Vortex Verlag
About
Vortex Verlag is an indie publishing house for wonderful roleplaying books & supplements.
Vortex Verlag – RPG Setting Guides & Adventures
We are a German publishing house that produces lavishly illustrated tabletop roleplaying books and fantastic supplements.
Our first setting guide and adventure for 5e – The Straight Way Lost – came out in 2023 and you can buy the hardcover at a special discount during the UKGE.
We are proud to present our new projects!
Serenissima Obscura is a horror adventure and setting guide for Venice in the Renaissance. It will go live in the week after the UKGE on Backerkit. Check out some wonderful art, maps of Venice, a preview into new game mechanics for 5e and other systems as well as miniatures specifically designed by our partner STL Miniatures.
Shanarel is a 5e campaign setting for a huge continent in a quirky high fantasy world. It will be published in 2026 and we are presenting some art and maps.
At UKGE, Vortex Verlag is being represented by Melina Sedó, the author of The Straight Way Lost and Serenissima Obscura and Thorsten Janes, our house's graphics designer and photographer.
Games
Serenissima Obscura
Serenissima Obscura is an extensive rpg setting guide and horror scenario for Venice in 1507.
Below the surface of this most serene of all cities, an old evil has dreamed up a nightmare that seeps into the mundane. The adventurers will face conspiracies, mystical convergences and a realm of unspeakable terrors that threaten to consume Venice and life as we know it.
Serenissima Obscura offers:
▶︎ compatibility with DnD 5e and other systems,
▶︎ an extensive setting guide with information about the historical and mystical background of our world,
▶︎ a sandbox adventure consisting of 25+ modules in real Venice as well as in its shadow version,
▶︎ dozens of additional story hooks in the setting guide,
▶︎ setlets to play with consistent groups.
▶︎ new character classes, like e.g. The Merchant
▶︎ new species, like e.g. The Children of the Lagoon,
▶︎ new mechanics for social advancement and the setup of headquarters,
▶︎ an extra PDF player guide with mechanics, classes and species from The Straight Way Lost,
▶︎ illustrations by the artists Anton Vitus (Vaesen), Mark Smylie (Artesia), Simone Tammetta and Margaux Carpio.
▶︎ layout by Thorsten Janes, cover by Roena Rosenberger,
▶︎ as well as wonderful street and battle maps by Mark Smylie!
Crowdfunding on Backerkit starting May 27, 2025.