Dungeons & Dragons: How To Run A Celtic Campaign

Celtic myths and legends stretch back to the Iron Age. These stories of heroism, romance, and magic live on thanks to the oral tradition of the Gaelic people of northwestern Europe. There's lots of inspiration for your next Dungeons & Dragons campaign among the banshees, pookas, and druids of the Celtic mythos.

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Faerûn is already brimming with magic, gods, and monsters. However, using elements from Celtic myths can inject a distinctively ancient feel to a D&D campaign. These warriors, god-like beings, and shape-shifters predate Roman civilization and the arrival of the monotheistic Christian fate. Sprinkle some Celtic mythology over your setting for a unique take on D&D.

Balancing History And Fantasy In Celtic D&D

D&D is often called a "medieval fantasy" game. While many of the armour, weapons, and aesthetics are borrowed from the Middle Ages, it's not the full story. The technology, social structures, travel, and economy of a D&D setting often have more in common with the Renaissance Period than the medieval one.

The key vertical for creating a great campaign setting is fun. For this reason, don't stress about putting anachronistic cultures and people in your game. Focus on whether those additions contribute value by increasing intrigue and engagement.

The historical reality of the Celts is best understood by reading Julius Caesar's accounts of these people. (Dan Carlin's Celtic Holocaust podcast is an inspiring take on the interaction between Rome and the Celts.)

Conflict with their more "civilized" and technologically advanced neighbours is a defining feature of Celtic history. It's worth including something similar in your campaign. The primitive bare-chested Celts will seem all the more fascinating compared to a more technologically advanced society.

One historical fact about the Celts that's often overlooked is their grooming. Hair and facial hair were status symbols for Celtic people - the wilder your locks, the higher your status! This can be fun for creating striking-looking player characters and NPCs. The Celts used calcium lime in their hair to bleach it and make it stand up in various punk-esque styles.

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Best Ways To Add A Celtic Feel To Your D&D Campaign

The surviving legends of the Gaelic people share some common themes and tropes. Including these ideas can help give your game a historical feel.

Theme

Description

Romance

Celtic mythology has tragic love stories, star-crossed lovers, and vengeful suitors in spades.The story of Naoise and Deirdre is perhaps the most famous of these.

It tells of old King Conchobhar, who takes Deirdre as his bride on hearing a prophecy about her beauty. Once at court, Deirdre falls in love with Naoise, one of the king's young warriors. This event kicks off a tragic tale of love, vengeance, and regret.

Tragedy

Celtic history may include many romantic tales. But these stories seldom end happily. Many of the most famous legends end with the tragic death of one or both of the young lovers. Tragic events like this can be hard to write directly for your player characters. But tragedy can form an important part of an NPC's background.

For example, a king hires the party to hunt down the bard that lured his daughter away to her death.

War hounds

The Irish word cú was commonly used to refer to a warrior. (Cú Chulainn being the most famous and celebrated Irish warrior in history.) However, a literal translation of the word cú is "hound".The reason for the dual meaning is that Irish warriors were accompanied into battle by their massive, loyal hounds.

An ancient Irish legal text lists four types of dogs: shepherd, lapdog, hunting, and slaughter. It's not hard to imagine how the last of these got their name. Slaughterhounds are thought to be related to contemporary Irish wolfhounds (a scary thought!).

Magical transformation

Transformation and metamorphosis are common themes in Celtic legends. Sometimes, these transformations are a form of punishment. But some legendary figures could shapeshift at will, increasing their powers of battle or evasion.

For example, the Mórrígan (who inspired a Dragon Age character) could turn into a raven to escape her enemies or cover great distances. She also transformed into an eel, cow, and wolf while battling the legendary Cú Chulainn.

Regional kingdoms in conflict

Celtic-era Ireland had a high King. However, this didn't mean the populous was permanently united under a single figure. The country was divided into provinces (which exist to this day). The leaders of each province were often in conflict, raiding each other's land. The Cattle Raid of Cooley is the most famous account of these raids.

Magical vows and curses

A geas in ancient Ireland was somewhere between a blessing and a curse. Usually, someone would place a geas on another by insisting that person adheres to certain criteria. For example, Cú Chulainn was under a geas never to eat dog meat or any food offered to him by a woman. Violating these terms led to his death.

Other realms

Celtic cosmology included an Otherworld subdivided into realms.The most famous of these is Tír na nÓg, a paradise of eternal youth. Other realms include Tír fo Thuinn (the land under the waves), Tír Tairngire (the promised land), and Tír nAill (the other land).

Best Creatures For Celtic Campaigns

The Dungeon Masters Guide (DMG) already contains many creatures directly inspired by Celtic myths. Other creatures can fit a Celtic theme with a simple name change and a few adjustments. Here are some creatures that can help give your campaign that old-world feel.

Creature

Link to Celtic Mythology

Banshee

In Celtic mythology, a banshee's wailing heralded the death of someone nearby. For this reason, banshees weren't especially beloved. But neither were they evil by default. The DMG's banshees are entirely malevolent, and their wailing injures any who hear it.

In some legends, banshees only wail for the impending death of one of the Sons of Mil. These were Gaels who travelled to Ireland from the coast of Iberia in prehistory.

Bodak

The bodak is a trickster/bogeyman figure in Celtic mythology. The historical version of this creature is largely harmless, playing tricks on children for its own entertainment. The DMG's bodak is a little different.

The D&D bodak is a chaotic evil creature with many nefarious powers. Play around with the historical and fantastical elements to find something perfect for your campaign.

Bheur hag

The cailleach bheur of Celtic mythology was the blue-faced daughter of the winter sun. She is often associated with the weather and the creation of the land.

Bheur hags in the DMG are a more evil creature but bear some resemblance to the mythical creature.

For example, bheur hags in 5E suffer no penalty when traversing icy or snowy surfaces. This is a nod to her position of master of weather and landscape.

Druid

Druids were the religious and political class of Celtic society. While little is known about their practices and beliefs, including some druids in your campaign is a surefire way to give proceedings a Celtic feel. Druids often acted as advisors to powerful Kings and Queens.

Tales from the Middle Ages often include corrupting, malevolent druids that lead their monarchs astray. These tales were influenced by the rise of the Christian faith, which viewed the druids with suspicion.

Kelpie

Kelpies were shape-shifting water creatures that could take the form of a horse on land. They would entice humans to ride on their backs only to drag them to a watery death.

D&D's kelpies can turn into convincing humanoid shapes but are otherwise similar to the legends on which they're based.

Pooka

The Celtic púca was a shape-shifter that could take the form of a horse, goat, cat, dog, or hare. It wasn't an exclusively evil creature and could bring good or bad fortune to those who saw it.

Púcai could also take on human form, but typically, animal elements (tail, ears, or fur) would remain. The D&D pooka is remarkably similar to its legendary analogue.

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