Exit Pursued by Owlbear (5e Adventure Anthology)

EXIT PURSUED BY OWLBEAR is a collection of five adventures inspired by the works of William Shakespeare.

Five stories, told throughout the ages. Five plays, written and rewritten for every medium under the radiant sun. Five new adventures, each waiting for you to join the table and play out their action like actors upon the storied stage, exploring their worlds from angles heretofore unseen.

From the midst of the European Renaissance to the day you’re reading this introduction, the works of William Shakespeare have resonated in the hearts of readers, writers, actors, and audiences all over the globe. Something about the works of the Bard of Avon—something vital that peers into what it means to be human—have allowed them to live far beyond their original performances. Even in other mediums, the Bard persists: his plays have become books, paintings, operas, films, and so on. If you can think of a medium, Shakespeare’s work has probably made a home there.

This collection is a continuation of the long tradition of converting Shakespeare’s works to new mediums, adapting five of his most famous plays into adventures for 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons. These adventures will approach the Bard’s stories from angles you’ve never seen them, allowing you to prevent the tragedy of Hamlet, help Katherine escape her “taming” and enact revenge, and play in the presence of Puck, among other dramatic delights. But enough preparation: adventure awaits. In Shakespeare’s own words, “if music be the food of love, play on”—and where food and music play, games are never far behind.

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EXIT PURSUED BY OWLBEAR includes five 2-4 hour adventures, each modeled after a play by William Shakespeare, and an introduction by E. R. F. Jordan.

THE ROSE OF THE FAIR STATE, by Ashton Duncan. In this spin on Hamlet, help Ophelia take control of her own fate and save her kingdom and country from the political machinations of King Claudius. Includes pirates, players, and a coup d’état!

A SHREW'S VENGEANCE, by Jessica Marcrum. In this revitalization of The Taming of the Shrew, Katherine is done with the horrid treatment of her abusive husband and hires the party to teach him and lesson and get her revenge. (content warning: gaslighting, references to intimate partner abuse, and neglect)

IF WE SHADOWS HAVE OFFENDED, by R. Morgan Slade. Take to the forests of A Midsummer Night's Dream with this low-stakes, light-hearted romp through the dreams of the faerie Puck. Play his game well, and you might be rewarded with gifts fit for a faerie queen!

MUCH ADO ABOUT COOKIES, by Noah Grand. In the original Much Ado About Nothing, the plot to ruin young Hero's wedding was stopped by the bumbling city watch—but here, the city watch is asleep, and the only witness is the faerie dragon, Avon! Help Avon and a slew of colorful characters put an end to the bullying of Baron Wolstan Brent.

BUBBLE, BUBBLE, TOIL AND TROUBLE, by Tessa Simpson. This adventure, based on Macbeth, takes the party through the underwater kingdom of Bryntun just after a long, drawn-out war. The lord and lady Macbeth play host for the recently returned King Duncan—but in the early hours of the morning, the king is killed, and the party is full of Macbeth's main suspects!