Beyond the Woods: Open World Exploration and Survival for 5e
Created by Old Oak Games
A new dark fantasy setting for 5e inspired by Irish mythology, with rules for survival, hexcrawl exploration, new classes, and more!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
June Update — The Tír Nascath Setting Guide is Done!
11 days ago
– Thu, Jun 25, 2026 at 10:11:02 AM
Dia dhaoibh a chairde, hello friends! We hope you’re keeping well, because here in Ireland we are melting from the heat 🥵
Despite the sun trying to murder us, we are incredibly excited to share a major update: the Tír Nascath Setting Guide is now complete! The map of Tír Nascath has also been updated, and now includes a labelled and unlabelled side, so you can choose which version you’d rather use.
This is a huge milestone for us, and we couldn’t be happier to finally get both finished PDFs in your digital hands. One important thing to note is that chapters 1–5 have been edited but haven’t been proofread yet, so there may be one or two typos or formatting errors but these will all be sorted before print.
Speaking of which, our wonderful graphic designer LJ has been hard at work prepping all the other files for print. With the setting guide done, we can get everything locked down and should be able to hit the big red ‘print’ button in the next month or two.
NOTE: We had planned to resend download codes for the Setting Guide and Corebook to all backers today, but DrivethruRPG is currently experiencing technical issues that prevent us from doing so. If you’ve previously redeemed your copy of the Setting Guide and Corebook, you can go to the DrivethruRPG website and click "My Library" in the top right. The latest version of the file ends in "_260625". Once the issue with Drivethru RPG is fixed, we’ll resend download codes to make sure everyone has them, and we'll drop another update to let you know. Sorry for the hassle, but unfortunately, it's out of our hands.
UPDATE: The issue with DrivethruRPG has now been fixed, and we have resent download links to all backers of the Digital tier and above.
Downloading the PDF
Hopefully, by the time you’re reading this, you should have received an email from DrivethruRPG with a link to redeem your free copies of the Tír Nascath Setting Guide and the Core Rulebook. If you don’t already have one, I recommend creating a DrivethruRPG account. This will make it easier to access your PDFs in the future.
If you can’t find your download link, be sure to do the following:
Check your spam folder — sometimes emails from DrivethruRPG can get lost there!
Make sure you check the right inbox! The complimentary copies are sent out to the email address tied to your Kickstarter account that backed the project, so be sure to check that inbox! Folks who use a private Apple ID will need to reach out directly so we can resend the link to an alternate email address. Likewise, folks who pre-ordered through Backerkit should also reach out.
Get in touch! If you still can’t find the download link, drop us a DM here or contact [email protected]. Let us know the email address to use and we’ll get you a new link as soon as we can.
Official Release
Beyond the Woods will be officially launching next month on DrivethruRPG, and we need your help! If you like what we’ve created, we’d love it if you could leave a rating (or, better yet, a review!) on the store pages for both the Core Rulebook and the Setting Guide. Reviews and ratings go a long way to bringing in new players, and we want even more people to get the chance to explore the world we’ve created, so any help would be massive!
Once again, thank you all for your incredible support. The setting guide was delayed by a few months, much to my shame, but I truly appreciate your patience — and hope it was worth the wait!
We’d love to hear from you, so drop a comment below or join the Discord and let us know what your favourite thing is from the setting guide!
Until next time, sláinte!
May Update — Printing & Shipping Timeline
about 2 months ago
– Wed, May 20, 2026 at 03:21:27 AM
Dia dhaoibh folks, welcome to the May update! This month, we have a short but exciting update, so let's dive in.
Tír Nascath Setting Guide
We’ve made amazing progress on the Setting Guide this month, and we are so close to finishing it! All the chapters, bar Chapter 3: Beyond the Woods, are now fully written and either in editing or layout — and we expect Chapter 3 to be in editing next week!
We’re working hard to get the book finalised, so we’ve pushed ahead and already completed proofreading on chapters 6–13. This will help us get the setting guide locked off and off to print as soon as possible.
We’ve also got the last few art pieces in, one of which is the absolutely stunning Sluagh Spellcaster by Siman Vlaisavljević, which you can see below.
Printing and Shipping Timeline
Our very talented graphic designer is working on finalising the myriad files we need to start printing, which includes the books, map, and so on, but also things like the box, the slipcase, and the backsheet (the loose sheet of paper that comes with the slipcase and box that has the blurb and barcode).
With this now well underway, we’ve been working with our print partners to hammer out a rough timeline, which you can see below. This is an estimate and is subject to change, but it should give you a good idea of how things will play out.
June-July: Finalise files and sign off on print samples.
August: Mass production of all items.
September-October: Shipping
November: Fulfilment begins.
Though we’re a little behind where I wanted to be, we’ve done a decent job of catching up and I’m really excited that we should be able to get everyone their books by November — not least because we’ll be at Dragonmeet this year, and it would look pretty lame with an empty stall!
What Next?
Next, we finish the setting guide! In June, we hope to have a near-final version of the PDF to share with you, which I am incredibly excited for.
Once again, thank you all so much for your patience and support. I can’t wait for you (and me!) to hold Beyond the Woods in your hands, and that day is getting closer and closer.
Until next time, be sure to join the Discord, and check out the awesome new campaign from our friends at Archvillain Games.
Archvillain Encounters
Death is not the end. It is where the real boss fight begins.
Archvillain Encounters is LIVE on Gamefound, bringing the undead Gravelords from Erevan’s Guide to Death & Beyond to the table as 15 premium boss encounter boxes for D&D 5E and 5.5E.
Each Boss Box is a complete cinematic encounter experience, including:
A huge 75mm-base PVC Gravelord miniature
A 50+ page adventure book
A dry-erase battlemap
Cards, tokens, lore, GM tips, lair material, minions, and more
A multiphase boss fight playable across 3 different adventure levels
You can grab one boss as a plug-and-play nightmare for your campaign, choose your favourite Gravelords, or build toward a full Death & Beyond campaign across the Sea of Souls.
The campaign also introduces Foes & Legends: 2 boxes, each with 6 unique 25mm miniatures usable as allies, rivals, villains, or player characters.
And if you are thinking of backing, launch is the best time to do it:
The best prices planned for these boxes
Bigger discounts on larger bundles
New liquid-core, sharp-edged dice set pledge options
Stretch Pay for qualifying pledges
Customs-friendly shipping to many regions
Fast planned delivery, since the adventures and miniatures are already written, sculpted, developed, and moulded
Back early: the campaign launches with 3 physical, limited-time Early Bird reward tiers, and once the launch window is over, they are gone.
April Update - Setting Guide Update, Stickers, and GM Screen!
3 months ago
– Mon, Apr 20, 2026 at 06:14:53 AM
Dia dhaoibh a chairde, hello friends! We are a little late this month but with good reason: we have some major updates!
Tír Nascath Setting Guide
First up, we’ve added three new chapters to the Tír Nascath Setting Guide, including the last two adventures! The update includes:
Bones of the Earth: A chapter packed with tables and advice on creating your own lost ruins and settlements to populate Tír Nascath.
The Bean Sí’s Curse: One of our stretch goal adventures, penned by Marvel Comics writer and editor (and fellow Irishman) Gary Maloney. If you haven’t checked out Gary’s Irish inspired comic, When the Blood Has Dried, go get it now!
Sins of the Father: A dungeon crawl style adventure written by Dungeon Crawl Classics veteran Chris Doyle.
Renaming! We decided to tweak some of the adventure names to make them more evocative. The Magic Hostel is now titled Any Inn in a Storm, and The Bull is now Something Borrowed.
As well as adding these new chapters, this month we’ve also made amazing progress on the remaining text. Chapter 4. Chance Encounters and Chapter 5. Treasures of the Past are now in editing and should go to layout in the next few weeks. This means we only have 3 chapters left to complete! We’re closing in on finishing the text, which means…
Stickers and GM Screen
This month we started preparing the print files (exciting!). The sticker sheet and GM screen are now ready, and these files have been added to both the Core Rulebook and Tír Nascath Setting Guidelisting on DrivethruRPG. To download them, just go to your DrivethruRPG library and you should see the new files.
GM Screen: The GM screen PDF includes both the outer cover (the beautiful art) and the inner tables. These are one long page each but next month we’ll make a printer friendly version to make it easier to print at home.
Sticker Sheets: The sticker sheet PDF includes two pages — one with a guide, one without. You can print these on your home printer using sticker paper. In addition, we’ve also included a zip file with each individual sticker, which you can drop into your favourite VTT.
Core Rulebook
The PDF of the Core Rulebook has been updated with some minor errata. This is the version that will go to print, so if you spot any little mistakes that managed to sneak through, please let us know!
Downloading the Files
To download the latest version of the files, go to DrivethruRPG and click ‘My Library’ in the top right. From here you can select ‘Recently Updated’ from a dropdown list and you should see the updated files. The latest version of the files ends in _260420. If you have any issues or you haven’t previously received your download link, please reach out to [email protected]
What Next?
Right now we’re doing everything we can to get the setting guide finished as soon as possible! I’m currently working on Chapter 2. Céad Darach, and both myself and one of our talented writers, Wayne Talbot, are finishing up Chapter 3. Beyond the Woods. Once those are done, we’ll lock off chapter 1, and then we’ll be ready for proofing!
Our goal is to have the print files ready in the next two months so we can get everyone their books by October or November — but I’ll have firmer dates closer to the time. In the meantime, don’t forget to join the Discord, let us know your favourite part of Beyond the Woods so far, and check out this awesome new campaign from our friends at Elderbrain.
Spawns of the Mindrender
Spawns of the Mindrender is a massive, 600-page D&D 2014 and 2024 5e-compatible dark fantasy adventure and campaign setting for levels 11-15 with player options set in the perilous mountain realm of Vordan. This story-driven module blends survival, exploration, and tactical warfare in a hazardous sandbox environment, weaving a complex plot with multiple branching threads that intricately connect and gradually unveil the grand narrative of a realm unraveling into madness.
Spawns of the Mindrender introduces fresh mechanics, including special rules to simulate the chaos of a battlefield. Players will navigate treacherous peaks, ancient giant ruins, and shifting clan alliances as they uncover the secrets of the Farrealm and face a reality-warping threat. Whether seeking to unite a fractured nation, claim ancient artifacts, or save the world from total psychic collapse, Spawns of the Mindrender delivers an engaging experience for adventurers of all kinds.
Followers of the campaign before it launches will receive the following rewards:
An encounter location in PDF format after the campaign starts, based on weekly follower voting. Each follower milestone unlocks new content to vote on: first the dungeon, then the main NPC, a featured magic item, the boss monster, and finally a brand-new subclass. The more followers join, the more choices open!
Four extra copies of the printed custom character sheet that evolves as the follower count grows (for physical backers only).
We will announce the results during the Live Launch Party and cheer on the final outcome of this community-crafted encounter location together with our followers. Live campaign launches on Backerkit on May 5th at 12:00 PM (noon) ET.
March Update — Special Paddy’s Day PDF!
4 months ago
– Tue, Mar 17, 2026 at 02:25:33 AM
Hello friends and Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh — happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all! Before we dive into the update, we have a very special Paddy’s Day treat: a brand new monster, the Luchorpán! We’ve gone and taken the iconic leprechaun and put a Beyond the Woods dark fantasy twist on it. You can download the free PDF here and see what this twisted little faerie has in store. Be sure to let us know in the comments or on the Discord what the Luchorpán gets up to in your game — and how many feet he claims!
The Setting Guide is progressing really nicely, and a lot of things are coming together all at once. We released an updated version of the PDF last month, so if you didn’t receive it be sure to check your DrivethruRPG library or reach out directly. Here’s a breakdown of where we are. For info on what’s included in each chapter, check out our October Update here.
OUTLINE
Chapter 3. Beyond the Woods
WRITING
Chapter 1. Keeper of the Old Lore
Chapter 2. Céad Darach: First half released in PDF!
Chapter 4. Chance Encounters: Eleanor Hingley has joined us to add some unique encounters to this chapter!
Chapter 5. Treasures of the Past: Wayne Talbot has lent us his talents for this chapter, and it should be in editing by the end of the month!
EDITING
Chapter 6. Bones of the Earth: A surprise chapter that came together very quickly and is now in editing!
Adventure 6. The Curse of the Bean Sí: In dev edit and then heading for a full edit very soon!
LAYOUT
Adventure 5. The Black Keep: Editing complete and heading to layout this month.
RELEASED IN PLAYTEST PDF
Chapter 7. Faeries and the Forgotten
Adventure 1. Dead Wood
Adventure 2. The Magic Hostel
Adventure 3. The Hungry Man
Adventure 4. The Bull
As you can see, things are moving through the pipeline very nicely. Next month we’ll have an updated PDF that we expect to add at least one if not two new chapters for you to enjoy.
Beyond the Woods for Legend in the Mist Ending Soon
Our campaign to bring Beyond the woods to Legend in the Mist is ending in a little over a week, so be sure to check it out here. Even if you don’t back it, we have good news for our 5e fans: we’ve unlocked a new monster, which we’ll be releasing for both Legend in the Mist and 5e! When the Legend in the Mist campaign ends we’ll be asking all of our backers (both 5e and LitM) to vote to see which critter from Irish folklore gets added to the book. Here’s an early look at some of the options:
🍺 Clúrachán: The Clúrachán (or Clurichaun) is a cousin to the Luchorpán (Leprechaun), and is a mischievous and fun loving faerie. They enjoy a drink and usually haunt pubs and breweries.
🦦 Dobhar-Chú: The Dobhar-Chú (possibly meaning ‘water hound’) is the King of the Otters. Though that might sound cute, they are a fearsome creature that kills both people and animals and drinks their blood!
🧜 Murdúchann: Murdúchann (commonly known as Merrow) are akin to sirens or mermaids and are tragic and sometimes malevolent creatures that often become infatuated with mortals.
🕵️ Fear Liath: The Fear Liath, or ‘grey man’, is a Slenderman-like entity from Irish and Scottish folklore. He manifests as dark man-shaped fog, and haunts the roads and cliffsides.
Voting won’t open until the campaign ends, but let us know in the comments which creature you’d like to see in Beyond the Woods!
Until next time, go raibh míle maith agat for all your support and have a happy and healthy Paddy’s Day!
Secret Backer Tier for Returning Backers!
4 months ago
– Mon, Feb 23, 2026 at 04:15:18 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
