Why 5e?
I'm a huge believer in using the right tool for the right job when it comes to role-play games. I’m not a fan of forcing themes or mechanics into ttrpg systems that don’t naturally support them – especially when there are perfectly good alternatives that may already include the tools you need or are much better suited to the tone you're going for.
So, with that said: why base Jaded Paths on the 5e SRD? Surely something like Call of Cthulhu or World of Darkness – which I actually ran a prototype of this setting with – would be a better fit?
The answer comes down to one of my key inspirations: the JRPG series Shadow Hearts. In Shadow Hearts, you're not just investigating occult mysteries or uncovering hidden conspiracies – you’re casting explosive spells, pulling off dramatic combat moves, and brushing off serious injuries. All of that unfolds in a stylised but still recognisable version of the real world, set in the 1910s and 1920s. I found that contrast between over-the-top action and a pulpy historical backdrop incredibly compelling.
That’s the feeling I want to recreate in Jaded Paths – not just eerie atmosphere and creeping dread, but classic RPG heroism. I want players to have a full-on anime combat scene set on a gaslamp-lit street. For that kind of high-action fantasy, the 5e SRD gives me exactly what I need.
The balance between fast-paced fantasy mechanics and a weird, mythic take on real-world history is a major design pillar of Jaded Paths.
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