In December 2019 we presented two offers featuring 13th Age, the bestselling FRPG from Pelgrane Press. Along with the revived December 2015 13th Age Bundle, we added an all-new companion, 13th Age Adventures, with recent supplements including all three collections of Battle Scenes.

In the 13th Age of the world, adventurers seek their fortunes in the Dragon Empire while 13 powerful individuals known as icons — the Dwarf King, Elf Queen, Emperor, Lich King, Orc Lord, Prince of Shadows, Archmage, High Druid, Great Gold Wyrm, and so on — pursue goals that may preserve the Empire from chaos, or send it over the edge. The Dragon Empire setting is intentionally left half-created, so each campaign can pioneer new stories. The network of icon relationships, both among themselves and with the player characters, differs for each group.

The characters’ backgrounds help define the setting. Each 13th Age player chooses “One Unique Thing” that makes their character interesting and hints at a story that can unfold over the campaign. Unique Things can establish facts about the world. If the player says, “I’m the only acrobat who escaped the Diabolist’s Circus of Hell” — well, wow! Wonderful! The GM didn’t even know there was a Circus of Hell, but of course there is — now.

Created by Rob Heinsoo and Jonathan Tweet, lead designers of the Third and Fourth Editions of Dungeons & Dragons, 13th Age combines the best parts of traditional d20 RPGs with story-focused rules that let you run the kind of game you most want to play. Run 13th Age as a standalone game, or use it as a source of cool ideas and add-on rules for your favorite FRPG.

1. 13th AGE BUNDLE
[from December 2015]

A huge hit in both its original run and its previous revival in May 2017, this re-resurrected December 2015 13th Age Bundle once again gave you everything you need — the core rulebook plus monsters, treasures, adventures, and even music — to run your own 13th Age campaign in the Dragon Empire or the setting of your choice.

There were three titles in this revived offer’s Starter Collection (retail value $49) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks and MP3 music tracks, including the complete 325-page 13th Age rulebook, the 13 True Ways rules expansion, and the 13th Age Soundtrack with atmospheric music for play sessions.

Those who paid more than this offer’s threshold (average) price also got this offer’s entire Bonus Collection with seven more supplements worth an additional $81:

• Eyes of the Stone Thief: Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan’s massive 364-page campaign in pursuit of, and inside, a colossal living megadungeon.
• 13th Age Bestiary: A horde of new creatures, both monsters and rivals, with hundreds of variant versions.
• The Book of Loot: A 72-page collection of hundreds of new treasures.
• Shadows of Eldolan: An ideal introductory adventure set in a small town with duelling wizards’ schools.
• Diamonds and Shadows: This compilation of modules from the 13th Age Organized Play program sends the heroes on a campaign to locate and dispose of a powerful magical gem.
• Candles, Clay, & Dancing Shoes: This installment of the 13th Age Monthly subscription program presents half a dozen one-use magic items.
• Summoning Spells: A 13th Age Monthly installment with new demon, elemental, and archon summoning spells, plus stats for summoned archons, elementals, and (haHAA!) the laughing demon.

2. 13th AGE ADVENTURES [all-new]

Along with supplements like The Book of Ages and Loot Harder, this companion offer presented all three Battle Scenes volumes with short combat scenarios keyed to the 13 iconic characters who rule the Dragon Empire. Each set describes challenging fights at all levels with dangerous foes on unusual terrain, all mapped in full color. Give the PCs compelling reasons to fight based on their icon relationships, their stories, and your campaign. Drop these fights into your game at every tier of play from adventurer to epic.

There were three supplements in this offer’s Starter Collection (retail value $49), including The Book of Demons, The Book of Ages, and the newest collection of magical treasures, Loot Harder.

This offer’s Bonus Collection, worth an additional $58, added all three volumes of Battle Scenes plus their associated full-color Map Folios: High Magic & Low Cunning, The Crown Commands, and Fire & Faith.

Ten percent of each payment (after gateway fees) went to these two 13th Age offers’ designated charity, Human Rights Watch.