Two new Ruins of Symbaroum 5E books beckons players into Davokar’s menacing depths

Two new books for Symbaroum’s 5E adaptation will introduce players to a sprawling storyline that begins at the edges of the foreboding Davokar forest and ends at its shadowy heart, while another outlines the shape of publisher Free League’s dark fantasy setting.

The Swedish studio announced that their official Throne of Thorns campaign from Symbaroum has begun the transition over to the tabletop RPG’s 5th Edition translation, also known as Ruins of Symbaroum. The Throne of Thorns, Part 1 sets the stage for six more entries that only just wrapped up late last year, so your crew has plenty of adventure to anticipate.

More than 200 pages strong, the book comprises two full-length adventures: Wrath of the Warden and the Witch Hammer. Together they will carry new characters all the way to level 9 as they explore the storied outpost town of Thistle Hold, nestled on the southern edge of Davokar and home to glory seekers, mercenaries and more than a few opportunistic political factions and cults.

Twenty different colour maps accompany 50 stat blocks for non-player characters, monsters, notable figures and potential allies. Tables of journey events keep travel interesting and perilous, as Davokar is not a land that permits safe passage to anyone - especially if the party decides to plumb beyond the treeline in search of corrupted magic and treasure.

If this is your first foray into Symbaroum and especially if you're facilitating a campaign, it might be worth considering the expanded setting book The World of Symbaroum. Beyond detailed descriptions of the movers and shakers positioned around the fallen Elven kingdom - and their major settlements - this sourcebook contains plenty of plot hooks, secrets, historical context and seven different adventure landscapes fit to drop into any campaign.

Players can dive into the history and line of tragic events that led humanity to establish a desperate foothold amongst all this death and corruption, giving their own characters a more realised place within Thistle Hold, Yndaros, Karvosti or other major cities. Maybe you want to join the zealous Church of Prios or run supplies for the monastic and secretive dwarves in the border mountains. Perhaps you sneak into Davokar under a full moon to learn forbidden magic, sacrificing shreds of your own soul for knowledge.

You can pre-order both books on Free League’s website, and purchases come with a full digital PDF that you can use immediately. Running The Throne of Thorns does require the trio of core books - the Player’s Guide, Gamemaster’s Guide and (more optional) Bestiary. Read Dicebreaker’s thoughts on the conversion from Symbaroum’s system to the 5the Edition rules here - it’s one of the best conversions but does lose some of that crucial dark fantasy charm in the process.