Forbidden Lands

Forbidden Lands TTRPG · Forbidden Lands Roleplaying Game

Forbidden Lands

Forbidden Lands is a gritty fantasy sandbox focused on exploration, survival, and treasure. You chart an unknown map, test yourself against the elements and hunger, and delve into strange ruins with tough choices at every turn. The tone is low magic and somewhat harsh, but gameplay remains human and hopeful. Sessions feel like genuine adventures, with risks, recoveries, and surprises stemming from your choices, not scripts. It’s ideal for newcomers seeking guidance, as well as veterans who appreciate player-driven worlds.

Book it for a compact one-shot, a birthday dungeon crawl, or a team offsite that values cooperation under pressure. A professional Game Master prepares a dynamic region filled with threats and rumours, teaches the rules at the table, and adjusts the level of grit to your comfort. You can use pre-generated characters or create your own. Meet and choose from our Game Masters to suit your preferred tone and style.

How to play Forbidden Lands

In play, you roll a handful of six-sided dice based on your attribute, skill, and gear. Every 6 is a success; one is usually enough, and extra successes provide benefits like quicker progress or increased damage. If you fall short, you can push and reroll, but rolling 1s can strain your stats or wear down equipment, and that risk fuels willpower for talents and spells. Travel and combat use clear turns, so each player scouts, forages, sneaks, or strikes in order.

Players bring a rugged character concept, a few goals, and a willingness to make tough decisions about time, supplies, and danger. The Game Master provides the hex map, adventure sites, weather, and factions, then reacts to your plans. A one-shot focuses on a single ruin or short trek with pregenerated characters and tight objectives. A campaign uncovers the map over weeks, manages food and arrows, claims a stronghold, and observes how your choices reshape the region. Playing online is seamless on common virtual tabletops; see options here.

Five costumed friends posing together at a lively TTRPG costume party
Five costumed friends posing together at a lively TTRPG costume party
Green ten-sided die with gold numbers 5 and 9 visible.
Green ten-sided die with gold numbers 5 and 9 visible.

Common questions

How lethal is Forbidden Lands, and can you modify it?

Short version: danger is real, but avoidable. You can be broken by injury, cold, or hunger. If broken by damage, you roll a critical injury that can maim or kill. Pushing dice risks your attributes and gear. That builds tension, not a meat grinder. A professional Game Master adjusts foes, travel pace, and how generous rests and supplies are. We also indicate risk and reward for retreat. Share your comfort level when you book, or find a Game Master whose style suits you.

Do I need to have experience with the rules, or will you teach us?

No experience required. The rules use pools of six-sided dice based on your attributes, skills, and gear. Rolling sixes counts as successes. You can push a failed roll to try again, but rolling 1s can strain your stats or damage items. This risk fuels willpower for talents and spells. A professional Game Master will teach at the table, provide quick reference sheets, and offer pre-generated characters if you prefer. If you're already familiar with the system, we can jump straight into more advanced options.

How does this differ from D&D and other fantasy games?

It is a genuine sandbox. You decide where to go on a hex map, then deal with the consequences. Resources are important, so food, arrows, and weather influence your strategy. Magic is less common and often feared. Combat is quicker and more unpredictable, and resting is more regulated. There is no scripted storyline to follow, only locations, factions, and rumours that respond to your actions. The rules also incorporate stronghold building and downtime threats as core gameplay, not just a side mini-game.

What do we do during travel and exploration?

You assign roles, then take turns travelling. Someone scouts to avoid ambushes. Someone forages or hunts. Another navigates and keeps the map. You manage the camp, fire, and watch. Weather and terrain can be challenging, and you decide when to prioritise speed over safety. When you find a site, you explore rooms, negotiate with inhabitants, disarm traps, and collect treasure. Between legs, you craft, heal, and plan the next route based on the rumours you've uncovered.

Is magic uncommon here, and can I play a spellcaster?

Yes to both. In the setting, magic is rare and many NPCs view it with suspicion. At the table, you can play a Sorcerer or Druid, or a non-caster with mystical abilities. Spells rely on willpower and can involve risks when pushed, so you must balance power against safety. Scrolls and teachers are available, but they aren't found on every corner. Let the Game Master know how prominent you want magic to be in your story.

Can our group claim, upgrade, and defend a stronghold?

Yes. The game includes comprehensive rules for capturing a location and transforming it into a base. You can select facilities such as a workshop, stables, or guard tower, hire NPCs, and oversee projects between adventures. Your decisions lead to advantages and new challenges, and threats may focus on your home. This aspect is particularly effective in campaigns that allow for development over time. In a one-shot, we can demonstrate it with a reclaimed outpost or a brief base event to illustrate how it functions.

Does Forbidden Lands operate smoothly for online play?

Very well. The system uses only six-sided dice, so rolls are quick with simple macros. Hex maps, fog of war, and travel roles work smoothly on popular virtual tabletops like Foundry or Roll20. A professional Game Master provides ready maps, tokens, and handouts, and manages the pace over voice or video. If you have a preferred platform, check options here: online play platforms.

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Genres you can play in Forbidden Lands

  • Survival

    Chilly nights, empty packs, and tough decisions. Survival stories challenge your resilience and teamwork as you manage resources, outwit…

    View genre: Survival
  • Gritty

    Difficult decisions, limited resources, and lasting consequences. Picture Game of Thrones, where trust is tenuous, debts must be repaid…

    View genre: Gritty
  • Exploration

    Set out with a map and a question. Exploration stories pursue horizons, map ruins and wilderness, and reward curiosity, much like Indiana…

    View genre: Exploration
  • Low Magic

    A gritty fantasy where a whispered charm holds more weight than fireballs. Steel, cunning, and tough decisions propel the narrative, much…

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  • Wilderness

    Boots on the ground, maps in hand, with miles of rugged terrain separating you from safety. Imagine the Fellowship traversing the wilds of…

    View genre: Wilderness
  • Pirate

    Salt spray, creaking decks, and cutlass duels as you pursue treasure and rivals across treacherous waters. Swashbuckling adventure…

    View genre: Pirate

What players are saying

  • First of all, I want to say that Sebastian was really great as a DM. For his first run as a booked DM, he did a fantastic job. The 3 stars refer to the following: 1. We were disappointed that the adventure was labelled a One Shot yet wasn't a complete story. Discovering that there are two more parts wasn't very positive for us, as it meant there was no satisfying conclusion to the story. 2. As new players, it was difficult for us to understand the English character sheets in such a short time. In German, it would have been much easier. Even receiving the character sheets a few days in advance would have been helpful for preparation. 3. More guidance would be beneficial. Especially for beginners, a more linear one shot would have been preferable. We wasted a large portion of the adventure time doing unnecessary things because we didn't really know how the game worked. Overall, I think the StoryForgers concept is really good and I see a lot of potential in it, especially for introducing new players to D&D. I hope you don't take my feedback the wrong way but as honest criticism. Cheers, Mario

    Mario

  • Bryan was exceptional. We had a group with varied experience levels, and he managed to keep everyone engaged and involved. His positive attitude made the game enjoyable for all. I really appreciated how he could clearly explain what was needed for our less experienced players while keeping our more seasoned players on their toes with his extensive knowledge of the game. Everyone in our party had a fantastic time thanks to Bryan.

    Jeremy

  • Dayron was fantastic. Well-prepared, punctual, and had a brilliant sense of humour.

    Corey

  • Dayron was fantastic; he provided an excellent experience. Thanks!

    Casey

    The Merry Meeple

  • The game was incredibly engaging. I organised a session as a gift for my boyfriend, who is really passionate about it, and he was very pleased and appreciated Leonardo's professionalism. I don't have much experience with DnD, but I found the game to be quite straightforward and enjoyable.

    Marina

  • Baptiste was a fantastic GM who adapted seamlessly to our group and helped us make great progress in this one-shot. However, there was one issue with the character sheets provided; they were not complete or clear. Some of the French translations were quite rough. For instance, our cleric was missing spells, including a healing spell, even though they were meant to have some.

    Pierre

  • Rachel was fantastic; my daughter and her friends left their game saying it was the most fun they’d ever had, and my daughter wanted to sign up for another game with her straight away. She was friendly, and her approach let the players immerse themselves in the game by giving them control over how they wanted their actions to unfold. I would definitely work with her again.

    John

  • A great first experience with D&D. Amber was excellent at explaining and guiding the game, allowing us as players to quickly get into the flow and focus on the story. Collaborating on attack strategies with my colleagues was a fun activity that provided valuable insights into each other's characters, thought processes, and differences. Overall, I found it to be a very enjoyable session.

    Jens

    Triodos Bank N.V.

  • Pim is truly a legend as a DM! He's cheerful, adaptable, and incredibly experienced. With a group of novice players, he managed to create an amazing experience in just a few hours. He maintained control in a fun manner and engaged every player in the story, whether they were vocal or reserved. If you go adventuring with him, it will certainly be unforgettable!

    Jens

    Triodos Bank N.V.

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