The Shadow of Mars

A Roman Campaign in Five Acts

Preface

About This Workbook

The Shadow of Mars is a 5-session D&D 5e campaign set along Rome’s Germanic frontier in 175 AD—an alternate history where divine magic is real, auguries carry weight, and destiny is something you fight to change or embrace.

This workbook is divided into two sections:

Part 1: The Player’s Workbook — Read this with your players. It contains everything characters would plausibly know before play begins: the setting, the premise, the world’s rules, and guidance for creating characters that fit the campaign. There are no spoilers here.

Part 2: The GM’s Workbook — For the DM’s eyes only. It contains the full NPC framework, the central mystery, session-by-session scene notes, and the mechanical tools needed to run the campaign.

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Campaign at a Glance

Campaign name	The Shadow of Mars
Setting	Germanic frontier, 175 AD (alternate history)
Structure	5 sessions, each 3–4 hours
Starting level	3
Ending level	7
Tone	Gritty military drama with divine horror

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How to Use This Book

Players: Read Part 1 before Session 0. Bring questions about character creation or the world to the table. Stop before Part 2.

DM: Read everything. Use Part 1 to see exactly what your players know going in. Use Part 2 to plan and run sessions.