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Five Torches Deep: Origins

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New methods for fleshing out your character's life and lineage before adventure!

Five Torches Deep: Origins is the fourth official supplement for the best-selling 5e + OSR game, Five Torches Deep. It includes:

  • A dozen flavorful ancestries 
  • A life path generator
  • 22 lineage traits
  • 8 cultural resources 
  • 8 cultural structures 
  • Three new classes 

Written, laid out, and designed by Ben and Jessica Dutter, art by Sam Mameli, and sensitivity editing by Pam "the Dovetailor" Punzalan. The book expands character creation options and improves some of the issues inherent in 5e and similar rpgs (especially the explicit and implicit bioessentialism). The book is 17 pages long and in PDF only (with internal hyperlinks and comprehensive bookmarks).

Works great for Five Torches Deep, 5e, or any six-stat OSR-friendly game. 

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Reviews (11)
Discussions (20)
Customer avatar
Guilherme M March 12, 2022 8:41 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hi! Havent purchased this yet, but I've been wanting to run a 5TD campaign in a while. My only question about this specific product: does it support the creation of ancestries with its lineage trait system? Or would I have to create ancestries from scratch? My main concern is coming up with traits which are balanced for play
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Ben D March 12, 2022 9:04 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Yes, there’s a fully baked lineage creation system. That being said it’s not a point based system or something that pays a lot of attention to combat balance. However all traits have pros and cons.
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Guilherme M March 12, 2022 10:07 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Thanks for the quick reply! I think its actually better that the system isnt "precise" to the point of being point based, but still has some manner of balance between options <3
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Craig W December 28, 2021 10:50 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I have an odd question about Elf Paragons:

My initial thought was that they represented the BECM Elf, which was a mix of fighter/ magic-user, but there is nothing (that I see) to indicate that they have spellcasting.

In the core book, Zealots and Mages have "Gain (type) Spellcasting" listed at level 1. Elf paragons don't have spellcasting listed at any level.

The Spellsword has the feature "+1 arcane cantrip" and the Arcanist has the features "+1 arcane lvl 1 spell" and "+2 arcane cantrips".

Was "gain spellcasting" left out by accident, or does an Elf Paragon have a limit of a single level 1 spell (by becoming an Arcanist)?

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Ben D December 28, 2021 11:18 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Intentionally left out other than becoming an Arcanist.
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Craig W December 28, 2021 11:51 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Ok, so just to be sure I understand, that means a basic Elf Paragon has no magic, but by becoming an Arcanist they can learn 1 spell (maximum)?
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Customer avatar
Ben D December 29, 2021 12:23 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Correct. Two cantrips and one level 1 spell if they select both of those as features after becoming an Arcanist.
Customer avatar
Thomas P August 22, 2021 2:01 am UTC
PURCHASER
You replied to my review - for which I thank you and give you much kudos.

I dont see a way to reply to your reply on the review page - so taking it here. I hope that's OK.

An edit from your very nice reply said about lineages:

"believe it to be a very evocative way of creating essentially endless backgrounds. But we have heard from some folks that it is too many things to track or puts too much emphasis on bloodline rather than PC class. "

I think your first sentence nailed it. I GM and I don't see how it would be possible to have a coherent world build that involved a party of very different randomly endless background characters. Unless I am destined to perpetually have a group made up of "you are wandering exiles far from home" I have to craft a society which contains all of the architypes that my characters now represent. That's a lot of either retrofitting into my planned world, or I have to do character build a week or two before the...See more
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Customer avatar
Ben D August 22, 2021 2:06 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Thanks Tom! Appreciate the prompt response. Your criticism totally makes sense. The design intent comes from either the “land of misfit post apocalyptic fantasy land” and so everybody can be the last of their kind yada yada. OR that the GM and group comes up with a few custom lineages that fit their world or local region, and build around that.

I love the potion idea though, that’s fun!
Customer avatar
Johnathan T August 18, 2021 5:51 am UTC
Any chance for a POD?
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Customer avatar
Ben D August 18, 2021 12:31 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Not currently planned.
Customer avatar
Bryan A July 24, 2021 2:12 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I like this a lot. I'm one of the few GMs I know who likes race as class and as I read through the FTD core rules, the one thing I wanted was demihuman classes. Now the game is almost perfect for my campaign. The one thing that would have made it better would have been a Half-Orc Paragon but that's easy enough to homebrew. Thanks.
Customer avatar
Craig W July 16, 2021 4:51 am UTC
PURCHASER
Hi.
So, I haven't finished reading the book (read some, skimmed the rest), but I have some questions. I don't have any issues with the content of this book and appreciate the intent behind it, but I am honestly trying to understand certain things. Just one example:

"In Five Torches Deep, ability scores do not define every aspect of a character. Their INT score doesn’t reflect their overall intellect or capacity for learning; STR doesn’t define how athletic or powerful they are."

This seems to imply that a Halfling with a strength of 5 is just as powerful as a Dwarf with a Str of 18. Shouldn't this mean that every character can lift the same amount of weight?

I understand and agree with the notion that all races/ ancestries/ whatever are equal *overall* but I find it odd to suggest that they are all equally good at everything. This would mean, for example, that a pixie who hits the gym regularly should be able to hit the same levels of strength as a giant....See more
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Craig W July 16, 2021 4:53 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I am writing this to be a bit more clear.

Racism in the real world comes from the idea that one skin colour is somehow superior to another. It can also refer to harmful stereotypes. The key difference in fantasy games is that the various races are *literally* different species. They evolved (or were made by their deities, depending on your campaign) to have certain traits.

A dwarf will on average be stronger than a halfling. This does not imply superiority and there are certainly individual halflings who could overpower the average dwarf. What it means is they are physically different. A dwarf has a denser bone structure and musculature. That also means it’s reasonable for them to reach a level of strength that a halfling cannot Both races are equal in terms of their intrinsic worth, but equal doesn’t-- and shouldn’t-- mean “the same.” Making all races homogeneous actually diminishes diversity, which I think is not the best idea, especially given that many play RPGs to assume...See more
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Jean M August 08, 2021 7:33 pm UTC
PURCHASER
If we were all identical, we wouldn't have the Olympics.
Customer avatar
John C P February 13, 2021 6:03 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I honestly don't see what the big deal is. Bioessentialism or not, the end result is that this supplement gives the 5TD players much more options in their character making. That's a win in my book.
Customer avatar
Joshua E February 03, 2021 7:37 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Imagine accusing someone of being a "hyper-sensitive SJW snowflakes" - or some such juvenile crap - after getting angered by an RPG supplement. If anything, such displays of fragility towards the topics of race and gender are a ringing endorsement for this product. I'd sooner buy my gaming products from people with a reality-based understanding of genetic variation and the intersection of culture and biology than from some coward hiding their reactionary values behind complaints of "ruined escapism" and "wokeness".
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Customer avatar
Michael B February 22, 2021 4:59 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I honestly don't see anyone expressing anything close to anger in these reviews, nor is anyone showing fragility. What you're seeing is disagreement, which is what people do when they see things differently.

People who disagree with you are also not cowards. Indeed it is only yourself who appears angry at anyone.

the FTD main book is an outstanding product and the one I currently use, but the ramblings at the end of this book seem to indicate that the author either doesn't understand the origins of the Tabletop RPG or is being disingenuous about their understanding in order to virtue signal.

Perhaps my favorite example of them tripping over their own attempts at political correctness is at first saying that no culture is superior to any other and then allowing us to randomly generate a culture based on Tyranny and Slavery, two very immoral concepts inferior to Freedom and...Freedom.
Customer avatar
Caroline D January 25, 2021 2:39 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Weird book. Not sure when I'll get the chance to use it, but I do have 2 dead PCs so maybe I'll break it out there. Question about paragons. Do you roll their stats the same way you'd roll up for the vanilla FTD races or do you roll the ancestry way? Also did you change the rolls? I remember a human being 3d6 in order and now it looks like it's 4d6 drop the lowest. Also what does RES stand for?
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Customer avatar
Ben D January 25, 2021 2:58 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Paragons assume you’re using the ancestries in Origins, but it doesn’t hurt to do it the core book way. Yes all of the lineages were made more balanced by doing 4d6 drop, this brings them a tiny bit closer to 5e math. RES is short for Resilience, which is discussed in the core book.
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Customer avatar
Caroline D January 25, 2021 3:06 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Thanks! I guess i forgot about resilience, but i dont think theyve spent enough time in the dungeon for it to matter. If I'm using more OSR stuff and less 5e stuff would you recommend just sticking with the core rolling or is it merely a matter or preference?
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Customer avatar
Ben D January 25, 2021 3:26 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Purely preference. It makes only a very slight difference here and there.
Customer avatar
Peter S December 20, 2020 11:39 am UTC
Are there plans for a collected print edition of the expansions? I really don't like using PDFs, personally, but you've done great work and I want to continue to support 5TD.
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Customer avatar
Ben D December 20, 2020 12:21 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Some day, hopefully 2021.
Customer avatar
Edward M November 18, 2020 6:05 pm UTC
PURCHASER
This is a great book overall and an awesome addition to Five Torches Deep. If you are wondering why some people are complaining about "wokeness" in their reviews, it is because there is a smart, well thought out explanation at the end of the book concerning bioessentialism and it's history in fantasy gaming. Personally, I feel that this is the kind of forward-looking writing TTRPGs need. it shows an understanding of the hobby and a desire to help it grow. Great work, keep it up! 5 stars.
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Customer avatar
Ben D November 18, 2020 6:22 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Thanks Edward! Don’t forget to leave a review if you can. Appreciate it!
Customer avatar
Jonas M November 15, 2020 8:51 am UTC
PURCHASER
This supplements is wonderfully weird and cool. It has great ideas useful to many other roughly compatible games like most OSR-games or even 5E, I loved the idea corpsefleas or how about playing a character who is amorphous. This is the sort of wild and a bit gonzo stuff I love about roleplaying games.
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Customer avatar
Ben D November 15, 2020 12:31 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Thanks Jonas!
Customer avatar
Jacob G October 23, 2020 8:06 pm UTC
PURCHASER
As an OSR fan I am really happy with FTD and its supplements. Sigil Stone and the Dutters have put out some really good "Indy" products. I also appreciate Ben's attention to his product and responding in the comments section here.

I will say that I am of the camp that wished the PC Police didn't leave their mark on this product. In the words of dads everywhere "I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed."

I purchased this book knowing it had the Bioessentialism section, and I will use it along with the other FTD supplements but I will simply ignore those ideological bits.
I would like to address those who defend the ideology inserted into the product. One reviewer asked this question:
“Those of you who had an emotional reaction to this page I again ask: Why does THIS elicit your ire? Your annoyance? Perhaps you are simply a reactionary, or maybe you have some deeper seated issues or insecurities that you need to resolve. Regardless, you should seek a proper...See more
Customer avatar
Charles F October 18, 2020 10:07 am UTC
Thank you for pointing out in the description that this game has surrendered to the SJW monsters. I appreciate your saving me the money and time. 5TD was otherwise an interesting rules-light system, and a valiant effort to provide a pathway from 5E to OSR.
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Customer avatar
Ben D October 18, 2020 1:07 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
No surrendering here. These are our words from our own ideas and experience. We are glad you enjoy FTD and glad you feel as if you didn’t waste any money.
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File Last Updated:
October 04, 2020
This title was added to our catalog on October 05, 2020.