This is the first of two interviews I conducted with Satine Phoenix (The Sirens, Game Master Tips, and more) and Jamsion Stone (CEO of Apotheosis Studios, The Red Opera, and more) about their new Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition Bard-centric sourcebook, Sirens: Battle of the Bards. We talk about the Kickstarter, its setting, Bardic Colleges, and more.
EGG EMBRY (EGG): It’s rare that I have the opportunity to speak with the creators of a project on two different occasions so thank you for granting me this time. You are kickstarting a project, what are you creating?
SATINE PHOENIX (SATINE): Absolutely! Wonderful to share our passion for gaming with you! We are creating Sirens: Battle of the Bards, an artistically inspired 5th Edition campaign and setting featuring an epic, Bard-infused journey set in the bohemian city of Salvata where Bards are thrown into the crucible of conquest and battle for the heart of a growing empire!
EGG: This is a campaign setting, an adventure, and a love letter to the Bard class. What makes this class the right one to feature here?
JAMISON STONE (JAMISON): Bards are the iconic class of artists, writers, and musicians, which we, as… artists, writers, and musicians really love! But they also are a great roleplaying class, and we wanted to feature a city which was created by artists, bardic architects, and those who bring magic and inspiration to the world. Additionally, we wanted to lean into some new subclasses to Bards to give them some much needed attention and class variation so you don’t have to just play a lute carrying minstrel Bard—not that there is anything wrong with that. But we have over ten new subclasses which are sure to spark some bardic inspiration!
EGG: The setting is the “bohemian City of Salvata”, which has a unique skyscraper-esque layout. Why do Bards flock to this city?
SATINE: Well, the bohemian City of Salvata encroaches closer to the heavens every century. For a millennium, this towering metropolis has fostered artists, muses, and sirens so as to perfect their art and lure down a deity during a rare eclipse when the stars align. Under the visionary guidance of the city’s Great Chancellor Calrath, Salvata has prospered in harsh desert conditions—conditions that forge coal into diamonds. And so, the City of Salvata is no different: failure is not shunned here but embraced as a stepping stone to success. Each century, another statue is immortalized, and the city climbs yet another step higher urging all citizens to strive for the vaulted halls at Salvata’s zenith.
EGG: You’re creating over ten new Bard subclasses/colleges. While the title of the subclasses is not necessarily the modern take on the term “college”, are there plans to build out Bard colleges in Salvata?
JAMISON: Yes! We are featuring a full Bardic University, basically the home, training ground, and central gathering place of all Bards across the many planes. The setting of Salvata features a variety of performance locations including taverns, amphitheaters, comedy clubs, Bard Colleges, and other locations of interest.
EGG: What are the lands below and beyond Salvata like?
SATINE: Salvata is situated in a vast desert over a magically infused oasis. The surrounding areas are ripe with other factions, people, and creatures featured in the story of Sirens: Battle of the Bards and our many quests and side quests. We don’t want to give too much away, but the City of Salvata features ten unique districts each with their own unique theme and places of interest, and its surrounding locations are equally as interesting!
EGG: There are over twenty adventures created here. Do they all tie together to form a campaign?
JAMISON: You don’t have to be a Bard to partake in this adventure—bring along your existing higher-tier campaign, or wander the city as entirely fresh characters experiencing adventure for the first time. Sirens: Battle of the Bards can easily be scaled to suit all tiers of play, and each adventure contained within offers boundless opportunities for side quests and improvisation.
EGG: Will this campaign cater to non-Bards or is this a Bards-only adventure?
JAMISON: Indeed! You don’t have to be a Bard to partake in this adventure—bring along your existing higher-tier campaign, or wander the city as entirely fresh characters experiencing adventure for the first time. Sirens: Battle of the Bards can easily be scaled to suit all tiers of play, and each adventure contained within offers boundless opportunities for side quests and improvisation. While we are excited to offer many Bard subclasses with any class can enjoy, you by no means have to do so. We set out to create an epic 300-page campaign and setting designed for both storytellers and players in mind, so any and all classes can enjoy and find adventure.
EGG: Luke Gygax is joining in to do the foreword. How did he become involved in the project?
SATINE: Luke Gygax is fantastic and a good friend. I have been a longtime supporter of Gary Con (it’s my favorite convention out of the numerous I attend every year) and I was thrilled when he agreed to write the forward. We are also featuring a blurb by Luke for Sirens: Battle of the Bards on our Kickstarter page which I will share now:
“Lift up your lute, strike a compelling pose and let fly your most eloquent song! It’s time to adventure in Salvata, a bohemian city of artists envisioned by Satine Phoenix. Sirens: Battle of the Bards is a collaborative campaign and setting compatible with Fifth Edition Dungeon & Dragons sure to inspire your players and evoke your imagination.”
~ Luke Gygax, son of Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax
EGG: This project comes from your Dungeon & Dragons LivePlay, Sirens of the Realms. During the campaign, will there be more episodes to support this project?
SATINE: Yes! We are having a whole new season of Sirens, entitled Sirens: Song of Salvata which is airing during our Kickstarter on my Twitch channel here. Follow and tune in to see a bunch of familiar Sirens, and some new Sirens, too!
EGG: This is all very exciting! Thanks for talking with me again. For fans interested in this project, where can they learn more about it?
JAMISON: The best play is to visit our Kickstarter page, but we can also be found in our three weekly shows at on our Twitch channel and our Discord Servers at Gilding Light and Apotheosis Studios Discord; we love interacting with our community there and on our various social media platforms! Thank you so much and hopefully see you all soon!
Satine Phoenix [is on] Twitter and Instagram. Jamison Stone [is on] Twitter and Instagram. Sirens: Battle of the Bards from Apotheosis Studios runs on Kickstarter through May 22nd, 2021.
Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG and Amazon.
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