Behind the Lore
The Tales Were True was born from a love of folklore, fairy tales, and the curious corners of the British Isles where truth and myth blur like mist on the moors. Inspired by ballads, bogs, and bedtime stories not always meant for children, this campaign setting invites players to journey across a land shaped by belief, betrayal, and the lingering power of stories left untold.
Crafted as both a playable campaign and a love letter to forgotten tales, The Tales Were True brings together new mechanics—like Trust and Folktale Narratives—with old legends, reimagined for the 5E ruleset.

The driving force behind the ink and ivy is Kimberly Pauley, a novelist, TTRPG writer, and folklore enthusiast who may or may not have once bribed a pooka with chocolate. Her first two books were for Wizards of the Coast, which also started her on a decades long love affair with roleplaying games. Most notably, she was a writer for Ghostfire Gaming/Eldermancy’s The Seeker’s Guide to Twisted Taverns and The Sunken Isles, where she was happy to be able to use her years of random research knowledge. With roots in both fantasy fiction and storytelling for younger readers, Kimberly set out to create a world that could resonate with players of all ages—mysterious enough to feel ancient, yet grounded enough to feel real.
Other contributors include…
Amie Rose Rotruck, who has been an avid lover of fantasy her entire life and has written for Ghostfire Games, Wizards of the Coast, and Outland. Her first major writing job was a middle-grade novel, Bronze Dragon Codex, set in the Dragonlance world. She also penned the Young Wizards Handbook: How to Track a Vampire, Track a Zombie, and Other Hands-On Activities for Monster-Hunters.
The majority of the art is courtesy the talented Ellie Jordan, a UK based illustrator with a passion for folklore, nature and a good cup of coffee. After trying D&D for the first time in 2021, Ellie found a group of lovely folks on twitter who love magic and monsters as much as she does and has never looked back.
We have David Markiwsky, a writer, artist, graphic designer and game designer in Canada who is obsessed with everything fey and horror, to thank for the lovely Mucha-inspired layout design.
Ben Sandfelder is a man of many hats – game developer, freelance writer, and an activist in the Atlanta area. Storytelling is at the heart of everything he touches, and the lessons he learns in one medium, he brings into the others. He has contributed to several 5th Edition publications. However, Ben’s proudest achievement was Kickstarting and publishing Lightning War – an original TTRPG about fighting fascism in a fantasy world’s World War II.
The new sub-classes also feature the brilliant brains of Leon Barillaro, Jordan Carmichael (DM/ Producer for the Modified Roll Podcast @ModifiedRoll) and more soon-to-be-announced.
