Altheya: The Dragon Empire – A High-Fantasy 5E Setting
Created by Roll & Play Press
Enter a land where dragons rule, planes clash in eternal wars, and magical vaults hold ancient secrets. A campaign setting for DnD.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
STRETCH GOAL UNLOCKED: One Shiny New Bonus Stretch Goal Added!
4 months ago
– Wed, Mar 18, 2026 at 11:52:12 AM
Hey everyone,
We’ve SMASHED the £625,000 stretch goal, and we now have over 5,000 backers!!! 🎉
That means we’re adding the two final subclasses to the Altheya: The Dragon Empire book and D&D Beyond Player Pack, Cleric and Ranger!
🐲 CLERIC: DRAGON DOMAIN – Praise the Dragon Empress! Draw upon the the divine to power your dragon-themed spells, and dazzle your enemies with draconic majesty.
⚡️ RANGER: STORMRUNNER – Rangers from Azarr Steppe train in the lightning fields, and learn to harness it to their own ends. Zap around the battlefield with breakneck speed and use the weather against your enemies.
Honestly, we’re completely blown away. This is everything we hoped for and more, and it’s all thanks to you.
One More Bonus Stretch Goal!
We’re super excited that this is our biggest Kickstarter campaign ever, and that we've been able to unlock every subclass. So, we thought we'd have some fun by adding ONE BONUS final stretch goal at £700,000 for the final 24 hours:
✨ The Empress Gold Coin ✨
If we hit this huge goal, every backer with a physical pledge will receive an Empress Gold Coin for free. That means you’ll be able to complete the full set:
BUT, there's less than 24 Hours to go until the campaign wraps up... can we do it? With how this campaign has been going, honestly, it might just be possible. But we need your help.
Keep sharing the campaign, keep spreading the word, and let’s see how far we can go in the final day. And don’t forget, if you share the campaign and tell us where you shared it, we’ll add a Silver Jotnyr Coin to your pledge for free. The full rules for getting that coin can be found here: https://www.rollandplaypress.com/coin
Thank you so much for being part of this amazing 30-day journey, you’ve made this campaign unforgettable.
Let's go!!
Sam.
D&D Beyond Announcement!!!!
4 months ago
– Fri, Mar 13, 2026 at 07:04:51 AM
Everyone,
We have HUGE news... a Player Pack for D&D Beyond has officially become an add-on for the Altheya: The Dragon Empire Kickstarter campaign!!!!!
Yes, you read that right, with this add-on you'll be able to play as any of the awesome new subclasses and species, and use all the feats, spells and backgrounds that are being created for this book directly on D&D Beyond.
The add-on is £11 (around $14.99 at current exchange rates). If you're an EMPRESS BUNDLE backer, this add-on will be included in your pledge for free!
Arch-Dragon Warlock art by Linda Lithén
A big thank you to the team at D&D Beyond and Wizards of the Coast for making it possible. This Player Pack will be our third time working with the team on a D&D Beyond launch, and they are always such a pleasure to work with.
What’s inside the Player Pack?
⚔️ 10 subclasses(or 12 if we unlock the £625,000 stretch goal!) 🪲 2 species – Dynastians and Wildhearts 💪 4feats 🪄 10 spells 🧑🌾 4 backgrounds
These options will be fully integrated into D&D Beyond, meaning you’ll be able to add them directly to your character sheets and use them seamlessly with the platform’s tools.
How do I get the Player Pack?
To get access, follow these steps:
1. Head to the Kickstarter page on your phone or desktop 2. Click "Manage" on your pledge 3. Add "D&D Beyond Player Pack" as an add-on
OR
If you back at (or upgrade to) the EMPRESS BUNDLE: STANDARD or EMPRESS BUNDLE: CROWNSTEEL levels, you don't need to do anything, as we'll automatically add the D&D Beyond Player Pack to your pledge for free in the pledge manager after the campaign ends.
(Note: You will not lose your Clever Toad Coin early bird reward by upgrading or adding to your pledge, as the system will still know when you first backed. However, if you cancel your pledge and re-pledge, you will lose your early bird reward.)
When is the Player Pack released?
You will get access to the D&D Beyond Player Pack in February 2027 at the same time we fulfil the digital rewards from this campaign. If the add-on is one of your rewards, you will get a code that you can use to redeem it on D&D Beyond when it's live.
Wyrmguard art by Mat Wilma
Stretch Goal Unlocked
Yesterday we smashed through our £550,000 stretch goal! So, we're adding a brand-new subclass for Rogues and Wizards to the book. These are both in early development and Mark/Mara is working hard on them, but here's a taste of what to expect:
🔐 ROGUE: AGENT – Working for clandestine guilds, agencies, or even dragons, this subclass gives Rogues passive abilities or buffs depending on the assignment they take each day.
🪞 WIZARD: METALLURGIST – Trained in the ways of metal manipulation, Wizards using this subclass can enhance the weapons of their allies, create armour and influence the battlefield.
What's Next?
Next up is our £625,000 stretch goal, where we’ll unlock two final subclasses, Clerics and Rangers!
Keep sharing the campaign, and keep the hype train going, and let’s see if we can get to the next stretch goal together in under a week.
Don't forget about our Jotnyr Silver Coin reward for sharing the campaign! If you haven't already signed up and shared, check out the full details here: https://www.rollandplaypress.com/coin
Have a great week!
Sam.
Claim Your Silver Coin!
5 months ago
– Tue, Mar 10, 2026 at 01:03:07 PM
Hey everyone,
What a week it's been.
We’ve now crossed 4,250 backers and an incredible £545,000 raised with just over a week to go! The support for Altheya: The Dragon Empire has been incredible, and the energy around this campaign is unreal. Thank you all for being part of it.
Silver Coin Treasure Hunt
You might have spotted something popping up on social media recently. Rowan has hidden silver coins across Altheya. If you help spread the word about the campaign, you'll find one of these rare coins added to your pledge manager. Note: these are different to the Clever Toad Bronze Coin add-ons!
All you need to do is share the Kickstarter campaign, then tell us where you shared it using THIS FORM. The full rules are in the form.
And if you haven’t seen it yet, check out Trott’s announcement below:
It was a brand-new adventure set in Altheya, with a fresh cast of characters using new subclasses from the book… but there was also a little secret hiding in plain sight. Did you spot the brand-new species?
That’s right, the mysterious Dynastians are being added to the Altheya campaign setting book, meaning you’ll be able to play as one in your home games! These rare, horned insectoids hail from distant lands outside of Ilmera, they arrived in the Dragon Empire long ago in search of challenge and glory.
Here’s an early sketch of a Dynastian by the incredible Linda Lithén. We can’t wait to show you more of them soon.
Art by Linda Lithén, DRAFT NOT FINAL
Next Stretch Goal – £550,000
We’re also SO CLOSE to the next stretch goal. At £550,000 we’ll unlock two more subclasses for the book, one for the Rogue and one for the Wizard. If we hit it, that brings the total to an amazing 10 new subclasses included in Altheya: The Dragon Empire.
With just over a week left, it’s absolutely within reach. Let's go!!
Thank you again for helping bring Altheya to life. The final week of the campaign is going to be very exciting…
All the best,
Sam.
STRETCH GOAL UNLOCKED: Three One-Shot Adventures
5 months ago
– Wed, Feb 25, 2026 at 12:11:04 PM
Hey everyone!
I've got big news to share – we've unlocked the £475,000 stretch goal for Altheya: The Dragon Empire! That means we’re adding three brand new one-shot adventures to the book.
These will be perfect sessions to kick off your Altheya campaign, and they'll be levelled at level 1, level 3 and level 5 (with tips on how to make them easier or harder, giving you total flexibility). We’ll be sharing more about the plots and locations soon, so watch this space.
What's Next?
Next up is our £550,000 stretch goal, where we’ll unlock another two subclasses, this time for Rogues and Wizards. If we hit it, that takes us to an incredible 10 new subclasses in total! Let's gooo!
Keep sharing the campaign, and keep the hype train going, and let’s see if we can get to the next stretch goal together in the next 21 days.
Here's a message with the Kickstarter link you can share with your friends and DnD party on WhatsApp, Reddit, Facebook, Discord, or wherever you chat about RPGs:
Thank you for backing and cheering us on – this community is absolutely incredible.
All the best,
Sam.
First 48 hours! FIVE Stretch Goals unlocked!!
5 months ago
– Wed, Feb 18, 2026 at 11:51:35 AM
Has it really only been two days?! This campaign has been a total whirlwind since we pressed 'launch' just 48 hours ago!
The community have shown up for this project in an incredible way. Thank you for being a part of it.
Some highlights:
The Empress Bundle: Crownsteel Edition has out of nowhere become a favourite pledge level, and it's the top tier!
Over 1000 Clever Toad Bronze Coins have been added as part of a pledge level or add-on... and that doesn't include the 2500+ of you who will be getting one for free. Did we accidentally make a new currency?
You smashed through our first set of stretch goals with such lightning-fast speed we couldn't keep up with updates on each one. So, here's a bumper update covering everything we've unlocked so far in more detail.
1. SIX New Subclasses
Our first, third and fifth stretch goals added six new subclasses to the book. These are still very much in development, but here's an early taster of what to expect from each:
🐉 WARLOCK: PACT OF THE ARCH-DRAGON – A natural fit for the Dragon Empire, this subclass lets you forge a magical pact with a dragon patron to harness their unique magical abilities, and borrow treasures from their vast hoards. Just don't anger them.
❤️🔥 PALADIN: OATH OF LOVE – A subclass for those who want to smite while protecting the ones they love. Transform yourself into a magical avatar to defend those closest to you. This class draws on influences like He-Man and Sailor Moon.
🔎 MONK: WARRIOR OF SECRETS – These sacred warriors are dedicated to uncovering or protecting secrets and mysteries. Enter a special focus state, and look beyond what others can see to reveal the hidden truth.
🪨 SORCERER: EARTHBORNE SORCERY – Play a sorcerer imbued with the primal magic of earth and stone. Conjure protective shields and other defensive barriers to give your party cover and buffs in combat.
📣 FIGHTER: TACTICAL OFFICER – These fighters are veteran tacticians who control the battlefield with unique stratagems and objectives, then gain buffs for completing them.
🌬️ BARD: COLLEGE OF WINDS – Be the wind beneath your party's wings, encouraging them forward with movement and momentum. Use your voice or music to channel the wind, buffing allies with increased speed, advantage on initiative and more.
Subclass names are still work-in-progress, watch this space!
The subclasses are written using the DnD 2024 rules. If you are playing using DnD 2014 rules, we would recommend reading through the subclass and checking what will fit with what you allow at your table, and whether you want to tweak anything with your GM for balance.
These player options will be added to the book along with the Druid and Barbarian subclasses already announced. That means anyone who has pledged for the book (physical or digital) benefits from these stretch goals being unlocked!
Path of Bloodfury Barbarian (art by Linda Lithen)
2. Bastion Rooms
Upgrade your existing player bases and strongholds with unique rooms inspired by the lore of the Dragon Empire. These could include: a Draconic Treasury, Druidic Sanctuary, or Undead Shrine (like Ophelia's Shrine to the Gravefather in the High Rollers actual play).
Like the subclasses, these features will be added to the book, so all book backers will receive this stretch goal content!
3. Cloth Map
Unlocking this stretch goal means we can commission a continent map of the Dragon Empire for the book. We’ll also be turning this into a physical cloth map! I’m super excited about this one, it just feels so iconic and nostalgic for a fantasy setting like this one.
Everyone who has backed for the book will be able to enjoy the map art printed inside. Empress Bundle backers get the Cloth Map automatically included in their pledge, all other backers can add it to their pledge now as an add-on (head to the Kickstarter page and click "Manage My Pledge"). We don't have a sample or mock-up of this product yet, but I'll share updates as soon we have them.
What's Next?
Our next stretch goal will add THREE one-shot adventures to the book, helping you jump right into your adventures in Altheya. We'll be using Roll & Play Press' trusty One-Shot Wonders format for these, giving you all the characters, locations and story info you need on two pages or less. All three will be brand-new adventures, unique to Altheya.
If you aren't familiar with One-Shot Wonders, check out this High Rollers stream, where the gang played the Ruffled Adventures adventure from Volume 2.
The one-shots will also be included in the book, making it bigger and better for ALL backers who have pledged for a copy (physical or digital).
Right, I think that's everything for now, unless we've unlocked another stretch goal since I started writing this update (?)
