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Nerdarchy > Roleplaying Games  > Campaign Settings  > 5E D&D and League of Legends Cross Over in D&D Beyond’s Dark Tides of Bilgewater

5E D&D and League of Legends Cross Over in D&D Beyond’s Dark Tides of Bilgewater

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A new source book for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons presents not only a new setting to explore but an exciting new direction for D&D Beyond, the creators behind this League of Legends crossover with 5E D&D. Legends of Runeterra: Dark Tides of Bilgewater launched fully integrated over at DDB through a partnership with Riot Games. Lead designer and editor James J. Haeck from the DDB team along with designers Makenzie de Armas, Celeste Conowitch Todd Kenreck developed and created this sourcebook for the scoundrel’s paradise of Bilgewater, a place where everything is for sale and fortune favors the bold, for the 5E D&D ruleset. Let’s see what’s inside.

Bilgewater setting guide for 5E D&D

First off the presentation of this content at DDB is gorgeous. The first thing you see in the Introduction is an animated image showing the titular port city in the world of Runeterra. There’s a brief introduction to the setting and a summary of each chapter. The source book contains a deeper setting guide, character creation guide with new character options, an adventure, bestiary and treasures including magic items. In other words everything you need to start your own campaign in this world of champions, monsters and the rise and fall of nations in wars of conquest and magic. Since this content is free through DDB, requiring neither a subscription nor purchase you can check it out here.

There’s plenty to engage your imagination but I’m sure Dark Tides of Bilgewater had you at new character options right? Here’s a preview of what you’ll see inside.

Barbarian: Path of the Depths

“Encounters with the terrors of the deep can break the minds of the weak-willed, but some forge their trauma into weapons never seen above the waves. The barbarian who walks this path has survived such an encounter and has gained extraordinary abilities from the experience.”

Martial Archetype: Renegade

“What defines a Renegade is not simply the weapon they wield, or the ways they fight. A renegade, above all else, is a fighter of sly charm and swagger. With brash cockiness in spades, renegades build their own custom firearms to perfectly suit their own larger-than-life personalities. Particularly well-funded renegades may even have personalized Hextech weapons, but such folk are rare among the scoundrels of Bilgewater.

Don’t mistake their boasting for an empty facade—folk who underestimate a renegade’s flashy gunplay tend to wind up dead.”

Roguish Archetype: Wild Card

“Some rogues favor honing their skill and precision, others perfect a silver tongue, but you—well, you’ve always gotten a kick out of leaving things up to chance.

Rogues of the Wild Card variety thrive on the high stakes and random thrill of the game table. Armed with cunning cheats and no small amount of luck, these sly gamblers live and die by their rules, never keen to simply accept the hand fate deals them.”

Herald of the Harrowing

“Defend Bilgewater from the Harrowing as a mighty specter of the Shadow Isles attempts to shroud all of Bilgewater Bay in the deadly Black Mist.”

The adventure included with Dark Tides of Bilgewater takes 3rd level characters from a tavern brawl to a confrontation with a scourge from the Shadow Isles.

Beasts of Bilgewater

In addition to creatures found in the free Basic Rules the book includes iconic monsters of Bilgewater and the world of Runeterra. Two famous Bilgewater NPCs also make an appearance, although the material points out characters aren’t expected to fight the mighty champions Miss Fortune or Gangplank.

  • Abyssasl Eye
  • Barkbeast
  • Dragon Shark
  • Ironback
  • Pool Shark
  • Powder Monkey
  • Wharf Rat
  • Commander Ledros
  • Miss Fortune
  • Gangplank

Booty of Bilgewater

Herald of the Harrowing includes several of the new magic items in Dark Tides of Bilgewater, along with the magic items found in the Basic Rules.

  • Adaptive Helm
  • Banshee’s Veil
  • Bilgewater Cutlass
  • Blade of Ledros
  • Boots of Swiftness
  • Dead Man’s Plate
  • Powder Keg

Whether you’re ready to embark on a brand new campaign, add new components to your existing 5E D&D game or curious about getting started with D&D for the first time Dark Tides of Bilgewater is a fantastic place to start. Since it takes advantage of the Basic Rules and the powerful DDB tools along with also being free this makes a great introduction to the game. When you create your characters make sure the Runeterra Content slider is turned on. You’ll find this below the other sources on the Character Builder home screen under Partnered Content. We’re excited to see where else this new direction leads as DDB develops their own unique content and in the meantime you can add Dark Tides of Bilgewater to your collection here.

Legends of Runeterra: Dark Tides of Bilgewater videos

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Doug Vehovec

Nerditor-in-Chief Doug Vehovec is a proud native of Cleveland, Ohio, with D&D in his blood since the early 80s. Fast forward to today and he’s still rolling those polyhedral dice. When he’s not DMing, worldbuilding or working on endeavors for Nerdarchy he enjoys cryptozoology trips and eating awesome food.

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