The Islands of Sina Una

The Islands of Sina Una is an 3rd party Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting created for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition that draws upon the rich but often neglected/ignored history and pre-colonial mythology of the Philippine Islands and its myriad of indigenous cultures.

It was published in 2020 by Hitpoint Press.

Setting

Several islands worth of adventure

The campaign itself is set amidst a vast archipelago located in the midst of an unnamed sea. There are seven major islands -- Timanduk, Kandaya, Puthawanan, Nasirakna, Adlawdto, Talunan, and Kotabalon -- who are in turn sometimes bordered by much smaller islands. In every island there are established towns and villages, and trade routes between islands, but far beyond the village centers, there are stretches of wilderness where danger lurks to snare the unwary.

And what lies beyond the blue seas that surround the islands? Herein begins the realms of the sea peoples, but even they speak of places further beyond -- of a deep ocean trench that serves as the grave of the snake abomination that regularly chases the moon across the sky, and of a place haunted by giant crustacean monsters.

And beyond even that?

No one is really sure -- the campaign itself suggests that the entire setting is located inside an unfathomably large clam, with the skies contained inside the top half of the shell, and the lands and seas on the inside of the bottom shell. Indeed there's even an "edge" to the world, where the ocean waters tumble off the edge of jagged cliffs into the void ala-Discworld (or Eric the Viking), and where a gigantic eagle lurks to snatch up the boats of foolish explorers who've managed to get that far.

Cosmological mega-clam aside, the Islands are essentially pre-colonial fantasy Philippines, though the writing team went out of their way to make sure that they didn't lean too hard into local indigenous stereotypes.

The People of the Isles

A Balat-kayo and Umalagad.

The campaign brings in many of the "standard" player character races of 5th Edition, but given slight tweaks to make them fit in the local mythology; in most cases, this means that, rather than being the products of interbreeding or direct creations of specific deities, they are instead descended from incarnated nature spirits who entered the Mortal world at the dawn of time.

• Humans: The most widespread and numerous mortal race. Much like real-life Filipinos, they're everywhere in the Isles.

• Half-Orcs: Called "balat-kayo" (lit. disguise or mask), they are a full-blooded people created in the image of the warmask worn by the goddess Haliya, to serve as her watchers in the mortal world in preparation for Bakunawa's return. All of them have silver eyes, and an innate connection to ritual magic, being able to cast a small selection of these over the course of a day.

• Dragonborn: Called Umalagad, these tall snake and crocodile-people are the reincarnations of people who had already passed away. WHY they get reincarnated as scalies only the gods know, but none question the second chance they had been given. They can magically draw upon their past memories and experiences to guide them through their current incarnations, though only a few times every day.

• (Volcano) Dwarves: A short but robust and industrious people who believe themselves to be descended from volcano spirits, they can temporarily coat themselves in armor made from molten magma for protection.

• (Balete) Elves: A long-live fey race that were "born" into the islands at the dawn of time when nature spirits crossed over into the living world via the roots of the Balete trees, though these days they breed well enough with each other. They revere the trees they are "descended" from as if these were respected ancestors. Balete elves have an intuitive knowledge of nature, and have a few plant-themed powers that they can use a few times every day.

• Half-Elves: Not half-breeds, these incarnated nature spirits manifested onto the Islands via the wildflowers of the fields rather than the Balete Trees that the elves used. Have a choice of being more "human" or "elf" in appearance, but otherwise has no bearing mechanically.

• (Gold) Gnomes: A people descended from incarnated earth spirits who have an affinity with Gold, to the point that they are born naturally with gold tattoo-like patterns on their skins. Have a racial ability to enhance items through gilding these with gold trim.

• (Mangrove) Halflings: A short and agile people who believe that they were created by the spirit of the mangrove forests that they call their home. They are quick-witted, and have a natural talent for repairing objects.

• Tieflings: Rather than having an infernal heritage, these instead are people born with carabao or deer features, and with a strong connection with the spirits of the land, serving as its overseers. Carabao tieflings are big and strong, while Deer tieflings have an affinity with fire.

Aside from all of these are the Mandaragat or Sea Peoples, who ply the waters between the islands. Semi-nomadic traders, their brightly-colored flotillas are often welcome at any port due to the wonders and bounties they bring up from the seabed. What settlements they have are often located far from the shore, with huts built on bamboo-stilt platforms that ride high above the waves.

The Sea Peoples also have a second, often unspoken role -- being the first line of defense against whatever horror rises up from the area called Bakunawa's Grave, dealing with these evils before they threaten the Islands.

Classes and Subclasses

A Babaylan looking too spooky for her own good.

The campaign introduces features most of the classic character classes from the PHB, and how they fit in the culture of the Islands. The campaign also introduces two new classes for the setting: the Babaylan, an Intelligence-based spellcaster that channels the spirits of the Islands to cast their spells; and the Headhunter, a warrior tasked by the spirits to hunt down and punish those who had gone beyond the pale, but at the same time make sure that their sins don't taint their communities with their evil.

• Barbarians get the Path of the Black River, where they become an active servant of the Black River itself, and gain several Death-themed abilities.
• Bards gain the Çollege of Siday, which focuses on the remembrance and retelling of old-school (as in, the ones that take several days to tell) epics to the peoples of far-flung communities. These tales of adventure and derring-do give positive effects in return to both the bard and their party.
• Clerics gain the Volcano Domain, which gives access to not only spells of fire, earth, and ash, but also the ability to set hostiles within 15 feet of you on fire while healing your allies in turn.
• Druids may elect to join the Circle of Tides, a group of druids who seek to study Nature in its ever-changing aspect. They swap out the ability to Wildshape for "adaptations", which are small but helpful effects that otherwise wouldn't be available via the Druid spell list.
• Fighters may become Kawal (lit. guards or protectors), stalwart and untiring defenders of their communities.
• Monks may follow the Path of Kaluluwa, and gain such a mastery over their bodies that their spirits may join their mortal forms in battle.
• Paladins may take up the Oath of Blood, where the Paladin gives them over totally into the service of another, and gain power for doing so.
• Rangers may become Mangangaway, whose experiences in battle given them better insight and preparation in the fights to follow.
• Rogues can become Graverobbers, individuals who were cursed due to desecrating gravesites, but have embraced the curses put on them by the spirits to become terrifying combatants.
• Sorcerers may discover that they come from a Diwata Bloodline, and can gradually bring out the powers of this ancestory spirit until the magic that they weave are mighty indeed.
• Warlocks may claim any of the so-called Mooneaters as their eldritch patrons, fueling their destructive powers in exchange for a constant need to be in the center of conflict. Higher-leveled Warlocks of this pact may consume other spirits to empower themselves, cause fear on their enemies, even unleashing a wave of destruction on a number of targets of the Warlock's choice.
• Wizards may elect to become Mentala, spellcasters who harness the bamboo plant in both scribing their spells, as well as embodying its adaptable and flexible nature.

Spirits and Religion

Animism is the primary way of belief in the Islands, but in this case everything, from the smallest rock to the tallest acacia tree, to the flowing rivers and the smoking volcanoes, has a spirit that animates it. People are aware of how much of an impact in their lives these spirits have, and seek to live in harmony with them. It literally costs nothing to regularly praise the spirit of the rice fields to ensure a good harvest, but at the same time it would be foolish not to regularly entreat the spirits of the sea for a safe journey.

In general, there are two categories of spirits: nature spirits, and ancestral spirits. Nature spirits are often embodiments of particular flora, fauna, or even major geographic locations like mountains. Especially powerful or ancient ones may even interact with mortals via taking physical form in order to communicate, though often times what form they choose varies from encounter to encounter. Locals have formed reciprocal relationships with the spirits of their areas, and will often leave a token or offering in appreciation. Woe to the town who manages to neglect their local spirit!

Ancestral spirits, on the other hand, are the souls of those who had already passed on, but had not yet elected to continue on to the Black River. They watch over the households of their descendants, though they could only give advise through intermediaries like the babaylan or through dreams.

Rarely though, when they feel the need to intervene directly, ancestor spirits may allow themselves to be reborn. Those who choose so are reborn as the umalagad, and they use their second lives wisely to fulfill whatever goals they had.

The Gods of the Islands

Haliya and her war mask of starlight

Rather than being omnipotent beings, the Gods of the Islands are pretty much just bigger and more powerful spirits that embody universal facets of life, like the sun, the moon, or the seasons. Some of the more well-known are the following:

• Bathala: Patriarch of the gods, and local creator deity, from whom many of the other deities are descended from, He has mostly retired, and has instead split the duties of rulership among his two eldest children. He is still widely venerated however, especially by new fathers, as well as rulers who would rather look for peaceful solutions instead of harsh punishments.

• Apolaki: God of the sky and the sun, and Bathala's eldest son from his first lover. Apolaki is many things -- stubborn and cocky mostly -- but he is also passionate. He is the patron of warriors, particularly those who would defend their communities against dire threats.

• Mayari: Eldest of Bathala's Moon triplets, she is the goddess of the Moon. Despite having only one eye -- she lost the other one in a bad fight with Apolaki -- she is considered the most attractive of the three sisters. She is constantly pursued across the evening skies by the sea serpent Bakunawa, who seeks to devour her. Her two younger sisters do their best to ensure that this does not happen.

• Haliya: The youngest of Bathala's Moon triplets, Haliya is the warrior among them, and often it is up to her to defend Mayari from Bakunawa, especially when she grew weary from the chase. To this end, she was given a tusked mask and a gleaming sword to help ward away the serpent. She is the patron of the balatkayo, with their visages a reflection of the war mask she wears.

• Tala: The second oldest of the Sky sisters, Tala is the patron of travelers and those who use the stars to navigate. She will often guide the lost back using these stars, and sometimes sends shooting starts flying through the night skies.

• Sidapa: The god of Death and mortality, he's a bit of a recluse. Sees himself more as a chronicler and a record-keeper than an active death-dealer, and is often times annoyed that people who try and extend their lives beyond their allotted lifetimes.

The Celestial Eaters

The Moon Eater.

Instead of there being just one entity interested in devouring the Moon, the Islands have no less than five, each with different reasons for trying to eat Mayari up. While they are more like forces of nature than anything a mortal hero can realistically fight, they have been driven off before by the works of mortal and spirit.

• Bakunawa: The most infamous of the Celestial Eaters, Bakunawa the Sea Serpent was jealous of the wonders Bathala and his family had brought to the Islands, and in spite sought to devour the creator god's eldest daughter. The serpent's physical body was struck down in ages past by the goddess Haliya, and the patch of sea it fell into, now called Bakunawa's Grave, had become a benighted place ever since.

• Arimaonga: The Sky Lion doesn't hold Mayari any ill will, but can't help but be attracted to the Moon's radiance. It sees the Moon as a glorified plaything really, much like a real-life dog would view a frisbee. It makes its lair in between the rays of the sun above the skies of Puthawhanan.

• Minokawa: A massive eagle-thing with talons on its wings and feathers as sharp as swords, Minokawa chases after Mayari primarily because she's shiny and looks tasty. Unlike the other Celestial Eaters, the Eagle actually lives beyond the edge of the known world. Called the Eyrie, it is a lonely island disconnected from the mortal and spirit worlds alike.

• Tambanokano: Pretty much a giant crab full of RAGE and resentment, Tambanokano is said to be Mayari's forgotten child. It seeks to bring its neglectful ancestor down into the depths where it makes its home, in the area of sea called Tambanokano's Basin.

• Tambanokua: A gigantic magma tarantula supposedly resting within a dormant volcano in the island of Kotabalon, Tambanokua seeks to entangle the Moon goddess in its web just to watch the nighttime world fall into ruin without Mayari to watch over it. So far it has not made any overt moves, but the peoples of Kotabalon keep constant vigil on its resting place regardless.

Item Limitations

Purely optional of course, but for those who want to keep the "feel" of a pre-colonial Filipino fantasy adventure have to keep some things in mind, in that some items that come as "default" equipment in any other Western-based medieval fantasy simply aren't available in the Islands.

As a rule of thumb, a GM may replace DMG default equipment with the same subtype available in the campaign book -- examples given are substituting scale mail with a barote (a cuirass made out of woven abaca fibers), or a rapier with a kampilan (a single-edged longsword that grew broader at its point, with a flat or forked head).

• Scarcity of Iron and Steel: These metals are of a premium in the Islands, and unless an item is a weapon, piece of armor, wilderness gear, or a farming tool of some sort, you won't find these. Steel weapons and armor are valuable beyond measure, and are usually available to either nobility or the very wealthy (or adventurers who have the coin to have these custom-made of course).

• Advanced Armor Unavailable: The practicality of wearing enclosed heavy steel armor in a tropical setting where one can be expected to swim on a regular basis notwithstanding, never mind a real danger of overheating in the tropical climate, advanced types of armor such as breast plate, half-plate, or full-plate mail simply have no equivalent in the Islands. It says something that chain mail counts as one of the best heavy types of armor available.

• No paper: Paper-based writing is all-but unknown in the Islands, and most record-keeping are done instead on bamboo scrolls, copper plate, or palm leaves. So no paper or parchment, or books either.

• Lack of anti-demon weapons: Suffice to say that demons don't feature much in the cosmonology of the Islands, so you won't see things like holy water or silvered weaponry. Due to the prevalence of aswang however, you will see a lot of salt-coated equipment.

Due to the tropical weather, people normally wore light and breezy attire, and often went about their travels barefoot.

Adventuring in the Islands

There's a lot of opportunity for adventure in the archipelago, with each Island full of possible hooks that a DM can use. Inside every village there are mundane intrigues a-plenty, especially when there is friction between the local datu and his constituents, or even rivalry with the nobility of a neighboring village. Skirmishes between settlements are not unheard-of, especially if one's pride gets slighted, even by accident.

There may be supernatural challenges as well; man-eating aswang disguise themselves as regular village-folk during the day, before hunting their prey during the dark hours of the night, the outskirts of many-a-settlement unwittingly harbor a mambabarang (a spellcaster who curses people using insect swarms) who could put a lethal hex on an enemy for the right price. The restless dead might terrorize the descendants of those who slew them in ages long past, or the local spirit of the land could decide to withhold its blessings after being neglected one too many times.

And outside of the village centers and the outlying farms lie vast swaths of untamed wilderness, where peril await the unwary. While there are well-travelled paths between villages, only the brave (and well-armed) -- or foolish -- would try to traverse these once darkness falls. Brigands are a real danger, but there are real monsters out there as well.

It is entirely possible to spend a whole campaign on a single island, but a truly epic island-hopping adventure with the aim of permanently ending the threat of one of the Celestial Eaters is an option as well.