You know that feeling when your D&D game starts to feel a little too... clean? You're fighting the same goblins in the same grassy fields, and the "horror" elements are just generic skeletons with slightly higher AC. It gets old. That’s basically why The Crooked Moon PDF blew up on Kickstarter. It wasn't just another supplement; it was a vibe shift. People wanted something that felt like a fever dream in the woods, and Legends of Avantris actually delivered.
What is The Crooked Moon PDF exactly?
At its core, it's a massive folk horror expansion for 5th Edition. Honestly, calling it a "setting" feels like an understatement. It’s an entire ecosystem of creepy traditions, weird magic, and monsters that feel like they crawled out of a 17th-century woodcut. If you’ve ever watched The Witch or Midsommar and thought, "I want to put my players through that nightmare," this is the book you’ve been looking for.
The project didn't just stumble into success. It raised over $3 million. That's a lot of d20s. The reason it hit so hard is that it fills a gap that official Wizards of the Coast products usually play too safe to touch. It’s dark. It’s atmospheric. It’s weird.
The PDF version is particularly sought after because, let's be real, the physical book is a literal brick. Having the digital file makes it way easier to search for specific "Witchcraft" mechanics or pull up one of the 60+ new monsters during a session without breaking your table.
Folk Horror vs. Gothic Horror
We need to clear something up. Most players think horror in D&D means Ravenloft. Don't get me wrong, Strahd is a legend, but that’s Gothic horror—vampires, castles, and lightning storms. The Crooked Moon PDF dives into Folk horror. This is about the isolation of the wilderness. It's about ancient spirits that don't care about your "alignment." It’s about rituals where you aren't quite sure if you're the guest or the sacrifice.
It feels more personal. More tactile.
The world of Dransik—the setting within the book—is perpetually trapped in a state of autumn. Think about that for a second. No summer, no winter. Just the smell of decaying leaves and the feeling that the sun is always about to go down. That kind of environmental storytelling is baked into every page of the PDF.
The Mechanics: It’s Not Just Flavor
A lot of third-party books are basically just "flavor text and some broken subclasses." This isn't that. The team at Legends of Avantris introduced some genuinely crunchy systems that change how the game plays.
One of the big ones is the Witchcraft system. In standard 5e, magic is very "point and shoot." You say the words, the fire happens. In The Crooked Moon, magic feels more like a trade. There’s a cost. There’s a ritual. It feels more "folklore" and less "superhero."
Then there’s the Luck and Fate mechanic. It adds a layer of uncertainty that works perfectly for a horror setting. You aren't just rolling to see if you hit; you're rolling to see if the world itself is conspiring against you. It creates these high-tension moments where the players are actually scared of the dice again.
Subclasses and Monsters
You’ve got 13 new subclasses. They aren't just "The Fighter, but spooky." They’re built around the themes of the book. The "Circle of the Harvest" Druid, for example, isn't just about growing plants—it’s about the cycle of life and death, mostly the death part.
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And the monsters? They’re terrifying.
- The Horned King: Not someone you want to meet in a dark alley. Or a well-lit field.
- The Wickerman: A classic folk horror staple reimagined with terrifying stats.
- Harvest Golems: Forget the Wizard of Oz; these things are built from the remains of failed crops and broken dreams.
The PDF includes over 60 monsters, all with incredible art that looks like it was drawn by someone who hasn't slept in a week (in a good way). The art style is consistent—sepia tones, jagged lines, and a lot of hidden details in the shadows.
Why Everyone Wants the Digital Version
Honestly, the physical production of this book was a massive undertaking, but for the average DM, the The Crooked Moon PDF is just more practical.
- Searchability. If you need to find the specific rule for "The Long Night," you just hit Ctrl+F.
- VTT Integration. Most people are playing on Foundry or Roll20 these days. Having the high-res maps and tokens from the PDF is a game-changer.
- Portability. You can't exactly carry a 400-page tome to a coffee shop to prep your session without looking like you're summoning a demon.
There's also the "Gasp Factor." When you share your screen and show the players the full-page art of a Boss Monster from the PDF, the silence that follows is worth the price of admission. It sets a mood that a verbal description just can't match.
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Common Misconceptions
People sometimes think this is just a "Halloween one-shot" book. It’s not. It’s a full campaign setting. You could run a three-year campaign in Dransik and still not see everything.
Another thing? People assume it’s too dark for "normal" players. While it is horror, it has a weirdly whimsical side. It’s that "spooky but fun" vibe that makes things like Over the Garden Wall so popular. It’s not just gore and misery; it’s mystery and wonder, just with more teeth.
How to Actually Use It
If you’re going to drop this into your game, don't just dump the players in Dransik. Ease them in.
Start with the atmosphere. Describe the smell of woodsmoke. Mention that the moon looks just a little bit "wrong"—a bit too crooked. Use the new "Horror Tiers" system included in the book to dial the tension up or down. You don't want to start at an 11. You want to start at a 3 and slowly, agonizingly, turn the dial.
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One of the best things you can do is use the "Bargains" system. In folk horror, characters are always making deals they'll regret. The Crooked Moon gives you actual mechanics for this. Give your players a way out of a bad situation, but make the price something they’ll be thinking about for the next five sessions.
Is it worth the hype?
The tabletop community can be pretty skeptical of high-budget Kickstarters. We’ve all been burned by "The Next Big Thing" that turns out to be a mess of typos. But Legends of Avantris spent years playing in this world before they ever wrote it down. They are a "stream-first" group, meaning they know what actually works at a live table.
The PDF is polished. The layout is clean. The mechanics feel playtested because they were playtested.
Actionable Steps for DMs
If you're ready to dive into The Crooked Moon PDF, here is how to start without overwhelming yourself:
- Read the "Setting the Scene" chapter first. Don't worry about the stats or the subclasses yet. Get the vibe of Dransik in your head so you can describe it to your players.
- Pick one "Folk Ritual" to introduce early. Let your players see the NPCs performing a strange, non-combative ritual in a village. It builds world-depth immediately.
- Use the high-resolution maps. If you're using a VTT, take advantage of the digital assets. The maps are designed with line-of-sight in mind, which is crucial for horror.
- Check the "Player Safety" section. Real talk: horror can get intense. The book includes great advice on how to keep things scary without actually upsetting your friends.
- Start small. Use one of the shorter adventures included in the supplement before launching into a full-scale campaign to see if your group actually enjoys the folk horror genre.
Getting your hands on the PDF is the first step toward a campaign that your players will be talking about for years. It’s not just a book; it’s an invitation to get lost in the woods. Just make sure you stay on the path.