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Masque of the Red Death Player's Guide

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Gothic Earth, first revealed in 1994 with the release of the Masque of the Red Death and Other Tales boxed set, allows D&D players to enter a dark vision of our own world in the 1890s. Now, this classic setting comes to 5th Edition with the release of the Masque of the Red Death Player's Guide!

NOTE: This product—including new classes, firearms, and other rules—has also been converted for the Fantasy Grounds virtual tabletop! Click here to check it out!

Everything you need to create a Gothic Earth character or campaign waits within the pages of this tome, which explores the core themes of the setting and provides rules to implement them in the latest edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Discover a benighted mirror of Earth at the end of the 19th Century, where nations old and new arise beyond the reach of Europe’s fading empires. Railroads, firearms, electric power, and other wondrous inventions spread across the globe, while magic is a lost secret, tainted forever by an ancient evil.

Thousands of ago, an alien force invaded Gothic Earth: the Red Death. It manipulates and corrupts humankind, while its minions—vampires, werewolves, doppelgangers, and worse—thrive in the shadows. Now, this terrible entity’s carefully-woven plans come together. A few brave investigators risk their lives against the darkness… Will you be one of them?

These rules usher you into the tales of Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, and Bram Stoker. Here you will find tools to oppose the Red Death’s agents, from Jack the Ripper and Professor Moriarty to Mr. Hyde and Count Dracula himself. Join hidden qabals, rediscover forbidden lore and spells, and explore the most dangerous D&D campaign setting of all with the Masque of the Red Death Player's Guide.

Email redmasquefeedback@gmail.com if you have any questions about this product, or to inquire about discounted or complimentary PDFs for reviews or other purposes, or if you find yourself unable to purchase at full price due to financial hardship.

Just as the original boxed set provided new classes, character options, and other rules that brought the world's most popular roleplaying game into this unique era, this 5E conversion presents a whole new way of playing D&D, including:

  • 5 new classes—ranging from the highly observant, mystery-solving Sleuth to the unmatched combat expertise of the Soldier—designed for versatility and customization, allowing you to portray any Gothic Earth character concept you can imagine;
  • 16 new archetypes, all usable with any Masque of the Red Death character class, including  spellcasters such as the Adept, Medium, and Mystic, alongside fierce investigators like the Artifact Hunter, Gunslinger, Outrider, and Spy;
  • New rules for firearms, explosives, and other 19th Century gear, as well as expanded combat options that model everything from brutal urban firefights to subtle battles of will between rivals in high society;
  • A custom character sheet specially designed for making your own Gothic Earth heroes;
  • Updated versions of the classic Ravenloft rules for Fear, Horror, and the temptations of Dark Powers—as well as new rules for Resolve, the personal reserve of willpower you rely on to resist these influences and achieve heroic exploits;
  • A whole chapter on qabals, secret societies that preserve the secrets of magic in a world where spellcasting risks corruption, madness, and supernatural transformation;
  • A guide to 1890s London, the bustling center of both the British Empire and a dark web of supernatural conspiracies;
  • A separate file with a collection of printer-friendly pre-generated Masque of the Red Death characters, which includes all the rules players need in a quick-and-easy format, to allow play with minimal reference to the book itself at the table;
  • New feats, spells, backgrounds, and more...

Developed over years of design and revision, the mechanics in this product take great care to weave Gothic Earth elements such as firearms, explosives, rare spellcasting, and more while still maintaining the balance between characters and encounters established in the base D&D 5E ruleset. The text has been edited by R P Davis, and proofread by other prominent DMsGuild creators, and the rules were the subject of a massive playtest by DMs and players all over the world.

UPDATE: In addition to the normal quick and full-size previews above and the page images below, you can now download our package of pregenerated characters, the character sheet, quick rules summaries for players and DMs and more (included special permission and guidance for other DMs Guild creators to use the pregens and these rules in their own products), all for FREE at this link: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/297380/Gothic-Earth-Pregens--Character-Sheet

A new world of D&D horror beckons. Enter freely and of your own will, and prepare to face some of literature's most iconic evils with the Masque of the Red Death Player's Guide for 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons!

Table of Contents from Masque of the Red Death Player's GuideMasque of the Red Death Player's Guide IntroductionThe Scion class from Masque of the Red Death Player's GuideArchetype List from Masque of the Red Death Player's GuideAdept archetype from Masque of the Red Death Player's GuideExpert archetype from Masque of the Red Death Player's Guide

Content Warning: While this book emphasizes fantasy horrors like vampires and evil curses rather than real 1890s issues like bigotry and colonialism, some elements may still be sensitive for some readers. Violence is frequently mentioned (as in most D&D games), especially gun violence, and there is also discussion of extreme poverty, traumatic injuries, real-world religious traditions, and certain (fictionalized) mental health conditions. In most cases, the amount of attention these subjects receive here is equivalent to their treatment in the D&D fifth edition Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide. Tools for handling sensitive subjects are discussed in the text.

If you enjoy this product, please check out these and other DM's Guild titles by author Jeremy Forbing, whose Ravenloft Archetypes product prompted praise from Critical Role creator Matt Mercer as being "Really grand content! Well thought out, well presented, and a fantastic supplement to any campaign... Highly recommended!"

Cover of Unearthed Archetypes ICover of Ravenloft Archetypes IICover of Eberron Archetypes

If you think this product could be improved, please Review or at least leave a comment-- all input is read and considered, and feedback often results in new updates!


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Reviews (10)
Discussions (19)
Customer avatar
Jason O April 18, 2022 1:04 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I find this e-book to be awesome beyond words and I definitely think it deserves more attention! Jeremy and team, I'm very sorry to hear that the project of creating it was so draining and less lucrative than it could have been. It truly is a beautifully put together sourcebook!!! It was so well done in fact, that it awakened a monster within me, one which craved Gothic Victorian monsters for the 5e version of the setting! I purchased a few more e-books, such as Harker's Journal and loved what I found, but I still needed more... I have a theory as to why today's culture may not be ready to tackle Gothic Earth. D&D "Next" will no doubt be heavy on the levity and sensitivity training, which is great, but also makes people like myself feel like a non-progressive old brute at best. Gothic Earth may just be too realistic for some, even though it is meant to depict fiction like any other game settings. Unfortunately today's burgeoning gaming culture doesn't seem as willing to deal with uncomfortable subject...See more
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Peter B April 24, 2022 7:32 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Thanks for the link and the monsters, mate. I will put them to good use. :)
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Jason O May 03, 2022 1:10 am UTC
PURCHASER
Excellent!!! My pleasure Peter! Glad somebody will make use of all my time and effort!!! The Masque of the Red Death Players' Guide really is a gem, so I couldn't resist stockpiling NPCs. I'm also adding some of the good guys now (starting with two flat mates from 221 B Baker Street) under a different thread.
http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11110
Customer avatar
Jaime B December 03, 2021 4:42 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I tried leaving a review but it doesn't seem to want to work for me so I'll just leave a comment here instead. I've Been gaming since 2e and was so happy to stumble onto this conversion. I plan on picking up Mummy Rises and Harker's Handbook next. Though admittedly I'm a little disappointed that the DM's Guide has been put on the back burner as it was hinted at in the Player's Guide but ultimately I understand. Overall I'm thrilled to have this as part of my 5e collection and can't wait to bring it to my table. Brilliant work.
Customer avatar
GEORGIOS M October 17, 2021 6:44 am UTC
Is there any chance of a hardcopy?
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Peter B October 18, 2021 4:04 am UTC
PURCHASER
Oh man, that would be great! Love this book.
Customer avatar
Charles B July 01, 2021 12:23 am UTC
PURCHASER
On page 34, under The Soldier, it says the level 8 feature is Know Thy Enemy but in the details it is, instead, Improved Critical.
Customer avatar
Gary B June 28, 2021 10:55 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Arrived this afternoon excellent addition to my budding 5e thank you!
Customer avatar
Charles B June 11, 2021 7:36 pm UTC
PURCHASER
How do you rule capturing spellbooks or scrolls - can one scribe scrolls into your spellbook if you have, for instance, Adept Spellcasting or Book of Shadows? It would expand your power quite a lot for this system, since it doesn't have the (to me) heinous penalties for doing so that AD&D Gothic Earth had. I didn't see any rules regarding copying spells or learning Forbidden Lore - would it best be done as a Downtime activity that has some risk/cost associated with it?
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Jeremy F June 14, 2021 3:57 pm UTC
CREATOR
I would just use the Player's Handbook rules for scribing spells into a spellbook: For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs $50. The cost represents material components you expend (fine inks, etc.) to capture it. If you want to add a bit more danger to it, you could require a Dark Powers check against a DC equal to the copier's proficiency bonus or the level of the spell copied (whichever is higher).
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Customer avatar
Charles B June 14, 2021 7:27 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Neat. One of the things I really like is that, outside of Book of Shadows expressly letting you copy rituals, you will (unless you double dip as scion + some magical archetype) not be drowning in magic like normal 5e!

I do have another question though: is it intended that you can cast spells using a higher slot through spending more resolve in cases where it doesn't expressly say to use the lowest level slot? You do include a few new spells that have higher level options, so I'd assume so, but it's not clear to me. Unless I missed something!

Third note, I hope you guys do eventually make the Gothic Earth DMG! I'm excited to see what could be in it; some compilation of the old boxed set + select portions of the vast works of the Kargatane and Fraternity of Shadows? Maybe some adventures, information on more darklords or regions of evil? I'm excited, even though it may be a long, long way from completion!
Customer avatar
Edward D May 26, 2021 11:31 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Ouch! I just realized that I purchased the harcopy only, and I meant to get the PDF + Hardcopy. Anything I can do to remedy this other than buy the PDF for ten more bucks? Thank you.
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Edward D May 26, 2021 11:55 pm UTC
PURCHASER
You know what? After reading the comments about the DM book and low sales, I figured I’d just spend the money anyway. Maybe it will help out. I’d love to see a DM facing book for this too.
Customer avatar
Peter B March 21, 2021 9:00 pm UTC
PURCHASER
So glad that I found this book! Can't wait to thrust my players into the horrors of the Gothic Earth. A big thankyou for bringing this setting to 5e.
Customer avatar
Gustavo S March 17, 2021 12:07 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Are there any plans for a DM handbook currently? I would love to buy it. This conversion is some of the best time I've ever had with my players in d&d 5e.
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Jeremy F April 08, 2021 5:43 pm UTC
CREATOR
Relatively low sales on this title have put a future expansion from me on the back-burner-- I really poured my blood, sweat, and tears into it, perhaps more than was healthy-- but I can point you towards the work of our editor, RP Davis, who did a cool sourcebook for the setting called Harker's Handbook:

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/298797/Harkers-Handbook--A-Masque-of-the-Red-Death-Accessory
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Peter B April 11, 2021 4:47 pm UTC
PURCHASER
That pains me to hear, Jeremy. Really pains me. This book is nothing less then fantastic and I would love to see more material.
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Customer avatar
Charles B May 27, 2021 2:14 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I am very sad to hear that, because it's a fantastic book. I believe you captured the essence of what they were trying to do with the 2e Gothic Earth ruleset better than TSR did (and certainly better than WotC)! I know I've bought the pdf for myself and for a friend, but I really hope that more people see this soon! It's quality is huge! Even from someone who's been a huge fan of the setting, diving deep into the backlogs of the Kargatane and Fraternity of Shadows, this is a real work of art.
Customer avatar
Gustavo S January 06, 2021 1:54 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hey, loving the book so far. Question: Does this system not have extra attack? Couldnt find any mention, maybe im missing something.
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Customer avatar
Chris D January 23, 2021 3:45 am UTC
Check for "Resolute Attack" under character advancement (page 9), "Swift Combatant" for Soldier and Stalwart, and "Fists of Legend" under "Deadly Hands" for Pugilist (page 56).
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Gustavo S March 17, 2021 12:05 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Thank you!
Customer avatar
John M January 01, 2021 3:08 am UTC
PURCHASER
An absolutely fantastic adaptation of MotRD to 5th Edition that I plan on using to bring many, many newer D&D players into the realms of historical-ish horror. Kudos, can't wait for my physical copy to come in the mail, the PDF is great in and of itself!
Customer avatar
Charles B December 11, 2020 1:56 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Do you have any plans for a GM's guide type situation? Something containing more of the Qabals, more advice for running Gothic Earth, more information about the setting in general, or is that a matter of infringing on decades out of print boxed set (or worse, RPGA modules that are IMPOSSIBLE to find) work?
Customer avatar
Christopher L September 27, 2020 3:59 pm UTC
PURCHASER
As someone who has been playing this setting off/on ever since the 90's (Yes, I'm old. I started with the Red Box in 83'. lol) I'm ecstatic that someone was able to convert it over to 5e. I tried to figure out how to do it myself, but gave up as it seemed too daunting of a task. I think you did a great job on this Jeremy. For me personally, I'm having a little bit of a hard time understanding the classes/archetypes though. I'm used to playing this in 2nd Edition (was not even remotely a fan of 3.0/3.5) which uses Soldier, Tradesman, Adept, etc. as classes, and then the kits underneath those. I just got to get used to the new vocabulary. :) I love the addition of the "resolve points." That's a really ingenious addition to the game. I've been a fan of Gothic horror since I was a teenager, and for me, Masque of the Red Death brought my favorite genre into my favorite setting/time period. Gothic Horror in the Victorian Era 1890's. So please let me say "Thank you!" to Jeremy, and to...See more
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Matthew M September 14, 2020 2:56 am UTC
PURCHASER
Have you ever considered reviving the Masque of the Jade Dragon/Horror? The Gothic Earth setting fit for the far east? I'd love to see how some eastern cultures like Japan would be dealing with the influence of the Red Death, or perhaps a possible rival for it's evil.
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Customer avatar
Jeremy F September 18, 2020 2:35 am UTC
CREATOR
I often think about the plans for that setting, which never quite came to be, but I wouldn't be the one to adapt it to 5E. I am hoping someone with a real connection to Asian culture will come along and write that up.
Customer avatar
Joshua G June 22, 2020 4:25 am UTC
PURCHASER
I really love the effort put into this and I can tell there was certainly love for this setting. As a fan of gothic horror I am happy there is other settings being brought into 5e. Though one thing I am curious about is could this be used to roleplay in the 18th century? I really like the idea of playing with a Sleepy Hollow/Brotherhood of the Wolf game.
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Jeremy F September 18, 2020 2:33 am UTC
CREATOR
I thought I replied to this, but I guess I never did. Apologies! These rules actually do work well for an 18th century setting, though obviously some things need to be left out (dynamite and photography weren't invented yet, for example). All in all, it is a pretty simple conversion.
Customer avatar
Jonathon C April 25, 2020 7:12 am UTC
PURCHASER
Are there any other "Official" Masque of the Red Death 5e products coming from this author/team? As a player's guide, this is solid enough, but Masque feels like a setting that warrants at least some kind of expansion beyond that.
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Customer avatar
Jeremy F May 01, 2020 7:41 am UTC
CREATOR
Our editor has just released an adventure for these rules: The Mummy Rises! Set in gaslamp-era London and including some very special guest appearances, this new tale of Gothic Earth sets player investigators against the menace of an evil qabal, whose members are eager to revive the ancient evils waiting within certain sarcophagi in the British Museum...

Check out The Mummy Rises here: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/311728/The-Mummy-Rises--a-Masque-of-the-Red-Death-adventure
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File Last Updated:
December 04, 2019
This title was added to our catalog on December 02, 2019.