loved how it turned out. I’ve always been a fan of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Mythras, and you can see that influence all over it. That said, it might’ve been a little too crunchy for most players. Around the same time, Trevor Devall (from Me, Myself, and Die) launched The Broken Empires, a system very much in the same vein, which I backed on Kickstarter. I’m excited to see how that develops. For now, I’ve shelved my d100 draft. Who knows? Maybe The Broken Empires will end up being a perfect fit for some of my setting work. We’ll see.

2dx: And then there’s the 2dX system. This one is my wild card, my passion project. It’s heavily influenced by Heirs of Heresy, Warhammer: The Old World, Cairn, Into the Odd, and 2400. It’s classless, level-less, HP-less, and fiction-first. It’s different, definitely a step away from the comfort zone of d20 or d100 and I love it. The big question is whether anyone else will.

Recently, I finished the Quick Start draft for the 2dX system and sent it off to Jesse for its first round of editing. The d20 draft is basically complete too, it just needs some polish and the d100 version sits on the digital shelf, waiting for its moment.

Three systems, three different paths. And somehow, I’m still excited about all of them.

Listening to the Community

Here’s the thing: this isn’t just a passion project for me, it’s also my livelihood. I create TTRPG content full-time. This isn’t something I dabble in on weekends; it’s the work I put out into the world to support myself and (hopefully) inspire others.

That meant I had to face a tough truth: it’s not enough to just build the system I want to play. I also need to think about what you, my supporters, my players, and the wider community, actually want at the table. A game only lives when people are excited to run it.

So when Ko-Fi rolled out polls, I asked: What kind of low-fantasy, gritty medieval system do you want?

The results are clear (so far), and honestly a little surprising:

  • 5e (60%)
  • OSR (29%)
  • Rules-Lite / My passion system (11%)

That last number stung a bit, I won’t lie. My 2dX “passion system” is the one I’m most in love with, it’s the weird, experimental design that really excites me. But the reality was undeniable: the overwhelming majority of you wanted a 5e option.

And that was the signal I needed.

I can (and will) release my passion project someday, it’s too close to my heart to stay on a shelf forever. But right now, the community has spoken. You want a version of 5e that feels grounded, human-centric, gritty, and medieval. So that’s where I’m putting my focus: Medieval 5e.

It’s not about giving up on what I love, it’s about meeting the community halfway. If I can deliver something that captures the tone and realism I care about within a framework you’re excited to play, then we all win.

So… Medieval 5e

Right now, my focus is on Medieval 5e. I’m updating it to align with the new 2024 5e rules, using the SRD 5.2 (Creative Commons) as the foundation, and refining it to capture a more grounded, medieval style of play.

Compatibility is a big part of this. I want it so that if you’d like, you can dive into Legends of Barovia or Legends of Saltmarsh and play them with Medieval 5e with little or even no tweaking at all.

I’ve also pulled in a few ideas from my passion project (like travel, encumbrance, and money-as-usage-dice) that I think, and hope, you’ll really enjoy.

Here’s what sets Medieval 5e apart:

  • Human-Centric World. Humans are the default. Dwarves, elves, and other nonhumans exist, but they’re rare, mysterious NPCs—not standard player options.
  • Level Cap. Advancement slows down. At a certain point, HP and ability scores freeze, keeping heroes mortal and grounded in a dangerous world.
  • Death is Final. No death saves. No resurrection spells. Choices and consequences carry weight, and mortality is always on the table.
  • Medieval Archetypes. Classes draw inspiration from the actual period: friars, sellswords, mercenaries, witches, thieves, sorcerers. Archetypes feel gritty and believable, rooted in a low-fantasy medieval frontier.
  • Low Magic, Roll-to-Cast. Magic is rare, dangerous, and costly. Even if you can cast, spells aren’t guaranteed to succeed and failure comes with risk. Magic can also be removed entirely without breaking the system.
  • Tone Over Spectacle. Less high-powered hero fantasy, more Game of Thrones. Expect grit, politics, faith, betrayal, and survival at the edges of civilization.

What I’m aiming for is a version of 5e that feels instantly familiar, but plays very differently at the table. It’s still approachable for new players and accessible to veterans, but the atmosphere is darker, the choices sharper, and the stories more fragile and human.

Where We Are Now

Medieval 5e is feature-complete and moving into beta draft.

I’ll be sharing a playtest packet perhaps at year-end, for those who want to jump in early and help shape it. And yes, there will be a Foundry version once testing is wrapped up.

Along the way, I’ll also be posting some design notes here on the blog, for anyone interested in the thought process behind the rules and the choices I’ve made.

If you’ve enjoyed Legends of Barovia or Legends of Saltmarsh, think of Medieval 5e as the natural extension of that work, a full game engine built to tell the kinds of stories I’ve been itching to explore. In fact, Medieval 5e is fully compatible with both, and I’m seriously considering running my Legends of Saltmarsh campaign using it. I think it’ll be a blast to see how it plays out at the table.

And what about my passion project, the 2dX system? Don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere. That one is me on the page. It will see the light of day, even if it starts small with a Quick Start PDF to gauge interest. But right now, the focus is on what you, the community, have asked for and that means Medieval 5e is officially a full go.

— Pyram

Footnote: Medieval 5e uses material from the 5e SRD (v5.2) under the Creative Commons license and is unaffiliated with Wizards of the Coast.